by Anna Sugden
Maggie would have to work out what to do about Jake and his role in their lives later. Perhaps she should face the problem square on—talk to him about her concerns so they could work it out together.
She nodded. “All right.”
“Yay!”
Heading back to their seats, Emily complained loudly about missing an Ice Cats goal.
“Is everything okay?” Tracy asked, as Maggie slipped into the seat next to her.
“Fine.” This wasn’t the time or place for explanations.
Her heart gave a funny little thunk as she watched Jake skate smoothly to the middle of the ice, ready for the next face-off. It was as if the fight had never happened. Though fiercely intense, his expression had returned to normal. His body was poised for action. His focus was on the game.
Still, as the puck dropped, Maggie couldn’t help wondering who would get hurt the next time someone got in his face.
* * *
THE LOCKER ROOM was empty.
Jake was ready to leave, yet he lingered. It was crazy. He should be celebrating the win with his family, but he was reluctant to join them.
To face Maggie’s disapproving look.
She and Emily had returned to their seats sometime after Ralinkov had tipped in the game winner. Once Jake had seen they were back, he’d avoided looking altogether. He hadn’t wanted to see her tense expression.
As it was, the thought of her disappointment had weighed like a damn albatross around his neck, making him second-guess every move. Though he hadn’t made any more stupid mistakes, he hadn’t played his best.
And that wasn’t good enough.
Jake had endured another of Ike’s lectures until Tru had told his brother to back off. His tone, rather than his words, had ended the rant. This time.
There wouldn’t be a next time.
“Move it, Bad Boy. I’ve got to lock up,” the equipment manager called out.
Looking up, Jake realized how long he’d stood there, delaying. Damn it. His folks must be wondering where he was. He grabbed his gear, then pulled open the door to face the small crowd gathered nearby.
“You did good, Jakey.” As she had since his first game, his mom pulled his head down to kiss his forehead.
Aunt Karina pinched his cheek. “You shoulda broken Stemgarder’s nose.”
His dad slapped him on the back. “You made me proud. All you boys did. You play like that the rest of the season and you’ll win the Cup.”
“I’m proud of you, too, Mr. Jake.” The grinning seven-year-old choked him up.
“Well done.”
His gaze swung to meet Maggie’s. Wariness tempered the warm glow in her brown eyes.
His shoulders tensed. “Thanks. So you enjoyed the game?”
Before she could answer, Emily interrupted, “It was awesome.”
“Great.” He kept his eyes fixed on Maggie, waiting for a response.
“It was entertaining,” she allowed. “Much more intense than the last one.”
The unspoken message wasn’t hard to understand.
“Yeah.” He tried to keep his tone casual. “We’re playing for real now.”
“But it’s only the first game of the season.”
Her comment irritated him. Like she’d have cared less about a fight in April, than October. “Every win takes you two points closer to guaranteeing a play-off spot.”
“I suppose so.”
His body’s postgame aches and stiffness seemed worse in the silence that followed.
“Are we gonna stand here talking all night or can we go eat?” Tru said loudly. “I’m starving.”
A chorus of approval echoed in the empty hall.
“Come on, everyone.” Jake’s dad began to herd people toward the exit. “We have a table booked at the boys’ favorite restaurant.”
“We should be getting home,” Maggie said briskly. “Congratulations on the win.”
“You aren’t coming to the dinner?” He couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice.
“We don’t want to intrude. This is your special night—you’ll want to celebrate with your family. Thank you for the tickets. We all enjoyed ourselves, especially Emily.”
“You won’t be intruding. My folks would want you to join us. I want you to join us. Unless you have other plans.”
“No. We’ve no other plans.”
“Can’t we go, Mummy? Please.” Emily turned her big brown eyes on her mother. “I promise I’ll go straight to bed when we get home.”
“Now, there’s an offer I can’t refuse.” Maggie smiled. “In that case, we’d be happy to join you.”
“Yay!” Emily jumped up and down.
“Then let’s go.” He slung his bag over his shoulder. “I’m starving, too.”
He glanced at her as she walked quietly beside him out of the arena toward the parking lot. Her body language was contradictory. Though she held herself stiffly, she wasn’t acting like he had the plague. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he thought.
The heavy arena door slammed behind them. Maggie shot him a nervous look as the sharp retort of locks being thrown echoed through the chilly night air. Her reaction made him wonder how much ground he’d lost because of the fight.
Her trust had clearly been shaken. Even as irritation pricked him that she didn’t seem to know him well enough to separate him from his job, he wondered how to repair the damage. He should explain what had happened. Make it clear he hadn’t wanted to fight, but he’d had to protect his honor.
Jake sneaked another peek at her profile, then let his gaze drop down the length of her body. His blood heated. It was definitely worth a shot.
He knew at some point he’d have to think about the effect her disapproval had on his play. Affecting his game was not acceptable. There could be no compromise when it came to winning the Cup. If it came down to a choice, there was only one right answer. His gut twisted. No matter how much he’d hate it, he’d do what he had to.
He owed Adam that much.
Rubbing the lucky penny, he pushed aside the whisper of concern that lingered. He’d worry about that another time.
Tonight was for celebrating. He was back. The Cats had won. Whatever other doubts he had, he was sure about one thing. He wanted to share tonight’s triumph with Maggie.
* * *
A PROPER FAMILY dinner.
A warm, relaxed atmosphere filled with chattering voices and laughter. No stiff formality, no criticism, no head games. Though Gio sat at the head of the table, with Tina to his right and Karina to his left, he didn’t lord it over anyone. Mostly he sat quietly, beaming at the group, his pride obvious to anyone watching.
How different would Maggie’s life have been if she’d grown up in a family like Jake’s? If she’d been supported and encouraged?
Playing what-if games was pointless—she couldn’t change the past. All she could do was ensure things were different for Emily.
“Are you okay?” Jake’s breath against the sensitive skin of her neck sent a quiver through her. “You’re quiet.”
She resisted the urge to lean back against his arm, which rested on her chair. “Just a little tired.”
“Too much excitement for one night?” A serious note underlay his teasing.
Maggie lifted her glass and sipped the cool white wine. This was hardly the place to talk about the emotional upheaval of the evening. “Probably.”
“Are you pissed at me having to fight that ass...jerk, Stemgarder, in the third?”
Her heart tugged at the uncertainty in his eyes. “A little.”
“More than a little?”
“Yes,” she admitted softly. “I was concerned about the effect it would have on Emily. I needn’t have worried.”
; The corner of Jake’s mouth quirked as she explained her daughter’s perspective on what had happened. “Smart girl.”
“She’s certainly very resilient. She’s had so much to deal with, and yet she’s bounced back really quickly.”
“Thanks to you.”
The ever-present guilt over what her daughter had suffered because of her jabbed her in the chest. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do.” He nodded across the table at Emily giggling with his father. “She’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.”
He pulled her toward him in a one-armed hug. “Trust me.”
Maggie couldn’t help flinching. The dilemma of whether or not to trust him had been on her mind ever since she’d agreed to come to dinner with him.
Jake stiffened and withdrew his arm. “That’s the real problem, isn’t it? Because of the fight, you’re not convinced you can.”
The hurt in his voice made her want to deny his charge. But she knew that wouldn’t help either of them. He deserved her honesty.
“It was pretty brutal—” she began, but he cut her off.
“I’d never hit a woman. I’d never hit a man off the ice unless it was to defend myself or protect someone else. I’m not that kind of guy.” He thrust his fingers through his still-damp hair. “Hell, I don’t want to fight on the ice anymore, but sometimes you don’t get a choice.”
She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t quite dismiss the image in her head of the beast that had emerged during the fight. “It’s hard to know what you’d do if you felt you were provoked,” she said carefully.
“I know exactly what I’d do, and it wouldn’t involve hurting someone.”
“Yet that’s what you did tonight,” she snapped, frustrated that he couldn’t understand her concerns. “And you enjoyed it.”
“Stemgarder is dangerous because he doesn’t respect The Code. He likes causing trouble and doesn’t care who he injures.”
“You took great pleasure in hurting him.”
“I took great pleasure in winning the fight. A fight I didn’t want to have any part of, for the record.” He paused, jaw clenched for several seconds. When he continued, his voice was calmer. “Someone had to deal with Stemgarder or he’d have run riot. Not just in that game, but for the rest of the season. I may not have wanted to be involved, but I had no choice. I’m damned if I’m going to apologize for winning the fight.”
This wasn’t a nonapology, like Lee would have made in similar circumstances. He seemed genuinely frustrated.
“I understand why the goon had to be dealt with. Even I could see the trouble he was causing. But,” she added when she saw triumph light Jake’s expression, “I don’t see why you had to fight him.”
“Do you know what a turtle is?”
She frowned. “You mean with a shell and flippers?”
“In hockey, you call someone a coward by accusing them of pulling their head into their shell...turtling. I’m no coward.”
Maggie recalled his grim expression before the fight. It all added up. She’d misjudged him. “So you fought him because your pride was hurt?”
“I’d prefer to say I was defending my honor.”
His mildly offended tone made the tension ease from her body. This time, she’d give him the benefit of the doubt. But actions spoke louder than words, so she hoped his lived up to his explanation. “In that case, I’d say you wore a white hat tonight.”
“Our helmets are black...” His voice faded as he made the connection with their conversation about good guys wearing white hats when they’d toured the gyms. The tips of his ears turned pink. “Yeah.”
As the meal segued from entrée to dessert, Jake’s arm returned to the back of her chair. When coffee was served, she took the opportunity to lean back. The warmth against her shoulders made her system dance with anticipation. The gentle, circular trail of his fingers on her upper arm teased her heightened senses. The press of his thigh against hers fired her cheeks and made her skin tingle. Desire shimmered within her, like moonbeams caressing the surface of a crystal clear pool.
“You’ve hardly touched your tiramisu,” Jake murmured huskily in her ear.
“I seem to have lost my appetite for dessert.”
“I can’t tempt you with one bite?”
“Not of tiramisu.”
The banked flames in his eyes flared to life, becoming hot enough to melt steel. The air around them seemed charged.
“If you’re done, we can leave.”
“What about Emily and Tracy?”
His crooked grin made her heart flutter. “Didn’t your sister offer to take Emily home if we had other plans?”
“She did.” Maggie smiled. “Let’s go.”
The goodbyes passed in a blur as her attention narrowed to a single point: the heat of Jake’s hand on her back. Her pounding pulse picked up speed with each step toward the door. Then they were outside, in the cooling night air.
Alone.
A huge full moon overhung the parking lot, providing a soft light. She could almost hear Dean Martin singing. The giddiness filling her made her believe she, too, was moonstruck.
Jake took her hand in his, entwining their fingers.
The walk to his car was both too long and too short. She wanted to savor the closeness their joined hands created, but she wanted to be with him, too. Away from prying eyes.
The SUV was parked next to a towering oak tree. Jake opened her door, but she didn’t make it inside the car.
He pulled her beneath the oak’s dark canopy. Hidden by the leaf-laden branches, he leaned back against the rough bark and drew her to him.
Her arms wound around his neck, drawing them closer still. Her breasts were pressed to his solid chest, her thighs trapped between his long, muscled legs. His hardness nestled tantalizingly against her, making her ache and yearn.
Slowly, his head lowered to kiss her.
Too slowly. Maggie thrust her fingers through his thick hair, tugging him toward her. She raised her mouth to meet his descending lips.
Their mouths found each other with unerring accuracy.
Their lips parted; their tongues danced.
Her nerves fizzed. Her pulse raced.
Dangerous, decadent, delicious, he tasted darker than chocolate, bolder than champagne.
What was it about this man who enticed her beyond all reason?
“We should go,” Jake murmured against her mouth.
She gave a soft moan of protest.
“I want to see you, touch you, taste you.” He nibbled her lower lip. “All of you.”
Yes, please.
“Not here.” Jake’s fingers were unsteady as they brushed a curl from her face.
Why not? “Of course not.”
They pulled apart. Slowly. Reluctantly.
The journey to his home was quiet, their silence comfortable. Soft rock played. Jake’s thumb caressed the back of her hand.
Yet as his Victorian came into sight, Maggie found herself having second thoughts. Was she really ready to take the next step? To sleep with him.
She should have known doubts would surface, given time to think. Why hadn’t she insisted he continue?
“I can hear your mind whirring,” Jake teased as he pulled into the driveway. “You’re not ready, are you?”
Maggie wasn’t sure what surprised her more—that he’d read her mind, or the understanding in his voice.
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just...it’s been so quick and I’m not sure...” Her voice trailed off. Pathetic.
“It’s okay.”
“It is?” She studied his expression in the dim light.
Intense. Earnest.
“There’s been a lot o
f change in my life. I’m not ready for a relationship right now, but I don’t want a casual fling with you, either. Plus, dating a hockey player is not like dating a nine-to-fiver. The hours, the schedule, the commitment, the travel—it’s rough on couples.”
Encouraged, Maggie found her voice. “What do you suggest?”
“We take things at a pace you’re comfortable with—date, dinner, a movie—and give ourselves a chance to see how it works.”
The perfect answer. And yet...
“Okay, what have you done with Bad Boy?”
His grin held just enough wickedness to reassure her. And more than enough to heat her blood all over again. The man was lethal!
“You’re sure that’s what you want?”
Maggie should have known better than to tweak the tiger’s tail. The flames leaping in his ice-blue eyes almost singed her.
“Let’s be clear.” His voice was low and deep, pulsing with primal heat. “I want to make love to you. Everywhere. Every way possible. Until we both can’t move.”
Moisture pooled deep within her. Her nipples tightened beneath her blouse.
“But I’m prepared to wait until you’re ready.”
Her body was ready now. Past ready. Her mind wouldn’t let her tell him that.
“Um...all right.” Her voice was husky and she stumbled over her words. “We’ll date. Until...”
“Good.” His interruption was a relief. “The Cats head out on a road trip to Toronto, Ottawa and Buffalo tomorrow, so we can’t get together until the weekend. How about dinner Sunday night?”
“That would be lovely.”
Jake leaned forward, a predatory gleam in his blue eyes. He captured her chin, tilting her face toward him, then brushed his thumb across her lower lip. “Do you kiss on a first date?”
* * *
MAGGIE WOKE WITH a smile, cocooned in a warm, happy glow.
She snuggled deeper in bed as she relived every glorious moment of Jake’s kisses.
