by Karin Baine
Just as he’d told his fellow new dad, the time for playing games was over. They both had some growing up to do. These days a kiss meant much more than a kiss when it could potentially put the custody of his son at risk.
‘Right, well, it’s getting late. I should probably go home.’ Charlotte waited until Hunter had safely ensconced his new lodger in the spare room before she made her excuses to leave.
There was no reason to hang around any longer than was necessary now her professional obligations had been fulfilled for the night and they appeared to be making progress with Gus. The biggest breakthrough for her, though, had been the sensitivity with which Hunter had handled everything. He’d given so much of himself tonight in the effort to get through to their teammate he’d really touched her heart. So much so she’d thought it a good idea to kiss him. Thank goodness for Anderson’s intervention, which had averted the looming disaster.
If they had given in to whatever attraction had flickered in the moment there was no limit to the amount of damage it could have done, crossing the line of all her boundaries. She didn’t want an atmosphere at work other than a professional one and didn’t need any more complications that could impact on the team. It was a moment of madness she couldn’t let happen again for her sake and everyone else’s. That feeling of being out of control wasn’t something she wanted to get used to.
‘I’ll walk you back to the arena so you can get your car.’ Hunter was already holding the front door open for her, keen for her to hit the road.
‘That’s really not necessary. I’m a big girl. I can look after myself.’ She’d been doing it for years and she couldn’t afford to look any weaker than she already had tonight after almost kissing him.
He leaned against the door, arms folded. ‘I know you can but do I really seem the sort of guy that’ll stand here and watch a woman walk off into the darkness alone?’
No, he didn’t. He was the perfect gentleman.
She didn’t know when exactly she’d realised that after the low expectations she’d had about him. Probably around the time she’d been closing her eyes and waiting for him to kiss her.
He’d surprised her tonight with his level head and calm handling of the situation. Whilst that could only mean good things for his position with the Demons, it brought more concerns for her on a personal level. She was beginning to understand who he was beyond that hot-headed hunk who’d caught her eye and broken her teen heart. More so now he’d shared those deeply personal circumstances and given an insight as to what had been going on behind the scenes in the midst of his public meltdown.
She stepped out into the darkness and Hunter pulled the door shut behind them.
‘What about Anderson? We shouldn’t really leave him—’ She tried one last time to put some distance between them so she had some space to put her feelings back in order. It didn’t matter if Hunter Torrance was still a loose cannon or he’d turned out to be the nicest guy in the world, he had to remain off limits.
If only she could get her treacherous pounding heart to remember that every time he was near.
‘He’s snoring the house down already. I’m sure he won’t miss me for ten minutes,’ her escort insisted as he followed her down the path.
Even if she hadn’t heard his heavy footsteps in the darkness, the hairs standing on the back of her neck alerted her to his presence as he caught up with her. She was doomed now to be at the mercy of her attraction whenever he was near. Not the best conditions to be working under. Together.
‘I...er...think I have an apology to make. I judged you unfairly. If I’d known about your family situation...anyway, I shouldn’t have been so horrible to you.’ Although this being nice to each other didn’t seem to be doing her any favours either. If anything, it was creating more problems for her.
‘Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.’
That only increased her self-loathing for falling into line with all the other people who’d given him a hard time without just cause. She’d been there as that abandoned child and could easily have gone off the rails too. Perhaps having that one parent who’d loved her had been enough to save her from a complete breakdown when everything had gone wrong in her life. At least her mother had been there as a shoulder to cry on when she’d deemed herself unlovable, and had insisted it wasn’t true. Hunter hadn’t had anyone to allay his fears, only enforce them. With that little knowledge of his upbringing, it was amazing he’d ever been able to find his way back from the darkness, not that he’d ever succumbed to it.
‘I know how much it hurts to be cast aside as if you’re nothing. You should be proud of where you got to on your own.’ She knew she was, whether her father cared or not.
‘I am and ditto. If you don’t mind me saying so, your dad sounds as much of a tool as mine.’
That made her laugh out loud, even though it was a sad state of affairs for them both. ‘Yes, well, I try not to think about him too often.’
‘Me either. Not any more. I’m all about the future these days and trying to leave the past behind.’ They were walking into the car park now so she was able to see the determined set of his jaw under the arena lights. It was only natural she should wonder what, or who, that future should include.
They reached her vehicle and she found herself reluctant to end their chat, regardless of her subconscious urging her to jump in the car and hightail it out of there.
‘That’s definitely the healthier way to live, instead of letting old mistakes haunt you.’ She’d been guilty of that on so many levels and she wasn’t sure she’d ever really be free of her old ghosts. She had a growing admiration for Hunter, and his strength, if he’d truly been able to break free from his.
‘Who would ever have imagined Hunter Torrance would become the spokesperson for common sense?’ There was that self-deprecating smile, which almost had her sliding down the driver’s door in hormonal appreciation. That mixture of handsome male and genuine good guy was too much for a girl to handle. It was usually one or the other and she didn’t know how to defend against that kind of superpower combo.
‘I think it did Anderson a world of good to hear it tonight. Hopefully it’ll help him think clearly about his next step.’ She appreciated the fact Hunter had shared those painful personal details in the hope their troubled friend would take something useful away from it. Not many would have, probably not even her unless he’d taken the lead first. It showed a real connection to the team on a personal level, which she’d doubted would ever happen.
‘We made a good tag team tonight.’
‘We did, didn’t we?’ She was smiling, proud of their joint achievement, as she made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. In the aftermath of that last encounter she’d hoped she’d imagined that hunger but there it was again, flaring back to life and throwing her equilibrium into a death spiral.
* * *
‘Perfect.’ Hunter was focused on her soft lips tilted up towards him, beckoning him to find some comfort there after opening up old wounds. They’d both been hurt, they were both survivors and he was drawn to her more than ever before.
In that moment he was totally consumed by the need to kiss her and seal that connection once and for all. He watched her eyes close in anticipation and acceptance of his intention. There was no interruption this time, no one to prevent him from doing what came naturally.
It seemed to take for ever to close those few inches between them, as if he was moving in slow motion and preserving the memory of this first kiss for all time.
That soft cushion of her lips against his was a relief; a pleasure he’d been denying himself for some time, but soon even that wasn’t enough. He wanted more, he wanted to taste her, to lose himself in her, and that’s when he knew he was in trouble. If they’d stood here until daybreak, the kissing lasting until morning dew glistened
in their hair, it would’ve ended too soon. There was a red flag waving somewhere in the distance, making sure he didn’t stray too far into deep waters. That future he was so determined to get right for him and his boy didn’t include anyone else in the picture.
He broke away and swivelled around to glance back in the direction of his house. ‘I should probably get back to my house guest.’
Kissing Charlotte had given him that same rush of testosterone that accounted for every minute of his time in the penalty box. It was that feeling of doing what he needed to do in that moment, of being true to the man he was, and stuff the rules. He’d worked hard to regain his self-control and this set a dangerous precedent. Especially when he couldn’t bring himself to regret a second of it. His whole future here was based on his repentance for similar rash decisions.
He was sure Charlotte was as confused as he was about what was happening. Regardless of her initial hurry to get away, she’d been into that kiss as much as he had. A woman like her didn’t need a complication like him messing up her orderly life but there was no denying the chemistry. They’d tried doing that and it had landed them here, making out in the middle of the car park, but anything more than this would be bad news for both of them.
She nodded, probably coming to the same conclusion.
He only got a few steps away before she called after him. ‘Hunter? You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?’
‘No, I don’t have a girlfriend, Charlotte.’
‘I...er...saw you waving to someone in the stands tonight. I thought maybe—’
‘I’m not with anyone. I’m not in the habit of cheating.’ There was an edge to his tone but it felt like a step backwards to be accused of two-timing already.
‘Right. A friend, then?’
‘Goodnight, Charlotte.’
It was all he was giving her for tonight. So far he wasn’t doing a very good job of resisting temptation and prioritising his son over his love life. In his defence, he hadn’t planned any of this but that didn’t mean he was sorry, or that he would follow it up.
Alfie was his personal business. Tonight’s journey to find Anderson had been a matter of professional survival. At first. Somewhere in between those chats Charlotte had created a whole new section of his life to worry about.
She was smart, funny, beautiful, not afraid to show her emotions and up until tonight he’d been darned sure she’d hated his guts. He’d never expected her to be responsive to his advances unless it came in the form of a fist to his face. Although the impact had been pretty much the same.
Charlotte wasn’t like other women he’d known. She didn’t care for the man who’d played in the NHL or spent longer in the penalty box than the entire national team. Now she’d taken the time to get to know him, or as much as he’d allow, it was certainly an ego boost to find someone who liked him without the fame or notoriety. However, there was the worry that one kiss had just blown apart all the careful planning of his new life when all he could think about as he walked away was recapturing the moment.
Indeed, it was probably a small blessing he’d been lumbered with the Demons’ resident troublemaker for the night or they might never have left his place. The next few hours on vomit watch would give him the space to think about what he’d done and what he was going to do about it, if anything.
He wasn’t ready to share Alfie with her. It was too early to say, Oh, yeah, here’s my kid. I’m trying to get custody. I’m sure you’ll make a great stand-in mom. That wasn’t fair to anyone on the back of one kiss. Neither did he want to jeopardise his chances of getting custody by flaunting a new relationship in front of the grieving O’Reillys or upsetting Alfie. He was going to have to tread very carefully now he was no longer free to behave however it suited him. Everything he did had consequences for those around him—he’d learned that the hard way and he wasn’t about to make the same mistakes over again.
CHAPTER FOUR
CHARLOTTE WAS AT the rink bright and early and long before any training was due to start, with her own skates slung over her shoulder. She hadn’t cut it as a hockey player herself but she could skate. The lessons had been her weekly escape from the rows and the tears of her unhappy home life.
The first skate of the day on unsullied ice always helped her unwind and unclutter her mind and she needed that more than ever this morning. There was so much to process and a lot more she needed to work through with Hunter. Despite pulling rank yesterday, they’d worked better in a partnership to get to the bottom of Anderson’s diva fever and there was still a long way to go to get him back on top form. A child was supposed to be a lifelong commitment, not a problem that could, or should, be fixed overnight. He would need sustained support as he came to terms with the big changes in his life.
Then, of course, there was also the whole kissing Hunter thing. She was trying to work out if it had been a one-off, caused by working too closely outside office hours, or if the fire would still burn inside them both in the cold light of day. Hence the early start and restless legs. There were all sorts of implications in getting involved with a co-worker and there were risks involved she wasn’t yet sure she wanted to take, no matter how tender his touch or how much she wanted more.
Unfortunately, as she made her way towards the ice it seemed she wasn’t the only one to arrive early. Shouts echoed around the arena along with the sound of blades cutting through her fresh ice. She stashed her skates away until she could manage some alone time here again. This wasn’t the start to the day she’d anticipated, especially as she realised the two men who’d gatecrashed her quiet morning were the same ones who’d kept her up late last night. Hunter and Anderson were so focused on their drills they didn’t appear to notice they had a spectator.
Even the sight of the man with whom she’d been in a passionate clinch only hours ago gave her system a jolt to rival her early shot of caffeine. A shiver danced a merry jig along her spine at the memory of his hands there whilst his lips had caressed hers. He was a man of many fine skills.
Although he was no longer a professional player he’d certainly maintained his fitness level and she was sure he had the body to show for it. Damn it if she couldn’t stop thinking about that image as her eyes followed him powering along the full length of the rink.
It took a lot of self-discipline to stay in that great a shape, even if his past antics had caused her to question it. He was still that mesmerising figure she’d never been able to take her eyes off during a game.
Hunter dropped his stick to the ice and rounded up the pucks littered around him. One by one he and his partner whacked them into the back of the net with such ferocity Charlotte was convinced they’d lodge in the advertising hoardings. It wasn’t until he was skating back towards the centre that he caught sight of her on the sideline.
‘Hey. I didn’t see you come in.’ He seemed pleased to see her if the bone-melting grin was any indication.
It was a sign that he might have seen last night as more than a spur-of-the-moment mistake and while that felt good, it meant she might have to make some decisions on what it was she wanted to happen next. She’d sworn she wouldn’t cross that line with him, only to find herself entwined with him moments later. A physical attraction was one thing but working alongside him, getting to know him, took any further shenanigans into the realms of a relationship. That was something she didn’t jump into easily when too-vivid visions of her parents’ messy divorce made her wary of getting in too deep with anyone, never mind a man known for his unreliability in the past. Still, she was a woman who knew how to protect her heart. She just didn’t let anyone in.
‘Slaying some demons, are we?’ She tipped her head towards his training partner, who was more focused than he’d been when she’d seen him last time. He’d barely been able to walk then, never mind balance the weight of his bulk on two sharp blades.
‘One or
two. What about you? Are you up for an early morning session?’
It was an entirely innocent remark. If he’d meant to conjure up a picture of the two of them lolling around in bed on a lazy Sunday morning he would’ve said it with a wink and an intention to make her blush.
‘I’m, uh, just here to get a few things from the office.’ Skating was something she did for herself and not something she was ready to share with him. It was her private pleasure, and no longer a team pursuit. After witnessing Hunter’s drills, she wasn’t sure he’d understand that distinction.
Anderson acknowledged her with a nod. ‘I think I’ll hit the showers. I have a lot to do today.’
Left alone with Hunter in his old Demons shirt she wasn’t prepared for the memories it brought back of him at his best, including last night when he’d had her in his arms. It was too early in the morning to be dealing with raging hormones, too scary to start examining what the hell was happening and definitely too public to find out what came next.
‘That’s one way to get Anderson to work out his frustrations but I don’t want him to think brute strength is the answer to all his problems.’ It might work in hockey but he was going to need to adopt a gentler, more methodical approach to his personal life.
He cocked his head to one side, a smirk playing across his lips. ‘Are you calling me a brute?’
Charlotte gulped. Brute conjured up all sorts of primitive connotations she certainly didn’t need to associate with him when she was already having trouble controlling herself around him.
‘With the penalty minutes you’ve clocked up over the years, some might say brute was appropriate.’
‘Ouch.’
It was a low blow but she’d do whatever it took to put an end to this apparent flirting. She couldn’t cope with it. Wobbly knees would destroy the illusion she was confident about what she was doing here and turn her into Bambi on ice instead.
