Zambonis and Mistletoe - A Holiday Romance (The Renegades Series Book 4)

by Melody Heck Gatto

  He laughed and nodded.

  “So where are you going to put your little tree?” She followed him down the hallway.

  “I was thinking by my desk in here.” Flipping on the light, his study area lit up. The granite floors shined, and his footsteps echoed through the fairly empty room.

  “Is this your study?” She scrunched up her face.

  “Yes it is, why? Something wrong?” His heart dropped; he knew she would be let down once she saw it.

  “No, not wrong. It’s just so… Well, it’s really empty. It is such a gorgeous room.” She spun around looking at the high ceiling, the granite floor, and the large windows. “The room is exquisite; I’ve never seen floors like this. But where is all the furniture?”

  “I have a desk, an arm chair, and an end table. Don’t forget the fireplace.” The walls were a light gray color, the trim white, and all the furniture was black. He knew what she was asking. The room was huge and his furniture didn’t even take up a third of the space. But it was just him, he didn’t need a lot.

  She threw him a sideways glance. “You don’t see my point? Where’s all the furniture? The things I could do with this room.”

  Nick set the boxed tree on the floor beside the end table. What could he say to her comments? She was right. “Should we eat first and then set the tree up?” He would be okay with leaving it in the box and putting it away.

  “Where would we eat? Is there a dining room?”

  “Not exactly.” He took her hand and walked back to the hallway. “Let me show you the rest of the floor. If you look up, there’s the upstairs balcony overlooking the study. In here is the kitchen.” Every appliance in his kitchen was stainless steel, the walls were gray with white trim, and the countertops were dark granite.

  “Is that your dining room?” She pointed to a dark, empty room off of the kitchen.

  “Yeah, I have a china closet in there that holds some of my grandmother’s dishes, but I never got around to furnishing the room with a nice table. I’d never use it, so I guess it really doesn’t matter. I use the little drop leaf table in here if I need to. Otherwise I eat downstairs in the television room.” Grabbing the bag of food and her hand, he pulled her towards the stairway. “How about we go see that next?”

  Nick led her down the steps without waiting for her to answer. When he turned on the lights, the dark room was illuminated in all its glory. The one-hundred inch mounted television dominated the room, and the walls in here were all dark red brick with gray trim, and glass French doors that looked out onto the patio.

  “You have a thing for gray?”

  Nick shrugged. “Not really. I had a designer take care of everything.” The whole house matched, gray, white and black. The basement carpet was a darker gray than the walls, but the designer told him it worked well with the brick.

  “At least there’s carpet down here. I felt like I was on ice upstairs, and we all know how well I do on ice. I guarantee if I came in from the rain I would fall.”

  This room was the most furnished. Two black leather couches sat facing the television, along with one black leather recliner. Black end tables accented the seating arrangement, and a black massage chair was pushed into the corner.

  “Is that a little bar over there?” She nodded to the kitchenette in the corner of the room.

  “Yes it is.” The black bar had a few stools sitting along it and a black refrigerator behind it. “It’s fully stocked; the maid makes sure of that.” He set the bag of food on the bar and took out each container. “Pull up a stool and let’s eat before this gets cold. I normally sit on the couch, but I think this food requires a table.”

  He got out two bottles of water and set them with their food.

  “I agree,” she said, as she slid onto a stool. “It smells delicious.” She dug into her dinner without saying much else.

  Nick sat next to her opening his chicken and the side dishes. Popping a risotto ball in his mouth, he finished chewing before offering her one.

  “You got quiet. Are you just enjoying your food, or is something on your mind?”

  She finished the bite that she took, and pushed her chicken around a bit. “Nothing wrong, I was just wondering why you don’t put a huge tree in the study. It would look like a traditional Christmas card with the high ceiling and the beautiful fireplace in the background. You could decorate the fireplace with lighted garland and stockings.”

  “I know you mean well, and how much you love the holidays, but that works in your house. I love Christmastime, I do. Just walking into your house the love and feeling of family radiates. That’s one of the reasons I like spending time at your place. It’s homey and comfortable. This—well, this is just cold. It’s just me; there’s no one else here to enjoy those plans you have, and in any other house they would be wonderful ideas.” He looked around his television room. “Maybe I should put that little tree down here? I spend a lot of my time here.”

  “That would work. I like that idea. And for the record, your place doesn’t have to be cold and empty; any house can be a home.”

  Maybe if I had someone to share it with.

  CHAPTER 12

  Rylee pulled on her jersey and fixed her hair in the mirror. Tonight Nick was taking her to the Renegades game. She slipped on a heavy coat before rushing out the door, and hummed a Christmas tune as she walked down the sidewalk to meet him. Her ankle wasn’t completely mended yet, but she did her best not to favor it too much while he was around.

  “I would’ve come to the door, you know.” Nick smiled and leaned against his SUV with his arms folded across his chest. His eyes were dark and dangerous. Her brain willed her to look away, but her heart made her gaze long into his stare.

  She thought she knew with each date where this was headed. The feeling of being wanted seemed to trump her common sense. The pure romance of it all had her confused but excited all at the same time. Her heart raced as she closed the space between them.

  “I know.” She did her best to flash a playful smile, but it probably just came off as flirty, because as if it were possible, his eyes darkened even more and a sexy grin teased at his lips.

  The signals were all there; he wanted her. Or maybe her body just hoped that he did. His arm looped around her waist and he walked her to the passenger door, and he pulled her closer to his side before opening the door and helping her in.

  Being in his SUV made her mind wander to that first time when he’d taken her for the x-rays. She was so meek, almost mousey, scared of feeling what she knew she could feel for him. She hadn’t known how to let someone in.

  “Ready?” He asked as the engine roared.

  With a nod she went back to her thoughts. Somehow he’d slipped through her scared exterior; she just needed to figure out what to do about it now. She hummed along to the holiday music playing on the radio.

  “So, Rylee, what is your favorite thing about Christmas?”

  Without giving it much thought, she blurted out, “The romance.”

  “The romance?” He turned for a second to look at her, catching her eye before looking back at the road.

  “Yeah, well, every good Christmas movie starts out with a couple who either can’t stand each other or have reasons why they cannot or will not be together, and by the end of the movie there’s romance, love and a happily ever after.”

  “Always?” Nick looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

  “Always.”

  “Good to know.” A grin pulled at the side of his mouth as he drove.

  She was starting to feel like she was in one of those movies. Tall, dark and handsome had come into her life, and swept her off her feet. Well, she’d done that first, on the ice, then she’d met him. But, same principal. She didn’t think those guys on the movies existed, ones who waited until the girl was ready to fall. After meeting Nick, she wondered if maybe she was wrong. She fell into her thoughts as the scenery passed along the road.

  “Okay, we’re here.” Nick pulled into the
parking garage and into his assigned spot.

  Either that was a quick drive in, or she was more lost in her thoughts than she realized. His warm brown eyes looked as if they could see right through her. Could he sense how much she wanted him to kiss her?

  “Rylee?”

  “Huh?”

  “I asked if you were ready to go.”

  She blinked. “Oh, yes, of course. Let’s go.”

  Once in the arena they sat down in the owner’s suite. It wasn’t overly packed, which was good. She was looking forward to some time with Nick, so being crowded by people in suits who she didn’t even know wasn’t something she was looking forward to.

  After the game started she watched in awe while the players skated around the ice. Lafleur got hit twice into the boards with such force that she heard the glass rattle all the way up here. She turned to Nick. “Wow, that hit was fierce.”

  He was staring at her. How long has he been watching me? Warmth washed over her face. After all these hours they’ve spent together he still made her feel like a giggling school girl.

  “Yeah.” He turned back to the ice. “Did you see that save Dom just made?”

  She hadn’t. She was too busy getting lost in his eyes. “Yeah, amazing.”

  “I’m glad you came with me, Rylee.” Nick covered her hand with his.

  She tensed up until he began to run his thumb up and down her palm. It felt nice, calming and soothing. Moving her focus back to the ice she was just in time to see Tyler rush down the rink with the puck. A Dallas player trailed behind him, but not close enough to catch him. Ty faked to the right, then shot from the left, burying the puck in the back of the net.

  GOAL!

  Rylee jumped out of her seat, breaking their hands apart and throwing her arms in the air, cheering. The goal song played and all the fans sang along while clapping their hands. She hummed along to the parts she knew.

  Once everyone sat down there was a break in the game. The players skated around or stood at the bench talking to one another.

  “So, what are they waiting for?” Rylee asked.

  “The television broadcast is taking a commercial break.”

  Before she could ask anything else, music started to play.

  The jumbotron lit up with images of people in the audience with the words “Kiss Cam”. Surprised couples kissed as the camera landed on them while loud music played. The Renegades players skated around the ice, trying to keep their muscles moving.

  “What’s g—” Before she could finish her thought the screen lit up with the image of her and Nick. Her face must’ve looked like a deer in headlights, and her face burned. She wasn’t sure what was happening and turned to ask Nick. But before she could, Nick’s fingers gently pulled her face to his. His lips tenderly brushed against hers, warm and soft. Her eyes fluttered shut and for a brief moment she responded, her lips moving with his. Until the whistles and cat calls broke her fog.

  Her eyes flew open, and she stared into his. Their lips were no longer touching, but they were still only inches apart. His body heat radiated against her and her heart pounded in her ears.

  “We were on the kiss cam,” Nick whispered, before pulling back and settling against his seat.

  Worse than not knowing why that just happened, was the fact that she liked it and didn’t want it to be over. She sneaked sidelong glances at him until the whistle blew and the puck dropped. Resting back in her seat her stomach was twisted in knots. He was being very patient with her, and seemed to be waiting for her to make that next move.

  As she watched the Renegades skate around the ice, she thought about the kiss. She liked when he caressed her face, and wrapped his arm around her. He’d been nothing but a gentleman.

  “Rylee, can I get you something to drink?”

  “No thanks, I’m good.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

  Turning to the ice she studied the action. Tyler stole the puck off of Dallas and flew up the middle, rushing the net. He liked to dazzle the crowd and this was no exception. Losing it for a second, he caught it behind his body and slid it through his legs, then shot it into the back of the net.

  GOAL!

  “Way to go Tyler!” She screamed and clapped her hands.

  They lined up for the next face off. As soon as the puck dropped, a Dallas defenseman cross-checked Tyler into the glass. His head hit first, and he checked his face for blood. Morris grabbed the defenseman and started throwing punches in protection of his captain. Dallas players piled around the fight and Lafleur did his best to fend them off, away from Tyler and the fight. The refs circled the two until they were able to separate them quietly, before sending them both to their penalty boxes.

  “What did I miss?” Nick’s voice surprised her, making her jump. “Sorry.”

  “Oh, it’s fine. Well, Tyler scored from a breakaway and then Dallas tried messing with him, shoved him—well, his face—into the glass. Morris took care of him though.”

  “You’re really catching on, aren’t you?” An impressed look spread over his face.

  “Sure. Guess you pick up on things faster when you know the team captain.” Deciding it was okay to play a little, she added, “And if you’re kinda close with the General Manager.”

  She was flat out flirting now, and it felt good. For once her mind wasn’t wandering to Scott, and her heart didn’t hurt being with Nick. It felt really good being here.

  Turning back to the game, she absently rubbed her hands together. The cold was starting to seep into her bones. A chill ran through her and her body shook with a fierce shiver.

  “You’re cold. Here, put on your jacket.” He tried to pull it off of the seat and hand it to her.

  “No, I don’t want to cover up my jersey, I’m fine, really.” But her body defied the words that she spoke and shivered again.

  “Well, if you aren’t going to put on your jacket, then come here.” He lifted the armrest that separated their seats and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.

  She wanted to argue, but no words formed. His warm, muscular arm surrounded her and she was no longer cold. Deciding not to fight it, she cuddled against his body and refocused back on the ice.

  Bishop took the face off, passing to Lafleur. Dallas stole the puck and shot at the Renegades goalie. Zanetti deflected it, then straightened his leg and slid to cover any open space in the goal. Damn, he’s flexible! Dallas found the rebound and shot again, and this time Zanetti caught it.

  “Nice save, Dom!” Nick yelled. “That kid is talented. I can honestly say I think we have the two best goalies in the league.”

  “But isn’t Zanetti the back-up goalie?”

  “Technically, yes. But the kid is pure talent, and I have no intention of letting him go anytime soon. I don’t think Kaden sees him as his ‘back-up’ either. They are both our star goalies as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Just curious, but why aren’t we leaving the game early? I thought you said you typically do.”

  Without even looking at her, Nick answered with few words, “You’ll see.”

  Turning her attention back to the ice, she was excited to see Dom prove Nick right when he grabbed another shot right out of the air. The crowd went wild, cheering and hollering. They lined up for another face-off. This time Dallas won and shoved the puck towards the Renegades end. Tyler slammed the Dallas player into the boards and took control of the puck, quickly changing directions before charging at the Dallas net. He passed to Lafleur, who then slid the puck back to Tyler, and with a flick of his wrist Ty slapped the puck into the back of the Dallas net.

  GOAL!

  Rylee hopped out of her seat and screamed as loud as her lungs would allow. With her hands in the air she cheered and yelled. Her ankle was holding up well, giving her no pain for a change, even with all the jumping around she was doing. Instinctively she gave the guys sitting in front of them high-fives, then turned to Nick and wrapped her arms around him. He squeezed her and hugged back.
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  What am I doing? She froze and went rigid. With her eyes lowered to the floor she pulled back slowly, knowing she had done one of two things, made a fool out of herself, or given him some unintentional signal about where they stood.

  As the crowd settled down, she sat back in her seat without looking at him. He followed, doing the same. Avoiding looking at him is ridiculous, so I’ll just act like nothing weird happened. She turned to Nick and softly smiled. “Awesome goal by Ty.”

  “He is our star, after all.”

  At the final buzzer, the Renegades had won the game 3–1.

  All the fans were climbing the steps and quickly emptying the seating areas. Rylee motioned to stand up, but Nick pulled her back into the seat, against him. “We have time. Relax.”

  He wrapped his arm around her like he’d done when she was cold. It didn’t feel right at first, because she had no real excuse this time. But as she settled into him she had to admit it felt natural and nice. A yawn surprised her; she covered her mouth to stifle it.

  “C’mere, just relax. We’re not going anywhere just yet, so sit back and chill.” His breath was hot on her cheek. “This was really nice, Rylee. Did you have a good time?”

  “I did. I used to think I was bad luck for them.”

  “Bad luck?” he laughed.

  “Yeah, every time I ever came to a game, they lost. But it seems like my luck might be changing.” Being in his arms she felt safe, it just felt right.

  “Yeah, mine too,” he said under his breath.

  She sat up and looked at him. “What was that?”

  “Nothing. We could probably go now if you’re ready?”

  The arena was empty; the only people left in the seating areas were ushers cleaning up the mess. She gathered he things.

  “Okay, then come with me.” He stood and held out his hand for her.

  Taking his hand, she let him lead her out of the suite.