by Kat Mizera
Vlad rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You forget who her best friend is? I knew she wasn’t pregnant, dumbass.”
Brock had realized how dumb it was to question Vlad the moment the words came out, but he was hurt and pissed that his teammates—men he considered his friends—put money on something like this.
“I didn’t, either,” Ian said quietly. “But no one did it maliciously. It was in good fun. Mate, you never brought her ’round, never talked about her, were never seen with her—you had to know the guys would wonder about the details.”
Brock sighed, hanging his head. Ian was right. The guys were probably more shocked than anyone else, but it still stung to know they’d had bets going on without his knowing it.
“It was all in good fun,” Toli said, putting a hand on Brock’s shoulder. “Zakk bet five dollars—the coffees he gets at Starbucks cost more than that. No one was out to hurt you, just some harmless fun between friends. And they sure as shit never talked about it to anyone outside the team.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Brock got to his feet. “Well, in case everyone missed it, she’s not pregnant.”
“We didn’t miss it,” Toli responded. “What we missed was the wedding, the honeymoon, introductions… Why have you kept her hidden? I found out she was at the games in Nashville on TV. If she wasn’t so fucking pretty I’d think you were ashamed of her.”
Brock’s head snapped up and he glared at him. “I’m not fucking ashamed of her. Jesus, that’s ludicrous. She’s gorgeous and sweet and talented—far too good for a fuck-up like me!”
“Ah.” A hint of a smile played on Toli’s lips. “So that’s it.”
“What’s it?” Brock was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable.
“You’re afraid you’re going to screw it up so you’re trying to keep your friends on the team somewhat removed.”
“Then, when it goes south,” Ian continued. “The team won’t be attached to her.”
“What? You guys are crazy.” Brock threw his bag over his shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—and once she wraps the movie she’s working on, you’ll see plenty of her. Fuck!” He stalked out of the dressing room toward the parking lot, but not before he heard Ian’s chuckle.
“Methinks the defenseman doth protest too much.”
Brock thought so too as he got into his truck, but the truth was far more complicated than his teammates getting to know her. The real reason it might never happen was because he probably wouldn’t be around next season. Last night’s fuck-up had probably sealed the last nail in the coffin of his contract, leaving him no choice but to talk to his agent and his attorney as soon as he got home. He’d find out what his options were then figure out a way to tell Ashleigh what was going on. He should’ve said something before now, but the time had never been right. It still wasn’t right, but he no longer had a choice.
All his troubles aside, Brock had to admit having a sweet, sympathetic shoulder to lean on in the aftermath of a big loss was nice. He hadn’t experienced it in years, and memories of Caroline came flooding back. It had been a long time since he’d thought of her, but as he lay in the dark the following night in Atlanta, Ashleigh dozing against his side, his thoughts drifted to his first love. Caroline Tandy had been different than other girls in high school. She was pretty, smart, and interesting but she was also athletic and loved hockey. She didn’t complain about the endless practices and road trips that kept them apart—he’d been on travel teams from the time he was fourteen—and she supported him no matter what was going on.
When he’d been drafted and sent to the AHL, she put her college plans on hold so she could go with him, taking a few classes here and there while he followed his dreams. To this day, he still couldn’t figure out what made her cheat on him. Had they been that immature? The idea that his extensive travel made her lonely enough to cheat rubbed him the wrong way. Hadn’t he taken care of her when he was home? He thought he had, but apparently it hadn’t been enough. Thinking about it now, he wondered if these unanswered questions were the barriers keeping him from allowing himself to fully commit to Ashleigh.
He liked her, wanted her, appreciated her—hell, he might even be falling in love with her—but what would happen if he wound up on the other side of the country? Would she leave Vampire Legend to be with him, or would he end up losing her?
Glancing down at her, he pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head. He assumed his sudden panic had to do with the rate at which their relationship was progressing. They were married, so there was no courting left to do, no more time to assess everything…and hockey season was over. That was probably the root of all this—his marriage was about to become real. He had no excuses, nowhere else he had to be, and he’d made a commitment to a woman and a child that were counting on him. He needed to tell her everything, but every time he tried he chickened out.
Ashleigh murmured in her sleep, sliding her legs between his and curling her naked body against him. He hardened immediately, reacting without even thinking about it, and he wondered if it would be this way with other women—women that weren’t Ashleigh. No one else compared to her, and there would never be anyone who meant as much to him or brought him a better sense of completeness. Oh yeah, this woman fulfilled him, and thinking about the secret he was keeping made him cringe.
Having Brock close by made everything better and Ashleigh was in a great mood. She was on her way to meet him for lunch when she heard Sonya calling to her, and Ashleigh waited for her to catch up.
“What’s up?”
“Have you asked Brock if he’ll shave his beard for me?”
“I haven’t…” Ashleigh laughed, catching sight of him in her peripheral vision. “But you can ask him yourself… Hey, babe!” She ran over to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“What has you two giggling?” he asked, kissing her back as he turned to smile at Sonya.
“I have two lines of dialogue and lot of bare skin in mind for you—but the beard has to go.” Sonya grinned back. “I’ve got a stack of two hundred head shots from locals who can do this, but I’ve been holding out for you, big boy. Whaddaya say?”
He chuckled. “I did mention it to my attorney when you first brought it up and as long as I don’t mention the Sidewinders or the NHL, there’s nothing stopping me from doing it. I don’t know if I can handle two whole lines of dialogue, though…”
Ashleigh playfully smacked him. “Hush!”
“So you’ll shave it down to a goatee for me?” Sonya pressed.
He shrugged. “It’s the off-season, and my year-round playoff beard didn’t seem to help this year, so why not?”
“Yay!” Ashleigh clapped her hands. “I can’t wait to see you without it.”
29
Sonya didn’t waste any time setting things up and the next morning headed to a location two hours north of Atlanta called Amicalola Falls. Brock was glad he’d brought his camera, taking pictures as Sonya and her crew walked around getting everything ready for the shot she had in mind. Jet and Maya had come, too, just to see the waterfall and take pictures, and they’d gone off to hike somewhere, leaving Brock to do his own thing until he was called. Sonya had said it would take about thirty minutes before they’d need him since she’d already scouted the location and sent the camera crew ahead. He used that time to get acclimated with the way everything worked. Besides, it was nice up here and he got to watch Ashleigh, which was always a bonus even when she wasn’t doing much of anything.
“Time to rock n roll,” Sonya called out. “Brock, come see Billie for makeup. Ashleigh, go stand over there…” She was all business now, and Brock did as he was told, letting Billie put stuff on his face and do something with the goatee he now sported.
Ashleigh approached him in super short, denim cut-offs and a white T-shirt. Her blonde hair had been pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was barefoot. He couldn’t help but take in every inch of her, from the skintight T-shirt against her slender
frame to her slim legs. He never seemed to get tired of looking at her and she gave him a grin, as though she could read his thoughts.
“I’m so gonna get a hard-on,” he murmured to her under his breath.
“I’ll stand in front of you to hide it,” she whispered.
“Then my dick’ll be between your ass cheeks,” he responded, his voice barely discernible.
“I’m so short, it’ll wind up between my shoulder blades, which is much less sexy,” she said, starting to giggle.
He couldn’t stop himself from laughing, grateful for her easy banter and obvious attempt to help him relax.
“Stand here.” Sonya pointed to where her feet were before moving out of the way. “Brock, we don’t have a script—I had an idea for eye candy and you’re my guinea pig. So all I need you to do is look at each other like you really like each other and want to sleep together…”
She said something else but Brock was staring down into Ashleigh’s face and there was no doubt that there would be no acting involved in whatever they were about to do; they really did like each other and desperately wanted to sleep together even though they’d been doing that just a few hours ago. And all night. Multiple times.
He obediently stood where Sonya had been, and Ashleigh followed him. They faced each other, their eyes locking together as if by force. Sonya adjusted their positions slightly, and they obeyed without ever breaking the gaze.
“Shirt off, Brock!” Sonya called out.
Brock pulled it off, barely losing eye contact with Ashleigh as he instinctively pulled her closer. One arm gently curved around her waist, bringing her right up against him but not pressed close.
“Oh, that’s nice!” Sonya yelled. “I need a long, tender look—like you’re going to kiss, but you don’t…”
She was still talking but Brock didn’t hear her anymore. He’d brought his other hand up to grab Ashleigh’s head just below her ponytail, pulling it toward him but again leaving just enough space between them to show a reluctance to go too far—a strange parallel to the reality he lived almost every time they were together.
“Are they filming yet?” he asked softly.
Ashleigh shook her head just slightly. “Don’t worry about that—she’ll know when she has what she needs.”
“You’re beautiful,” he said, his voice barely audible, eyes boring into hers. “I know this isn’t real, but I can’t wait until later, when I can taste those sexy lips of yours…” She made a sound like a tiny hiccup when he leaned forward.
“That’s perfect!” Sonya called. “Go for it, Brock—just remember I need sexy and romantic.”
He bent his head and let his lips brush hers softly at first, still adjusting to doing this in front of a whole crew of people. Despite that, when their tongues came together it was all he could do not to moan. She was sweeter than anything he’d ever had in his mouth; no cheesecake, ice cream, or chocolate mousse compared to the delight of Ashleigh. He deepened the kiss, giving himself over to the moment and letting instinct take over. It wasn’t supposed to be real, this was a movie and they were being watched, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything but her. He prayed he’d be able to keep his erection at least somewhat under control, and that Ashleigh would let him know how far they could take it, how much was enough—
“Cut!” Sonya yelled so loud Brock jumped, chuckling when Ashleigh giggled.
“You two were enjoying that far too much,” Sonya teased. “And frankly, so was I. Let’s do that again over there…” She pointed, showing them where she wanted them, how she wanted them turned, where his hands should go.
They did it six more times, and Brock was no less enthralled every time. His cock was semi-erect, so he had to keep a slight mental distance to maintain what little control he had left, but kissing Ashleigh was far too natural.
“Are you having fun?” Ashleigh whispered, her eyes twinkling.
“Are you?” he countered.
“I’m working,” she deadpanned.
He rolled his eyes. “Liar. I feel the way you react to me… I bet if I stuck my hand in those shorts I’d find you wet.”
She flushed prettily. “Brock…”
“If we were anywhere else, you’d already be on the ground, begging me to fuck you senseless.”
“Are you seriously paying this guy to make out with his wife?” Jet’s teasing voice interrupted them, and Ashleigh squeezed Brock’s hand when she felt him tense.
Brock turned to the other man, eyebrows raised playfully. “Nothing stopping you from doing the same thing with Maya…”
“I’m not getting paid,” Jet pointed out.
Brock laughed. “You’re getting paid more than anyone else here today!”
Jet grinned. “Well, there is that. Someone has to be the star.”
“I thought you and Ashleigh were both stars?”
“Well, I guess it depends on how the movie does,” Jet back-pedaled smoothly. “If it hits, she’s my co-star, and she’ll definitely be a star in her own right. For now, she’s transitioning from TV to film, which is a little different.”
“I guess I have to learn more about how it all works,” Brock said, holding her against him.
“Let’s go again, you guys!” Sonya called out, effectively ending the conversation.
It took all day. Brock wouldn’t say it was hard work, but it definitely wasn’t easy. After making out with his wife all day while baking in the Georgia sun and doing his best to remember Sonya’s instructions, he was ready for a nap. He’d rather do laps on the ice in full gear for a few hours than do this for a living, but he could see how much Ashleigh enjoyed it. When she was relaxed, she was a natural. She took direction from Sonya without thinking; she morphed from one emotion to another and her body followed suit. Maybe it was because she was with Brock today, but whatever it was, he was enjoying watching her in her element. He’d be glad when it was over, but short term, it was fun to be part of something so different than what he was used to.
By the time they got back to the hotel, he was ready for a shower and dinner, the reality of his own career hitting him hard now that he was no longer distracted. Ashleigh ordered dinner and by the time they sat down to eat, he was starting to get grumpy. He’d been trying to talk to her about his contract situation for two days but could never seem to find a way to segue into the conversation.
Tonight was no different, and he tried to stay engaged as Bella chattered about her school work and going ice skating with him. By the time Jolinda finally took her in to get ready for bed, Brock just wanted to go to bed. A long, depressing conversation about their living arrangements probably wouldn’t help his mood anyway, so he volunteered to read to Bella while Ashleigh got ready for bed.
He joined her twenty minutes later, surprised to see her sitting up in bed, waiting for him.
“Hey.” He got in beside her. “What’s up?”
“You’ve been quiet tonight and I wondered what was on your mind.” Her blue-purple eyes met his without wavering and he hesitated before saying anything.
“I keep thinking about how little time we have left before you go back to work and how we’re going to manage everything when you do.”
“In what way?” She frowned slightly. “I thought you’d come to L.A. with us until you had to leave for training camp in September.”
“Yeah, but then what?”
“I’m not sure,” she faltered. “We haven’t really talked about it.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” he huffed out more impatiently than he meant to. The look on her face made him regret his words, and he reached for her hand. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.”
“So try again.”
“Having you at my side for the end of the playoffs meant a lot to me—more than you probably know. I love being with you, with both of you, and the thought of being apart again in a few months sucks. I don’t want to go back to that.”
“Are you asking me to quit my job?” Her
eyes widened. “You’ve hinted at this before and I’m not sure what you want me to do. I would never ask you to give up hockey, so how can you expect me to give up acting? I love what I do.”
“I don’t want you to stop acting,” he said quickly. “Can’t you do more movies instead of Vampire? TV requires you to be on a full-time schedule. With movies, you can take projects when they’re convenient and we can be together more. I thought you wanted that, too?”
“I do.” She reached for his hand and squeezed. “But I’m not in a position to walk away from my steady job. I have money in a retirement fund and some savings so I can buy a house, but I don’t have anything to fall back on… We haven’t really discussed money yet, and I’m a little embarrassed by how little I bring to the table if I don’t work.”
“It’s not a pissing contest—I don’t care whose paycheck is bigger,” he protested.
“I know, but we got married unexpectedly and technically, the longer we’re married, the more of your assets I’m entitled to. That makes me uncomfortable.”
“Why? I’m the one who’d have to give up money, so if I’m not worried about it, why are you?”
“I’ve known you a little over two months…do you really think that’s enough time to give up everything? My career, my dreams, my independence? Would you do it if you were the one making less money?”
He stared into her eyes and there was no anger, no hurt, just raw honesty. And deep down he knew she was right.
“I understand,” he said after a minute. “I do. I just don’t know how we’ll do this otherwise. I make a lot of money, money we’ll need when I can’t play anymore, which is probably less than ten more years.”
“And that’s exactly why I need to keep working,” she said lightly. “I don’t need to make as much as you, I just need to be in demand enough to keep making money for more than ten years.”
“But what kind of life are we going to have while we’re making all this money?”
“It’ll be tricky, but we can do it.” She scooted closer to him, leaning up against his side. “I’ll get a house in L.A. that’s not too extravagant, and you should get a slightly nicer place in Vegas. I’ll commute during hockey season and you’ll come to me during the off-season. When we get ready to have a baby, I’ll talk to Bud about writing me off the show for a while, so I can take some maternity leave.”
