Goalie Interference (NHL Scorpions)

by Worrell, Nikki

  That was the first strike. “Anchovies and garlic. Then, when it comes to the table piping hot, you smother it with the dried red peppers.”

  Zoe smiled in good humor, teasing him, but she would never eat that crap!

  “Fine, you buy what you want, and I’ll buy what I want,” Johnny retorted.

  Cool first date, dude. So much for being a gentleman. “Okay, great.” Since she’d never eat a whole pizza by herself, she ordered chicken tenders and fries.

  Halfway through dinner, she was ready to call it quits. To make it even worse, Vlad walked in. Oh, hell no. Not again.

  She quickly grabbed Johnny’s hand and smiled up at him.

  “What’s that smile for?” He looked totally dumbfounded, which was not going to help her cause.

  “Because I’m enjoying myself. You’re good company.” He seemed appeased and started rubbing her hand. She hated it, but Vlad was looking right at them.

  “I’m glad, Zoe. I think we could be good together.”

  Really, you freak? Who the fuck are you kidding? They had nothing in common. Basically, he was an idiot and she wasn’t.

  “You think we’ll fuck tonight?”

  Holy shit! He did not just say that. Zoe was far, far away from being a prude, but come on! Was this guy for real? But what could she do? Vlad had just taken a seat next to them. She knew he was listening to everything they said.

  “I think that’s a very good possibility.” She hated herself for even saying it. Hated herself more when she heard a water glass breaking on the floor directly behind her. At least she knew Vlad was aware of her, right? Ugh. Granted, she shouldn’t be torturing him when she was the one who kept denying him. She thought, once again, that she was the one who needed therapy.

  “Let’s blow this joint so you can blow something else, baby. What do you say?”

  Before Zoe could formulate an answer, Vlad was there. Legs planted wide apart, arms crossed, he bellowed, “Zoe Millis! Mother is worried sick! You didn’t take any of your medications. What are we supposed to do when you leave the house like that?” Vlad then addressed her date. “I’m really sorry about this, man. She got out on us. We’re usually good about controlling her, but when she takes on this personality, she gets sneaky.”

  Zoe started sputtering at Vlad. How dare he make her sound like she belonged in the loony bin! He crooned to her, “It’s okay, sis. Shhh, we’ll get you home, and you’ll feel nice and safe, okay? Come on, sweetie.”

  When he tried to help her to a standing position, she screeched at him. “What the hell are you doing, Vlad? There’s nothing wrong with me.” It drove her batshit crazy to see that her date, who she desperately wanted to get rid of anyway, believed every word Vlad said. Who was this joker?

  Vlad gave Johnny another sympathetic look. “It’s okay, Zoe. I’m going to take you home.” He excused them both and dragged her to the door.

  When they were outside, he walked her over to his car and pushed her into the passenger seat. He was banking on her wanting to avoid a scene. He won, but once they were away from the pizza shop, she let him have it.

  “What are you doing? I swear to God, Vlad, if you ever do that again, I’ll twist your balls so hard you won’t walk right for a week. Do you understand me?”

  Vlad looked at the anger showing on her face and busted out laughing. She was so tiny; it was hard to take her seriously. He had more than six inches on her and at least eighty pounds. His face quickly got serious and drained of all color when she lunged at him while he was driving.

  She grabbed his junk in a vice grip. “Oh, no more laughing? Listen clearly, Vlad. One more time, one more, and I’ll twist these guys off. Do. You. Understand. Me?”

  Vlad coughed and asked her to remove her hand. “Yes, Zoe. I understand you, okay? I’ll just take you home.” He dropped her off and made his way back home. He was actually surprised she was so mad at him. Surely, he gave her enough warning that he wasn’t going to let her date other men.

  Date number two wasn’t much better. He was a nice guy, a blind date who someone at work had set her up with. But completely boring. She almost fell asleep twice before they even got their salad.

  “So you see, when there are still worms in the dog’s feces, even after de-worming, you know there are other problems. What we do is get more samples of their poop, and…”

  “Oh, God. Please. Enough, Zach. I can’t take anymore. I can’t eat with you talking about dog poop, okay?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vlad staring at her from the corner booth. How the hell did he know where she was all the time? When he saw that she had caught a glimpse of him, he raised his glass to her in a toast, and went back to looking at his menu with a satisfied smile on his face.

  Finally, Zach got off the subject of dog crap and talked about his family. He really was a nice guy and adored his sisters and mother. His father was gone, and he had assumed the role for his sisters years ago.

  “When my dad died, it was just something I knew I had to do. I really didn’t think about it, you know?”

  “I actually do know. Both my parents died when I was young, and I became more of a mother to my little brother.” Zoe never regretted a moment of it. Of course, she wished it had been different, but she and her brother, Aidan, were very close. She was thankful for him every day.

  Just as he grabbed her hand and started rubbing her palm with his thumb, Vlad came over.

  “Oh my God! Zoe Millis!” He leaned down and gave her a sweltering kiss. “I had no idea you lived around here now. How’s our little girl?”

  “Huh? What little girl?” Zoe had no idea where he was going with this one.

  “What do you mean, ‘what little girl?’ Our baby! You know the one, don’t you? Oh, wait, do you have more? I mean the one you wouldn’t let me see until I got out of the joint. Well, I’m out, sweetheart. Take me to see her.” He reached out and ran his finger down her cheek and right over her breast.

  “Vlad, go away.” Kill him. That was what her brain kept telling her. Kill him.

  He leaned down and whispered so that only she could hear. “I told you I would interfere. Every damn date—each and every one. Deal with it.” He pulled away and licked her lips. “God, you still taste better than anything. Yum.” He looked at her date and winked at him. “Enjoy her, she’s a wildcat in the sack.” He turned to Zoe and told her he’d look her up and call her.

  Her third and final attempt at dating ended similarly. Vlad showed up at the movie theater where she and her date went.

  Each time Jason attempted to put his arm around her, Vlad would kick his chair. He’d apologize profusely, of course, but he’d do it again and again, until Jason finally gave up.

  About halfway through the movie, Zoe excused herself to run to the ladies room. She grabbed Vlad on the way out.

  “You are driving me insane. I mean it. Stop following me. How the hell do you know what I’m doing all the time anyway? It’s creepy.”

  Vlad stood there, again thinking how cute she was when she was mad. He put his hands in the air in surrender. “Hey, I’m just trying to protect you. These guys you’re seeing aren’t good enough for you.”

  That was the last straw. She’d said it before, but that was it. “And you are? You say you love me, but do you? What is love to you, Vlad? Tormenting a person? Not allowing her the chance for happiness? Is that love? If it is, then you can keep it.”

  The look on her face rocked him—like someone had taken the wind out of her sails. Had he done that? She covered her face with her hands and let out a breath. “Please stop, Vlad. Please. If you really care for me, just stop.” She walked past him and went back into the theater. Vlad couldn’t help but notice how Zoe’s arms hung at her sides in weariness. He knew he’d caused that.

  Zoe stopped dating. Not solely because Vlad was being an ass, but also because she really didn’t want to anymore. It seemed like a good idea to simply throw herself into the dating pool, but it wasn’t work
ing. Life was not that easy.

  Vlad felt like a complete ass. He was so glad that Zoe was done trying to date. He’d lucked out that none of her dates recognized him. He wore hats and glasses and other things to try and disguise himself, but he never knew who might be a Scorpions fan.

  He didn’t see Zoe for days. It was glaringly obvious she was avoiding him, and he really couldn’t blame her. At that point, he had sunk so low, he wished he could avoid himself.

  Vlad had another appointment at the medical center in town—the one he shouldn’t be going to as it wasn’t a part of the organization. His hip was simply not right; it went out at odd times and was fine when he thought it would falter.

  The doctor had run some tests, and Vlad was there to get the results. The news was not good. Dr. Culp wasn’t one to sugar coat things.

  “I wish I had better news for you. I consulted with a few colleagues, and we all agree. You have avascular necrosis. Basically what that means is that your blood is not getting to where it needs to be in order to keep your bones healthy in that hip.”

  Vlad hated to hear it, but it made sense. He’d had many injuries to his hip during his career. Years ago, there would have been no chance of fixing him, but now there were possibilities.

  The doctor continued, trying to ignore the look of distress on Vlad’s face. “You’re going to need surgery. The sooner the better. The longer you put it off, the worse your condition will get.”

  Vlad was shocked. He had assumed there would be a medicine he could take or physical therapy he could do to fix it. Surgery was out of the question. Nostrils flaring, he lashed out at the doctor. “Are you fucking serious? I can’t have surgery now. It’s the beginning of the season!” He wanted to hit something, throw something. He needed some kind of physical outlet.

  “Vlad, I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but the end of the season is months away. I wouldn’t suggest waiting. It looks as though you’ve also had arthritis in that hip for quite a while now.”

  “Well, yeah. I can’t really remember a time when my hip didn’t bother me some. Goal tending’s not the easiest position in the world. So, what are my choices here? If I get the surgery, will it cure me? How long will it take until I get back to being a top goalie?” Vlad didn’t want to shorten his season, but if that was what he had to do in order to save his career, he’d do it. The biggest issue at the moment was that his contract was up at the end of the season. Who would want to hire a goalie that had missed most of the previous season with hip injuries? It was a tough market, especially for a thirty-eight year old. At that age, his prospects wouldn’t be as lucrative as they once were.

  “Your last MRI showed the change in your bone marrow. I’m sorry to say, it’s pretty extensive. You’ve got a lot of damaged bone on that hip that won’t be able to heal on its own. It needs surgery, Vlad. You’ll have a slow recovery, but you’re a very healthy young adult. There’s no reason you can’t get nearly full range of motion back in that hip.”

  “Nearly full range? Doc, you’re not answering the most important question. How long will it be before I can play again after surgery?” Vlad was so fearful of the answer that his breathing was getting rapid, and he was gripping his hands hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

  “Vlad, I’m sorry. I don’t think you ever will. Not professionally, anyway. You have extensive damage in that hip. Now, you can ignore my advice and play through it, but if you damage more of the bone, we’ll need to reconstruct a larger area and possibly ruin the quality of the rest of your life. The sooner we take care of this, the more range of motion you’re likely to get back.” The doctor walked over to Vlad and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, son. I know this isn’t the answer you were hoping for.”

  With a dazed look in his eyes, Vlad shook the doctor’s hand. “I’m going to need a while to think about this. I guess I’m going to have to talk to the coaches and staff. I’ll need copies of my records for them to look at.” Vlad had no idea how he was going to broach the subject with them.

  “Of course. Good luck.”

  Vlad’s vision blurred as he made his way to Zoe’s house. He wasn’t even sure why he was going there, but he was just so angry, he didn’t want to be alone. He should still have had a good couple years of playing left in him.

  When he got to her house, he didn’t bother knocking. Opening the door, he quickly made his way to her office at the back of the house. The door was closed, but he yanked it open anyway.

  Zoe sprang up from her chair, hand flying to her chest. “Vlad! What are you doing? I’m with a …” She stopped dead when she saw his face. He was white as a ghost, and his eyes were suspiciously red.

  The Scorpions defenseman, Matt Johnson, stood up. “It’s okay, Doc. I’ll catch up with you later.” He clapped Vlad on the shoulder on his way out. “I won’t tell anyone I saw you here, man. Let me know if I can do anything for you.”

  Once they were alone, Vlad went to Zoe and pulled her into his arms. His voice cracking with emotion, he mumbled words that she couldn’t understand. His face was buried in her neck, and he had a death grip on her. She couldn’t bear to push him away.

  “Shhh. It’s going to be okay, Vlad. Please, tell me what’s wrong. Let me help you.” Zoe gently stroked Vlad’s back as he regained his composure.

  God, it felt so good to have her touching him. He could almost forget what the doctor had told him. When he started running his fingers through her short hair, he started losing control. “Oh God, Zoe. I need you so bad.” He pulled back and captured her lips. “Please don’t push me away, not today.”

  Zoe felt the lump in her throat before she could analyze her own feelings. He needed her, and she needed to be needed. “I won’t. I won’t push you away today.”

  Vlad kissed her until she had to pull away just to breathe. “Please let me make love to you. Help me forget, just for a little while. Please, Zoe, make reality go away. Let me get lost in you.”

  She couldn’t think of anything but the feel of his lips against hers. She must have muttered something affirmative, because he picked her up and carried her to her room.

  He groaned as he stumbled once on the stairs.

  Zoe gasped, the sound of his pain giving her pause. “Are you okay?”

  “Shhh, not now.” He continued the trip up the stairs a bit more carefully. He reached her bedroom and placed her in the center of her bed. The way he looked at her, like she was the most precious thing he’d ever laid eyes upon, was Zoe’s undoing. She reached out to him and pulled him down on top of her.

  He braced himself on his elbows and simply looked into her eyes. “You know I love you, right? This isn’t just a fling for me. I want it all with you, Zoe.” He was actually trembling with his need to make her understand how much he needed her.

  Zoe wrapped her hands in his shirt and pulled him down closer so she could kiss his lips. She started out gently, just nibbling on his bottom lip, but when she felt his hands roaming over her she tried to deepen the kiss.

  “No way. Not yet, you little vixen. I’ve waited too long to have you again. I’m going to savor every minute.” He sat up and took off his shirt. His jeans, socks, and shoes followed.

  Zoe looked at him, lips parted, eyes shining with desire. She pointed to his briefs—low-rise trunks, her favorite—and licked her lips. “I think you forgot something.” When she reached a hand out to him, he grabbed it and pinned both over her head.

  “Nope. Patience, Zoe.” He began slowly unbuttoning her blouse. Each button undone was followed by a kiss—all the way down to the last one. When he licked tiny circles around her belly button, she sucked in a quick breath.

  “Vlad, come on.” She was reaching for him again.

  “Am I going to have to tie you up, Doctor?” He’d be good with a yes or no; either would be highly satisfying.

  “If you don’t get me naked in about two-point-three seconds, yes, you will. I want to feel your skin against mine. Now, take off my clo
thes!”

  “I love your feistiness. I love that you bring that to the bedroom, but for now, how about you just shut up for a while, huh?” He took the decision away from her by putting her mouth to better use.

  While he was kissing her, he ran his hand up her leg and under her skirt. She opened for him and he slid his thumb over her, making her squirm, seeking more.

  “Yes, Vlad, right there.”

  He continued kissing her lips, her neck, the top of her chest, until he got to her breasts. Her breasts weren’t large, but she had beautifully pink nipples. They tightened into pebbles under his tongue. When he sucked hard, she thrust her hips up into him.

  “More. I want more.” She started pushing his head down toward her most sensitive spot. Never let it be said that Zoe was shy in the bedroom.

  Vlad let out a laugh. “Anything you want, doll.” He relieved her of her skirt and panties, and sat back on his heels to look at her. “You are so amazingly gorgeous.” He didn’t give her time to reply. He was on her almost immediately. He licked her softly, applying just the right amount of pressure. It took no time at all for her to fly apart that first time, clenching around his tongue.

  “That’s it, Zoe. Come for me.” He gave her soothing licks, but as soon as she started to come down, he started on her again.

  “Oh God, no. It’s too soon.” Zoe tried to wiggle away, but he held her hips firmly. Even though he lightened the pressure of his tongue, he wouldn’t stop completely. It was so intense; she didn’t know if she could handle it.

  “Vlad, oh God. Vlad. Yes. Jesus, yes.” She held his head as he kept at her. When he used his teeth on her clit, she came again. Hard. “Yes, fuck, yes. God, don’t stop.” He again licked her until she settled.

  She was panting as he moved away from her, sitting back on his heels. “I need to be inside you, Zoe. Now.” He stripped off his briefs and was inside her with one quick thrust. He groaned, long and loud. “Fuck, you’re tight.”