“What they need is for the Fire to win a championship,” Simon says. “That would increase interest in the sport around here.”
“The city would go nuts if that happens,” Charly agrees.
We stand up for the National Anthem and the player introductions.
Then, the game starts.
And I’m immediately transfixed.
Unlike my two best friends.
Like they used to do in high school, Charly and Ashley tune the game out as they get into a long chat across my lap. First, it’s something about Charly’s shoe business. And then, they move on to Ashley’s new wedding accessories store that she just opened in the French Quarter. She’s talking about the flash gold temporary tattoos she’s started stocking and how fast they’re selling out. I miss the rest of their conversation because I’m too busy watching Hunter.
He assists on New Orleans’s first goal and helps kill a power play by Montana. Then, he splits two defenders on a breakaway and slides the puck past the flailing goalie.
I’m screaming so loudly I know I’ll be hoarse later.
I’m certainly not a hockey expert, but I’ve been following Hunter’s career for years, and even I know when somebody’s on fire. Hunter’s hot tonight, and he knows it. After he scores a second goal on a one-timer from the right circle, he punches his stick in the air and points to where we’re sitting. I can’t help the smile that breaks out on my face.
And when he slams a defender into the boards right in front of us, I stand up and shout.
“Go, Hunt!”
As I sit back down, Simon chuckles.
“Didn’t know you’d be such a cheerleader,” he says. “Your enthusiasm’s infectious.”
Ashley and Charly are grinning at me.
“What?” I stick out my tongue at them. “I’m rooting for the Fire. That’s all.”
“Uh-huh.” Charly takes my hand in hers and squeezes it. “It’s good to see you happy, Win. We’ve been worried about you.”
“What do you mean?” I ask her. “I’m okay.”
As Ashley gets drawn into a conversation with the guy on her other side and Simon takes a phone call, Charly lets go of my hand but keeps talking.
“Something’s different with you,” she says quietly.
I keep my eyes on the ice. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“I mean, the last bunch of times we’ve talked on the phone, you’ve seemed sadder than usual. But, you’ve looked happier tonight. And I don’t know, you and Hunter last night…you two couldn’t have hung out like that before.”
“We hung out in high school.”
“You fought in high school. Then, you’d hook up. Then, you’d fight again. Obviously, you two have chemistry for days, but you couldn’t handle it when you were young.” She puts her hand on my arm. “Maybe it was too big for teenagers to process, you know?”
“Hunter is a force of nature,” I admit. “He could light a place on fire with his energy.” I think maybe that scared me. It still does.
“And you take over a room full of people with yours.” Charly laughs. “You two are so alike, actually. You’re used to being in front of thousands of people, but you fear intimacy.”
I’m not sure what to say to that. I’m actually not comfortable in either situation.
I turn to Charly, deciding to ask the question that’s been on my mind since I moved back home.
“Do you think the police will ever re-open Mr. Storm’s murder case?” I ask Charly.
“Not without a lead. Some criminals are never caught.”
No. Sometimes they’re not.
But sometimes, the stars align. Even if you weren’t the one who turned them in, sometimes the bad guy does have to pay for what he did.
I wonder if Hunter’s bad guy will ever have to suffer the way he made the Storm family.
“You okay?” Charly gives me a closer look.
I nod quickly. “Fine.”
As I watch Hunter steal the puck away from a defender and take off down the ice, I forget everything but him.
He passes the puck to Liam, who pulls up on the left wing close to the goal. He maintains possession of the puck with two players between him and the net. I lose sight of Hunter until all of a sudden, he appears from behind the net just as Liam flicks the puck over to him, and Hunter slots it in with his stick.
The puck moves so fast I don’t realize it’s a goal until Liam and Hunter start cheering and getting mobbed by their teammates.
My throat burns as I scream. Simon kisses Charly, Ashley and I hug each other, and the entire arena stands and cheers as time runs out.
Charly’s right. I haven’t had this much fun in ages.
“Let’s go wait for Hunter and Liam so we can congratulate them,” Ashley says.
Charly and I look at her. “You mean, so you can say hi to Murph,” I tease her.
She flushes red. “Murph and I are just friends.”
Charly snorts with laughter. “Right.”
Ashley grabs my hand. “Come with me. Unless you want Hunter to be surrounded by puck bunnies instead.”
I flush with heat. Jealous? No doubt.
“Okay,” I say. “Let’s go wait for them.”
Chapter 9
Ashley wasn’t kidding about the puck bunnies.
The line-up of women waiting for the New Orleans and Montana players to come out of the locker rooms takes up the entire width of the corridor and spills down the hallway.
Charly and Simon take one look at the crowd of people and decide to go home.
“They were smart,” I say to Ashley as we stand at the back of the pack. “What are we doing here again? I can just see Hunter at home later.”
Ashley shakes her head. “That’s no fun! All the Storm brothers are back together for a night—you think they’re not going to go out and party? Let’s join them!”
“Like old times?” I say, remembering high school and some of the nights we all spent together.
“Exactly.” Just as she says it, the girls in front of us start screaming.
I can’t see much, and I’m being jostled, but I catch a glimpse of a security guard directing everyone to stand back.
Several more security guards step out and clear the way further until there’s a tunnel in the center of the crowd. Then, the door to the visiting locker room opens up, and players start filing out.
Declan Wild strides out first with a couple of his teammates.
Crap, he’s gorgeous. Anyone with eyes would notice him. Dark hair and the most intense gray eyes, coupled with a gray suit that looks like it cost a fortune. Declan’s been a superstar for a long time, and he carries himself that way. He’s confident, sure of himself, and he doesn’t look around at a single fan no matter how much they scream.
“He’s so damn hot,” Ashley whispers.
“For sure,” I say back.
“I can’t believe he grew up in Louisiana,” she says. “I wish he’d gone to school in New Orleans so I could have crushed on him.”
I laugh. “He’s older than us, Ash. He wouldn’t have been close to the same grade anyway. But I think Hunter said that the Wild family lived a couple of hours outside of the city.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame,” she says. “Because sweet Lord, is he fine to look at.”
The two teammates walking with Declan are also easy on the eyes. Tex Williams and Arch Morrison—both of them smirk at the women calling to them, and Tex stops to take a couple of selfies. Arch signs a woman’s shirt, and a hat, and…
“Panties?” Ashley says incredulously as the woman holds up a pink pair of lacy underwear to Arch. “I hope she washed them first.”
While we’re giggling, Jared and Max Storm come out of the locker room.
Fraternal twins, they’re the two middle Storm brothers with Jared being a few minutes older. All four boys were dark-haired, but Jared and Max have chocolate brown eyes instead of green.
Both guys take a few
selfies with the puck bunnies and sign some shirts and other things. No panties this time, from what I can see.
Jared and Max flash megawatt smiles like they’re loving the attention. Their smiles aren’t real, though, and they remind me of myself after a performance. I know they appreciate the support; I also know they want to get away from the crowds.
Security doesn’t allow anyone to get out of control, and before long, Jared and Max are right in front of Ashley and me.
“Holy crap.” Jared stops short, and this time, a genuine smile crosses his face. “My hometown girls.” He puts a huge muscled arm around each of us. “So good to see you.”
“You too.” I smile over at Max, and he gives me a hug.
“Heard you were back in town, Win,” he says to me in his typical gruff tone. “Maybe you can keep my brother in line.”
“Who, Hunter?” I raise my eyebrows. “I don’t think Hunter likes being kept in line.”
“I think he’s been known to make an exception a time or two,” he says cryptically with a wink at me.
Like I can feel Hunter’s presence, I look around Max at the gap in the crowd. Sure enough, the door to the Fire locker room has opened, and the team is walking out.
The screams increase about tenfold to what they were for the Wild Kings, and I can’t help from smiling as I catch sight of Hunter. He’s with Liam, another teammate that I recognize as Dean Harris, and Sean “Murph” Murphy. Murph went to school with all of us, and I can’t help but notice the smile on Ashley’s face as she notices him.
Hunter can’t possibly see me from this angle, but he’s walking quickly down the corridor, and he’ll be upon us in a matter of seconds. That is until a woman jumps the barricade and hurls her body against his.
Hunter’s not expecting it, and he lurches backward momentarily before regaining his balance.
Security reacts swiftly, but not before the woman has wrapped her arms around Hunter’s neck and is headed for his mouth with her own.
He twists his head to avoid the kiss and shoves her off of him. The guard pins her arms behind her and carries her off.
I’m frozen in place as I watch.
“Some people don’t know the words personal space,” Ashley mutters.
Hunter pushes past the security guard, and as he looks up, I step forward.
He sees me. A crooked grin takes over his face, the kind of smile that drives women wild. The kind of smile that always got us into trouble. While I’m still processing what it means that he’s giving me that look right now, he heads right for me.
I expect him to stop when he reaches me and maybe crack an awkward joke about what just happened when the crazy fan accosted him.
What I don’t expect is for him to pick me up in his arms and kiss the hell out of me.
His kiss doesn’t last long, but there’s definitely tongue. And tenderness. And I don’t want him to stop.
I haven’t kissed Hunter Storm in ten years, and no one since has come close to…that. The way he fits with me. The urgency and gentleness.
He pulls back after a few seconds, and I read the apology in his eyes. He immediately lets me down to the ground like he’s worried he overstepped.
He would have no way of knowing this, but I haven’t kissed anyone since I was attacked six months ago. I thought I was broken. No one has even made me contemplate anything sexual until I moved back to New Orleans and ended up on Hunter’s front porch.
I was so sure I’d feel different, like that asshole who took something from me without my permission had permanently changed me. I’ve felt so shut down, so numb inside, and I was terrified I’d never feel turned on again. But that kiss just now…it liberated me a little bit. And I want to feel all the way freed.
I stare up at Hunter while his brothers slap him on the back and joke with him about keeping things PG when we’re out in public.
He’s barely answering them because he’s too busy staring back at me. When he mouths “sorry” to me, I realize he’s misread my reaction.
I shake my head almost imperceptibly to try to let him know I’m fine, but we don’t have time to communicate any more than that because Dean and Murph insist that we all go to The Odyssey.
Soon, we’re piling into Liam and Hunter’s trucks. I end up in the back of Hunter’s truck with Ashley squeezed in next to me and Murph on her other side.
“What was that between you and Hunter?” she manages to whisper in my ear.
“I was as surprised as you,” I whisper back.
“Charly is going to be so mad she missed it. God, that was a hot kiss, Win!”
It was. It was so. Damn. Hot.
Chapter 10
The Odyssey is crowded, and Ashley drags me up to the bar to chat with Callie about the game. Really, I think she’s dying for me to tell her about my kiss with Hunter.
I don’t say anything, though, and Ashley manages to keep her mouth shut. She does grab my arm and squeal when Callie asks how Hunter played in the game, but as soon as the four Storm brothers, plus Dean and Murph, join us, Ashley gets distracted by Murph.
“What’s up with those two?” Hunter says in my ear.
I glance at Ashley giggling at something Murph said to her. He’s completely focused on her.
“I think maybe they had a thing for each other in high school,” I say. “Don’t you remember?”
Hunter takes a sip of his beer. “Murph never said anything.”
I laugh. “That doesn’t mean it’s not true. Murph never shares his feelings on many subjects.”
“True.” He leans in closer. “Speaking of, we need to talk.”
I bite my lip. “I know. But not here.”
“Later,” he murmurs in a low voice filled with promise.
I suppress a shiver. I hope I know what I’m doing.
“What the hell are they doing here?” Murph calls out.
His gaze is fixed over my shoulder, and I whip around.
Declan Wild is here. His ball cap is pulled low over his face, and he’s standing in the darkest corner of the bar. It’s clear he doesn’t want the attention, but his teammates don’t seem to be on the same page. Tex Williams and Arch Morrison stand calmly in the center of the attention all three are already getting.
The Storm brothers are pretty famous in the world of hockey. But Declan Wild is a modern-day Wayne Gretzky, and he’s from Louisiana too, which makes him all the more interesting to the patrons of the Odyssey.
“Welcome home, Mr. Wild!” A roar comes up from the crowd.
Declan gives an appreciative nod and hand wave before sinking into the nearest seat. His perfect jawline is tensed, and his cheeks are flushed. Tex and Arch take seats at the same table with him, and all three bend their heads together in conversation.
“I feel bad for him,” I say out loud.
Hunter gives me a look.
“What?” I say to him. “I do.”
Ashley overhears me. “I do too, Win. Poor guy just wants some privacy. How could he possibly enjoy himself when he goes out?”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Murph says. “Are you two serious right now? You feel sorry for one of the biggest stars this sport has ever seen? A guy who had an eight-figure, fully-guaranteed contract he just played out with the Denver Alphas, not to mention his endless endorsement deals? Declan Wild is a good guy from the little I’ve talked to him, but to say you feel sorry for him is taking it too far.”
“You’re just jealous.” Ashley twirls a lock of auburn hair with her finger and sticks out her tongue at him. “So sad to be jealous of such a good guy like you said.”
Murph glares at her as she continues to tangle her hair around her finger and smile at him teasingly. Murph looks like he’s either going to fight with her or kiss her, and Ashley doesn’t seem to be sure which option she’d choose.
“What do you think?” Hunter says in my ear. “Do you feel sorry for Wild?”
I glance over at Declan but draw back in surprise when I realize h
e’s coming this way.
“Um…” I wave my hands wildly at Ashley.
She looks at me with her eyebrows raised. Until she sees who’s coming up behind me.
She gasps and grabs my arm so hard I’m sure I’ll find a bruise in the morning.
“Declan Wild!” she says loudly, too loudly. “What an honor—can we get you a drink?”
Declan’s perfect lips twitch as his gaze flicks to her, but he simply shakes his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m about to leave. I’m looking for Jared,” he tells Hunter. “Need to see him before I go.”
Hunter nods, reaches through Liam and Murph, and somehow manages to snag Jared by the shoulder. Jared’s laughing with Max and Dean about something, but he turns around. When he sees Declan standing there amongst us, he immediately gets off his stool and steps over to him.
“Hey, Wild.” He offers him his beer. “Have a drink with us.”
Declan tries to decline, but Jared’s already shoved the bottle into his hand, and Ashley’s peppering him with questions.
Where in Louisiana did you grow up?
Do you miss the south?
Rumor has it you’re going to retire soon. Is it true?
I’m sure he’s going to give her some quick lip service answer and get the hell away from us.
Instead, he surprises me.
“I grew up by Covington. I do miss the south sometimes. And as for retirement, I don’t make decisions like that mid-season,” he says in a deep, sexy voice that I swear my ovaries just responded to with a little leap of joy.
I’m not the only one. Ashley’s lips part as she stares up at him, and behind the bar, Callie freezes in place with a customer’s drink in her hand. When I catch her eye, she mouths, “Oh. My. God.”
I nod back at her. Yes, Declan Wild’s voice matches his gorgeous looks and star status.
And the crazy thing is, Callie’s happily married to her own Declan, I don’t want any man but Hunter, and Ashley—whether she’ll admit it or not—has a thing for Murph.
So, if Declan Wild can have this kind of an effect on women who aren’t interested in sleeping with him, I wonder what it will be like for a woman who does want him in her bed. My guess is that will be quite a ride.
Easy Puck Page 6
