by Ciz, Alley
He hung back from the group as they started to talk, bending down to pick up his borrowed yoga mat to roll up. Not getting the memo, Vince came over while he did the same.
“So, ladies.” Vince spoke to a pretty redhead and her equally stunning blonde friend Gage had never met. “Let me do the honors of introducing you to your newest victim—I mean—newest member of The Steele Maker, Gage James.” Vince reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. “Gage, this fireball to my left is Skye, and to my right is Jordan, or JD, whichever you prefer. She’ll answer to both.”
“She’s also known as Khaleesi,” Deck added as he popped into their little circle.
“No one calls me that, Deck,” Jordan said with an eye roll.
“Sure they do.”
“No, they don’t.”
“Are you, or are you not, the leader of The Coven?” Deck held up her right hand, pointing to the small tattoo on the underside of her wrist. Gage recognized it as the same mini witch’s hat that Rocky sported.
“I still can’t believe you guys call us that,” Jordan said with a shake of her head.
“I blame our brothers,” Rocky said as the circle expanded to include her. A sly smile teased her lips as she peeked up at him.
“Don’t we always?” Jordan chuckled.
“And…” Deck continued as if no one had spoken. “Is your text handle to us not 'mother of dragons?'”
Jordan let out a frustrated sound that had all the guys laughing.
“Anyway.” Jordan turned her back on Deck and faced him. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“JD and Skye handle all the PR for the gym and its fighters,” Deck said.
“Yup.” Vince put an arm around each of the girls. “These two are the best in the biz. They own and operate All Things Sports.”
“Really?” Impressive. He'd heard of the quickly growing public relations powerhouse but hadn't realized it was run by two people so young. “I’ve heard of you guys. Didn’t you kind of corner the market on most of the top hockey players in the NHL?”
“We did,” Jordan said humbly. “To be fair, a lot of them came from familial connections and BTU being such a dynasty in college hockey.”
“Yeah and Rick Schelios is her godfather.” Deck whispered the last word like it was a secret. He guessed it wasn’t every day you met someone with a personal connection to one of the greatest goalies to ever play in the NHL.
“Yeah, because it wouldn’t matter that her husband is Jake Donovan or anything,” Skye said sarcastically.
“The goalie for the Blizzards?” The people connected to The Steele Maker fascinated him. Donovan's skills between the pipes were impressive as hell. Not only did he help lead the US team to their first gold in the Olympics since the Miracle team, he was also one of the biggest reasons the Blizzards stole the Stanley Cup from Gage's hometown team last year.
Jordan nodded, the smile on her face displaying how much she loved her husband.
“Wow. I don’t know if I should ask you to introduce us or not.”
“Why’s that?”
“I’m not sure if I would ask him for his autograph or curse him for robbing my Lions of the Cup.”
“You’re an LA fan?” Skye jumped in to ask.
“All my life,” he said with pride.
“Wade Tanner is one of our guys,” Skye said.
"The starting winger?" he asked.
“Yeah, another BTU alum,” Jordan explained.
“Wow.” These ladies were legit.
As the conversation topic changed to Vince’s training camp, his attention went back to Rocky standing next to him. Her long legs looked amazing in her white and maroon marble-print leggings.
While he checked out the Steele that captured his attention, Jordan and Skye ticked off all the things Vince needed to do for his fight happening in a few months. It was a long list.
“You sure you want to join our gym?” Rocky tapped him on the leg with her rolled mat, nodding at her friends. “It’s only been a few weeks, you can still back out before it’s too late.”
He reached out to brush a lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear and her eyes flared at his touch.
“Never been more sure of anything in my life.” He meant so much more than just about settling on where to train.
Chapter Fifteen
Gage had barely been in his new apartment a week and he was already learning just how much the full-time fighters and staff from The Steele Maker were like family. Even though they were together over six hours a day training at the gym, they all spent most of their nights in either 12A or 12B.
It was an adjustment for him.
On Sunday, the guys invaded his place to watch football while he unpacked the last of his boxes. Monday, he was dragged to Rocky's to watch Dancing with the Stars. Tuesday night was a Mario Kart tournament while the girls went out with the rest of The Coven.
And now tonight, Wednesday, he was once again headed to the guys' apartment to watch the Chicago Fire take on the New York Storm. He learned real fast hockey ruled supreme. Given their alma mater and their connection to Jordan Donovan, it made sense.
All three apartments had the same layout, but each had a very different feel. Whereas the girls had created a homey, colorful vibe, Vince lived in a pure bachelor pad—tastefully decorated, but one hundred percent bachelor. He couldn’t fault them for it. If he hadn’t hired an interior designer, he was sure his home would have one recliner, a sixty-five inch TV, and a futon…and that was it. At least the black leather couches and recliners they had in the living room were stupid comfortable.
This squad made it impossible for him to stick to his typical introverted ways. In an effort to keep from getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of people always in attendance, he tried to find his own small bubble amongst the crowd.
Rocky wasn’t the only Steele he felt a kinship with. Her comic-loving brother was quickly becoming one of his favorite people, both in and out of the gym.
He was in the middle of a game of pool with Vince when the apartment door opened and a flurry of female voices sounded. Automatically, his gaze found Rocky and he couldn’t help but smile at how good she looked in her purple marble leggings, Hawkeye t-shirt and purple Nikes. The girl had a pair of sneakers to match every outfit. Carrying a bunch of groceries, she was in workout gear, with no makeup and a messy bun, and she was breathtaking.
As if she felt the pull of his stare, she met his gaze and he was happy to note the banked heat swirling in hers.
Much to his disappointment, there had been no repeat performances since their hot-as-Hades kiss a few days ago. Instead, they had been circling their attraction like a pair of sharks.
He hoped to change that soon.
ROCKY WAS GLAD to see Gage already at Vince's, saving her from having to track him down. Though he had been hanging out with them outside of the gym, she occasionally sensed some hesitation on his part. He always seemed to hold himself separate from the group, as if he was on the outside looking in.
She and Vince seemed to be the exceptions to this. Gage smiled more when they were together, and if she were being honest, so did she. All the guys treated her with respect at work, but there was something different about the way Gage was with her. He had a way of making her feel valued as an individual, outside of anything having to do with her family name.
Since their almost shower sex four days prior, they hadn’t had much opportunity to pick up where they'd left off. It was almost like he was purposely dragging things out.
When she first made the decision to sleep with him, she figured it would be a one-time thing, like a hall pass on her anti-fighter rule. But with each day they spent together, that scenario seemed less and less likely.
She liked him.
She. Liked. A. Fighter.
She still didn’t believe it herself. The thought both terrified and thrilled her.
Though she doubted she had to worry, she
had made a point of seeking out each of the guys to make sure they wouldn’t say anything about her and Gage around the gym. Granted, there was nothing to tell for now, but there would be.
She needn’t worry about the girls. Her lips quirked just remembering their reactions last night.
“I’ve been begging you to make a move since the day he showed up,” was all Becky had said on the subject.
“I’m with Beck.” Gemma toasted her with beer. “I fully support this.”
“Go for it. Forbidden romances are hot,” Maddey agreed.
“Our group does have a good track record with them,” Jordan pointed out. “We are batting a thousand.”
“A baseball reference?” Skye feigned offense. “Shouldn’t you be using a hockey one?”
“This one works better.”
Even as she unloaded the last of the weeks' meals Gemma had prepared for Vince, she couldn’t help but bask in the unwavering support of her friends.
Heat sizzled along her nape and she glanced up to find Gage staring at her. Her heart skipped a beat at the fire she saw blazing in his eyes.
“Man, most people hate having to follow a meal plan while training but, Gem, your food is the tits.” Deck’s declaration finally broke her out of Gage’s laser beam.
Gemma chuckled. “Thanks, dude.”
“Oh, man, is that your mom’s venison chili?” he asked, holding up a huge bowl.
“You know it.”
Deck turned, bowl of chili in hand, and tried to make a break for it.
“Declan Michael Avery, where the hell do you think you are going with that chili?” Gemma scolded.
“Ooooh, she used your full name,” Ray called out from the living room.
“I’d listen if I were you,” Griff added.
Gemma reached out and took the bowl from him. “Besides, I made extra for the house. So please lay off Vince’s food.”
Deck hooked his arm around Gemma’s neck and pulled her in to kiss her forehead. “Marry me.”
She swatted his chest. “Deck, I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve proposed to me. If you ever did it without my cooking involved, I might actually take you seriously.”
“You wound me, woman.”
“Please…I don’t believe that for a second.”
Rocky laughed at her friends as she finished unloading her bag of stuff into the fridge, before settling on one of the stools around the island.
Done with his game, Gage slid in next to her, his body brushing against hers as he leaned back on his elbows to watch Becky take on Vince in the next round of pool.
Her breath hitched at his nearness. This close, she caught the clean smell of his soap and the tempting scent of his deodorant. She had a feeling he was teasing her on purpose, and when he leaned down, skimming his nose along the soft spot behind her ear, she stopped breathing altogether.
“I like when you wear your hair up.” He whispered the words as his lips trailed down the curve of her neck, setting off shivers in their wake. “It gives me easy access to do this.” His teeth bit down on the tendon of her neck, marking her like an alpha would his mate. If she wasn’t already sitting, her knees surely would’ve given out and her ass would have been on the floor, melted into a puddle of desire.
“Gage,” she whisper-hissed. She scanned the room to see if anyone was watching, but no one was paying them any attention. Sure, she laid the groundwork with her friends, but she would like to make it to the main event before having to hear shit about it.
She felt his lips spread into a smile against her skin before he straightened back into his original position.
The jerk. He knew exactly what he did to her.
She sent up a quick prayer of thanks when Nick informed them the hockey game was starting. With friends on four different professional teams, hockey was almost always on September through June. Everyone found spots to sit around the living room and kitchen island to watch the game.
During the first intermission, they broke apart to eat before settling back in for the second period after a scoreless first. With so many people in the apartment, Gage and a few others made themselves comfortable on the floor in the living room. He rested his back on the couch in front of where she sat.
Turnabout was fair play and she was going to give him a taste of his own medicine. Placing her hands on his broad shoulders, she used her thumbs to dig into the hard muscles. Following the edge of the muscles, her fingers traced from the top of his spine down the curve of his shoulder blades, loosening any knots she felt along the way.
When his head dropped forward on a groan, she thanked all the hours she'd had to log to finish her DPT program.
Her fingers stretched out, toying with his ears, then her nails scratched along the short hair on his head. The soft, prickly sensation invited her to run the flat of her palm against it and he pressed his head into her outstretched hand.
The game continued to play out on the flat screen, but she barely noticed the action, only looking up when everyone cheered to see the Storm player who scored was their friend Jase Donnelly. Then she was immediately drawn back to the black ink peeking from the collar of Gage’s shirt.
She loved his tattoo. It was a true work of art with intricate details woven throughout the octopus design. He'd told her that the massive piece had taken five sessions spread over six months to complete.
She’d come to terms with her attraction—accepted it even. It was how much she was starting to like him that scared her most.
Who knew one of the best pound-for-pound fighters to come out of the UFC was also a Harry Potter buff? Not her. He'd proudly declared himself a Weasley when he saw her sorting hat shirt the day before with the words Another Weasley under it and she almost didn’t believe him.
She made him promise to let her be there when he told Lyle, because where she was a Potterhead, it was her friend’s superpower.
He let out a deep, masculine groan as her knuckle worked out a particularly tight knot in his latissimus dorsi, the sound having a direct effect on her clit.
Her plan had been to torture him with her touch, but that was clearly backfiring as the ache between her legs grew.
She was grateful for the distraction the collective oooh of the room provided from the only man tempting enough to have her breaking every rule she had ever set for herself.
On the TV, the broadcast replayed the hard check their friend Tucker, who played for the Fire, laid on Storm defenseman Jase. She watched Jase skate back to the Storm bench, her professional eye noticing that one of his knees was giving him trouble. Whether she wanted it to or not, her brain was always watching, always assessing those she cared about for injury.
“Oh, man. M-Dubs is in trouble with The Coven now for that hit,” Vince said. Her brother and Jase were the two who referred to them as The Coven the most because they were supremely proud of the fact they came up with the name in the first place.
She wanted to say he was being overdramatic but his assumption wasn’t wrong. Her phone was already lighting up with texts on the armrest next to her. She gave Gage's shoulders one more sweep of her hands before she sat back to pick up her phone.
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: I know he’s my husband’s best friend, but is it wrong for me to want to smack Tuck for that hit on Jase?
MAKES BOYS CRY: Oh I love when you get all pissed at M-Dubs
QUEEN OF SMUT: Rock are you watching? Did Jase look like he was skating funny after? You’re the expert
ALPHABET SOUP: He was. I’ll text him to let me know if he needs anything. Lord knows he’ll be too stubborn to admit anything to his own trainers **insert eye roll here**
MOTHER OF DRAGONS: I know it’s all a part of hockey, but it still makes me want to fly out to Chicago and give my BB3 a piece of my mind
PROTEIN PRINCESS: Nah. I bet before the game is over Jase will pay him back in kind
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA: And if not, you know he’ll say something to him along the lines about you being pissed,
and that’ll be enough to torture Tuck with all the what ifs
She looked at Becky sitting in one of the recliners across the room. “Dude, you are so right.”
“Just the mention of how she will react will be enough to put the fear of god in M-Dubs,” Gemma agreed.
She loved her crazy friends.
* * *
Gage’s plans of teasing Rocky more with his close proximity by sitting in front of her backfired in spectacular, cock-hardening, fashion. The feel of her hands on him, rubbing the tired and sore muscles of his neck and shoulders, had him instantly pitching a tent in his joggers large enough for Boy Scouts to camp in.
As if working out the kinks in his back wasn’t pleasurable enough, she started to scratch her blunt nails through his hair. The action had him seconds away from throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her back to his place to finish what they started over the weekend.
Thank god for the distraction the hockey game provided.
When the second intermission rolled around, he figured it was a good opportunity to turn the tables back around.
“Wanna play some pool?”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” she asked, rising from the couch.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, you lost to Vince. Are you sure you can handle losing to a girl?” she taunted.
“Sooo confident.” He stepped into her personal space as he passed her a pool cue. Once again, he was happy to note the quick indrawn breath she took whenever their bodies brushed.
“All right, Champ,” she taunted. He already knew her well enough to know she was never one to back down from a fight, and sure enough, she maintained eye contact with him as she chalked the stick. “Let's see what you got.”
He was momentarily distracted by watching her lips purse to blow the excess chalk from the tip. He’d been fantasizing about those lips since the night he first laid eyes on them. The way her lower lip plumped out more. The perfect cupid’s bow dip of the upper lip. And now that he’d experienced the feel of them pressed against his own, anytime his eyes locked onto them, all he could do was try and calculate the fastest way to get them back on his body.