Dean (Face-Off Series Book 6)

by Jillian Quinn

  When the back window of the SUV rolls down, Theo’s face appears. Travis is in the seat next to him, leaning over his brother to glance out the window at me. Where the hell is Kat? I shake my head, biting back my anger. She stood me up. Unreal. She was supposed to come to the airport with her brothers.

  “Yo,” Theo yells to me. “Welcome to the Windy City, bro.”

  “Get in,” Travis says.

  I slide into the back seat next to Theo. He gives me a one-arm hug. Travis reaches behind him and taps me on the back to say hello.

  “Where’s Kat?”

  Theo clicks a few buttons on his cell phone and types out a message. “She said she didn’t feel good and wanted to sit this one out.”

  Of course, she did.

  Our friendship isn’t important enough for her to pick me up? To say I’m disappointed with her would be an understatement. I’m fucking floored. Adrenaline courses through my veins, flooding my body so hard and fast my pulse is racing. Sucking in a deep breath, I blow it out, hoping this will quell my nerves. I use breathing exercises to help regulate my breathing when I’m playing hockey. But right now, I feel like I need a damn oxygen tank to pump the air back into my lungs. Kat has me so unnerved I want to put my fist through the window and shatter the glass into a million pieces.

  “Is she having problems with her stomach again?” I ask, wondering if she fed her brothers a line of bullshit to get out of coming.

  Theo nods. “Yeah, she hasn’t eaten much since she got home. She kinda mopes around the house all day. We tried to get her to hang out with us at the pool or play a few games with us, but she wasn’t having it. I think she’s sick or something.”

  Kat’s been moping? That’s a surprise. Here, I was convinced she was out making new friends and finding another guy to replace me. We never had sex. The night she slept over we got close before we both crashed hard. If we had taken that step, I imagine this would be even worse for both of us. Kat doesn’t get depressed enough to sit in bed all day. She especially wouldn’t avoid her brothers, not when she looks forward to her summer with them. Which tells me one thing. I still have a fighting chance.

  Once we reach the Baldwin Estate, we park in the circular driveway that has a fountain at the center. A massive garage overflowing with exotic cars is off to our left. It must be nice to have an entire fleet of cars at your disposal. And the best part… Kat’s not even leaving this damn house. She could do anything she wants with all of this money, and instead, she’s acting like a giant pain in everyone’s ass.

  “Your room is down the hall from ours,” Travis says. “Right next to our game room.”

  “I thought that was in the basement.”

  He shakes his head. “The movie room and bowling alley are in the basement.”

  “Drop your shit off upstairs,” Travis says, “and then we can chill in the basement. You like bowling?”

  I shrug. “It’s okay.”

  “We don’t play like most people,” Theo says with a wicked smirk. “You’ll see.”

  We walk through the front door and step into the entryway titled in white marble. A huge chandelier made of glass and beads hangs between two cascading staircases that lead to the bedrooms. After Theo and Travis show me to my room on the second floor, they lead me into the basement. Kat is still nowhere to be found. Is she purposely avoiding me, or is she really sick? Where the hell is she hiding?

  Unlike a normal basement, the Baldwins have a five lane bowling alley, complete with a movie room large enough to seat twenty people. Four guest bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, are in the back of the house. Closer to the mini bowling alley, there’s a full kitchen and bathroom. They even have a concession stand with movie popcorn machines and everything you would expect to see at a local theater. Kat’s house is like something from MTV Cribs.

  Theo flicks a switch on the wall, and the lanes roar to life, the bright lights illuminating the pins. Air blows out from the ball returns that have several balls of varying weights and grips. Theo slips behind the concession stand that overlooks the bowling alley. He fills three chilled mugs with beer from the tap. Man, if I lived here, I would never want to leave. This place is like a fucking palace.

  Theo hands me a mug that sends a chill up my arm. “You guys do it right around here.”

  Trav takes a sip and nods. “Dad only likes freezing cold beer.”

  “Austin will only drink it at room temp because he think he’s a legit German.”

  Theo sets his beer on the table attached to his chair and looks over at me. “You ready to get your ass handed to you?”

  I snicker. “Yeah, right.”

  “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Kat says from a distance.

  ”Would you look at that?” I say with every ounce of irritation I feel in my tone. “The queen has finally graced us with her presence.”

  She rolls her eyes as she approaches us. “Sorry, I should’ve been there to pick up you. My bad.”

  I raise my eyebrow. “Your bad? That’s the best you can do after all this time?”

  The twins are too busy arguing about how to score the game we’re about to play to overhear our conversation. I walk away from them, closing the distance with Kat. She stops in front of me, her eyes red and somewhat puffy.

  I inspect her face, wondering is she’s sick or upset, or maybe a little bit of both. “Were you crying?”

  She shakes her head. “No, I told you don’t feel good. I ate bad fish last night. My stomach didn’t like the sea bass, I guess.”

  I reach for her hand and she pulls away.

  “What the fuck, Kat? You’re killing me right now. What is going on with you?”

  “Nothing. Can we talk about it later?”

  After I find shoes and a ball that fits my fingertips, Kat is paired with me, and the game begins. The twins make us drink for every missed shot. Even in college, they could turn anything into a drinking game. Apparently, bowling is no different.

  I haven’t bowled in years. My aim is a little rusty. Theo heckles me for sucking so bad. Travis throws a towel on the lane after my last shot, and I shake my head at his theatrics. I’m not throwing in the towel, no matter how bad I’m playing. Under normal circumstances, I would probably be kicking their asses. But after seeing the dejected look on Kat’s face, I feel sick to my stomach. Whatever she wants to tell me later haunts me, making it impossible to relax. And no amount of beer seems to help.

  Theo spins around after another strike and slides across the lane in his bowling shoes. He reminds me of Tom Cruise from the movie Risky Business when he glides across the floor in a dress shirt.

  “Your turn, Kit-Kat,” Theo shouts.

  “I can hear you perfectly fine without all the yelling,” Kat says as she gets up from her chair.

  She lifts her ball from the rack and lines up with the pins. Tucking in her elbows, she has perfect form as she travels up the lane, bringing her arm back to throw the ball. It sails off her fingertips, spinning in perfect rotation toward the head pin. But before the ball makes contact, it turns to the left of the head pin, leaving three pins behind.

  “You’re not gonna beat us with shots like that,” Travis says when Kat turns around.

  She’s supposed to drink for not getting a strike. Instead, Travis snd Theo each pound the rest of their beers in a few gulps and slam the icy mugs down on the table. Travis stands as Kat walks past him and burps in her ear.

  She frowns. “Thanks, idiot.”

  “C’mon, Kit-Kat.” Travis hooks his arm around her back and hugs her. “Stop being such a boner and have some fun. You’ve been a total tool all summer.”

  Theo sneaks up behind Kat and squeezes the life out of her.

  “C’mon, Theo. I told you my stomach hurts. Stop being annoying.” She shakes him off until he lets her go. “Can we play without you guys driving me crazy?”

  “You’re just mad because we’re winning,” Travis shoots back.

  Kat snorts.
“We’re letting you win.”

  Theo blows out a puff of air, spitting some of his beer in the process. “Bullshit. We’re beating you guys by twelve points fair and square.”

  “We can make that up by the end of the game no problem,” I challenge.

  “It’s called drunk bowling for a reason.” Travis points his finger at me. “Kat is cheating. She’s only drank every other time.”

  “We don’t need to be sober to beat you two.”

  “Whatever.” Theo chugs another beer. “Your turn, bro,” he says to Travis.

  After we play six games of drunk bowling with the twins, I have enough liquid courage to talk to Kat.

  “You wanna head upstairs?” I say into Kat’s ear.

  “Nah, I’m good here. You can go up if you’re tired.”

  “Are we gonna talk tonight?”

  She blows out a deep breath. “How about after the Draft? That will give us some of the closure we need.”

  Confused, I narrow my eyes at her. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

  “It has to do with what I decided last night. You’ll see. We’ve waited this long. One more night won’t kill us.”

  She’s being so damn cryptic I need a decoder ring to decipher her mood swings. Needing to get drunk now more than ever, I gulp down another beer and then another. The NHL Draft is tomorrow. Somehow, even with that in my sights, I still can’t think of anything other than Kat. More beer seems like a good enough distraction.

  “The Philadelphia Flyers select defenseman Dean Crawford.”

  Kat shakes my arm. “You did it, Dean! Oh, my God.” She throws her arms around my neck, and her sweet scent fills my nostrils. “You’re going back to Philly.”

  Which means we have no shot of ever being together.

  My head pounds as fast as my heart, the intense migraine paired with my anxiety a horrible combination. The beer is practically leaking from my pores. I knew better than to drink that much last night. Now, I have to step on stage and accept my spot on my new team. Nick hugs me as I pass down the row. Duke even shakes my hand. Austin stands up when I reach the end of the aisle to allow me pass. He slaps his hand down on my shoulder and congratulates me.

  None of this feels real. When I was a kid, making it pro was a dream. I never thought anyone like me could ever get this far. My mom should be here. When I step onto the stage and look out into the crowd at the United Center, I wish my mom were here. Instead, I find a smiling Kat sitting next to her dad and brothers. I wave in their direction, all of them watching me as I accept my place with the Philadelphia Flyers. The event center is packed, the energy in the air electric. On the most important day of my life, I should be happier.

  I smile when I put the Flyers hat on my head. Photographers are snapping my picture, dozens of flashes blinding me. This is everything I have ever wanted. All of my mom’s struggles were worth it. But when I look into the sea of people before me, my eyes are drawn to Kat. She becomes the center of the room, the center of my world. I had hoped I would end up in Chicago. That was our only chance to be together. And now, I have to come up with another game plan.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dean

  Staring up at the ceiling of the guest bedroom, I lay flat on my back and think of Kat. With the entire Baldwin clan up our asses all night, we had no time to ourselves. They watch over Kat like a hawk. The minute I tried to get Kat alone, Duke was there, lurking as if he knew I needed to talk to her. Then the twins wanted us to play NHL 19 with them.

  With the twins down the hall, I wonder if I can sneak out of my bedroom to talk to Kat. Austin and Duke went out drinking with friends after Kat said she was going to bed. From the way they were talking, they’ll be out until the morning, which leaves me at least a few hours before they come home if the twins don’t cockblock me.

  I step into the dark hallway. For once, the house is quiet. Theo and Travis are so damn loud I can hardly think when I’m around either of them. I shut the door behind me, walking on my tiptoes toward Kat’s room. Luck must be on our side for once because I make it to Kat’s room without a sound and push my way into her room, locking the door behind me.

  Kat flicks on the lamp next to her bed, and the soft glow illuminates her face. “What’s going on?” She rubs her eye with the back of her hand. “Is everything okay?”

  “No, nothing’s wrong,” I whisper as I make my way toward her massive four-poster bed fit for a queen. “Were you sleeping?

  “I tried but all I did was toss and turn.”

  “Can we talk?”

  She pats the mattress. “Get in. Maybe I’ll get some sleep with you next to me.”

  I crawl in beside Kat and roll onto my side, staring down at her as I slide my arm under her head. “I have to tell you something.”

  Her lips part, but she doesn’t speak.

  “I love you, Kitten. I just wanted you to know that.”

  She presses her hand to my cheek and smiles. “I love you, too, Dean.”

  “Then, tell me what’s going on.”

  She sighs. “I still don’t know what to think. It’s like we’re friends but we’re not. Our relationship has changed. How do we move past what happened?”

  “I apologized a thousand times. I’m sorry for making you feel like a puck bunny. You know you’re not. I would never treat you like one. I still want this to work. I think we have something worth exploring.”

  “Dean, you’re moving to Philly. I live in Chicago.”

  “I don’t care if we live in different countries. I want to be with you.”

  She tilts her head to the side and bites her lip. “How do we do this? Long-distance relationships rarely last.”

  “We can make anything work.” I hover over her, our mouths so close they’re almost touching. “I will do anything. I don’t want to lose you. I love you so damn much I’m in physical pain. Not talking to you every day is killing me. I need you in my life.”

  “You’re my best friend,” she whispers.

  “And you’re mine.”

  “Why did we have to kiss?” She shakes her head. “Everything was perfect before that night.”

  “Love hurts,” I say against her lips. “You have to be willing to feel the pain with me. I know you love me as more than a friend. I see the hurt in your eyes every time I look at you.”

  “I feel like I lost a part of myself when we graduated.” She fists my hair between her fingers, staring into my eyes. “I wanted you to fight for me. I wanted you to tell my brothers that you love me and want to be with me.”

  “That’s why you’ve avoided me for so long?”

  She nods. “I should have said something sooner.”

  “If I go down the hall and tell the twins how I feel about you, will that change our future?”

  “Don’t do that,” she says in a hushed tone. “Not now, anyway. I want you all to myself… for now.”

  When I brush my lips against hers, they part for me. Kat’s fingers slowly trace down my back. I kiss her so long and hard I can hardly breathe, but I don’t care. She can have all of the air in my lungs as long as she doesn’t let me go. I’ve never loved anyone or anything as much as Kat. She’s the only person with the power to hold my heart in her hand and crush it. While we were apart, I felt like I was dying. Like I couldn’t survive without her. And now, I feel the air breathed back into my lungs.

  Kat peels her lips from mine, her voice a whisper. “I was serious about what I said before. I still want you to be my first.”

  “I want to be your first… and last.”

  She gasps. “You don’t mean that.”

  I nod, my forehead brushing against hers. “I never joke when it comes to you.”

  Kat sucks my bottom lip into her mouth and then grazes my skin with her teeth. “Not here,” she says between kisses. “Not with my family around. I want it to be special.”

  “I leave in a few days.”

  “We can get a room at The Peninsula tomorrow night,” she of
fers.

  I narrow my eyes at her. “What will your dad and brothers say about that?”

  She rolls her shoulders against the stack of pillows behind her. “I don’t care what they say. I’ll tell them we’re going to see a show in the city and staying the night. They won’t think anything of it. Theo and Travis won’t tag along for that.”

  “You and me.” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her skin. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Kitten. I don’t care what I have to do to make us a reality.”

  She smiles. “For now, let’s not think about our future or even tomorrow night. Just kiss me.”

  Without another word, I do as she says, kissing her until we fall asleep in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kat

  After an incredible dinner in the city with Dean, we took an Uber to The Peninsula. I even asked for the same room as last time. But unlike before, my belly is filled with nerves. My palms are so clammy I have to keep wiping them down the front of my black dress. Tonight is the night. And so far, every second of it has been perfect.

  Dean moves behind me, spinning me around in one swift motion. He smiles down at me as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “I’m glad you asked me,” he says in a low, deep voice that sends chills down my arms. “I regretted my first time. It was with an older woman I barely knew, and now that I’m older and know better, I wish it had been with someone I love. I wish it had been with you, Kitten.”

  His words bring tears to my eyes that I desperately fight to keep at bay. He wipes them away with his thumb before leaning in to plant a kiss on my lips.

  Nervous about getting naked in front of Dean, I suddenly feel vulnerable. But it’s the good kind of nerves that get my blood pumping and my heart pounding. A quick peck on the lips turns into him lifting me and pressing my back against the wall. I wrap my legs around him and hook my arms around his neck.

  As Dean explores my mouth with his tongue, his hands roam, tracing over every surface of my body. Every kiss makes me wet in anticipation, his touch causing my body to tremble with need. I have never wanted something so much in my entire life.