by dlady
Her shoulders sagged in defeat, and she sighed. “I have. They won’t do anything. I already have a restraining order. I can’t prove he’s the one who wrote that or has done any—”
“What else has he done?” Jared crossed the small room. One small section of his brain registered how incredibly neat and orderly it was compared to his messy apartment.
“A few things.” She hiccupped, and her thin shoulders shook. She was going to lose it.
Jared placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him, pulling her into his arms for a hug. Instead of resisting, she clung to him as if he were a lifeguard saving her from drowning. She buried her face in his leather jacket and held on. Heart-wrenching sobs shook her body, as if she’d been holding the fear and hurt in for a long time and was finally letting it go.
Jared held her. The need to protect her overwhelmed him with a fierceness he’d never experienced. He murmured words of comfort, knowing what he said didn’t matter as much as the tone and his presence.
Things had changed tonight. Even if they both claimed what happened couldn’t happen again, he knew they had something special. He’d been slowly coming to that conclusion. Tonight sealed the deal. They’d crossed a threshold, and he didn’t think being friends would ever be enough.
He wanted so much more.
He wanted to always be there for her, to be the guy she leaned on, to be the one she counted on. Fuck, he wanted to be her superhero.
Warm tears seeped through his shirt onto his chest. He didn’t care. He was too busy being thrilled that she’d turned to him when she’d needed someone.
His gaze wandered to the paper abandoned on the counter, and he stiffened, his anger threatening to surface again. What kind of an asshole got his rocks off on scaring sweet, harmless Stephanie? He had to do something. He had to take action. He would protect her.
Then it came to him. Drew’s buddy, the karate instructor and former Special Forces soldier, found people. He could find this asshole for Jared, and perhaps he could watch Steph when Jared was on road trips. And then what? What would Jared do? Beat the shit out of him, get thrown in jail, and lose his career—not to mention he’d be no good to Steph if he was behind bars.
Steph’s death grip on him loosened. Her hands went to his shoulders, and she gazed up at him through tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I lose it. I’m being ridiculous. Gino won’t come after me. He’s not that stupid.”
Jared wasn’t convinced. “Tell me about the other times.” He listened as she managed to give him a rundown of other incidents, feelings of being watched, and her talk with Bella.
“Did you do what Bella asked and tell anyone?”
“Not yet,” she admitted somewhat sheepishly.
Her lips parted, and his eyes were drawn to those luscious pink lips. This was not the time to be thinking the things he was thinking. He chastised himself for going there. She needed him and his level head, not his horny dick.
“Jared, I’m okay. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry, but you are going to tell our friends.” His voice was gruff and low.
“I will.”
“We fly out tomorrow to Boston for a three-day road trip. This is crappy timing.”
“You should go home, get some sleep. I’ll be okay.”
“I could stay here.” The thought of leaving her alone tonight didn’t sit well with him. He glanced around, only seeing one big room with a bed behind a Japanese screen. Fuck. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to sleep in the same room as her and sleep with her.
“There’s only this room and this bed.”
“You could go to my place.” He said the last few words without enthusiasm when he realized what a pigsty it was and how it would appear in her eyes. He was a hockey player making millions and lived in a dump.
She must have picked up on something in his voice. “I’m okay. Really. Coop is next door, and I have a security system tied into their main system. I’ll be fine.”
Jared hesitated. A superhero didn’t leave his heroine to the wolves. Deserting her in her time of need seemed wrong, but if he stayed—
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Positive.” She stood on tiptoes and laid a chaste kiss on his lips.
“Okay.” He reluctantly headed to the door and turned. “Lock this door after me and turn on the alarm as soon as I shut it.”
“I will.”
“Text me if anything scares you. And call Coop; he can get here faster.”
“I’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time he’s threatened me. And nothing happened those other times. He doesn’t want to go to jail. He just gets off on frightening me.”
Not the first time?
“Honestly, he’s harmless.” She’d obviously read Jared’s mind.
“He wasn’t harmless when you were with him.” Jared frowned, not believing her for a second. She was a shitty liar. While he wasn’t the best at reading liars—case in point, his ex—he could read her like a short story. He hated leaving her alone, but she did have a security system and Coop was next door. He’d hate to tangle with Coop himself. The guy was formidable on the ice and had earned the right to be team captain. His glower alone sent rookies cowering in the corner of the locker room. Jared would talk to Coop on the plane and make sure he knew about the latest incidents. Coop would tell Izzy, and she’d hover like a mother hen.
“Jared, I appreciate your concern, but I’ve managed on my own for months now. I’ll be all right.”
“Let’s call the police.”
“We talked about that. I’ve tried, and they can’t do much. This message sounds pretty benign unless you read between the lines.”
“Didn’t you say you had a protection order? This violates it.”
She sighed, as if she’d been through this very problem a hundred times before. “I can’t prove he wrote it.”
“But he did.” He watched her face, knowing she knew very well who wrote the seemingly innocuous note with thinly veiled threats.
“Yes, I’m sure he did.” She rubbed her eyes wearily. “I’m tired. Can we discuss this another time?”
He couldn’t resist the plea in those blue eyes. Against his better judgment, he agreed.
Steph walked to the door and opened it. “Good night, Jared.”
Dragging his feet, he walked out the door and stood at the doorjamb. He pulled her to him and hugged her hard. She melted against him and almost destroyed his resolve to behave. He set her back at arm’s length.
“Good night.” Jared brushed his lips across hers and stood back. He didn’t want to leave.
“Good night. Thank you for being here when I needed you.” She gave him a little push and shut the door. He waited until he heard the deadbolt turn.
“I’ll always be here for you,” he said, even though she couldn’t hear him.
With a sigh, he walked down the stairs. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
* * * *
Steph tossed and turned all night. Not just because of Gino, but also because she couldn’t get Jared out of her mind. Memories of their make-out session kept her warm all night and gave her a safe feeling, even though memories couldn’t do much to save her. Knowing someone was concerned about her well-being made her feel so much better.
Jared had texted her as soon as he’d gotten home. The next morning, as she was walking with Otto to the sisters, he texted her again.
Will you go to my next home game?
Her fickle heart soared.
Yes. As friends.
About the friends thing. We need to talk when I get back.
They did, but she was grateful she had a week to think this through.
She was falling in love with him. It’d been the easiest thing to do. She’d been half in love with him before she’d met him. He’d been her fantasy hero, and now he was her real hero.
Steph met Izzy and Vi for lunch that next day and told them about the Gino i
ncidents. Just as she’d dreaded, they were upset and wanted to go rogue on Gino, along with smothering her to keep her safe. Despite their overprotectiveness, she felt better for having told them. It was nice to have people in her corner. She’d been alone for so long that she’d forgotten how good it was to have friends who cared.
On Thursday night, she watched the game against Boston with Izzy and some of the WAGs at Coop’s house. This subgroup of WAGs consisted of Izzy’s sisters Bella and Avery, Vi, and Amelia. The more pretentious WAGs hung out in a different group. Those were the girls more like Jared’s ex, who were into appearances and the fame of being a pro athlete’s girlfriend. Steph preferred the down-to-earth WAGs.
The Sockeyes led one to zero at the end of the first period. Izzy filled their wineglasses during intermission. Steph stared at her untouched one and opted for water instead.
“You don’t drink?” Bella asked. Her eyes were bright from the two glasses she’d already consumed.
“Not really,” Steph replied. “I had a strict upbringing. My father pounded into our heads that alcohol was a sin. I guess some childhood teachings never leave us.” She squirmed under Bella’s bold scrutiny.
“There’s a story there, and someday you’ll tell me.”
“If you’re thinking my father was abusive, he wasn’t. He was strict and ruled the house, and he could make us cower with just one look, but he loved us.” Steph had been a good girl until she met Gino. Her parents, strict as they were, had gotten complacent, assuming she’d never sneak out or defy their rules, which made it easy to do just that.
She’d hated lying to her mother and father, but she was completely under Gino’s spell. Telling them she was pregnant was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. Gino and her father almost came to fisticuffs, and Steph had to usher Gino from the house. They’d lived in the basement of a friend’s home at first. Gino managed to scrape together enough from his on-again, off-again construction job to rent a trailer in a neighboring town. And so had begun her life of sin. If only she’d known then how far she’d go for the man she thought she loved.
She wouldn’t put herself in that position again. She’d never be in a relationship with a man who didn’t have a career and source of income. She’d also never depend solely on a man’s income. If she’d learned anything, it was to be independent and stand on her own two feet and not wait for a man to tell her what to do.
Despite the other stuff going on in her life, she missed Jared. He wouldn’t return until early Monday morning, but she’d spoken with him multiple times in just the few days he’d been gone, and they’d texted often. Gino hadn’t contacted her since the note. As innocent as it had sounded, she knew it was anything but. Short, sweet, and to the point.
Forget the sweet part, more like sour.
That was all it’d said. Nothing the authorities would find alarming and no way to prove he’d left it on her doorstep, violating the no-contact order.
She glanced up to find Bella and Vi watching her. They exchanged knowing glances but said nothing. Steph focused her attention on the TV as the second period started. Jared skated onto the ice and took his position, waiting for the puck to drop. The action started in the usual frenzy as Coop smacked the puck to Cedric, who passed it to Drew. The talented young forward was caught off guard and missed the pass. The Boston defenseman snatched the puck and sped down the ice.
“What’s wrong with him?” Bella said disgustedly. She didn’t have much tolerance for fools or lazy asses. “He’s been playing like shit lately.”
“I have no idea, but his stats are way down, and he seems lethargic.” Izzy sipped her wine, not taking her eyes off the screen. She didn’t reveal any other facts, but as the captain’s wife and a huge hockey fan, she certainly knew more than she was letting on.
“Is it girl trouble?” Vi wondered out loud.
“He doesn’t date. At least not that any of the guys knows about,” Avery said.
“Is he gay? In the closet?” Bella said.
“I don’t think that’s it. Something else is going on.” Izzy leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I heard his dad chew his ass a few months ago after Drew played an incredible game and got a hat trick. His father didn’t give him any credit for doing anything right. I wonder if the constant criticism is getting to him?”
“I saw his dad grab him by the collar after a game and get in his face. I actually thought he was going to hit him,” Bella added.
“Maybe he’s tired of it all?” Steph said. “Maybe he just wants to be told he’s doing okay by the person who matters the most.”
All heads turned to Steph, who rarely said much in group situations. The women nodded their agreement, but not without slanting knowing looks at Steph. She snapped her mouth shut and vowed not to reveal any more hints at her own past. Vi knew some, and Izzy knew about the stripping, but no one knew everything—except Steph and Gino.
She didn’t know how long Gino would keep her secret. What would her new friends do once they knew the truth? If she were the confident type, she’d be certain she could get past all this. She wasn’t.
And Jared. What if he found out? Would he still be her friend, assuming they could maintain a friendship after what happened a few nights ago?
We need to talk about the friends thing.
His text worried her. She was so torn between being an ethical employee and succumbing to her heart. She wanted more, but she was a rule follower. The sisters trusted her. They’d been good to her. Even if she managed to get past the issues with her job, she couldn’t stand to see the disappointment in Jared’s eyes if or when he found out she wasn’t the sweet, innocent churchgoing girl he’d thought she was.
She couldn’t tell him.
Even if telling him was the right thing to do.
As selfish as it was, she wanted to keep him around for as long as she could. Steph had never been selfish before, but she was doing so now.
Just for a little while, couldn’t she have something good in her life?
Chapter 11—Neutral Zone
Jared had planned on talking stuff out with Steph when he returned from the road trip, but fate was not making this easy. An epic snowstorm in Chicago grounded all planes for two days. They finally flew out on Wednesday, getting in late evening. Steph wasn’t available, as she had a party-crashing gig that night, and the next night, Jared had a home game.
He suspected she was avoiding him and their inevitable conversation. That was fine. He’d wait. He was a patient man, and this woman required a lot of patience, but she was worth it. He didn’t want to scare her off. He’d take it slow and work her slowly into the idea they could be a match.
Jared had a tentative plan. He wanted to date Steph, and he planned on getting the sisters’ permission to see their employee. Besides, they owed him a solid after the two failed dates they’d arranged.
Thursday night, Jared stepped onto the ice for the game against Vancouver. Steph was supposed to be there with Izzy and Vi, but he put thoughts of her on the backburner. He needed one hundred percent of his attention on the Canucks. The rivalry between the two teams had become one of the most contentious in the NHL.
Rolfeson, Vancouver’s top scorer, barreled toward the goal, stickhandling with the ease of one of the best forwards in the league. Jared skated backward, matching Rolfeson’s speed, his eyes on his opponent, as he crouched down, waiting for whatever came next. Jared had a sixth sense about where the puck was going, and perhaps his uncanny ability accounted for him not totally discounting the sisters’ psychic claims.
The Sockeyes goalie, Brick, was having a rare bad night, putting more pressure on the defensemen to keep the Canucks out of the net. Somehow they’d held it together, and the score was tied two-two, thanks to the sharpshooting of Smooth, who scored both goals.
The way Brick was playing, it should’ve been far worse. But this was a team sport, and the team would never lay all the blame at Brick’s skates, so to speak. Every guy had their o
ff nights, and the rest of the team stepped up to fill the gaps.
Jared used his body, as he always did, attempting to steer Rolf toward the boards and away from the net. Rolf, crazy bastard that he was, continued straight toward the net with Jared in his way. The big forward didn’t seem to care. He was going to score or kill them both.
Jared knew the net was close behind him, along with Brick. He had to hold his ground or run into his goalie. At the last second, Rolf tried to slip past Jared, but there wasn’t room, not with Ice blocking his escape on the right.
Rolf slammed into Jared with the force of a high-speed train and sent them sprawling onto the ice, taking Brick and Ice with them in a heap resembling a dogpile on the one-yard line of the Super Bowl.
Jared lay under the pile. Brick’s glove was across his mouth, and he hoped to hell the guy got up soon, so he could breathe. The pile started to clear and everyone managed to get to their feet and skate away without injury. Ice wasn’t skating away. His gloves went flying, and he charged Rolf.
Rolf wasn’t usually a dirty player, but he’d had a dry spot lately when it came to scoring, and his contract was up at the end of the year. At his age, he might not get another. So he’d probably been desperate to score and not thinking clearly. Ice didn’t cut him any slack. For several seconds they wrestled, Ice definitely having the upper hand with an uppercut to the jaw. The referees jumped in, earlier than usual, fearing Ice might do damage, and both guys skated for the penalty box.
Jared and his line took to the bench as a new set of players replaced them. Fighting had never been Jared’s strong point, though he didn’t back down from it, either, which probably explained why he didn’t get into many. Guys knew he meant business when he dropped his gloves.
Catching his breath, he tested the various parts of his body and couldn’t feel any damage other than the usual scrapes and bruises associated with hockey.
Only then did he turn slightly and look down the bench to the row of seats on the glass.
Steph was standing and turned toward him. Her hands covered her mouth, her eyes were wide with concern, and worry furrowed her brow. He nodded slightly and flashed her a thumbs-up. She smiled in relief. Jared focused his attention on the game, but his heart was soaring past the arena ceiling and into the stars.