by Toni Aleo
“Hey, thanks for letting me tag along. I’ve been meaning to try this for a while but never made the time.”
“No problem, man. Happy for the company.”
And the possible buffer.
Kyle had spent most of yesterday afternoon at the gym working out with Nate and some of the guys. He’d been planning to catch a yoga class, but Derek’s last words had stuck in his head. He’d wanted to shrug them off, but they kept playing on a repeating loop and wouldn’t fucking stop. So he’d decided to skip yoga and get to know his new-old team.
He’d met Nate years ago at a US hockey developmental camp and they’d had a common interest, so they’d hit it off immediately. The other guys—Robbie, Nick, and Ian—were all under the age of twenty-one, all from different countries, all great players from what he’d seen on the ice. And they all seemed to be decent guys. No attitudes, no egos, no bullshit. Basically, the complete opposite of him at their age.
He’d been a cocky asshole, coming off a collegiate career at Princeton other guys would’ve killed for and a high, second-round draft pick by the Colonials. He’d thought he’d spend a year or so in the AHL then get moved up.
He’d believed his own hype.
Asshole.
Yep, he’d been a total asshole.
Didn’t mean he wasn’t good. But so were the hundred-plus other goalies in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL, not to mention the kids coming up in college and the juniors and the overseas leagues.
Nate hadn’t gotten a lot of ice time in his previous seasons with the Redtails because Shane Conrad had been phenomenal in net, which was why the Colonials had called him up. And while Nate had been playing a good game, the team couldn’t get to the playoffs on the back of only one goalie.
Now, Kyle had to live up to his hype.
“Sooooo…D said the instructor’s hot.”
Kyle whipped his head around, ready to tell Nate not to even think about looking at her.
Except Nate was grinning at him.
Kyle rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Derek’s gonna get his ass kicked next time I see him.”
“He also said not to look at her sideways or you’d kick my ass. You two dating?”
Stopping in front of the door to the studio, Kyle shook his head. “We used to. Before I got traded to Phoenix. We split up when I left.”
Which wasn’t exactly true, but Nate didn’t need to know the gory details.
“But you wanna get back together?”
“That’s the plan.”
Nate’s wide grin sparked an answering light in his dark eyes as he shoved a hand through a mass of unruly black curls. Nate’s mom was Greek, and he got his coloring from her. He got his skill on the ice from his Canadian father, who’d set records in the Western Hockey League for his goals-against average before he’d quit playing to coach.
“So you need a wingman?”
His immediate response was hell no. He didn’t need a damn wingman. Wingmen were for guys who couldn’t get a girl’s number without help. He didn’t need help.
But that was the old Kyle. The asshole.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Then let’s go do some yoga!”
Kyle shook his head and smiled as he walked through the door and that grin just got wider.
Because the first person he saw was Leah.
She stood behind the desk to the right of the door, a slight scowl on her face as she stared at the monitor in front of her. Leah hated computers. At least, she had before he’d left. She said they interfered with natural human interaction, with our ability to communicate.
To her, they were a necessary evil.
He’d thought it was just an affectation, like her refusal to wear anything that wasn’t a hundred percent cotton or to eat processed food. Like she was following some hippie guidebook.
What he’d realized after they’d dated a few weeks was that Leah didn’t have a fake bone in her body. She really was that sweet, that nice, and that real. She cared about the environment and animal rights and children’s health care and sustainable energy.
He’d cared about his next start and his goals-against average. Okay, maybe he hadn’t been that completely shallow but, next to her, he’d been a self-involved prick.
What she’d seen in him, he still didn’t know. Maybe it was because he’d realized how completely special she was. Or maybe because his granddad had set a really great example of how to treat a woman and Kyle had managed to pick up a few of those good traits. Which he hadn’t gotten from his own father.
Or maybe…
Hell, who knew. What he did know was that this time would be different.
He just needed to rein in his asshole tendencies.
She looked up at that moment and caught him staring at her.
For a brief second, he could’ve sworn he saw a glimmer of a smile light in her eyes. Then she shut it down and instead turned to smile at Nate.
Who took his life in his hands when he smiled back and headed straight for her.
“Hi, I’m Nate. I’ve been told you’re the woman I need in my life.”
Her smile widened as she began to laugh. “Well, I don’t know about that, but I will do my best to help out. What are you looking to accomplish, Nate?”
“My buddy, Kyle,” Nate smacked Kyle on the back so hard, it almost hurt, “has been singing your praises since he got back. Says you’re a miracle worker.”
She blinked, as if Nate had taken her off guard, and her gaze slid back to Kyle.
“Really?” Her eyebrows arched, and she looked like every word was a lie. “High praise. I guess I should be flattered.”
“It’s the truth,” Kyle answered before Nate could possibly dig Kyle’s hole any deeper. “You’re the best.”
She blinked, and he wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a slight softening around her mouth.
If he did, it was gone a second later when she looked back at the computer screen with a sigh.
“Kyle knows the studio. He’ll show you where the lockers are. I’ve got to figure out what I did wrong before class.”
“Want me to give you a hand?”
Her eyes widened again, and she looked like she was about to turn him down. Then she looked at the screen again and grimaced.
“I guess—”
“Locker room is straight down the hall.” Kyle nodded in the general direction for Nate’s benefit. “I’ll meet you in the studio in a few.”
“No problem, dude.” Nate saved his shit-eating grin until he was out of Leah’s sight line. Then he gave Kyle a thumbs-up before disappearing down the hall.
Kyle would have to thank the guy later. Not giving Leah time to object, he walked around the desk then leaned on the back of her chair. It put him directly above her, closer than he’d been to her in more than a year.
He had to make a conscious effort to unclench his hands but, damn it, he wanted to put his arms around her and pull her close. Every memory he had of this woman was a good memory. But it wasn’t the same for her.
And that’s totally my fault.
She stiffened as he got even closer, and even though he didn’t want to, he backed off a few inches. Not far, just far enough to give her some breathing room.
He waited for her to say something, for her to tell him to move away. If she did, did it mean she was still affected by him? Or did she truly not want him anywhere near her?
Sucking in a breath, he got a direct hit of her scent, a blend of sweet and sultry that had never failed to make him hard.
Damn it, he needed to rein that in. How much of a douche was he that he got a boner just standing next to her, especially when she’d made it clear she wasn’t thrilled to see him.
“So what are you trying to do?”
Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he saw her suck in a quick breath before she squared her shoulders and sat up a little straighter. Several long seconds passed before she answered.
“I accidentally pressed something and
now I can’t see the rest of the schedule.”
She didn’t look up, and his jaw tensed. Damn, he really wanted to see her eyes, wanted to see what she was thinking. Was she affected by him at all? Did he have any chance at all to get back in her good graces and her bed?
Leaning even closer, until his chin almost touched her shoulder, he reached over her shoulder to put his hand on the mouse so he could attempt to figure out what was going on.
She sucked in a short, sharp breath. He knew that sound, had heard her make it many times.
Not afraid. Not angry. Definitely not indifferent.
It was the sound she’d made just before he kissed her. Or touched her. Or looked at her like he wanted to devour her. Or told her he wanted to make her come.
He fucking loved that sound.
Shutting down a shit-eating grin before it could form, he controlled the urge to pump his fist in the air and declare victory like he’d won the Stanley Cup.
Don’t get ahead of yourself, asshole. Still a long way to go before you can say you’re back in her good graces.
And if he never got there?
Nope. He couldn’t let himself consider that possibility. She was the woman he wanted in his life for the long haul.
Forcing his attention back to the computer screen, he figured out pretty quickly what the problem was. With a few clicks, he’d restored her ability to access the spreadsheet.
“Looks like you accidentally made the form read-only.” He showed her where and how she’d screwed up and showed her how to fix it if it ever happened again. “Common mistake. Happens all the time.”
Taking a few steps back, though he really didn’t want to, he watched as she spun the chair around so she could look up at him.
Damn, she was pretty. Every time he looked at her, he felt that catch in his breathing, and his heart pounded a little harder. But he didn’t want her just because of the way his body reacted to her. Yeah, he thought she was hot, but his reaction wasn’t only about the way she looked.
No, there was a sweetness about Leah that made him want to hoard her away. He’d totally taken advantage of that before. He’d exploited her kindness and taken it as his due.
You were a total dick, asshole.
Yeah, he had been. But he wasn’t that guy anymore. He’d grown up. He’d wised up. And he wasn’t going to fuck this up a second time.
“Thank you.” Her expression had softened unmistakably. She even had the start of a smile. “I appreciate the help. You know I hate these darn things.”
The asshole he’d been before had seen her aversion to them as quirky, kinda sweet, but a little ridiculous, especially in today’s society. It’d made her less in his opinion. And though he’d never said it to her, he knew she’d been able to tell what he was thinking.
Another penalty on his record. He had so many damn penalties against him, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get out of the box. But damn it, he was going to try.
“I know. And I get it. They’re great when they work but they can be frustrating as hell when they don’t.”
Her eyebrows arched higher with his every word, as if she couldn’t believe what he was saying. And he figured now was the time to make his escape.
He cocked his thumb and pointed over his shoulder.
“I’m gonna get changed. See you in the studio. And if you need any more computer help, just let me know.”
Then he forced himself to turn and walk away.
He was pretty sure he could feel her watching him every step of the way.
Leah brought her hands to heart’s center in the prayer position and bent her head.
“Namaste, everyone. Have a lovely day and do good deeds.”
Lifting her head, she smiled as the ten women and two men made their way to their feet and packed up their mats. Most smiled as they headed for the door; a few waved. Several of the women also smiled at Kyle and Nate as they passed the men at the back of the studio.
She didn’t want to watch, but she couldn’t help herself. Nate nodded to everyone, his smile wide and inviting. A few of the women paused beside them, visibly flirting.
Nate seemed to take it in stride.
Kyle smiled, too, but there was something missing. Before, his smile would’ve been an invitation to stop and talk, to flirt.
It was something she’d never quite gotten used to when they’d been dating. Even though he’d never cheated on her, she’d never been able to reconcile the fact that he smiled at other women in a way that made her think he was just a blink away from asking them out.
Some of that had been her own self-esteem issues. The entire time she and Kyle had been dating before, she’d always felt like she’d been waiting for him to dump her. Stupid but true. She’d managed to hide it, submerge it. But secretly, she’d convinced herself their relationship was never going to last.
And she’d been right. When he’d told her he was leaving and it’d be better if they made a clean break, that doubt monster inside of her had been relentless. Maybe if she’d been…more than just herself, he would’ve wanted to try harder to stay together.
It’d taken her months to get out of that hole. And when she had, she’d realized that nothing she could have done or said would’ve changed his mind.
Now he was back, and she shouldn’t be watching him as closely as she was. They were done. Over. Finished.
And damn him for making her even think that he still looked at her with those dark eyes the way he used to.
“So he’s back, huh? And looking even better than before. That damn guy just gets hotter with age. I hate him. How are you holding up?”
Leah turned to her friend Stacie with a smile and shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s fine. Seriously, nothing’s changed. He’s just here for class.”
“Uh-huh.”
The look Stacie gave her from glass-green eyes said something completely different. And when her red-haired friend got that look, men either learned to run, not walk, the other way. Or they got flayed.
Stacie had sworn off men for about the tenth time this year a month or so ago, after her latest explosive breakup with another unworthy guy. Stacie did nothing that wasn’t loud, fast, and occasionally obnoxious. And Leah loved her like the sister she’d never had.
“Stace, honestly, nothing’s going to happen.”
“You underestimate yourself, LeeLee. That man isn’t here just for the downward dog. He’s here for the doggie—”
“Stace.” She interrupted before her friend could finish whatever the hell she’d been about to say because Kyle had started toward them and could probably hear their every word.
“Hey, just wanted to say thanks for a great class.” He stopped a couple of feet away from Stacie, who turned on him with a smile that could cut glass. “Stacie. Been a while. How are you?”
Stacie looked him up and down before she shrugged and put a hand on her cocked hip. “Been good.” Her eyebrows arched with a definite challenge. “And you?”
“Honestly?” He shook his head. “Last season was rough. No, actually, it was pretty shitty. I’m hoping this one is better.”
Kyle could tell from Stacie’s expression she hadn’t expected him to answer that candidly.
Two years ago, he would’ve shrugged and said everything was fine. He was fine. His career was amazing, and everything was on track.
His parents had trained him from birth that appearance meant everything. “Fake it ’til you make it” was his family’s unwritten motto.
And if his dad’s deal fell apart for the hundredth time, well, it was someone else’s fault, or it was a shitty deal and he was glad to be free of it. And if your marriage was rotten at the core and your parents only smiled and acted like the perfect couple when there were other people around, then everything was fine, and no one needed to know any different.
“Never let them see your belly,” his dad always said. “Someone will try to rip it out.”
But Kyle had realized that not everyone was g
oing to try to rip out your guts, and the people who really mattered deserved the truth and would be there to protect you until you could get back on your feet.
Too bad he’d only realized that after he’d left this woman behind.
Now, his gaze slipped to Leah, whose pretty face showed every bit of her soft heart for several long seconds before she blinked and looked away.
“Sorry to hear that,” Stacie said. And amazingly, she sounded like she meant it. “I guess with Shane up, you’ll be getting most of the ice time.”
His gaze shifted back to Stacie as he grinned. “Didn’t think you were that much of a fan. Do you two still get to games?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leah’s nose wrinkle as Stacie nodded. “Yeah, occasionally. The guys played a hell of a season last year.”
“They did. And Shane was a big part of that. I’m hoping I can fill his shoes and we can make a run for the Cup again.”
Now Stacie’s head cocked to the side and Kyle swore he could see her gears turning. Then she turned to Leah and gave her a look that Kyle clearly interpreted as “What the fuck.”
Leah clearly had no idea how to respond so she took the easy road. She just ignored her.
“Well, I hope that works out for you.” Leah’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she wasn’t glaring at him. He took that as a win. “I really need to get ready for the next class. Good-bye, Kyle.”
She walked off before he could say anything else, practically running for the studio door. She probably did have another class. But she’d made it pretty damn clear she didn’t want to be around him.
Damn it.
“Finally figured out what you lost when you dumped her, huh?”
He turned to find Stacie staring at him, the look on her face total superiority. And he totally deserved it.
Thinking out his response carefully, he realized the only way he was going to get Stacie on his side was to grovel. Leah required another approach but Stacie…She could either be a huge asset in his attempt to win Leah back or she could cut him off at the knees.
“Absolutely. And I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.”