Puck Battles: A Complete Sports Romance Series

by Kristen Echo

  The hockey players big body settled into the tiny driver’s seat, his arm touching hers. “I’m Theo, by the way. So, where are we headed?”

  “Away from here,” she said. The sooner the better.

  Chapter 4

  The storm struck them with its fury once they hit the highway. Carly leaned forward and gripped the dashboard, struggling to see the lines or any bare concrete through the wall of white. The windshield wipers failed to keep up with the onslaught from Mother Nature.

  Theo hadn’t balked when she asked him to take her to the airport. Turned out he was heading there as well, both of them traveling home for the holidays. After the initial few words, the conversation dropped to a standstill as they both attempted to see the road before them.

  Curiosity sat like a devil on her shoulder, demanding she ask the hockey-legend-in-the-making why he was at her diner. He seemed larger than life on TV, and his disarming smile continued that impression. The truck stop diner wasn’t a place she expected someone like him to frequent. She wasn’t sure if she should ask. Regardless of his reason for being there, she was glad to be getting a ride.

  “It doesn’t look pretty out there.” Theo smiled and all thoughts or questions evaporated.

  That smile was a lethal weapon that slaughtered her defenses. She didn’t want to be attracted to him, but only a superhuman could resist. At eighteen she hadn’t fine-tuned those skills yet. He radiated an animal magnetism or pheromones she was powerless against.

  A ride to the airport was all he offered, however another kind of ride came to mind. She pictured them in the back seat, his face confined between her thighs as he pressed his full lips against her heated flesh. His tongue sliding through her wet folds until he found the part of her that begged to be licked. She imagined herself, hands planted on the ceiling, her knees on the soft leather, and screaming his name as he devoured her.

  Carly shifted in her seat and pressed her knees together. Something like that would never happen. From that point on, it was easier to concentrate on the road. Every time Carly glanced at Theo she’d get heated all over again and her mind would come up with another naughty scenario. All of them involved him naked and her coming.

  Being trapped in a confined space with Theo wasn’t good for her psyche. She needed to get out of the car and pull her mind out of the gutter. Having a crush on a hockey player was a bad idea. The worst idea ever.

  Time moved fast, but the miles did not. The drive should have taken less than an hour, but it looked like it might take three or more at the speed they traveled. There was no way she was making her early evening flight. She wondered if they would even make it to the city at all.

  Theo concentrated on the road and didn’t fill the silence with chitchat which Carly appreciated. She worried his smooth voice would only make her more turned on, like adding fuel to a fire that was already burning out of control. He turned up the stereo and let the beats do the talking. The techno bass was a welcome distraction from the non-stop carols. The car hydroplaned more than once before he broke the silence with a loud sigh.

  “I’m sorry, but the airport won’t happen tonight. This isn’t safe. I can’t see the pavement or the lines anymore. We have to turn back.”

  She hated to admit defeat, but in this case, it was the safest option. “The flights are probably canceled now, anyway. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Carly twisted her fingers in her lap. “Thanks for trying, Theo.”

  The thought of spending Christmas alone in her dorm made her want to cry. She could ask her boss to join him and his family, but it wouldn’t be the same. Her eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall. Theo must have caught her blinking away the moisture because his large hand covered hers for a moment. The warmth spread over her like a blanket, but too soon he took it away.

  “Don’t be sad. We’ll figure something out. Do you live near the diner?”

  Men hated it when women cried, at least in Carly’s experience. She guessed Theo was more like everyone else. Too much emotion made him uncomfortable.

  “No,” she replied, annoyed at herself for getting upset and at him for being such a guy.

  “I know I’m not family, but we can make the best of the situation. Are you worried we’ll crash, cause I’m an awesome driver. I promise I’ll keep you safe.” Theo’s words were comforting, but came across as overly optimistic.

  Every interview she’d seen Theo give, he radiated positivity. He never said an unkind word and somehow found the positives even after a loss. Carly considered herself a realist, and this Christmas looked bleak.

  “My place is on the south side of the city, taking that option out. So where do you live?” He asked after another few minutes of silence.

  “I’m south as well, I live on campus; U of M.”

  He whistled. “That’s nowhere near here. Why do you work so far?”

  “The owners remind me of my parents, and we have a similar diner back home. Small town roots and all that.”

  Theo glanced her way quickly. “I take that to mean your folks don’t live in the area?”

  It was sweet he was curious about her, but the thought of her parents spending Christmas alone made her sad all over again. They were bound to be disappointed and heartbroken by her absence.

  “Neither of us is from the area. No big deal, we’ll salvage this Christmas once we’re back at the diner,” he said when she didn’t respond.

  “We?” She turned in her seat to face him.

  His smile spread from ear to ear. “Yeah, we’re in this together, sweetheart.” He winked, and Carly couldn’t help but giggle at his cockiness. “That’s a beautiful sound. Laugh in the face of adversity.”

  “You are something else,” she said.

  He shrugged his shoulders before responding. “That’s a good thing, right?” Theo reduced their speed to a near crawl. The hazard lights didn’t help the visibility, there could be other cars on the road and they wouldn’t know. Carly didn’t notice the off-ramp sign, and they missed the first chance to turn around.

  The slow pace didn’t stop the car from sliding on the sheet of ice that was once pavement. Carly felt the car slipping on the ice more than once, but Theo kept them out of the ditch. “I’m not sure we’ll even make it back there. We might be better to find a place to ride out this storm.” She wasn’t a fan of her own suggestion.

  Theo gripped the steering wheel tight. His knuckles turned white as he attempted to keep them on the road. “You’re the boss.”

  A moment later Carly’s stomach jumped into her throat as the car spun out of control. The three-hundred-sixty-degree turn stole the air from her lungs. Her nails dug into his thigh. Life did not flash before her eyes, and she didn’t have any kind of epiphany. All Carly thought of in that split second was how upset her parents would be if she didn’t survive.

  Theo kept the car from spinning off the road, but for how much longer Carly wondered. They needed to get off the roads until the blizzard passed. Her mind raced into the ditch where the red death trap almost took them. Theo had a bright future ahead of him and tons of people who depended on him. Carly’s future wasn’t so cheery, but it was hers, and she wasn’t ready to die.

  “That was a close call.” He patted her hand, which was still glued to his leg. “You okay?”

  Her pulse raced like she’d completed the hundred-meter dash, and she struggled to catch her next breath. No part of their predicament was okay. Driving in these conditions was stupid and could get them killed. Any hope of having a happy holiday was gone, but she kept all those thoughts to herself. “I’m fine, you?”

  She noticed how solid his leg felt under her hand. A hand that was precariously close to his crotch. Her eyes drifted down to his lap and her pinky finger rested against the thick bulge. He must have felt her, but didn’t mind because he didn’t push her away. Her finger inadvertently twitched along the side of his cock. Oh Lord, she touched Theo Montagne’s penis. Carly blushed, embarrassed by the reflex and withd
rew her hand.

  He didn’t say a word, simply nodded and drove at a snail’s pace all over again. She kept her eyes off Theo and kept her hands to herself from that moment on. They didn’t miss the next exit. The conditions weren’t much better off the highway, but they stayed on the road.

  “We’ll take the first road we see and hope that some nice people lets us in.”

  His plan sounded good. The first road was a gravel one which led them for miles before the first building appeared. Carly shook her head when the small farm house came into view. It looked old and empty, but it also looked safer than braving the roads for another minute.

  “Come on, let’s check if anyone is home.” Theo unbuckled his seat belt.

  The skies darkened with the late afternoon hour. Her phone had no service, meaning there was no one coming to help. Theo whipped around the car and opened her door, surprising Carly with his chivalry. The wind had picked up since leaving work. Carly lifted the hood on her red jacket to cover her ears. She looked into the backseat and realized she’d forgotten her bags.

  “Dammit!” She mumbled under the breath.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked, placing his hand against her back.

  She could have stepped away but didn’t. “I forgot my luggage in my truck.” Carly looked up and caught his sly grin.

  It was obvious he had his own ideas why that happened. He probably thought she was so taken by his awesomeness that she forgot her stuff. The truth was she’d been so scared; she hadn’t thought of anything except getting away from the terrifying men. That was not something she planned to tell Theo.

  “I’ll leave mine in the car for now. Let’s get out of the snow.” Theo tucked her body close to his as they hurried towards the run-down two-story house. Being so close felt natural, too comfortable.

  No lights were on and she got the impression that nobody would be home. She knocked and listened for a response that never came. Theo tried the door, but it was locked. They both knocked several times and called out into the blizzard, but no one answered.

  They didn’t have many options since driving was out of the question. Carly looked back towards the car located only steps away and she could barely make it out. They could hunker down inside, but they didn’t have enough fuel to keep it running for too much longer.

  “Stay here; I will run around back and see if I can find a way inside.” Theo tried the handle again without success.

  Her eyes widened at his suggestion. “We can’t break in. It’s against the law.” She placed her body against the door, creating a human barricade. Carly planned on becoming a top-notch scientist. She hoped to win a Nobel prize at some point in her career, and a criminal record would eliminate that possibility.

  “We can’t stay out here and freeze to death either. It’s survival 101: seek shelter.” He pinched the tip of her nose, then bounded down the side of the house and disappeared into the storm.

  Her pity party kicked into full force. First, she had to work on Christmas Eve, which was already bad enough without the rest of her crap day piled on top. She hadn’t made great tips, considering the season, plus she'd encountered those strange and scary men. At least Theo’s car had scared them off, but if she caused any damage, she had no means to pay for the repairs. Add that she missed her flight home, and now she was stranded in the middle of nowhere. The only silver lining she found was Theo.

  He showed up at the right time and so far, he’d proven to be a decent guy. Things could have been way worse if she’d been driving her truck alone. She might not have made it safely to this house. A rattling sound came from inside seconds before the door opened. She stumbled backwards taken by surprise.

  Theo caught her before she fell on her butt and chuckled as she straightened up. He pulled her inside and closed the door. “Sorry, I thought you heard me yell once I made it in.”

  She wiped the snow off her coat with her hands. Some of the larger clumps landed on Theo, but he didn’t notice or care. “Clearly, I didn’t. And for the record, I’m not okay with breaking and entering.” She gave him a stern look, which only increased the size of his smile. A heart-stopping, panty-dropping smile.

  “I’m a law-abiding citizen, the back door was unlocked.” He held his hands up in surrender. “Swear. We’re alone.” His blue eyes twinkled with mischief.

  Her breath hitched. The reality set in; she was alone with Theo Montagne. Drops of water fell from his hair and ran down his face. He turned the lights on, and Carly saw more of his handsome features. His jaw had that ultra-sexy five o’clock shadow thing happening. The feel of those prickly whiskers against her cheek, or better yet her thighs would drive her wild.

  This was so not the time to get all gooey-eyed over him. She had to focus on something other than the two of them being alone. “I’m not sure how I can thank you properly for getting us here safe and sound, except to say thank you. But—”

  “You can pay me with kisses if you want?” He puckered his full lips and made a kissing sound. His actions infuriated her as much as they caused her pulse to race. Cocky bastard.

  Not everyone wanted to kiss him, did they?

  Carly looked away, unable to take him seriously. The adrenaline of the near-death drive here was making him talk crazy, or the man was an incurable flirt. She suspected the latter to be true. The fact that she wouldn’t mind his form of payment meant that the storm, coupled with being in an enclosed car with Theo, had officially messed with her brain.

  She closed her eyes and counted backwards from fifty to calm herself. A trick she’d learned as a kid to deal with her anxiety. She hoped it would do the same to calm her raging hormones. This was new territory.

  No matter how appealing his lips might be, they shouldn’t trespass. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “We have to go.”

  She opened her eyes and Theo was nowhere to be seen.

  Chapter 5

  She had to convince him this was a horrible idea. The question was how could she make him understand when the reasons had little to do with the house or storm, and everything to do with him.

  In the corner of the room, she spotted a fake Christmas tree decorated with blue and white ribbons, but there were no presents underneath. It seemed like a masculine tree and the rest of the furnishings matched her theory. This house lacked a woman’s touch. But the family portrait on the wall showed a couple and a young teenage daughter.

  The old house and picture reminded her of her own family. They always cut down a real tree, and the base overflowed with gifts. Carly was spoiled in many ways, but never the way she wanted. The festivities would go on without her this year, and she hated the thought of intruding and interrupting another family’s special day.

  They couldn’t stay; Theo would have to understand.

  The house didn’t have an open layout like most modern homes, but it didn’t take long to find him. She opened the door to the kitchen and found Theo looking through the cabinets. The dark jeans hugged his perfectly round butt as he bent to check a lower drawer. The urge to walk over and grab a handful was too much. She admired the view for a moment longer than she should have.

  “What are you doing?” Her voice had a groggy, almost breathless tone she didn’t recognize. She cleared her throat.

  He didn’t turn around. “Checking for supplies. We might be snowed in for a day or two. It’s pretty bad out there, in case you didn’t realize.”

  An overnight with Theo would test her resolve to be alone. The more time she spent with him the dirtier her thoughts became. Too much time with him, and there was no telling what she’d end up saying or doing. She couldn’t let him know she was attracted to him because his ego didn’t need padding but her heart did.

  Carly rolled her eyes. “I noticed. I don’t think we should steal from these people. It’s bad enough we’re in their home uninvited.”

  Theo reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “We’re not stealing. I will pay for anything we use and leave the
m a thank you note.” He tossed some bills on the wooden kitchen table. “I’m not throwing a party and trashing the place. Lighten up.”

  He needed to get serious. “We can’t stay. I’m not comfortable being in here. As I was saying earlier, I appreciate you bringing us here safely, I really do. But we need to move along and find another house.”

  Theo straightened his posture and put his hands on his hips. “What’s got you spooked?”

  “I’m not scared!” She mimicked his stance.

  He smiled at her response. “Tell me; are you uncomfortable because the home owners aren’t here to invite us in with open arms, or is it the fact that you’re alone with me?”

  His arrogance astounded her. “Let me set the record straight for you, Mr. I’m-Way-Too-Cocky, I am not in any way scared of being alone with you, because nothing will happen.”

  He stepped towards her and she held her ground. “Are you sure you don’t want something to happen?” He arched a brow, looking at her like a man starving for a kiss. Or maybe that was her look reflected within his cerulean swirls.

  Why did he have to be so tempting?

  If he was an ordinary man, Carly suspected she would have kissed him right then and there. Thrown caution to the wind and ended her dry spell. But he wasn’t just a hockey player, he was Theo Montagne. A very well-known player. Carly wouldn’t let herself forget that fact.

  “Positive.” She licked her lips. “Now, I will repeat myself since you seem to be hard of hearing. We need to leave.” Carly turned towards the door to break the heated connection that left her stomach in knots and her heart pounding in her ears.

  He placed his hand on the small of her back. “If you insist, then after you.”

  She expected more of a fight. He was enjoying her discomfort far too much, and his hand felt too warm against the patch of bare skin between her shirt and jeans. The heat spread through her until her toes felt hot.

  “Great, I’m sure we can find a house that doesn’t require any felony charges.”