Shot at Love

by Melody Heck Gatto

  “Now? No way!”

  “You did say best of out five, and I won that.”

  A glint of anger, or maybe jealousy flashed behind her big brown eyes. She shook her head. “No. No. First one to reach five wins.”

  “Changing the rules, Kassie?” Poking the bear was proving fun. She was finally showing some irritation, even if she was fighting it.

  “I’m a woman; changing my mind is my prerogative.” Her hand went to her hip again in protest.

  “So, I just need two more to beat you, then we skate.”

  “Unless I get three more and beat you. Then…”

  “Then I have to do what?”

  “I’m still working on that. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know as soon as you lose.” Her words had a slight amount of snark in them, but he liked it. She stole the puck and raced down the ice, touching up at center ice and hurrying towards the net.

  Luc chased behind her, refusing to sit back and let her win. She’d have to work for this. It didn’t take him long to catch up to her, his strides larger and stronger than hers. As he closed in on her, she deked left, but the little glance she gave over her shoulder told him she was faking him out.

  Luc paused before he went right. Kassie spun right to get around him, and they ended up face to face. Her breathing was hard. Her chest rose and fell at a quick pace. The puck sat in the corner.

  The intensity of the moment was over before he could make a move. Kassie pushed off the ice and tried to skate around him. But he wasn’t going to make it that easy. Her eyes stayed on his as he mirrored all her moves and skated with her. His focus was with her, and his senses guided him around the rink. It was as if they were ice dancing, and it was hot as hell. I’ll never bag on figure skaters again.

  “You’re a pretty good skater,” Kassie said, her voice low and her breath warm against his face.

  “You’re not so bad yourself.” Luc made a mental note to thank his skating teacher for making him proficient in backwards skating. They moved together flawlessly, until she had his back against the glass.

  Her glove-covered hand was at his waist, and her lips were inches from his. Stay cool. Luc repeated the words over and over in his head, hoping to keep his stiffie from grabbing her attention. Kassie’s eyes slid to his lips. Luc watched her mouth in eager anticipation, and when she licked at her lips, his heart pounded and his body heated even more.

  Kassie whispered at a volume that took him a moment to register. “You’re going down.”

  The words went in to his brain, taking on a whole other meaning, one he preferred. Then she tore off across the ice, taking graceful, large strides towards the puck. Luc was unable to move, and watched her take off towards the net and bury the puck, bringing the score even at three apiece.

  But in the end, she had him beat. Physically and mentally. Maybe he was too busy watching her, or maybe she really was just that good. A better bet was that this girl had him where it counted. His heart was still pounding as he watched her skate around, celebrating her win. She could score on him all day long if it meant the chance to be up close and personal with her.

  “You won. So, what’s your request, princess?” His mind wandered as he hoped her request was one of the many wild ideas he came up with, all requiring one-on-one attention and full contact.

  “Dinner.”

  He let out a deep breath as if the air was let out of him. Damn. “Dinner? You sure that’s all?”

  Kassie quickly skated off the ice. Without turning her attention to him or his question, she put her gear away and fixed her ponytail. “No. I do want one more thing.”

  Luc grinned and tossed his own gear into his duffel bag. Yes, this is more like it. Leaning against the wall, he folded his arms across his chest in his best macho stance that made the ladies swoon. “And what’s that?”

  Kassie was still turned away from him, taking off her pads and skates. She slid on her shoes before looking up to meet his stare. “Coffee.”

  “Coffee?” What the hell? Coffee?

  “Coffee. There’s a coffee shop down the street. Meet me there in fifteen minutes and buy me a coffee.”

  Luc wasn’t thrilled with her prize. She was playing him. He had so much more to offer than coffee and dinner. “Why not just get it right here at the café? They sell coffee.” His tone was rough, he didn’t mean to sound disappointed, but he was.

  “Nah. I like the shop down the street.” She grabbed her purse and tossed the strap over her shoulder. “Meet you there in fifteen? Grab us a table out in the courtyard.”

  Before he could complain or say much more, she flashed him the cutest smile and skipped out of the rink.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Kassie

  Driving up the road past the coffee shop, Kassie felt her stomach growl. She was so hungry. Dinner with Luc sounded like a great idea to her stomach and her body—especially after they got tangled up in the corner together. She had almost kissed him.

  Everything in her had screamed to kiss him.

  That’s exactly why she wouldn’t be having dinner with him tonight. She’d collect another night, one where she wasn’t so concerned that she wouldn’t be able to control herself around him. And tonight was not that night.

  He was so damn cute out there on the ice, flirting and strutting like he was hot stuff. Because he was, and he knew it. There was no question in her mind that he knew she would swoon when he smirked, or that she’d melt when his hard body was pressed against hers.

  Another loud rumble from her stomach brought her mind back from the sexy image of Luc, and what she might’ve let happen. A taco place caught her eye. Perfect. Making a pit-stop, she picked up an order of four tacos and tortilla chips.

  Her cell phone chimed with a text message.

  Luc: I’m not being stood up, am I?

  She’d thrown the poor boy for a loop by suggesting dinner as her winning prize, then not wanting to collect today. She had every intention of going today, seeing as how she was hungry before they even started to skate. Now she was sitting here buying tacos, while he was waiting for her at the coffee shop. But her stomach did warm at the thought of him worrying about her standing him up.

  Kassie: No way! I’m about two minutes away. See you in a sec.

  Luc: Want me to order something for you?

  Kassie: Sure. I’ll take a Grande Cascara Latte.

  Luc: Is that even a thing?

  Kassie: They’ll know what you want. Thanks.

  She tucked her cell phone away in her purse and pulled out of the parking lot. The aroma of the tacos made her belly growl once more, and she contemplated eating one right now. But with how wound up Luc had her, she didn’t feel coordinated enough to eat and drive. Not safely, anyway.

  Kassie turned into the strip mall that housed the coffee shop, and immediately noticed Luc sitting in the courtyard waiting for her. Two coffees sat in front of him. She parked close and grabbed her food. She took a deep breath, and fixed her ponytail before joining Luc.

  “Thanks for ordering my coffee.”

  “No problem. I owed you, remember?” Luc smirked playfully.

  She liked when he smiled. It wasn’t as innocent as just a smile though. It was always more of a smirk, as if there was something playful or even devilish behind it. And part of her couldn’t wait to see what that was all about.

  “I never heard of that drink before.”

  “No? Huh. I drink it all the time. It’s just coffee, but it has a hint of maple or brown sugar flavor.”

  “Yeah, when I decide to get a little crazy, I get a Café Mocha. Coffee and chocolate. Simple.” Luc swirled his coffee, then took a sip. “Not that Cascara might not be good; it’s just not for me.”

  “Oh, trust me, I like a good Mocha, too. It’s chocolate—who wouldn’t like it?” Kassie couldn’t contain the laugh that followed. She hadn’t even said anything funny, and neither had he. Damn nervous laughter.

  She took a drink of her coffee and ran her tongue ov
er her bottom lip, catching a small drip of coffee that tried to escape. Moving her glance to Luc, she was going to ask him if he wanted a taco, but he was fixated on her mouth, and that made her insides turn to jelly.

  She knew that the almost kiss back at the rink would haunt her. Maybe she should’ve given in; maybe she should’ve just kissed him. But if she had, maybe she would want more? His deep, dark eyes were staring at her with that same intensity. She had the feeling that the little decorative metal table between them was the only thing stopping him from kissing her right now.

  Without a word, Luc reached over and gently swiped his thumb over her bottom lip. The roughness of his finger sent chills up her spine, and the unexpected action sent chills through the rest of her.

  Nonchalantly, Luc half shrugged. “Coffee… on your lip.”

  Her heart thudded in her chest, and she wanted nothing more than to leave with him. And if she didn’t get home till tomorrow morning, then so be it. Down girl. After a moment of sitting there, staring into those brown eyes, she quickly turned her attention to her bag of food, needing something to ground her and keep her from acting like a complete moron.

  “Tacos?” he asked. Luc pulled at the bag, peering inside.

  She shrugged. “Yeah, I was hungry.” She grabbed a taco and unwrapped it. The spicy smell was enticing, and her mouth watered. The taco crunched as she took a bite. “Mmm.”

  “Hungry? But I owe you dinner. Right?” The look of confusion on his face was amusing. “When are you planning on collecting?”

  She didn’t know. Kassie hadn’t thought any of this through. Why had she asked for him to buy her dinner? She wiped a piece of lettuce off her face. “Yeah… I kind of just wanted tacos today. Here—have one. There are two for each of us, and tortilla chips. Help yourself.”

  Luc pushed the bag towards her. “Nah, I don’t really like tacos. But thanks.”

  His words stopped her from taking another bite of her taco. She stared at him. “You don’t you like tacos?”

  Luc shook his head and shrugged a little like it was no big deal. “Nope.”

  “What? I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who didn’t like tacos. Weird.”

  “Well, here I am. Live and in person.” Luc sat back in his chair, grinning like a Cheshire cat, and gestured towards himself.

  She tossed the last bit of taco into her mouth, well aware that his eyes were on her now, and she finished the bite before speaking. “You’re just going to sit there and watch me eat?”

  Luc sipped his coffee. “Sure, why not?”

  “Because it’s weird.” And kind of hot.

  “Not really.”

  “Look, why don’t we call it even with the cup of coffee?” Between her asking him up last night and the almost kiss today, things were getting a little out of control between them. They were just supposed to be friends.

  “You mean our bet? No way. You won fair and square, and I owe you dinner. So, if not tonight, then I’ll pay up another night. I have a game tomorrow, so how about the next day, Wednesday? I’ll pick you up and we’ll do dinner. If you’re lucky, after dinner I’ll take you to get my favorite treat.”

  For a moment, she hoped treat was only a euphemism. If she ever thought she was in control of this thing they had between them, she knew now she was dead wrong.

  Kassie tossed the remaining tacos into the refrigerator once she got home. Playing one-on-one ice hockey with Luc was the most fun she’d had in a long time. And the flirting made it even better. But even she knew that she was playing a dangerous game with Luc.

  You can’t get a boy all wound up like that and not expect to react in return. He had been very gentlemanly so far. But even gentlemen had limits.

  Picking up her cell phone, she dialed her mom’s number.

  “Hey, Mom. How are things?”

  “Well, hello dear. Things are good here, how about you? Work going okay?”

  “Yeah, work is good.”

  “What else is new with you, dear? Did you eat dinner already?”

  That’s exactly what Kassie wanted to talk about. But telling her mom that she was crossing that line with one of Kaden’s teammates was a delicate situation. Her mom could give her the advice she needed, or it could backfire. Mom was always there for her in good and bad, and never judged her. That’s why she felt comfortable going to her for advice on this. But at the same time, it involved Kaden, and that made it iffy.

  “I did. Tacos.”

  “Please tell me you made them instead of getting them from that takeout place.”

  “Well, I could, but I’d be lying. And you don’t like it when we lie.”

  “You and your tacos, and your brother and his pizza. Didn’t I ever teach you kids to cook?” Her mom’s sigh carried through the phone lines.

  “I can cook just fine, Mom. Kaden I’m not so sure about, but I would think Ali takes care of him. Uh, so, Mom… I need some advice.”

  “Finally! We get to the juicy part of why you really called. I knew you didn’t just call to tell me you were eating more of that fast food. Is it about a boy, maybe? Please let it be about a boy. You’ve had your nose buried in books for so long, and I was hoping you’d find some romance soon.”

  Her mom knew her so well. Not just any boy. Not that Luc was a boy. “Kind of.” How was the best way for her to go about this? Did she come right out and say she had a thing for Kaden’s teammate? Or did she ease into this? Her mom always stood up for her, but she stood up for Kaden, too. So, this could get sticky. But she knew her mom could help.

  “I didn’t know you were dating anyone? Are you?”

  “I’m not. It’s… it’s complicated.” I sound like a Facebook status. “We’ve just been hanging out as friends. But I like him. And I’m pretty sure he likes me. But there’s a problem. Kaden knows him.”

  “How does Kaden know him?” There was no judgement in her mom’s question; it was merely a question, and that was why Kassie had gone right to her with this.

  Her mom had made mention in the past that Kaden should hook her up with one of his hockey friends. It was obvious that she wasn’t opposed to the idea the way Kaden was. “Promise me this will stay between you and me. At least for now. Till I figure this all out.”

  “I promise, dear. Trust me, I know your brother can be overprotective. But he means well. He’s just looking out for you. That being said, whatever you discuss with me will stay between us until you decide to tell your brother.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Kassie made herself comfortable on the couch, tucking a foot up under her. “I met this guy on Kaden’s team. He’s one of the younger guys. I like him. He’s cute and funny, and a major flirt.”

  “Sounds like a winner so far. Who is he?”

  “Luc Marcella.” Saying his name out loud triggered her anxiety over this.

  “I’ve heard of him, but don’t know much about him. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen him, or if I have, I couldn’t pick him out in a crowd. So, he’s cute, huh?”

  “Very. He’s got this child-like playfulness to him, and his smile is more like a devilish grin. He’s intriguing and adorable, and fun to be around.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Yeah, but…” But he’s a Renegades player.

  “But what, dear? He sounds like he’d be good for you. You spent so much time taking care of me and concentrating on school, don’t you think you deserve a little fun?”

  Her mom wasn’t wrong. Luc could be fun. So much fun. “I agree with that, but he’s Kaden’s teammate. Aren’t those murky waters to be treading in?”

  “Your brother’s bark is worse than his bite. You should know that by now. He might yell and scream, but if he doesn’t have a choice other than to get over it, then what more can he do? It’s your life, hon. Let’s get together for lunch next week sometime. Take the day off work and I’ll call Ali. We’ll have a girl’s day out.”

  Her mom made it sound so easy. Maybe she was the one making this confusing. Or maybe
her instincts were right?

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Luc

  The plane sat on the tarmac, waiting to take off from the Chicago airport. The Renegades were flying home after their loss to Chicago. Coach Walker hadn’t yelled too much after the game. They only lost 1–0 in overtime, after a fluke goal won the game for Chicago.

  Luc looked up from checking his phone when Coach stood at the front of the plane, clearing his throat. “All right guys, let me just say something before we head back to Pittsburgh. That game could’ve gone either way. You held them off through three periods. Shake off the loss, and let’s prepare for the next game. Okay, sit back and enjoy the flight home.”

  Coach returned to his seat, closed his eyes, and put on his in-flight headphones, and Luc sat back, listening to the conversation of the guys around him.

  “Dom, it was a nice game, almost a shut-out, bro,” Tyler commented.

  “Almost isn’t good enough.” Dom grunted. “We should’ve won that damn game. One fucking shot off the post. I should’ve stopped it. I need a drink.” Dom waved for the flight attendant.

  Kaden spoke up. “Z, don’t go there.”

  “Dom, Kaden is right. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Tyler said. “Like Coach said, we need to move on to the next game.” But Dom wasn’t listening. He was now quietly brooding and enjoying a Jack and Coke.

  In the past, Dom had been hard on himself after a loss. Unfortunately, one of those bad games had lost them the finals. Lucky for them, they had the best PR people in the league. They knew how to handle everyone, including the players having a bad day.

  Melanie strutted up the aisle with purpose, her pencil skirt, suit jacket, and high heels demanding respect as she walked. Stopping right at his seat, she handed Dominic a cell phone. “Dominic, it’s your wife. You’re welcome.” She smirked at Tyler with a thumb’s up motion as she went back to her seat beside Paige.

  “Hey Rock-Star, maybe you should talk to Mel about your girl situation.” Sam nodded towards Melanie.

  “You got a girl situation, Marcella?” Kaden asked with a grin.