Shot at Love

by Melody Heck Gatto

  “I’m trying not to.” Kassie wound her arms around his broad shoulders. Lowering her lips to his, she kissed him softly.

  “What about our coffee?” What she meant was, should they put them away in the refrigerator. But that was all he let her get out.

  “Let me help convince you.” Interrupting her thought, Luc reached over to her iced coffee, and swiped his finger over the whipped cream. Luc put his whipped cream covered finger to her lips, willing her to open her mouth. She sucked off the whipped cream and continued even after it was gone. She liked the way his eyes drifted shut and the moans gathered in the back of his throat. After a moment, he pulled his finger away and immediately covered her mouth with his, his tongue running along and catching the last bit of whipped topping that was still on her lips.

  Luc pulled her t-shirt over her head, then ran his fingers down her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. He spoke softly and slowly, dropping kisses on her neck in between sentences. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the other day, with you, in your bed. Your smile was seared into my brain, your apple fragrance burned into my senses. The softness of your skin, and how your lips tasted. I’ve been waiting to get you alone again.”

  His words rang true for her, too. Her longing wasn’t just for the physical enjoyment of being with him, it was for their connection. It was hard to explain why she needed him so much, but she did.

  “I was so worried that Kaden was going to ruin this for us. I couldn’t imagine never holding you in my arms again. I hate not being with you.”

  Why bring that up right now? Something about the fight today still sat like a rock in her stomach, but it was nothing she wanted to analyze in this moment. “Shh. Let’s not talk about that right now.” Covering his mouth with hers was the only thing she could think to do to keep him from continuing his thought.

  She didn’t want to talk about Kaden, she didn’t want to talk about bunnies or the damn code; she just wanted him. She didn’t want to talk about any of the reasons that they shouldn’t be together or any of the things that could possibly break them apart. She just wanted this, even if nothing else made sense.

  Luc’s focus slipped from her lips to her shoulders. His teeth grazed her skin as he fumbled before finally unhooking her bra. A groan escaped his lips as the lace fabric fell from her breasts.

  “I’d like to take this to the bedroom. I could make you scream right here, but I’d rather take my time and pleasure you the way you deserve. And then do it all over again.” His words were a growl that made her toes curl. “I love when you scream my name.”

  There was no question that she wanted everything he just said. Kassie locked her ankles behind his back, and her fingers behind his neck. “Let’s go, Puck-Star.”

  It took a moment before a smirk pulled at the side of Luc’s mouth. Planting his tennis shoes solidly on the ground, he lifted her off the couch and carried her to the bedroom.

  All the things she didn’t want to think about crept into the corner of her mind, but most of all the rock that sat in her stomach. She had nothing to feel bad for. Luc made her feel things she never had before. She needed him in her life.

  But the feeling in her gut lingered.

  Tossing her on the bed, he pulled his “Puck-Star” shirt off and grabbed the condom out of his wallet. He slid her pants to the floor, then dropped his jeans and rolled on the condom.

  “Is it possible to get addicted to another person?” Luc whispered as he kissed his way up her naked body. “Because, sweets, I’m totally and completely hooked on you.”

  Kassie moaned in utter satisfaction as he filled her completely. Every cell in her body needed him. Wrapping her legs around him, she dissolved into a satisfied mess. Then he got her started all over again.

  As they enjoyed each other, long into the morning hours, Kassie knew this was the only place she wanted to be. She watched him sleep, his muscular arm tucked behind his head. Laying her head on his chest, she could hear his heart beat. I’ve never felt this way before. This man… I can’t get enough of him. I’ve never wanted anyone like this before.

  But it wasn’t right to only think about her. His words felt honest and true, but being with her might cost him more than he realized.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Luc

  The sound of a barking little shit of a dog pulled Luc from his slumber. Reaching over to snuggle up with the object of his affection, he discovered there was nothing there but the cold mattress. Luc shook off the sleepiness quicker than he had hoped to, only to realize that Kassie was gone.

  He hurriedly got dressed. Maybe she’s making coffee. But a knot stuck in his stomach, because he didn’t smell any coffee or hear anyone in the kitchen. He slipped his tennis shoes on and brushed his teeth with the new toothbrush Kassie had bought for him.

  “Hey Kass?” he called, as he walked out of the bedroom. But there was no answer. “Kass?” He checked the kitchen. No Kassie. Living room. No Kassie.

  “What the hell?” Where is she? Luc searched the kitchen counter, but there was no note, nothing. It was Friday morning, and she’d said she had taken the day off. Going through the events of last night and yesterday, nothing stuck out as odd. There was no good reason for her disappearing act, especially from her own apartment. Sure, he and Kaden had fought in practice yesterday. And, yes, Coach stepped in, and Kassie had seen it all. But they still went out to dinner and ended up back at her place, and in bed.

  This was not how he wanted to leave things between them before he left for the away game. There wasn’t even a text message from her. So he’d have to text her.

  Luc: Kass, where’d you run off to so early?

  It didn’t take long before she messaged back. But it wasn’t what he wanted to hear, and in his gut he knew it was a lie.

  Kassie: Sorry, got called into work. There are still donuts in the kitchen, help yourself.

  Luc: Kass, everything okay?

  Kassie: Yeah, fine. I know you’re leaving tonight. Sorry. I’ll see you when you get back.

  Luc: Plan for dinner?

  Kassie: Yeah. We’ll talk when you get back.

  He wasn’t okay with any of those answers. But it was all he had right now. Grabbing his keys, he left her apartment and drove home in a daze. Lucky for him it was still early and there weren’t a lot of cars on the road yet. His dad’s rental car sat in the space next to his, not that he thought his dad would be out, but wishful thinking.

  “Time to do the walk of shame.” Luc quietly snuck into his loft, careful not to make a sound. He locked the door behind him and turned around right into his dad. “What the f—"

  “Morning kiddo. Just getting in?”

  His heart was beating a mile a minute. “Dad, you scared the shit out of me! What are you doing up so early?”

  “Son, I’m old. Old people get up early. You okay?” His dad walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Coffee?”

  Luc’s head was spinning, and he felt a bit nauseated. “Thanks Dad, but I’m just going to bed.”

  “Luc, maybe we should talk about yesterday. Or maybe you’d like to talk about why, instead of being with your young lady friend so early this morning, you’re sneaking into your house?”

  “Not really. The fact is I don’t know why. I woke up and she was gone.” His chest ached. It was a pain he wasn’t familiar with. He had more emotion invested in this girl than he realized. “You know what, Dad? I think I am going to go to bed. Please make sure I’m up in time to get packed for the airport.”

  Luc had been hiding in the bathroom for about half an hour. It was the only place in the hotel room that he could get some privacy. He had texted Kassie to tell her that they got to Detroit okay, but he wasn’t getting an answer from her. Why isn’t she responding? Maybe the hotel had bad reception. Opening the bathroom door, he walked out, still staring at his phone.

  “Hey Dad, I’m going to run down to the gift shop. I have a hankering for some choc
olate. Need anything?”

  “Son, hello? Up here, boy. Get your nose out of that phone and talk to us in the real world.” His dad snapped his fingers in Luc’s face.

  “What?” Luc growled. Looking around the room, he noticed his dad was not alone. Sam was in their room talking to his father. “Sam? What are you doing here?”

  “I stopped by to see if you and your dad wanted to go down to the bar and have a drink, maybe some nachos. Or are you having gastrointestinal issues?” Sam asked, and added a snicker at the end of his words.

  “Gastrointestinal what? Why?”

  “Dude, you were in the bathroom forever. You’ve either got a serious case of the shits or you were in there texting Kassie. Do I have to guess which one?”

  “Well, it’s not the shits,” Luc’s dad said.

  Looking at his phone, Luc saw that she still hadn’t texted him back. Worry ate away at the pit of his stomach. “Might as well go get a drink.”

  “Good idea. You need to get your head straight before tomorrow.”

  Sam wasn’t wrong. And Sam wasn’t dumb. Out of all the guys, he was the one Luc was closest to. Sam was a few years older than Luc, but that never seemed to matter. Sam had what Luc hoped to find someday. Happiness. His friend had a loving wife, who was pretty cool too, and an awesome kid.

  It was probably a good idea that he talk to someone about this. Plus, with Sam not having a dad on the trip, it was a nice idea to hang out with him for a while. He was bunking with Kaden, since he didn’t have a dad either. “All right. Drinks on me.”

  At the hotel bar, they found a table in the back, away from the temptation of liquor bottles behind the bar. They ordered nachos, wings, beer, and water for Luc’s dad.

  “All right Luc. Food is here, and the drinks are cold. So, spill it.” Sam took a drink of his beer and sat back, waiting for Luc.

  “What’s Kaden up to tonight?” Luc asked. If anything could make this night worse, it would be Kaden dropping by unexpectedly.

  “Odd way to start things off, but okay. Kaden is out with Dom and his dad. And, no, he hasn’t said one word about you yet. I don’t expect him to. Not to me, anyway. Plus, I don’t want to be in the middle of that shit.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure he’ll just save all that piss and vinegar for me.” Luc picked at the nachos, loading up a chip full of every topping before popping it into his mouth.

  “You talk to your young lady since we landed?” Luc’s dad asked.

  “No.” Luc sighed. “I have no idea what’s going on with her. We were perfectly fine yesterday. Then she ran out on me before I woke up this morning, and I was at her place! Who does that? I texted her to let her know we got here okay, but haven’t heard a word back. I’m really not sure what I did.”

  “Do you think it had anything to do with the scrap you and O’Conner got into at practice yesterday?” Sam asked, before grabbing a buffalo wing. “I know we talked about this before, but what’s the deal currently with you and O’Conner’s sister?”

  Shaking his head, he answered. “No deal.”

  “C’mon. I’ve heard the big man bitching. You’re walking a fine line, dude. So, what’s the story?”

  Luc let out a heavy sigh. “I told you, man. There’s no story.” He didn’t even know where to begin. But he knew Sam wasn’t stupid and probably knew more than he was leading on.

  “Mr. Marcella, have you met the lovely Kassie?”

  “Please, call me Joe. And, yes, I have met Luc’s lady friend. She’s quite the doll.”

  “Okay, that’s at least something. So, Joe, what isn’t young Luc here telling us? Because he’s going to get onto the ice tomorrow and has to work with her big, over-protective brother.” Sam turned back to Luc. “Not to mention if you go out there mad, or worried that she’s not talking to you, you put yourself in danger of getting hurt. Your head needs to be in the game at all times.”

  Sam was absolutely right. Even if Kassie didn’t respond to him, he had to be okay with it. He could deal with all that when he got back. “All right, surfer boy. Whatever I tell you has to stay between us. Got it? I can’t ruffle any more of Kaden’s feathers than I already have. I’m not scared of him, but I’m also quite fond of my balls.”

  “You’re right about that. He is one guy whose bad side I would not want to be on. What’s going on?”

  Luc’s dad sat back with his ice water and listened.

  “First of all, Kaden needs to get the bug out of his ass. He might be her brother, but he isn’t God.”

  “That might be true, but he’s worried about her. And you know the code—”

  “I’m so sick of hearing about that damn code! I know all about it.” Luc slammed his fist on the table, rattling the dishes. “I think about it all day, every day. But rules were made to be broken, and the damn code can’t change the way I feel about Kassie.”

  “Oh? How do you feel about her? Remember, I’m on your side. If I can help to ease tensions in the locker room, I’ll do what I can.” Sam waved to the waitress for two more beers.

  “When you ask it like that it sounds all girly! Damn, dude.” Luc’s face was on fire and it wasn’t from the alcohol. He’d hardly drunk any. He was annoyed. Taking a long gulp to finish off his beer, he hoped it would help even his emotions out. “I like her. A lot.”

  “What my dear son means is his days revolve around the lovely Kassie,” Luc’s dad added.

  “Oh, I know. I bunk with him on the road usually. I’ve seen him texting her any chance he gets.” Sam grabbed a few more wings.

  Luc shrugged, throwing his hands in the air. “I just really like her. What else do you want me to say? And it bugs me that she isn’t responding to me. If she’s upset, then I have no idea what I even did.”

  “Just please, tread lightly,” Sam added.

  “Yeah, well. Too late for that. I was over at her apartment the morning after the party, and Kaden showed up to bitch at her. She told me to stay in the bedroom, and I could’ve stayed hidden, but in asshole Luc fashion, I made my presence known. Shirtless, shoeless, and with unbuttoned jeans.” Luc shook his head at his own words. “Yeah, I can be an ass, I know. He wants to kill me now.”

  “Shit, Luc. That’s what the other day was all about?”

  “Oh yeah. Dude’s out for blood. He saw me giving the fangirls a thrill and lost his shit. He wouldn’t give me a chance to explain.”

  “Luc, are you sure she’s worth all this trouble? I mean, I met her, and she’s cool. But you have to think about you, too. She’s going to get shit from him, and you have to work with him.”

  “Worth it? Absolutely.” Luc never questioned if she was worth it. She was undeniably worth it.

  “Sam, I tried telling him. The way he talks about her, and the look on his face when he does… only means one thing,” his dad said.

  Sam examined Luc, then turned to the older man. “Yep, I’d say you’re right.”

  “What in the hell are you two going on about?”

  “I know the look,” Sam said. “Trust me on this. I’ve got experience. Dude, you’re in love.”

  Luc’s dad smiled and nodded knowingly. “Told you.”

  Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Call it whatever you want, but we can see it, so maybe you just need to talk to K-man. Tell him your intentions are pure, that she’s not like any other girl you’ve been with before. He might not like that you’re sleeping with her, but all in all, Kaden is a good guy. He knows what it’s like to be in love. Alison may be your biggest ally in all of this. And for your own well-being, for god’s sake, don’t dick over his sister.”

  “You still look confused,” Luc’s father said.

  “I hear what you guys are saying. But none of it explains why she snuck out on me this morning. I’ve told her that I want only her, and I’d stop associating with the fangirls if that’s what she wants. She refuses to ask me to do that, but regardless, I’m giving that up. It’s not worth hurting her.”

  “Does she know that?”<
br />
  “No. She doesn’t want me to change for her because we haven’t been together that long. But I don’t care. I’d do anything to make her happy. Anything.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Kassie

  Kassie sat across the table from her mom, her sister-in-law Ali, and nephew Kaleb. It was a beautiful Friday in late October. Everywhere you looked, Pittsburgh was decorated for fall. The trees were yellow with hints of red, fallen leaves lay scattered on the ground, and the sun gave everything a golden, warm glow. The hockey season was in full swing now. The Renegades were in Detroit tonight for a game, and the team fathers were their guests.

  Kassie and Kaden no longer had their dad. Kaden had taken the loss in his stride and never let the Dad’s Trip bother him too much. She admired him for that. It had been hard not having her dad here, especially with all that their mom had been through of late. But now that little Kaleb was here, their father’s namesake, their days were much brighter.

  Kassie picked at her salad, hunting out the cranberries and eating them one at a time. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Luc, and regrets of how badly she had handled things this morning. As soon as she was outside her apartment, she knew she’d made a mistake. But there was no turning back at that point.

  Lying to him about being called into work created a lump in her stomach that wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t completely implausible that she was called in; it was Friday. But what Luc didn’t know was that the office was closed today. She hated deceiving him.

  Her brain went to the conversation she’d had with her brother not long after he found them together. She didn’t tell Luc about that run in, because she didn’t want to cause any more trouble.

  Kaden looked angry. His forehead was wrinkled and his jaw was ticking, along with the large vein in his neck popping out. Yeah, he was stewing.