The Sport of Romance: A Multi-Author Box Set

by Cari Quinn

  Crap. If he told her about Hailey, his mom would probably start planning a double wedding. At the same time, he knew she wouldn’t give him any peace until he told her something. “Yeah, there’s a girl here in town I like, but she won’t go out with me.”

  “Why not? You’re handsome, successful, kind—”

  “Enough, Mom. You sound like you’re getting ready to take out a billboard personal ad for me. She won’t tell me why, but from what I’ve been able to gather, she’s been hurt badly in the past, and she’s a little wary to enter a relationship.”

  “Don’t worry, Ben. If you want her bad enough, she’ll come to her senses.”

  He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, wondering how long that would take. “Maybe.” Time to change the subject before his mom decided to interfere like she had with Adam and Lia. “In the meantime, I’ve started skating again, trying to see if the knee can handle another season.”

  “That’s wonderful news! I knew I shouldn’t have taken your threat of retirement seriously. You love hockey too much to quit.”

  And it didn’t hurt that his one chance for having dinner with Hailey involved him coming back to the game, even if it was just for one shot. “Don’t get too excited. I’m still not ready to play. But I’m making progress.”

  “I’m so happy to hear that.” His mother’s voice shifted to the tone she used when she wanted to be nosy without being rude. “So, does this girl in town like hockey?”

  He chuckled. “‘Like’ would be an understatement.”

  “Then it sounds like you already have something in common with her. Does she know who you are?”

  “Yes, she does, and it doesn’t matter to her. She was a Whales fan long before I signed with them.” In truth, one of the reasons he’d signed with Vancouver was the faint hope he might see a girl with blue hair and dimples in the crowd one night.

  “Okay, just trying to be helpful. I’d love to see all my boys happily settled down with the right girl.”

  He rolled his eyes. No, she just wanted grandchildren and wasn’t above playing matchmaker to get some. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Anytime, sweetheart. And if you need anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

  “Will do. Night, Mom.”

  “Good night, Ben. I love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  He clicked the phone off and pulled into the driveway of his empty cabin. For a moment, he tried to imagine what it would be like to have someone waiting for him when he got home, to have a warm body to curl up next to at night, to wake up and look into the face of the woman he loved. But every time he tried to picture it, the same woman appeared.

  Hailey.

  He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “This is definitely not good.”

  Ben got out of his SUV with his leftover dinner. Once he got inside, he popped it in the microwave, opened a bottle of beer, and took a long swig. Hailey had managed to do more than just get under his skin. If tonight was any indication, she was working her way into his heart. But until he earned her trust, it was a dead-end road.

  Chapter Nine

  Hailey dumped the pail of pucks out along the blue line, trying to keep her mind on something other than Ben. Her time on the ice was almost over, and he hadn’t shown up this morning.

  That’s what you get for running away last night.

  She threw the bucket over the boards and smacked the first puck toward the net.

  It sailed to the right of the goal.

  She muttered a curse and drew her stick back for the next shot. Ben was interfering more with her practice by not being here than he did when he was here. The puck banged off the top bar and over the net.

  Damn it!

  The back door banged open. She spun around and squinted at the approaching figure. “Ben?”

  He dumped his gear onto the first row of bleachers. “Were you expecting someone else?”

  “No, but I expected you to be here a few hours ago.”

  “I overslept.” He sat down and pulled out his pads. “You going to keep your end of our deal?”

  Her heart jumped. In all the times he’d come to practice, he’d barely worn more than his hockey pants and helmet. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  “No, but if it’s the only way you’ll go out with me, then I’m willing to chance it.” He pulled the shoulder pads over his head and fastened them. “Just give me a few minutes to get everything on. I’ve seen how much sauce you put on your shots, and I don’t want to leave here with any new injuries.”

  Layer by layer, he added the elements of his goaltender’s uniform. The skates. The goal pads. The blocker and trapper. The goalie mask. By the time he finished, his already impressive bulk had doubled.

  He waddled out onto the ice. “Give me a moment to get in front of the net before you start, please.”

  She nodded and skated back to the blue line, her pulse throbbing like a jackhammer. Part of her wanted to know if she was good enough to score a goal against one of the best goalies in the NHL. Another part of her wondered what would happen if he did block her and she had to go out to dinner with him.

  He made some final adjustments to his gear and crouched in front of the goal line. “Ready.”

  She grabbed one of the pucks with her stick and searched for any weak points on him. She’d seen him play enough to know he was quick with his hands. The five-hole would be her best target since he was still recuperating from his knee injury. She doubted he could go down to a full butterfly if she shot there.

  His steely blue eyes stared at her from behind his mask as though he was analyzing her, too. No doubt, he’d seen enough footage of her playing to know some of her signature moves. He’d be expecting her to fire a shot between his legs.

  She slid the puck from side to side with her stick, trying to decide what to do next. If she missed, she’d have to join him for dinner, and who knew where things might go from there?

  “I’m not getting any younger here,” he teased and smacked his pads.

  “I’m thinking.”

  “You wouldn’t have time to think if this were a real game. Now shoot.”

  He was preparing for a slap shot from the blue line, but would he be able to block a screen shot? Hailey grinned and skated toward him, taking the puck with her.

  He backed deeper into the crease. “What are you doing?”

  “Scoring against the best goalie in the NHL.” She zipped behind the goal before snapping a wrist shot around the opposite pole. She raised her hands in the air as the puck coasted into the net.

  He banged his stick on the ice, but laughter echoed in his voice. “Okay, you got one on me, but I’m ready now. Bring it on.”

  She grabbed another puck from the blue line and skated around the goal, trying to see if he fell for her deke. He wasn’t fooled, so she carried the puck back and pulled her stick back to fire a shot from long range. She aimed for his five-hole, held her breath, and swung.

  The slap of graphite against metal filled the rink. The puck jolted forward like a cannon ball, staying right on target. Ben’s eyes stayed focused on it. He flipped his stick around to cover the space between his legs as he lowered into the butterfly position. The puck skidded past the blade and vanished from sight.

  Hailey held her breath and waited.

  Then Ben stood and held up his trapper. “Lose this?”

  He turned the catching glove over, and the puck dropped onto the ice.

  Her breath released with a whoosh. He’d done it, and now she had to keep her end of the bargain.

  Ben lifted up his mask, a grin lighting up his face, and skated past her on his way back to the bleachers. “I’ll meet you at seven at the Black Bear Bistro. Wear a dress if you have one.”

  Excitement and dread danced a tempestuous tango inside her, each one wrestling for control. Like it or not, she had a date with Ben Kelly.

  * * *

  Ben turned into the parking lot of the restaurant at
seven, half expecting Hailey to back out on him at the last minute. He’d made reservations at the Black Bear this morning before heading down to the barn. It had been a gamble, but this time, it had gone in his favor. He’d blocked Hailey’s shot, and his mood was at an all-time high for more than one reason. He was back in the game, and now he had a chance to finally take things to the next level with her.

  He spied her Jeep Cherokee amongst the sea of the luxury vehicles and released the tension that had been gathering in his shoulders since he’d left the ice rink around noon. Hailey hadn’t stood him up. Now he just needed to make sure she had a good time and hope things flowed from there.

  His jaw dropped when he saw her standing just inside the door. Her blond hair hung loose, cascading past her shoulders like liquid sunshine. She had donned a dress that hugged her curves and gave him an ample view of both her cleavage and her long, slender legs. A glittery golden eye shadow made her blue eyes pop, and the deep pink color of her lips practically begged him to kiss her. “Wow.”

  A shy smile played across her mouth. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” She ran her hand along his jacket lapels to the sweater underneath. “Cashmere?”

  He nodded, still in awe over how beautiful she looked.

  “Of course.” She looped her arm through his. “Let’s get this going. I’m starving.”

  So was he, but for an entirely different reason. He was ready to ask for the check, and they hadn’t even been shown to their table. He managed to mumble his name to the maître d’ when Hailey led him to the stand, and the man led them through the restaurant. Dozens of eyes seemed to follow them along the way, many of them male. He covered her hand with his own as they made their way to the private semicircular booth and placed a possessive hand on her lower back as she sat down.

  They’d barely warmed their seats when the wine steward appeared. “May I offer any suggestions, Mr. Kelly?”

  He winced at the attention. He’d gotten used to the hassle-free anonymity he enjoyed in the town, but he’d had to drop his name in order to get a table at the nicest restaurant in the area. Thankfully, he’d been able to forward the wine list to his future sister-in-law after he’d called and congratulated Adam on his engagement. He rattled off the name of the French wine Lia had recommended and relaxed when the steward nodded and dashed off.

  “Trying to get me tipsy?” Hailey teased.

  “It’s a six-course meal. Unless you’re planning on drinking the bottle all at once, I think we’ll be okay.”

  She pressed her lips together as though she was trying not to laugh. “Come here enough to memorize the wine list?”

  “No, but I wanted to make sure I made a good impression on you.”

  The bemused expression remained as the wine steward reappeared with the bottle of wine. After the whole show of opening the bottle and waiting for him to sample the vintage, they were alone again.

  Hailey sipped the wine. “I’m usually a beer drinker, but this is actually pretty good.”

  Score one for Lia. “I had a little help picking it out.”

  “Oh?”

  “My brother’s fiancée. She owns a restaurant in Chicago and knows more about this than I do.” He took a longer taste of the wine, savoring the bright fruits and subtle pepper flavors. At the end, he caught just a brief taste of Red Vines and smiled. “I’m glad I consulted her.”

  “Any recommendations on the food?”

  “Get whatever you want.”

  Her brows rose. “And if I order everything on the menu?”

  “Then I hope you have room in your stomach for it all.”

  She laughed and hid behind the menu. Before he knew it, the waiter had appeared to take their order. Thankfully, she didn’t follow through on her threat, although she did order the filet mignon and lobster tail for her main course. He didn’t mind. He wanted to treat her to an extravagant dinner.

  Once they were done ordering, he edged closer to her. “Have I told you how lovely you look?”

  A tinge of pink stole into her cheeks. “I had to borrow a dress from my best friend.”

  “It looks good on you.” But he would bet she’d look even better out of it. His cock responded by hardening, and he shifted in his seat. “Thank you for dressing up tonight.”

  “I doubt they’d let me in here if I wore my blue jeans,” she said with a shrug and played with her fingers. “You mentioned a brother. Do you have any other siblings?”

  “I have six brothers.”

  Her eyes widened. “Six?”

  It wasn’t the first time he’d gotten that reaction when he talked about his family. He didn’t usually have a chance to talk about them, but with Hailey, he wanted to. “Yep. Adam, Caleb, Dan, Ethan, Frank, and Gideon.”

  “Do they all play hockey, too?”

  Her question surprised him. “For a woman who knows all about my past girlfriends, you don’t know about my brothers?”

  She shook her head. “The only reason I know about your dating life is because it ends up on the local news. Otherwise, I prefer not to pry into your personal life.”

  How refreshing. His previous girlfriends had all had some sort of connection to his brothers. Gideon had introduced him to the actress, Dan had hooked him up with the model, and he’d met the singer at one of Ethan’s concerts. Of course, he probably had Caleb to thank for encouraging him to go after Hailey the night they’d met. “What do you want to know?”

  “I suppose just more about you and what growing up with six brothers was like.”

  The conversation flowed easily after that. He started with Adam, and by the time they got to Gideon, they were well into the main course. Unlike his previous dates, she didn’t seem starstruck over his family. She preferred to know more about them before they became famous, about how they were his brothers and not how they were celebrities. When he finished sharing stories of their childhood antics, he said, “Now it’s your turn—tell me about your family.”

  Her shoulders stiffened, and she looked away, raising the wall around her once again. “There’s not much to tell.”

  He tightened his jaw. He hadn’t come this far just to let her shut him out. “Of course there is. Do you have any siblings?”

  “A brother. He lives in Toronto near my mom.”

  “Tell me about them.”

  Panic flashed across her face, and for a moment, he feared she’d run out of the restaurant. She cleared her throat and said, “There’s not much to tell. I mean, I barely talk to my mom. She and Pop split when I was four.”

  “Do you know why?”

  She nodded. “I had another brother—Shawn. When he died, my parents just fell apart.”

  “What happened?” Perhaps he was pushing too hard, but so far, she was answering his questions. Bit by bit, he was going to get her to open up to him and trust him. Just take it one step at a time.

  She licked her lips, and some of the tension eased from her posture. “Before the rink was built, the kids would all play pickup games on Fisher’s Pond in the winter. One day, Shawn fell through the ice.”

  A chill coursed through him as though he’d been the one who’d fallen into the frigid water.

  “My mom blamed Pop because he was always pushing us to play. You see, he played in the minor leagues for a few years and would’ve gone to the Innsbruck Games if Canada had sent a team. He’d always hoped one of us would love the game as much as he did and play professionally. I remember Mom accusing him of trying to force his dreams on us, and that’s what killed Shawn.”

  “Was there any truth to that?”

  “No.” She paused, then added, “At least, I don’t think so. Like I said, I was four at the time, and Shawn was six years older than me, so maybe it was the case with him.”

  “Is your father the reason why you’re so determined to make the national team for the Olympics?”

  The same shadow of grief he’d witnessed on the ridge darkened her eyes. “No,” she whispered.

  “Then
why?”

  “Because I made a promise to someone.” She moved farther away from him, but the gulf between them felt wider than the few inches that separated them in the booth. “Listen, I don’t want to talk about that, Ben. It’s too personal.”

  Shit. He’d just run into another wall. He inhaled through his nose and moved on. “What about your other brother? The one who lives in Toronto?”

  “Kyle?” The chill faded, and she leaned back toward him. They were back on safe conversational topics. “He’s a professor of mathematics at York.”

  He didn’t miss the connection. “And is that how you were planning on getting your highlight reel to the coach of the National Woman’s Team?”

  Her mouth parted into a perfect circle. “How did you know that?”

  “Because I’ve been doing a little research of my own. I want to make sure my finished video ends up in the right hands, after all.”

  “And do you have better access to him?”

  Ben speared the last piece of steak on his plate and grinned. “Maybe.”

  “Damn it, Ben, this is important.”

  “So is dinner.” He took his time chewing. “I’d hate to think you were only being nice to me because I might have a connection to the head coach.”

  She crossed her arms and sat back with a huff. Even when she was pouting, he longed to touch her. “You can be completely exasperating sometimes, you know that?”

  “So can you.” He pushed his plate away and studied her, wondering if he would hit the same wall if he invited her back to his place. “Any idea what you’d like for dessert?”

  The innuendo leaked into his voice before he could catch it, and judging by the way her lips parted, she didn’t miss it. She stared at him, her eyes wide with desire, but then turned away. “I suppose anything with chocolate would be fine.”

  For a brief second, he hovered on suggesting they pick up some chocolate syrup in town and take it back to his place for dessert. He could only imagine how wonderful it would be to have her lick it off his skin.

  He curled his fingers into his palms, hoping it would take his mind off the ache in his cock. He wanted her so badly he could barely think straight. And yet he knew if he pushed too hard, she’d run. There was something too fragile, too skittish in the way she interacted with him. It was like she was afraid to give in to him. Such a change from the girl who’d dragged him back to the hotel room nine years ago.