Hot on Ice: A Hockey Romance Anthology

by Avery Flynn

  “Thanks for the tip.”

  “Anytime. Come for a visit soon.

  “I will.”

  “Catch you later.”

  ***

  Edwin Motz was a wiry, wisp of a man and not at all what Zim had expected. When he emerged from baggage claim, flanked by two bodyguards, Zim thought maybe he was some tech billionaire. It wasn’t until he noticed The Cup’s travel container on the cart behind them that Zim knew he was the Keeper.

  Motz, of course, knew exactly who Zim was.

  “Thanks or being on time, Mr. Zimin.” The Keeper’s handshake was firm.

  “Of course.” Zim eyed the security detail, extending his hand to the first. “Zim.”

  “Tony,” came the man’s bassy response.

  He was a six-foot-two-ish, mahogany-skinned, Black man with a shaved head and a friendly face. The gold hoops that adorned each earlobe, and the white t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest, reminded Zim of Mr. Clean.

  Tony smiled back, gesturing to the guy on the other side. “This here’s Jeff.”

  “Hey, Jeff.” Zim shook the other man’s hand, noting the crushing grip with amusement.

  Jeff apparently wanted to make an impression. He was slightly shorter than Tony, and though they both towered over Motz, they were still shorter than Zim himself.

  Jeff ran a hand through his short, blond hair. “Nice to meet you. We’re with Liberty Security and we’re assigned to Mr. Motz and The Cup while they’re here in Philadelphia.”

  “So, what’s your first stop, Mr. Zimin?” Motz grabbed the handle of his suitcase and the four of them started off.

  Unlike most of the other players on his team, Zim hadn’t been given a set schedule of appearances.

  “My parents.”

  Motz smiled. “Of course.”

  After securing The Cup in the back of his black Cadillac Escalade, the four men piled into the SUV and Zim got them on their way.

  “I didn’t know you were from Philly,” Tony said.

  “Yep, my family moved here when I was a kid.”

  “Where’d you go to high school?” The question came from Jeff.

  “St. Joe’s.”

  “And you still live here? How come nobody knows you live here?”

  Zim caught Tony’s eye in the rearview mirror. “I prefer it that way.”

  Tony nodded, smiling. “Got it.”

  “Any particular events I should know about, Mr Zimin?”

  “Please, call me Zim. My dad is Mr. Zimin.”

  “Fine then, Zim. You can call me Eddie. The rest of your team does, anyway.”

  “Not a fan?” Zim risked a glance over at the unassuming man.

  Motz shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”

  “Eddie it is. We have about a twenty minute drive. There’s water back there, if anyone needs it. And I think I have some protein bars in the middle console.”

  There was rustling behind him as Jeff distributed the items.

  “Thanks, man.”

  “No problem.”

  The trip took a little longer than planned, thanks to some construction on Lincoln Drive, but Zim was able to park right in front of his parents two-story, craftsman in Chestnut Hill. It was situated at the end of a tree-lined street, right at the edge of the Philadelphia city limits.

  “Here we are.”

  “Very nice,” Eddie commented.

  “You get it for them?” Tony asked as they stepped out of the car.

  Zim nodded. The house, though still modest, was the only big-ticket item his parents would allow him to gift them. Before he could say another word, the front door opened and Lilya Zimin burst through with a big smile and wide open arms.

  “Kolya!”

  “Mama.” Zim bent his knees and opened his arms to his mother, squeezing her tight. “How are you?”

  At five-feet and a few inches, she only came up to the center of his chest, but her personality was larger than life. She squeezed his face between her soft hands. Her smile lit up her forest green eyes.

  “Let me look at you.”

  “Mom.” Zim laughed, squirming. “You act like you haven’t seen me in years. It’s only been a week.”

  “It’s a week too long. And who are your friends?” She smoothed her salt and pepper curls back from her forehead and turned to greet the other men, who all took turns shaking her hand and introducing themselves.

  “Such big strong men, the two of you,” she said to Tony and Jeff. “Do you perform with my son?”

  “No, ma’am,” Tony replied. Zim admired the tone of respect in his voice. “We’re just here to keep an eye on the trophy.”

  “Ah, yes! “ She turned back to Zim. “Your father has been on and on about the chalice.”

  “Cup,” Eddie corrected her.

  She turned to look at him, sizing him up. “You do not perform hockey.”

  Eddie coughed. “Er, no, Mrs. Zimin. I merely look after The Cup during its travels.”

  Her brow quirked. “Shto?”

  “It’s a very valuable piece of history,” Jeff supplied. “And Mr. Motz, here, is in charge of its safety. Tony and I are here to assist him while he’s here in Philly.”

  She nodded. “Ah, I see.” Turning back to Eddie, she smiled. “That is a very important job, and I am sure your mother is proud of you.”

  Eddie actually blushed. “Er, thank you. I like to hope so. Ma’am.”

  “Lilechcka, why are you keeping everyone outside?” Gennady Zimin stepped out onto the landing, his voice booming with mirth. “Come inside, gentlemen. Zim, bring them in. We have food prepared.”

  “We?” Zim’s mother stepped around him before grabbing his hand and pulling him along. That seemed to be happening a lot today.

  “I helped,” argued Zim’s father, scratching at his graying temples.

  “Yes, Genya, you started the oven for me,” she deadpanned. “Thank you.”

  The group moved into the house, which smelled like heaven. Zim’s mother was an incredible cook. And she’d apparently gone all out for the occasion. The dining room table displayed dish after dish of Russian delicacies, as well as a few American items that Zim had always loved. Namely, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread.

  “Wow,” Jeff muttered. “I wasn’t hungry until I walked in here.”

  “Well, you must eat. I made more than enough.” Zim’s mother pulled Jeff toward a stack of dishes. “Help yourself, we’re not shy here.”

  “At least let him wash his hands, Lilya.”

  She blushed, clutching her hands to her chest. “Oh, what was I thinking? I’m just so excited to have my Kolya here for dinner.”

  Tony and Jeff helped Eddie remove The Cup from its case, and they set it on the sidebar at the end of the dining room.

  Zim’d father slipped his glasses on and approached it as if he were visiting a shrine. While his mother fussed in the kitchen, and the other men washed up for dinner, Zim and his father shared a quiet moment with the trophy.

  “I’m very proud of you, solnyshko.”

  “Thank you, papa.”

  “When you put on your first pair of skates, I knew.” He turned to Zim, who was surprised to find his eyes shining. “I knew you would do great things. You were always so disciplined, so…focused. Both you and Mila, such beautiful skaters.”

  “Thanks to you, papa. If it weren’t for you dragging us out onto the ice before I could barely walk, I would have never known how much I’d love it.”

  His father nodded and bent down and located Zim’s name where it had been etched into The Cup’s gleaming silver.

  “This is beyond any of my expectations. To see our family name on such a thing, it’s…”

  He stood, covering his mouth with his fist. Zim allowed him a few moments to collect himself. His father was not an overly emotional man. To see him choked up with pride had his own eyes stinging with unshed tears.

  Gennady turned and clasped Zim’s shoulders. “I’m proud of
you, Kolya. And your mother is proud of you, Mila would be too. So proud.”

  “Spasibo, papa.”

  “We all wanted this for you, this success. And we want you to be happy too. To maybe have a family of your own, someday, so you can pass your gifts along to a son. Or a daughter,” he added, chuckling. He pointed at The Cup. “This is wonderful. But you need to start thinking about more than the ice, da?”

  Zim nodded, if only to let his father know he understood. Unfortunately, he had zero prospects on the relationship front, which was his own damn fault. For some reason, his thoughts traveled back again to Suji Meriwether and her succulent mouth. And her disapproving glare.

  Women like that, women who didn’t care who you played for or how much money you had, they were rarely in his orbit. He’d see her again tomorrow. Maybe he’d ask her out on a proper date, ask her to accompany him to the fundraiser. What harm could it do?

  Okay, it was probably a colossally stupid idea but he couldn’t entirely dismiss it. There was something about her…aside from her sweet, round ass.

  “Come, angel moy, let’s eat something.” Zim’s mother called from the other end of the room and everyone took seats at the table.

  “Mama, how many people were you expecting?”

  She shrugged. “You and your father, me, and Mr. Motz.”

  Jesus. There was enough food on the table to feed them all for a week or more.

  Zim’s father leaned over and whispered into his ear.

  “Whoever you find, make sure she can count properly or else your waistline will suffer.” He laughed under his breath.

  “Dad,” Zim started around a mouthful of piroshky. “I wouldn’t exactly call this suffering.”

  7

  Suji had slept like the dead. So, when her alarm went off at six-thirty in the morning, she didn’t have her usual urge to hurl it across the room

  Jasmine merely changed positions on her little cat bed by the dresser and went back to snoozing.

  Suji’s dreams had been interesting. And, much to her dismay, had featured a very tall, very broad-shouldered hockey player with amazing lips and talented hands. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that she’d spent part of her evening surfing the web for more on Constantine Zimin.

  Mimi had been right when she’d said there was little to find in the way of personal information.

  But he was pretty. Boy, was he pretty. Even more so in person.

  And so, yes, her dreams had been…interesting. Images of dueling tongues and tangled limbs had left a thin sheen of moisture between her skin and her sleep shorts.

  She’d watched a few of Zimin’s highlight videos on YouTube and found him to be graceful on the ice, in a lethal sort of way. Suji had never paid much attention to hockey but could see the appeal. There was aggression, for sure, but it was calculated. Targeted. And Zimin was apparently one of the best at what he did. She still didn’t like that, in a few hours, he’d likely bring hordes of reporters with cameras to the hospital. Her attempts to derail the debacle had fallen on deaf ears.

  Suji showered, threw on her pink scrubs, the ones with the unicorn print, and headed out. By the time she stepped out of the elevator and into her ward, it was eight on the nose.

  “Morning, boss lady.”

  “”Hey, Tim. How was the night?” Suji spoke around the maple walnut scone she’d grabbed from the coffee shop downstairs. She really needed to start eating better.

  Tim smiled. “Not bad. Aaron had a little trouble breathing, but it was an issue with his oxygen. The unit’s been replaced, so all is good.”

  Suji frowned. “That’s the second time this month something’s gone wrong with one of those things.”

  “It happens.”

  “Not this often. I’ll have to talk to their rep. It’s an Emerson, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Tim nodded. “The 4500.”

  “Thanks.” Suji pulled out her phone to leave herself a memo. “Are you heading out?”

  “Not yet,” Tim replied. “Mimi said she’d be a little late today. Something about a hair appointment this morning.”

  “Geez, thanks for covering for her. Go get yourself some coffee or something, I’m here.”

  “You rock, thanks.”

  Suji went to her office to hang up her jacket, waving to the others on staff as she passed. Someone knocked on the open door, and she turned to find Dr. Morris standing there.

  “Morning, Suji. Got a sec?”

  “Sure, Calvin, come on in.”

  He stepped inside and closed the door. “I wanted to talk to you before the event later this morning.”

  “I’m still not happy about it.”

  “Believe me, you’ve made your position quite clear.” Calvin smiled. “But Mr. Zimin and his team have big plans, plans that will only help us serve our patients better.”

  “What sort of plans?”

  Calvin cleared his throat as he took the seat in front of her desk.

  Suji sat in her chair, curious.

  “This information doesn’t leave this room,” Calvin insisted.

  “Of course.”

  “Zimin is working to establish a foundation to assist families with children undergoing long-term care.”

  Suji narrowed her eyes. “What sort of assistance?”

  “Some would be monetary, helping them to travel here for treatment, I’m not privy to all of the details. Regardless, we weren’t about to say no to the man’s help.”

  “It sounds like a nice idea.” Suji sat back. “You trust that he’s serious about it?”

  “Very. His sister was a patient here when they were kids.”

  “Really?” She hadn’t seen anything about that in her snooping. Then again, there had been very little about him at all online.

  “Yeah, he’s very private about it, so please don’t bring it up unless he does.”

  “Me? I won’t have occasion to talk to the man.”

  Calvin smiled. “Suji, I need you to play nice today. I know you feel protective of our kids, but really. It’s going to be all right. Zim has hired an entertainer for them.”

  “Zim?”

  Calvin shrugged one shoulder. “He insisted.”

  Zim sounded so much more…something….than Con. Suji suppressed a shiver.

  “What sort of entertainer?”

  “A magician, I believe he said. And, of course, there will be a professional photographer to take photos of the kids with The Cup, if they want one.”

  Suji bristled. “This is exactly what I was afraid of. Photos? Who gave him, or us for that matter, permission to use these kids as props? Are you going to call their parents and ask them to sign release forms?”

  “Suji…”

  She shook her head. “No, Calvin, this is why I didn’t want that guy and his entourage anywhere near my ward.”

  “Your ward?” Calvin arched an eyebrow.

  “Fine.” She acquiesced. “ I suppose you know what you’re doing, being the head of the department and all.”

  Calvin laughed. “I really enjoy working with you, Nurse Meriwether.”

  Suji smiled. “Me too, Dr. Morris. But if I see things getting out of hand today, I’m putting a stop to it.”

  “If things get out of hand today, I’ll put a stop to it myself,” Calvin reassured her.

  “A foundation, huh?”

  Calvin nodded. “Yep, or so the paperwork says.”

  She’d believe it when she saw it.

  ***

  Suji had just administered medicine to one of her patients when she stepped out of the room and slammed right into a hard body. Strong hands kept her from falling to the hard, tiled floor.

  “Fuck.”

  “Dammit.”

  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you coming out.”

  “No, I…” Suji blinked up at Constantine Zimin, her apology dying in her throat.

  He was even taller than she’d remembered. His eyes were warm, like chocolate lava cake, and his hai
r a mop of chestnut on top his head. He was dressed in his team’s jersey, the logo a bright, green alligator who apparently spent a ton of time in the gym.

  “Uh…no-no problem.”

  Zimin smiled. “Nurse Meriwether, eh?”

  Suji blinked again, realizing he still had his hands around her upper arms. And were his thumbs gently caressing her, or was that her caffeine-deprived imagination? She eased back, and he released her.

  “Y-yes.”

  “Constantine Zimin.”

  “Er, nice to formally meet you, Mr. Zimin.

  His smile was warm too. “I think it’s safe for you to call me Zim.”

  “Not Con?”

  “Not Sue?”

  “Fair enough, Zim it is. I’m sorry if my initial welcome wasn’t more, uh, welcoming. To be honest, I was a little freaked out.”

  “It’s all right. I understand. If someone I’d…met in a bar the night before showed up at my job, I’d be freaked out too.

  A tiny smile threatened to curve her lips. “I bet.”

  “And I wanted to reassure you that I only have the best intentions where your patients, and the department, are concerned. I just want to help.”

  Suji nodded and smiled, the initial shock of seeing him having worn off. “I’m glad to hear it. Dr. Morris tells me you’re setting up some sort of foundation.”

  “Yeah, though there won’t be any sort of public announcement until tonight. I’m holding a fundraiser.”

  “I see.” Suji started walking, and Zim fell into step alongside her. “What drove you to do it, found the organization?”

  “My sister was a patient here some years back.”

  “Oh?”

  “She was diagnosed when we were children,” he continued.

  “Will she be involved in your charity?” Suji stopped to sign some paperwork at the desk.

  “No,” Zim’s tone took on a bit of gravel. “She died when we were seventeen.”

  Suji’s breath caught. Without thinking, she placed her hand on his forearm.

  “You were twins? I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”

  He gave her a small nod. “It isn’t public knowledge. You couldn’t have known.”

  Suji studied him. Up close, he was a sobering sight. Gorgeous, yes, but also severe. She found herself imagining what sort of lover he’d be. Attentive and focused were the words that came to mind, followed by the thought why the hell am I wondering what he’d be like in bed when he just told me he lost his sister? The desire to comfort him had arisen in her so fast, she could barely breathe.