by Kat Mizera
“Ahh…Ashleigh!” His guttural growl was all she needed and she cried out as she came against her own hand.
“Brock…” Her voice was a whisper, slowly coming back from a fantastically wicked state of ecstasy.
“This was so fucking hot,” he murmured. “Can we do this every night?”
“Maybe.” She leaned back on the bed, her eyes closed. “I’d rather do it in person.”
“We’ll work on that.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too…we should get to sleep, though.”
“I know.”
“Good night, beautiful. See you in a few days.”
“A few days,” she repeated softly.
27
Sonya had a media day scheduled, and Ashleigh groaned when she got to the set and realized she’d forgotten all about it. Sonya caught a glimpse of her face and hurried over to her, her dark hair sticking up in every direction because of humidity so thick you could almost see it.
“What’s with the face? What’s up?”
“I forgot about this,” Ashleigh said. “Sorry.”
“I sent out emails,” Sonya pointed out. “Do you even read them?”
“I went to sleep early last night,” she murmured.
“You’re not gonna grumble like that on camera, are you?”
Ashleigh shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” She used her time in the makeup chair to clear her mind of everything but the boilerplate answers to questions the media usually asked. When she got to the large, shaded tent where they would be meeting, she went directly to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup, indulging in creamer and a tiny bit of sugar. She didn’t agonize over her weight since her metabolism was good, but she was careful with sugar and carbs. Sugar in her coffee was mandatory on a day like today, and she took a sip just before the first reporter approached her.
“Hey, Ashleigh.”
Ashleigh let out a sigh of relief when she turned and recognized a journalist from New York she’d met on several occasions. Shannon Perelli was an attractive brunette with a big smile who was smart, fair, and talented. Ashleigh gave her a friendly smile, leaning against the table as she sipped her coffee.
“Okay, while we’re alone,” Shannon spoke in a soft voice. “Please tell me what it’s like kissing a guy with a beard like your new hubby’s!”
Ashleigh laughed, confident Shannon wasn’t being intrusive; they’d talked about men often when they’d met in the past.
“It takes a little getting used to,” she admitted. “But honestly, once he starts kissing me, I don’t even think about the beard.”
“I had no idea you were dating one of the Sidewinders,” Shannon said. “I knew Rachel was on her second, though, so there must be something special about those boys. A publicist I know from New York married the goalie—do you know Kate Lansing?”
Ashleigh nodded. “Kate is Karl’s wife. I’ve only met her once or twice, but yes, there seems to be something about the Sidewinders that makes women fall under a spell.”
“You think you could set me up with one?” Shannon’s eyes twinkled.
“If you come to Las Vegas next season, get in touch with me and I’ll see what I can do.”
Shannon fanned herself. “I’m having a little hot flash just thinking about it.”
“You have anyone in particular in mind?”
“Dimitri Papadakis is pretty yummy—and he’s from New York!”
Ashleigh grinned. “We’ll talk next season, okay?”
“Deal. Now, on the record…” Shannon opened her notebook. “What’s it been like working with Jet Connor?”
“It’s been amazing!” Ashleigh gushed, a bright smile on her face as she morphed from private, casual Ashleigh to Ashleigh Hunter the star.
She talked with Shannon for a while, glad to spend more time than usual with someone she liked and trusted, but it didn’t take long for everyone to arrive and get ready to barrage them with questions. Sonya moved Ashleigh, Jet, and two of the other actors onto a small platform, where they each sat on a stool. Members of the press started asking questions about the movie and Sonya handled those herself, talking in her usual bubbly, animated manner.
Ashleigh thought she might get through it without any personal questions, but as they were winding down, someone from the back called out to her. “Ashleigh, are you still adopting a little girl?”
Instead of sticking out her tongue like she wanted to, she cocked her head and stared at the reporter curiously. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Being a newlywed with a husband who lives in another state, will you be able to take her out of California?”
The question didn’t make sense to her—once Bella was legally hers, she could take her anywhere she wanted—but she’d learned a long time ago not to get snippy with the press if she didn’t have to. “I’m not sure what you’re asking, Reg,” she said instead. “I’m not leaving California.”
“So is Brock leaving the Sidewinders?”
She frowned. “We’re going to commute for the time being. It won’t be easy, but we both have careers that are important to us, so we’ll take things one day at a time. Right now we want Bella to have a stable home life, and we’ll do whatever we have to do to make things easy for her, not for ourselves.”
“Her sister has said that’s the only reason you got married.”
Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “It’s been nearly two months, guys. Is it that slow a news day?”
Chuckles rumbled through the room and Shannon stood up, waving a hand. “Ashleigh, can you give us any spoilers about Tara being in a coma?”
The comment about Ashleigh’s character on Vampire Legend almost made her want to cry with relief, but she chuckled along with everyone else as she said, “She’s getting plenty of rest for next season.”
She escaped off the platform and made her way toward Shannon, whispering in her ear, “Thank you. I owe you one.”
“No problem. They’re like vultures sometimes.”
“I’m serious—I owe you one.”
“No problem. A ticket to a game and an introduction to Dimitri and we’re even!”
Ashleigh nodded gratefully. “Take my number and give me yours. We’ll figure it out.”
Brock was having a shit day. Coach Barnett had been up his ass about not being one hundred percent since his rib injury, and today at practice he might have pulled something. He hadn’t said anything to the head trainer, knowing he was already playing like hell and not wanting to get benched. The Nashville series wasn’t going well and now they were down three games to one. A loss tomorrow night would be the end of the season for them, and he wasn’t ready. As much as he wanted to be in Atlanta with Ashleigh, his lack of contract was weighing heavily on him.
He still hadn’t told her the details about his contract woes and was beginning to realize how badly this could impact them. She obviously knew his contract hadn’t been renewed, but she didn’t know why. Hell, he didn’t even know why, since he hadn’t been arrested or in any trouble all season, but the team had let the deadline pass and now he’d be waiting until at least July. If they didn’t renew, he’d be shopping for a new team, which would probably take him to the East Coast. Pittsburgh and Ottawa had expressed interest last summer, but as much as he loved hockey, moving that far away could be death to his and Ashleigh’s relationship. At this point, he didn’t think he could give her up that easily.
Everything would be so much easier if she would just leave Vampire Legend, but any time that had come up in passing she’d glossed over it almost as if she hadn’t heard him. He understood she made a good living, but he made a lot more than she did and his money would support them when they started living together.
It was late now, nearly ten, and he hadn’t heard from her today, so he dialed her number. It rang four times, five, and just when he was sure it would go to voice mail, her soft voice came on the line.
“Hi.” She didn�
�t sound like herself.
“Hey, babe. What’s wrong? Did I wake you up?”
“It’s been a shitty day,” she answered, a slight catch in her voice.
“What happened?”
“What didn’t happen?” She let out a long, put-upon sigh.
“Talk to me.”
“Let’s see… I forgot we had a press day today and wound up being subjected to an entire morning of interviews that ended with someone asking me if I was still trying adopt Bella. I was ready to cut someone.”
“Why would they ask you that?”
“Who knows? Fishing for a story? Angel might be running her mouth again. They hang on to stuff so they can catch you off-guard the first chance they get.”
“I’m sorry, babe. I wish I’d known there was shit going on.”
“I told Bella she couldn’t come to the set today because she had online testing for the school district, so she pouted all last night and was still pouting when I got home tonight.”
“You did have a crappy day,” he soothed. “But it’s over and we’ll see each other in twenty-four hours.”
“Thank god.”
“I promise you’ll forget all about your shitty day as soon as we’re together.”
She laughed. “Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it. Approximately twenty-six hours from now you’re going to be coming all over my cock and you’ll forget all about anything else.”
“Promise?”
“Oh yeah.”
There were less than two minutes left to play and the Sidewinders were down 2-1. They’d fought hard but the team seemed to be making one mistake after another, garnering too many penalty minutes, not enough goals, and a slew of mishaps that kept them from making any headway.
Nashville was working hard in the Sidewinders’ zone, their top scorer setting up on the far side of the net. The puck was passed down into the corner, where Brock was battling for possession. He passed it to Dom, who was positioned behind the net, but before Dom could get to it, the puck bounced over his stick, landing right at the feet of the waiting Nashville forward. Brock scrambled to cover Nashville’s open man on the far side of the net, who was now in prime scoring position, wincing as his ribs throbbed from the quick change of direction. The Nashville player with the puck passed it to his open man just as Brock got there, lifting the forward’s stick with his own.
He watched in slow motion horror as the puck slid past the forward and off the blade of Brock’s left skate. It sailed into the net just past Karl Martensson’s outstretched arm, giving Nashville a two-goal lead with less than a minute to play. Brock’s stomach churned with guilt and frustration—how the fuck had he let that happen? He skated back to the bench dejectedly, part of him knowing it was over.
“Shake it off,” Cody spoke in his ear. “Nothing you could have done.”
Brock didn’t say anything, watching the referee drop the puck for the next play and the clock wind down on their season. They were done for the year, and it was his fault.
It was late when he got back to his hotel room and he opened the door slowly, unsure what to do with himself. The suite was dark so he left the lights off padding into the bedroom, where a soft glow was coming from a lamp on the nightstand. Ashleigh slid off the bed as he came in, her curves draped in a soft, shimmery robe knotted at her waist. She walked over to him and slid her arms around his waist, holding him tightly against her. She didn’t say anything and he finally bent his head to kiss her, his lips touching hers lightly.
“Sit,” she said softly, motioning to the bed.
He did as she asked, emotionally too raw to do anything else, and watched as she tugged his jacket off and laid it on the bed beside him. She worked on his shirt next, unbuttoning it and sliding it off his shoulders, laying it next to his jacket. Still not saying anything, she unfastened his belt and pulled it free, letting it drop to the floor before crawling behind him and running her hands over his shoulders.
“Relax,” she whispered against his ear. “Let me work on some of this tension.”
“Babe, I’m fine.” He started to protest but she reached around to put a finger against his lips.
“You’re not fine. You’re hurting, you’re depressed, you’re bummed—I don’t know exactly what you’re feeling, but I know you, and I can guess. This is my first time being with an athlete after a big loss, so I don’t know what protocol is for consoling you, but I’m going to do my best to figure it out without annoying you.”
“You couldn’t annoy me.” He let his head drop as she kneaded his shoulders.
She worked on him for a while, until goose bumps covered his skin and some of the tension drained from his body. She could see when he started to relax, his muscles loosening enough for her to wrap her arms around him from behind and hold him close.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly. “Or just go to bed?”
“I…” His voice trailed off. “I just want to go to bed.”
“Okay.” She got off the bed and picked up his clothes, hanging them in the closet before joining him in the bedroom again.
“What, you’re not going to finish the job?” he asked, a faint smile on his lips as he stood and looked down at his slacks.
She smiled back. “You’re perfectly capable of taking off your own pants, though I’m happy to hang them for you.”
He stepped out of them, handing them to her before crawling beneath the sheets. A moment later she’d dropped her robe and climbed in after him, pressing her nude body against his.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered in the darkness.
“For what?”
“Because you lost, because you’re hurting, because there’s nothing I can do but hold you.”
“Honestly, that’s enough,” he said, pressing his lips to her throat. “Having you here with me is more than enough.”
28
Flying back to Las Vegas the next day, Brock felt an overwhelming sense of regret coupled with relief. He wasn’t sure whether to be pissed the season was over or excited he could be with Ashleigh now. He’d already bought his ticket to Atlanta, but he had to clean out his locker first, so they headed to the arena after they landed. Some of the guys were waiting until tomorrow, but he was flying back to Atlanta tomorrow, so he was going to get it over with. Especially since his future with the Sidewinders was more uncertain that it had ever been before. Not only had the team not offered him a contract before the trade deadline back in March, he’d cost them the playoffs. Getting traded to another team was imminent now, and that left everything in his life up in the air.
“Hey.” Vlad came in and sank down next to him. “When do you leave for Atlanta?”
“First thing tomorrow.” Brock put the last of his things in his bag.
“Cool.” Vlad seemed to have something on his mind, squirming as he stared off at nothing.
“What’s up, man?” Brock nudged him, anxious to think about something other than his own situation for a few minutes.
Vlad dug in his pocket and pulled out a box, handing it to him. Brock opened it and his eyes widened.
“Holy shit, you bought Rachel a ring?”
“It feels…right.” Vlad was frowning. “I don’t know why I should wait. She’s it, perfect for me. I don’t know if I am ready, but when is anyone ever ready? I can’t explain it, but she fills something in me that was empty before.” He looked embarrassed suddenly. “Go ahead. You can laugh.”
Brock shook his head. “Don’t be a dumbass. You’re about to ask a sweet, beautiful woman to marry you. Why the fuck would I laugh? You’re talking to the guy who married a woman he barely knew.”
“Yes, but this has been good, no?”
“Yeah, it has.” Brock glanced up as Ian joined them.
“Hey, mates.” His Scottish accent was always more pronounced on days off, as if he took care to sound less like a foreigner to the hockey world.
“Where are you off to?” Brock asked.
“Boston.”
“Why do you spend summers in Boston?” Brock was curious. “Got a girl out there?”
Ian shook his head. “No.” He hesitated. “A job.”
“A job?” Vlad looked shocked. “Hockey isn’t enough?”
Ian looked conflicted, as if he didn’t know what to say. “Promise to my granddad. He’s gone now and I haven’t any way to explain how much I love hockey… I’d like to think he’d understand, but I don’t know.”
“What kind of job?” Brock asked slowly. “Family business?”
“Isn’t your family in Scotland?” Vlad interjected.
Ian nodded. “Yeah. I, er…” He paused. “This isn’t something I want getting out. It’s not a secret, but it makes it look like I’m not serious about either of my careers, and I don’t want that.”
“Of course.” Brock nudged Vlad, who nodded. “We won’t say anything.”
“I’m an attorney, but basically spend my summers as a glorified clerk.” He grimaced. “It keeps my father off my back and I can still play hockey.”
“You make a lot of money,” Vlad said cautiously. “This isn’t enough?”
“My family’s complicated.” Ian flashed a small smirk. “But aren’t they all?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brock frowned.
“Look, none of my business.” Ian got to his feet. “Ashleigh seems like a nice girl, but you’re infamous in hockey circles for your extracurricular sexual activities. When you married her, everyone was waiting for the pregnancy announcement. Half the team lost money betting she was pregnant.”
Brock stared. “The team? This team? The Sidewinders had bets on whether or not she was pregnant?”
“Actually,” Toli strode into the room with a bland look on his face, “the bets were about the due date, trying to guess how pregnant she was before you got married.”
Brock glared at him. “And you didn’t tell me?”
Toli shrugged. “I didn’t bet.”
Brock looked to Vlad. “Et tu, Brute?” He used the old expression with a snarl.