Hard Hit: IceCats series

by Toni Aleo

  Huh? Boom! Done. Isn’t happening because I’m a pussy.

  Wait, no. I’m not. I’m Kirby Litman. I am a badass dad, a phenomenal hockey player—ignore the fact that I’ve been a part of a team that has lost a Cup twice in two years. This is something that needs to be overlooked. We’ll figure it out. Or the Assassins will be hit by a meteor and vanish so they can’t torment us anymore. One of the two—and one good-looking dude. Females love me. I’m a catch. I’m a hot dad, if you will. A DILF.

  Jesus, what is wrong with me?

  She’s what’s wrong with me. I want to be the DILF she wants.

  Jaylin moves her tight curls off her shoulders and then leans on her hands as D’Artagnan tells one hell of a story. He’s so animated, funny, and damn it, he’s also a good-looking dude. If he had a kid, he’d be a DILF. I’m man enough to admit that, and honestly, if he doesn’t slow down, same with Owen, they’re going to be joining my club pretty quickly.

  Not with Jaylin, though. I’ll kill him.

  He’s busy…some would say messy. He loves the women, and the women love him. He’s huge, really muscular, and one hell of a hockey player. He’s just not fast enough yet. That’s why I’m pretty sure Evan will make the roster before D’Artagnan. Evan is fast and he’s got the hands, but a part of me feels like he isn’t in it to win it like his brother is. I know Evan likes hockey, enjoys it, but I don’t know if it’s a live-it, breathe-it kind of thing for him.

  Owen, on the other hand, is all that and then more. He is his famous, hockey-playing dad made over. He’ll make it no matter what, so it’s a toss-up between Evan and D’Artagnan. Both good players, both talented, both lacking in an area. One thing is for sure, though. If D’Artagnan keeps looking at Jaylin like she’s a snack, I’m going to make sure it’s Evan.

  I’ve said it before, but Jaylin isn’t his snack. She’s my whole meal.

  If I could grow some balls and make something happen here. I went and implied something I shouldn’t before the mess happened with the douchefuck. I wanted her to know that I want her to be mine, but I’m also terrified. Even with the fear of rejection, I threw myself between her and that jackass to protect her. She doesn’t need protecting—I know this, she knows this, hell, the whole restaurant knows this. But I want to protect her.

  Problem is, I’m unsure if she is really feeling me. While I know I’m a bomb-ass dad, and she’s said it herself, I also feel like that’s not something she wants. She wants a good time, e.g., D’Artagnan. He’s a good time with a 6’4” body and a quick smile. I don’t like that he’s making me feel inadequate. I’m a damn good time. A hoot, honestly. I even come with a more awesome time that shits and eats a lot. Oh, she cries, too.

  I must have summoned her inner crybaby because Celeste lets out a wail that makes even me cringe. It cuts off D’Artagnan’s story as all eyes fall on Celeste. “Oh, sweet baby,” I murmur as I lean in, just as Jaylin cups Celeste by the back of the head. It surprises me to see her motherly instincts come out. My eyes widen a bit, but my heart soars.

  Jaylin must read my face wrong because she quickly takes her hand off Celeste. “Oh, my bad. Sorry!”

  I shake my head quickly. “No, you’re fine. You’re good. It just surprised me.” She looks away as I try to soothe Celeste, and I instantly feel bad. “Honestly, Jay. I was just surprised you wanted to help.”

  I can tell I hurt her feelings, but she doesn’t look at me. “I mean, it isn’t my place.”

  “It’s not that. I just didn’t think you liked kids like that.”

  Wow. Foot. Meet mouth.

  Fucking hell.

  “I just mean you jumped into action, and it surprised me.”

  I’ve pissed her off. “Yeah, I’m not motherly, I guess.”

  Before I can even argue that, D’Artagnan’s loud, booming voice says, “Sure you are. You’d be a hot mom.”

  “So hot,” Owen says, and my annoyance meter grows. “You’d be like my mom. All my friends wanted to bang her. It was rather disgusting.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” I interject, and she meets my gaze. Heat moves through me, and I know she feels it. Hell, I feel it everywhere. Deep in my soul, my gut, everywhere. Man, I want to kiss her.

  Before I can even come up with something to say, Evan snorts. “Whatever. You loved it ’cause our house was the hot spot. Plus, everyone wanted to bang our oldest sister.”

  That draws her attention away, and I know she wants to change the subject. Damn it. “You have an older sister?” Jaylin asks, but I don’t want to hear about the Adler family history. I want to fix what damage I may have just caused.

  Evan nods. “We’re two of five.”

  “Five!” Jaylin gasps. “Wow, I can’t imagine.”

  Owen laughs. “Yeah, it was never dull in our house. We have two older sisters and a younger brother.”

  Evan smiles widely. “Posey is pregnant with our first niece or nephew, and Shelli is having an over-the-top, insane circus of a wedding that we have to be at by the end of the month.”

  Owen leans in toward Jaylin. “Wanna be my date?” he asks in a very deliberate Southern drawl. I get that he’s from Tennessee, but I’m pretty sure that accent is exaggerated. “I’ll show you a real good time.”

  When she grins brightly, I have the urge to cry like Celeste just did.

  “Now, Owen, I already told you, I’m way out of your age group.”

  He shrugs. “Just means my mom would love you.”

  Evan snorts. “Or she’d freak and think you have some older-lady fetish that she caused because she didn’t love you right. You know how she is.”

  Their mom sounds like a hoot.

  D’Artagnan laughs. “Plus, I think it’s obvious that Kirby is about to come out of his skin if any of us continue to imply we want to date her.”

  With that, everyone looks at me. Even Celeste.

  I know they see my beet-red face and my knuckles clenched. I don’t like this one bit.

  Jaylin’s lips pull up as she averts her gaze. “Why do you say that?”

  Owen moves his finger between us. “He’s really digging you. Like a lot.”

  “You’re his sweet dark chocolate that no one can taste but him,” D’Artagnan says naughtily.

  “Classy,” I throw at him, and he laughs.

  Evan nods. “Not my place, but he hasn’t stopped talking about you. And he basically pissed on you at the bar, letting us know to stay away.”

  She waves them off. “We’re just friends,” she says before meeting my gaze. “Aren’t we?”

  The fuck we are!

  My heart jumps into my throat, but I have to fix this. I want to fix this. “You’re more than welcome to touch Celeste—” I pause as my brows come in and her eyes widen. “That sounded really bad. I mean I want you to touch… For fuck’s sake—” At this point, the three idiots are snorting with laughter. I whip my head to yell at them, but then Jaylin’s hand touches mine. I look at her, our gazes locking, and her smile knocks me into last week. I swear it. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable or as if I don’t think you know what you’re doing with Celeste—”

  Her smile grows. “I don’t know. I only remember a little bit from helping raise Callie, Aviva’s sister, but it broke my heart that Celeste was crying. And you were so kind to help me out with that shitshow of a date I had. I wanted to help her.”

  “I want you to help her,” I blurt out, and when D’Artagnan covers his face in embarrassment, I know I’m drowning here. I hold up my hand. “Can I start over?”

  She beams at me. “You don’t have to.”

  I exhale as I get lost in her eyes. I don’t even know what to say to start over, but then I’m just talking, which sometimes isn’t good. Here we go. “I want you to feel comfortable around us. We’re a package deal.”

  Her lips tip, and I can see the playfulness in her eyes. “You and Celeste? Or you, Celeste, and the Three Musketeers?”

  I look over at the three hem
orrhoids I’ve obtained, and they’re all grinning really hard. Owen even waves, and I want to groan. I swallow as I look back to her just as Celeste grabs Jaylin’s wrist and starts to gnaw on her. That breaks our intense staredown as Jaylin laughs, cupping the back of the baby’s head.

  “Oh, I feel teeth coming in,” she giggles, and I let out a breath.

  “Yeah, they should be breaking through soon.”

  She beams at Celeste, and my heart soars. She moves a piece of hair off Celeste’s temple and asks, “Can I hold her?”

  I’m nodding before I answer. “Of course.”

  She reaches for Celeste as I undo her seat, and she goes willingly, cuddling deep in Jaylin’s bosom. My heart is pounding in my chest as I watch her coo and gush over Celeste. Jaylin leans her head on Celeste’s, her eyes meeting mine, and then she kisses the top of her head. It’s like in a movie—everything fades away, and a spotlight falls right on them. I don’t hear a word, a sound; all I see is her holding my girl. The contrast of her skin to Celeste’s is stunning, gorgeous. I’ve never in my life felt this way about anyone other than Jaylin. The moment I met her, I knew she was special, but things got in the way.

  Not anymore.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  I blink. Did I say that out loud?

  From the cackling from across the table and the soft glow filling Jaylin’s cheeks, I realize I did.

  Her eyes are so dark, so gorgeous, but then, the moment is ruined when D’Artagnan leans toward me and asks, “Are you talking to Jaylin, Celeste, or me?”

  “For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, and that sends the table into a fit of hysteria. Well, just those three because I’m watching Jaylin hold Celeste with this dreamy look on her face, and everything inside me is burning.

  I can’t stop myself, nor do I want to. I lean forward, over the high chair, and cup Jaylin’s chin, bringing her to my lips. She doesn’t hesitate or resist. She leans into me, our lips meeting in a needy embrace. Her lips are thick, luscious, and even more perfect than I remember. She tastes like cider and fries, and I want to consume her. I’m on my way to doing just that when my daughter’s hand grips my jaw.

  It’s as if a bucket of cold water is dropped on me.

  I lean back, only a breath away, opening my eyes to find Jaylin’s still closed. Her long lashes kiss her cheeks, and I swear I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as her. Slowly, she opens her eyes, meeting mine, and I gasp for breath. She gets more gorgeous by the second. “I couldn’t resist.”

  One side of her lips curves. “No?”

  “No. I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time.”

  Her eyes sparkle. “Why’d you wait?”

  “Because I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to.”

  “I did,” she whispers. “Very much so.”

  That’s all she needs to say. Kids or not, I’m gonna kiss this girl again. Before I can, though, Owen asks, “Do you want us to take Celeste? I don’t think her young eyes can handle that.”

  “For real. You’re probably traumatizing her,” D’Artagnan adds.

  “I feel like we should just go,” Evan says, and Jaylin’s lips curve up into a winning grin.

  “We’ve waited this long,” she whispers. “We can wait a bit longer.”

  “How much longer?” I ask, stroking her jaw.

  “Long enough to pay the bill and get out of here?” Celeste lets out a big yawn. “Someone is tired.”

  I nod. “I’m not.”

  She gives me a very devilish grin. Her eyes are dark, playful, and full of all the things I want and need. “Nor am I.”

  I may be reading into that, but I’m pretty sure that means she’s coming home with me, and if that’s not the case, I may throw a fit like Celeste does.

  But of course, my three hemorrhoids are here to ruin the moment.

  “Well, this escalated quickly,” Owen says.

  D’Artagnan nods. “Agreed.”

  Evan holds up his hand. “Can we get the check?”

  Chapter Ten

  Kirby

  * * *

  After gathering Celeste’s things and paying my tab, I walk out with Jaylin toward the parking lot. The boys headed out pretty quickly, and I was thankful for that. I want to be alone with her. Talk to her, just her and me…and Celeste.

  “Sorry if it was weird in there.”

  She scoffs. “I had a horrible date that turned into a great night with you and Celeste and the guys. I had a wonderful time.”

  I side-eye her. “The guys are a lot to handle.”

  She laughs. “They are, but they’re sweet.”

  “Yeah,” I agree softly as we walk in the night air. “So, that guy?”

  “Just a guy I hooked up with randomly. But not anymore.”

  I nod. “I’m sorry he wasn’t good to you.”

  “Eh, I seem to be caught up on one guy, so I keep going out with assholes.” My lips curl when she flashes me a wide, beaming smile. “I’m talking about you.”

  I grin. Man, she doesn’t even know what’s about to hit her. A whole lot of Kirby charm. I glance over at her as she does the same, and our eyes meet. In the moonlight, her skin glows and is incredible. Her hair is wild, curls everywhere, and I want to tangle my fingers in them. I still can’t believe she’s feeling me. I’m relieved, but it’s almost too good to be true.

  “I didn’t think you liked me anymore,” I say, with no clue how those words came into existence. I know I didn’t choose them. They just came out, and I guess my “charm” means me being a complete loser. If she didn’t like me before I said that, she sure as hell doesn’t now.

  Her lips tip upward as she eyes me. “What gave you that impression?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. When I saw you at the law office, you seemed standoffish. And then that email that was very straightforward. Kind, but no clues into you feeling me.”

  She scoffs. “I don’t think I ever stopped feeling you,” she admits, meeting my gaze. “I didn’t mean to give that impression, but I didn’t know where your head was at. I didn’t want to be in the way of all the things you have going on.”

  I nod. “But what if I want you in the way?”

  She looks away shyly. “Then I wouldn’t protest.”

  When she comes to a stop beside a badass red Lexus convertible, I’m not surprised. She’s a walking billboard for success, and I love it. She leans against her car, eyeing me as I sway side to side to keep Celeste asleep. Jaylin plays with her keys, and I can’t help but stare, though I know she’s waiting for an answer. I clear my throat to buy myself some time before I say, “Well, Counselor, I’ll be really honest and admit that I want you in all the ways.”

  She grins. “I figured that out after you kissed me.”

  I step toward her, wishing my child weren’t between us, but it’s my life, and if she doesn’t like that, she needs to tell me. “I want to kiss you again.”

  She licks her lips, sending my body into a frenzy. “What’s stopping you?”

  Man, is she sexy. “I don’t know if you’re okay with me being a dad.”

  Her brows come in, confusion deep in those dark-brown eyes. “I love that you’re a dad. You’re a great one.”

  A grin pulls at my lips as my eyes search hers, looking for the lie. I’m so used to being lied to by women that I expect her to do the same. But she isn’t like my ex or even my mom—she’s Jaylin. “I’m sorry that we didn’t get to explore this before, and while it sucks, I don’t regret Celeste.”

  She nods. “I know. She’s perfect.”

  “But I do regret something.”

  Her lashes kiss her cheeks before she meets my gaze. “Do you?”

  “Yeah, and this is me being really straightforward.”

  She cocks her head with a smile. “Okay?”

  “So, there is no question how I feel or what I want.”

  “Which is smart since we’ve apparently spent the last month still feeling each other and not doing anything about it.�
��

  “Exactly,” I say, and she nods. “So, my regret.”

  “Yes, the regret, which I’m pretty sure is my regret.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yes, very much so.”

  I love the little grin on her face. I love the playfulness in her eyes. This girl sets me on fire. I know I’m grinning ear to ear, and I can’t help it. I also can’t beat around the bush. “I regret not getting you into my bed.”

  Her grin grows as she gasps softly. “Yup, same regret.”

  I nod slowly, both of us grinning at each other. “Then I think we should fix that.”

  “I would agree wholeheartedly.”

  I gulp, and then it hits me. “Wait, I don’t want you to think I only wanted you for sex. It’s not—”

  She presses her hand into my hand that’s lying on Celeste’s back. “Kirby, I know.”

  Our eyes are locked in one hell of a heated and naughty embrace. If I weren’t holding my daughter, I would wrap Jaylin in my arms and take that sexy mouth with mine. “So, would it be too bold of me to assume you want to come home with me?”

  “I happen to enjoy the bold side of you because that side assumes correctly.”

  Thank God.

  I unbuckle Celeste as Jaylin gets out of her car. While I slowly try to get my daughter out so she doesn’t wake up, Jaylin comes up beside me and quietly asks, “Can I help?”

  “Can you grab her bag?”

  “Of course,” she says and does just that as she shuts the door behind me.

  “In the side pocket are the keys. Can you grab them?” Without a word, she does it, running ahead of me to open the door. I follow her in as she locks it behind us. I kick off my shoes as she does the same, setting down Celeste’s things and then my keys on the side table. “I’m gonna go get her settled.”

  I head into Celeste’s room, and I don’t even realize Jaylin’s behind me until I’m laying Celeste in her bed. I take off her little shoes and then her outfit, when Jaylin hands me a diaper and a sleeper. I grin at her, and she shrugs.