Hard Hit: IceCats series

by Toni Aleo

  And in my bed.

  Or in our bed.

  Any bed as long as we’re in it together.

  Chapter Thirty

  Kirby

  * * *

  As our starting goalie, Nico is the first to hit the ice.

  I tap my gloves to Chandler’s and then Evan’s before I skate onto the ice for warm-ups. Our first home game. When my skates hit the ice, I dig into it, kicking up my heart rate up to get the warm-up I need to be successful. Man, I love our ice. I wait for everyone to get onto the rink before I swing my arm into the pyramid of pucks, knocking them to the ice for us to warm up with. I fall into the circle we’re making around the goal get started. The crowd is roaring, excited for a new season and, basically, a whole new group of guys. We did okay in the preseason, nothing to shake a stick at, but okay. None of that matters, though. Now it’s the regular season. We lost our first two games, but it’s time for a win, and one on home ice will make it even sweeter.

  As I pass my teammates, I smack their shins with my stick, something I always do before each game. I weave between everyone, stretching my spine by turning my torso back and forth. I don’t allow myself to look out into the crowd yet. I need to do my regular warm-up before I get distracted by Celeste and Jaylin. I know they’re here; I can feel them. Or I’m just really excited that they’re here and are going to watch me.

  I drop to the ice, stretching my legs out and open before bringing them all the way back to go into upward dog. Evan drops beside me, doing the same pose as he lets out a long breath.

  “Are we sold out?”

  I nod, still not looking at the crowd. “Yup. Should be a loud game.”

  I glance at him, and he looks terrified. “Hey, it’s all good. You’ve got this,” I remind him, changing positions. “Didn’t your parents come to town?”

  The fear is all over his face, and it’s killing me. “Yeah. They’re up in the owner’s box since Mom is friends with him.”

  “Okay. Have you seen them?”

  I watch as he looks up, and he tips his chin. “Yeah, my mom is waving her arms and has our jersey on. So does my dad.” He grins. “I can’t believe they’re wearing our jerseys.”

  “Of course they are. They’re proud of you,” I insist. “Evan,” I say, and he looks at me. “Play only for them. Play as if they’re the only ones watching you. Have they ever been anything but supportive?”

  He swallows hard, shaking his head. “No, not at all. I put the pressure on myself.”

  “Okay, so then play for them, knowing they’re proud, no matter what.”

  He takes in a deep breath, letting it out in a whoosh, and looks back at me. “Okay.”

  I nod, smacking his arm with my hand. “Attaboy.”

  I get up then, digging my skates into the ice and hopping twice.

  Then I look out at the crowd. Everyone is so excited, all rocking their IceCats jerseys and holding encouraging and sometimes very inappropriate signs. Like “Puck me, Miklas!” Leave it to Dart, and he just might.

  Of course, he’s eating it up, sending grins and winks to everyone. Lord, he is going to get himself in so much trouble. Though, I can’t help but want to let him go wild. I did. Before Celeste, I was rowdy, loud, and had my fun. Things are different now, way different.

  I only want Celeste and Jaylin.

  When I find them, I’m breathless.

  Jaylin holds Celeste in her arms so she is able to look out on the ice, her back to Jaylin’s chest. Both of them are wearing IceCats jerseys and jeans with fluffy boots. I’m guessing this was Jaylin’s doing. She looks incredible, her makeup done so sensually, with bright-red lips to match the accents on the jersey. Her hair is up in a tight, sleek ponytail, while Celeste has a smaller pony with a huge red bow. I’m completely taken aback at the sight of them. I skate toward them, flipping a puck on the blade of my stick and tapping it up and down to show off.

  I throw it up in the air, catching it before skating to where they’re standing behind the glass. Celeste is opening and closing her palms at me, and I think she’s babbling “dada” or maybe “mama.” Either way, she is excited to see me. Jaylin’s smile is unstoppable and so damn pretty. Her eyes are bright, her lashes long as she gazes down at me. I press into the glass, and Celeste leans in, so Jaylin brings her closer. Jaylin’s eyes shine with love as she yells for me. I tap the glass with the puck, grinning at her, and she returns the smile.

  “Are you excited, CC?”

  She squeals as Jaylin grins. “I am! It’s loud in here!” she yells, and I nod. “And cold! I’m freezing!”

  I laugh and yell back. “You’ll get used to it!” She doesn’t seem convinced. “Are you guys having fun?” I look over at her parents and Jean, and they’re all nodding enthusiastically.

  Jaylin nods as Celeste screams with joy. She then tries to get out of Jaylin’s arms, but she holds her close, turning her so she’s on her hip. Jaylin points to me, whispering something in Celeste’s ear, which makes her smile brightly. She then mocks Jaylin, waving at me, and I wave back.

  “I love you two. I love you, CC!” She waves both arms, opening and closing her palms, and I blow her a kiss before I look at Jaylin. “I love you too!”

  Jaylin beams, her face warming with color, and she mouths, “Same, Kirb.”

  I send her a wink and then toss the puck up and over the glass. I have to say, I’m surprised when Jaylin catches it. I grin widely at her as she hands it to Celeste. But of course, she goes to put it in her mouth, so Jaylin stops her, laughing happily. In my chest, my heart is going crazy at the sight. It’s so normal. So perfectly fluid, like she is meant to mother Celeste. I swear, I have never experienced this kind of feeling, and I sure as hell have never felt so completely loved in all my life.

  We could lose this game and I wouldn’t mind too much, for I’m winning every day at home.

  After the game, I meet Jaylin at home, where she’s changing Celeste.

  “I think I need a car seat for my car,” she tells me before setting Celeste on her feet and holding her under her arms for support.

  I grin as I crouch down so Celeste can see me. “Come on, CC. Come to Daddy.”

  CC giggles as she moves her feet, and Jaylin carries her to me. Celeste is nowhere near ready to walk, but it’s cute watching her think she can. Jaylin swings her up, kissing her cheek before handing her off to me. I take my baby, kissing her and breathing in the smell of her. She’s all freshly changed, lotioned up, and in her sleeper. “Taking that sucker out of Jean’s car was absolute hell, and we have to exchange tomorrow. I may need you to send me the link so I can buy one.”

  “Or we can go in the morning. Celeste needs some new clothes. Her six-to-nine are way too tight. Need to go up to nine-to-twelve.”

  She eyes me. “Or twelve-to-eighteen. That one outfit I bought is a twelve-month and fits her great.”

  “Stop making my baby grow,” I accuse her, and she laughs as she cleans up the diaper mess and then hangs up Celeste’s jersey. “So, you really had a great time at the game?”

  “Yeah, it was awesome. I had no clue what was happening,” she admits as she folds some blankets and throws them on the blanket stack.

  “Did your parents enjoy themselves?”

  She looks up at me, grinning. “Dad talked about getting season tickets, he loved it so much. My mom, like me, had no clue what was going on, but she thought it was cool. They’re talking about going to dinner after your golf date with Dad.”

  That pleases me. “Sounds good to me.”

  “I figured you’d say that, so I said yes,” she says, standing up. “By the way, it’s crazy that I am volunteering to hang with my parents. But I am finding that having a boyfriend takes a lot of the pressure and the attention off me. Plus, Celeste steals the show.”

  I chuckle. “That’s good. I’m glad they like us.”

  I rock Celeste back and forth, holding her bottle as she drinks soundly. She’s exhausted. Big night. Not only did she have th
e game, but she went to dinner with Jaylin’s parents and Jean afterward. It takes me so long to finish up after a game, I missed it. But when Jaylin said she’d meet me at the house, I wasn’t upset.

  “Love you,” she corrects. “Pretty sure my mom is planning our wedding on the side.”

  I eye her. “How’s that make you feel?”

  She doesn’t meet my gaze. “Fine.”

  “Fine?”

  She sends me a smirk. “I mean, I’m not upset or scared.”

  “That’s good.”

  “I thought so. Also, I can’t wait to go to my next game. Though, I wish you guys had won.”

  Yeah, that sucked. “Me too. Sorry about that.”

  She looks up from where she is tossing toys in the toy box. “Um, you did your part. You scored.”

  “It was all for you, baby,” I say as I lay Celeste down, switching out the bottle in her hand for a stuffed IceCats cougar.

  “I feel so special.” She comes up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and kissing me in the middle of my back. She then moves around, leaning her head on my bicep as she holds Celeste’s foot in her hand. “Love you, baby girl. Sweet dreams.”

  I lean in, kissing Celeste’s forehead before whispering, “I love you. Goodnight.”

  Celeste’s eyes are almost shut as we walk out of the room, our arms around each other. I bring the door closed only a bit before kissing Jaylin’s temple. “You are.”

  Jaylin looks up at me, confused. “Huh?”

  “You are special.”

  She beams at me as our lips meet. I kiss her long and hard, my body needing hers. When she parts from my lips, we grin at each other before I give her another smaller kiss. After she pulls back, she tugs me to the kitchen, and I can’t help but take in the view. She’s still wearing my jersey with a pair of jeans that hug that ass something insane. When we reach the island, she grabs the glass of wine she had poured herself before I got home. She then hops up on the island, pulling me between her legs by the buckle of my belt. She wraps her legs around me as I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her close.

  I press my nose into hers, running it along her soft skin. I hate that I’m checking the amount of wine she has left because I know once it’s gone, she’ll be ready to leave. I don’t want her to leave. This all feels so perfect. So right. She does run this household, and I love it.

  I kiss her top lip and ask, “Did you make your list?”

  “I did,” she answers, holding her glass up to take a sip. “It’s not long.”

  “What’s on it?”

  She pauses for a second and then pulls her phone out of her back pocket. I watch as she goes to her notes, and then she starts to speak. “Fear of forgetting my sleep stuff—”

  “Okay, so tomorrow when we’re shopping, we’ll get you everything you need. So you have a second set here.”

  She presses her glossy lips together as she meets my gaze. She swallows hard and then continues on the list. “Fear of farting or snoring.”

  “That’s normal. No worries there. I won’t judge you. I snore when my sinuses are bad.”

  Her lips quirk, but then she looks into my eyes. She doesn’t look down at her notes; she holds my gaze, searching it as she says, “And the last one is fear that if I stay, I’ll never want to leave. I know my heart will be fully committed to this, and I won’t know how to move on from this relationship if it ends, if you don’t want me anymore. Because I feel like it’s my life now. You and Celeste, this is my normal. And sleeping with you, being in the bed with you and loving you, will mean I’m allowing you the opportunity to hurt me.”

  I wasn’t expecting that. My heart jumps into my throat as I hold her gaze. Tears flood her eyes, and I reach up, cupping her face in my palms. “My heart is already committed to this. I honestly don’t know how to live my life without you now that I have you. You and Celeste have been my normal for the last couple months, and Jaylin, it feels so damn right. So perfect. Please, sweetheart, my love, join me.”

  A tear trickles down her cheek as she leans her face into mine, placing her wine and phone on the counter so she can hold me by the back of my biceps. “I brought a bag.”

  “You did?” I ask, way more excited than I should be. She could leave at any second.

  “I want to try.”

  “You do?”

  “I do,” she says, opening her eyes to look into mine. “When you asked for the list, I sat there, and all I could think about was that Nico did this for Aviva. He was set on making her comfortable, and I admired him for it. I was jealous of how wonderful he was to her, and here you are, doing the same thing. But the thing is, you’ve been doing the same thing since day one. You’re so supportive, so wonderful, and I trust you. I trust you immensely, Kirby.” Another tear falls, and I quickly wipe it away. “I held Celeste all night. It was like she was mine. My daughter. And I felt so damn right. I probably should have added that to my list of fears. Since if this ended, it would be a double heartbreak because I love her just as much as I love you.”

  “That won’t happen. Jaylin, I feel this. I know this is it. I knew it when I saw you in that bar.”

  She nods. “I know. I feel it too, though I’m still so scared. But I have to try because I can’t lose you two. I love you both so much.”

  I can’t even speak. I’m floored. I bring her mouth to mine, kissing her hard, and she leans into me, cupping my hands with hers as our kiss deepens. I slide my tongue along hers, kissing her top lip and then her bottom before pulling back to gaze into her eyes.

  “Where are your keys?”

  She smiles. “On the table by the door.”

  I kiss her again. “I’m going to get your bag. Go get naked.”

  Her giggles send me into a frenzy. “That was a long game of physical exertion for you to be wanting more of it. You sure?”

  “I am always sure when it comes to you,” I promise, kissing her nose. She kisses me back before I pull away, backing up. “Naked, Jaylin.”

  She laughs. “I hear you.”

  Before I can say anything else, though, there is a knock at the door. Her brows rise as mine do the same. “Who the hell could that be?” I ask, and she shrugs as I turn to go to the door. “Maybe Jean forgot something,” I say, but when I open the door, it’s not Jean.

  Fuck, I wish it were Jean.

  No. It’s Lilly.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Jaylin

  * * *

  You have got to be fucking kidding me.

  My heart drops into my stomach and then bounces around inside as I stand, crossing my arms over my chest. I cannot believe this chick is standing in Kirby’s doorway. Damn it, Celeste favors her. I’d never thought so before since I’ve only ever seen Kirby and Celeste together. Since I’ve memorized everything about Celeste’s face, I can now see Lilly in her. The almond-shaped light-blue eyes, the button nose, the blondish hair—though Celeste’s has gotten darker the last month—and even her chin. Lilly is standing in front of Kirby, and I know she can’t see me, but I can see her, and I sure as hell don’t like the way she is looking at my man.

  She’s petite, looking more like a teenager than a woman our age. Her blond hair is bone straight along her shoulders, almost touching her stomach. Her blue eyes are blazing, her bright-red lips pressed together, and displeasure is ringing clear on her features. Her shoulders are back in a defensive position. I don’t know why she looks ready to fight, but she better not lay a hand on Kirby. I almost go to him, stand beside him to present a united front, but before I can or even urge myself to move, he strikes his hands to his hips.

  “Lilly? What are you doing here?”

  She glares up at him. “I’m here for court.”

  I can tell by the set of his shoulders and the way his back flexes that he is pissed. “Court isn’t until next week. And why are you here? It’s late.”

  “I know, but my plane just got in. I didn’t know where else to go, so I came here.”

&
nbsp; “Why? This isn’t your home, never has been your home.”

  “No. But my daughter is here,” she snaps, and I swear, the way his shoulders recoil, it’s as if she hit him.

  “Your daughter? Please don’t make me laugh. You gave up that right when you left her here and then refused to come back for court for months.”

  “That’s the past, Kirby. Move forward.”

  “Oh, I have. Without you, and my daughter has done the same.”

  “Whatever. I want to see her.”

  She tries to step forward, but he moves so she can’t get in. “No. She’s sleeping. You need to leave.”

  “Are you being serious right now?” she asks, with the audacity of someone completely entitled.

  “Yes. I don’t know who you think you are, coming to my home and acting as if you’re going to waltz right on in and see my child. Guess again. I’ll see you in court.”

  “I want to see my daughter,” she demands, and I don’t know why or even if it’s the heavens, but Celeste wails from her room. “See? She hears me,” she says smugly.

  “Or her stuffed animal fell out of her hand,” I correct as I head for Celeste’s room.

  “Who the fuck is that?”

  I have to take in a deep breath to keep from screaming, “I’m the woman who has been there for your child when you haven’t.” Instead, I know it’s true when Celeste sees me. She’s crying, holding to the rail as she jumps up and down, and right away, I see that her plush IceCats cougar fell out of the crib. She has a habit that right when she falls asleep, the toy slides down her arm and between the slats. I pick it up and reach for her, and she comes eagerly into my arms. She nuzzles her nose in my chest as I carry her to the rocking chair, kissing her forehead.