Hooked: A Hockey Romance

by June Winters

  “Hello there, Hunter! I'm great. Take a seat.”

  My agent was already seated and waiting for me. I sat next to him, two of us side by side, and Mr. Walton on the other end of his executive desk. Behind Mr. Walton, floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breath-taking glimpse of the mountains, reveling in the morning sun.

  It was a view I'd hate to give up; but then, I guess that decision wasn't really up to me in the first place.

  Mr. Walton clasped his hands and stared at me over the desk. “Hunter.”

  “Yes?”

  “I'll be honest. When we traded for you three years ago, we imagined things would go … differently.”

  My agent immediately went on the defensive on my behalf. “Now, Mr. Walton, speaking statistically, Hunter's G/60 and P/60 are only a small regression from the mean, and—”

  Mr. Walton held up a hand to silence him. “We don't need to debate the numbers. I'm talking about something more intangible. I'm talking more about Hunter's dedication to the team; the question of his leadership.” Mr. Walton frowned. “Specifically, rumors of the partying, the night life, and so on.”

  I swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

  “Of course, since then, we've learned what was bothering you. And your play down the stretch, in which you carried the team into the playoffs, and then into the second round of the playoffs, was exactly what we'd hoped to get when we traded for you.” Mr. Walton swiveled from side to side in his chair as he stared at me thoughtfully. “Tell me how you feel about your future, and the future in Colorado.”

  “Well.” I took a deep breath and anxiously ran my palms on my knees. “First, you're right. When I came here, my life off the ice was a mess. I'm sorry for that. I didn't know how to ask for help. Maybe I didn't even know I needed help. Honor has been such a huge part of my life in helping me turn that around. I feel like I've got my balance back. This off-season is totally dedicated to my training. I'm going to come back faster, stronger, more determined than ever. Partying? Those days are behind me. I don't drink anymore besides the occasional glass with dinner.”

  “Congratulations on the engagement, by the way,” Mr. Walton said.

  “Thank you, sir. I think I almost gave her whiplash with how fast I busted out the ring, but I knew I couldn't risk letting her get away.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  “As for the future here in Colorado? Absolutely, I wanna stay here and build on where we left off last season. Losing in the second round of the playoffs stung—but it only makes us that much hungrier to get right back in the mix next year. The team is still young, we're still gonna grow and get better with every year. I want to be here, to lead them, to be the leader I was meant to be from day one.”

  Mr. Walton stoically nodded while he let my words soak in. Then, slowly, a crack appeared in the facade, and a big smile broke out. “So how's Honor doing?” he asked.

  “Honor? She's great. She loves her new position in the Fan Relations department—thanks again for that favor! It meant so much to us both. And yeah, I'll miss seeing her out there on the ice, but she's happier doing what she really wants to do—charity, and helping out the kids.” I checked my watch. “In fact? She should be out on the ice now.”

  Mr. Walton rose from his chair. I walked with him to the north wall of his office, where the curtains were drawn. He pulled the curtains aside and revealed a view of the rink's ice. Honor was engaged with a group of young children from the hospital, giving them their first-ever skating lesson.

  Mr. Walton beamed as he watched Honor with the kids. “They're really happy with her in Fan Relations, you know. You should see all the glowing email reports I get about her. She's a sweet girl, isn't she?”

  “Yes, sir. Truly.”

  “Can I count on her to keep you out of trouble?”

  I laughed. “I hope so. I'm not letting her out of my sight anytime soon.”

  Mr. Walton returned to his desk. He opened a drawer, pulled out a stapled stack of paper, and pushed it across the table.

  “There's our offer. We'd be glad to have you back, Hunter.”

  My agent snatched up the contract and quickly leafed through it. Truth be told, I didn't care about the money—I'd play for peanuts if it meant another chance to see this thing through and be the player I was meant to be. But my agent was impressed by what he read, at least. He jutted his lip out and gave me the thumbs up.

  Mr. Walton winked at me. “It's your asking price.”

  “Wow. Thank you, Mr. Walton.” I took the pen, signed on the dotted lines, and we shook hands.

  “So what's on your agenda for the rest of the day?” Mr. Walton asked me as he walked me to the door.

  “Right now? I'm gonna go put on my skates and help my fiancée teach these kids how to skate. After that? If I had to guess, we'll start house shopping. She keeps telling me what a waste of money it is, living in that hotel—”

  Mr. Walton interjected with a laugh, “And she's not wrong!”

  “I know, I know.” I shook my head, slightly ashamed. “But she'll be so excited to hear the news that we're staying in Colorado. I've got to imagine the house hunt starts today.”

  He patted me on the back. “Good man. Best of luck to you two.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Epilogue:

  Three Years Later

  Honor

  I heard Hunter's shout through the mesh-screen door. “Honor, sweetheart, you gotta come see this!”

  “Okay. Just one second,” I yelled back. I finished my brush-stroke and tilted my head at my work. From this elevation, the lush green cedars that covered the craggy mountainside looked like the coarse stubble on a man's rugged jawline.

  It was hard to capture the majesty of the mountains, and oh-so-easy to be frustrated by my attempts. Still, I loved painting them, even if I thought I sucked.

  Hunter always tells me that I'm a great painter, but I'm not so sure he knows what 'great' painting is, ha ha. But, even I have to admit, I've gotten a lot better over the years. It helps when you have all this amazing beauty right outside your window and you feel like you have to paint it or you're letting it go to waste.

  It also helps that Hunter finally talked me into signing up for art school … it's hard to fit classes in my busy schedule and with all my duties—but I'm doing it!

  I stepped out of my chair and stretched on the balcony. I closed my eyes and let the fresh, silky mountain air fill my lungs—something that never fails to make any of my stresses or frustrations or worries seem inconsequential. Yet another perk of living up in the mountains!

  We bought our Boulder home shortly after Hunter signed his contract extension three years ago. Our home was the best of both worlds: being nestled so high in the mountains, it offered plenty of privacy. But, being in Boulder, it was only a twenty minute drive to the arena in Denver—which was great for Hunter, for obvious reasons.

  I pulled the sliding door open and stepped in to find Hunter on his knees, playing with Ruby, our two-year-old daughter. Hunter always says that Ruby was blessed with her Mom's beauty and cursed with her Dad's stubborn drive.

  I'm not so sure it was a curse … but she was definitely stubborn!

  Ruby held a mini-hockey stick in both hands. She wore her Blizzard jersey, with “DADDY #37” on the nameplate, which was her game day outfit. Although she was too young to sit and watch a game on TV, she does happen to notice him sometimes when the camera catches him—which is always amusing! (“Daddy!” she squeals, confused but excited.)

  Hunter placed a foam ball on the carpet in front of Ruby and encouraged her. “Okay, Ruby, show Mommy what you just did!”

  Ruby eyed the ball, wound up with her mini-stick and slapped at it—and the foam ball went flying across the room and into the mini-hockey goal.

  “GOAL!” Hunter yelled, his arms raised, and Ruby celebrated. “Did you see that? She's really got a slapper!”

  ***

  Although I wished he didn't have to travel so much? Hunter
was a wonderful Dad.

  I'll never forget the look on his face when I told him I was pregnant. Although we were already married, the pregnancy wasn't exactly planned. In fact, we'd barely talked of children at all … ahem.

  But, as young newlyweds madly in love, we'd gotten into a bad habit of making love without any method of birth control. Sometimes you ran out of condoms! And, um, sometimes Hunter loved cumming inside me! (Okay—not just 'sometimes.' All the time.)

  I know, I know: what were we thinking?

  I guess we weren't worried about it—and we were fortunate enough not to have to worry about it, thanks to Hunter being a talented hockey player who could easily provide for a family.

  Still, once I found out I was carrying, I worried how he might take the news.

  “Babe, I have to tell you something,” I told him the second he came home from a morning skate—before he'd even shut the door. “I'm pregnant.”

  Hunter's jaw fell, and he softly asked, “really?”

  I nodded. Hunter dropped his hockey bag and took me straight to the bedroom, and even though he was supposed to nap and definitely not supposed to exert himself before his game later that night, we spent the rest of the afternoon making love. Hunter came inside me, again and again, until he absolutely had to leave or he'd be late and get in trouble with his team.

  There was another look I wouldn't forget: the first time he held his newborn daughter. When I was pregnant, Hunter joked around about how he knew the baby was a boy, because he needed to pass on his hockey skill and knowledge to a son who could continue his legacy. And who knows? Maybe that day will still come.

  (Or, heck, if Ruby keeps working on that slapshot, maybe she'll continue Dad's legacy, and do what her Mom never could!)

  But when Hunter held Ruby for the first time? That muscled man who made a living crushing grown men on the ice, melted like mountain snow in the summer.

  “She's gorgeous! Oh my God! She looks just like you, Honor! Hi, little girl!”

  ***

  “I have to go, sweetheart,” Hunter said as he rose to his feet. He had a game in a few hours.

  Hunter wrapped me up with his thick arms for a goodbye hug, while Ruby fetched her ball, teed up, and unleashed a wild slapshot.

  Ever since he re-discovered his love for the game—and re-focused himself to his fitness—Hunter looked better than ever. Bright, shining eyes and, of course, rippling muscles. And even better? The first signs of age had begun to show on his handsome face, with soft lines of wisdom etched around his eyes.

  Well—he wasn't so pleased with the wrinkles. But I was. It was a nice reminder that Hunter was gracefully turning into a distinguished, wonderful, and wise man.

  My man.

  Hunter kissed the top of my head. “Mm. You smell so good, Honor. You smell like the mountains.”

  I giggled, squeezed him back and pressed my face against his hard chest and inhaled his masculine scent. The sweet and salty scent that always turned me on.

  “Good luck tonight, Hunter,” I said as I slipped a hand down the front of his athletic pants and cupped my palm against his package. Immediately, he began to pump beneath the warmth of my fingers.

  “Who knows, maybe I'll be wearing your favorite lingerie when you come home? Lying in bed, playing with myself—what do you think?”

  Hunter always played an especially spirited and inspired game when I gave him something naughty to think about. I loved that I could still turn him on so easily!

  “Oh my God,” he growled. “Please, yes.”

  Hunter's arms dangled at his side as his cock grew stiffer in my hands. I teased him with slow tugs that had him grunting for more.

  “I better stop before we get carried away,” I said. Hunter gasped and gave me a tortured look when I stole my hand back from his pants.

  He stumbled back from me as if the fog in his head had cleared. “Damn. Damn, I can't wait to come home to you, baby.”

  I smiled.

  Me neither.

  THE END.

  About the Author

  June Winters believes every romance is hotter on the ice. Born in Minnesota, June grew up knee-deep in hockey and quickly learned to love the sport – but especially its strong and sexy heroes, who will do anything for their teammates … and the women they fall for.

  Keep your eye out for more hockey romance from June!

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