Chapter Eight
A few days later Carter watched helplessly as another goal got by Leo. What was with him today? Normally both of the Intimidators’ goalies were solid and dependable. Leo was anything but dependable today, though. Tom was screaming from the bench, and Carter figured Leo’s night was over. He was right.
The other goaltender, Scott, came in to the game, and the team hunkered down to try to score. They were down by three with a little less than half of the game left. Carter left the ice and collapsed on the bench, pulling much-needed oxygen into his screaming lungs, when he saw a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye. He and the other guys stood up to see what was happening, but Carter couldn’t see what had caused the commotion.
Then he heard words that made his blood run ice-cold. “Leo’s down! Leo’s down!”
What the fuck did that mean? Leo was on the bench. How could he be down? Play had been away from the bench, so he couldn’t have gotten hit with a puck or something.
He turned to Luc, who was a few inches taller. “Can you see?”
“No. I’m going over there.” Luc hopped over the boards and skated to the opposite end of the bench. He was the captain and Carter wasn’t surprised he wanted to be there if one of the guys was in trouble, which it certainly appeared Leo was. The team doctor scrambled out of the stands. Play had long since stopped, and as Carter looked around at his teammates, he saw expressions ranging from fear to disbelief.
“He just collapsed! Fell backward,” one of his teammates said to another.
“They used the smelling salts and he didn’t even move. Shit,” said another.
Carter knew stuff like this happened—guys collapsing on the bench. Hell, a few years ago Jiri Hudler had almost died in Detroit, and Ondrej Pavelec, a goaltender who was playing in Atlanta at the time, had gone down right in the crease during a game and things had been pretty dicey for him, too.
Shit! Is Leo dying?
He and the other guys had just been to the commitment ceremony for Leo and Scott and their woman, Kelly, a few months ago. He couldn’t die!
“What’s happening?” he demanded to no one in particular.
One of the assistant coaches turned to him briefly. “Looks like he fainted, but they’re not taking any chances.”
Carter chewed on his mouthpiece as he watched and waited. Scott had shouldered his way between everybody and was trying to lean down despite the heavy goaltending equipment he wore. Carter saw Kelly hightailing it toward Leo and shouted, “Kelly’s coming!” He didn’t want her to be unnecessarily upset if Leo didn’t look so good. Carter still couldn’t see the other man and had no idea if he was even conscious.
Scott must’ve heard his shout because he looked into the stands. He held up a hand, presumably to stop her, but Kelly pointed at the usher, who shrugged and helped her down to ice level. Scott’s mask was sitting on the top of his head, and he pulled it off completely now. One of the other guys took it, and then Scott removed his catching glove and blocker quickly. Kelly had knelt down next to Leo, but now she rose and threw her arms around Scott. He caught her, whispering in her ear. Carter couldn’t believe how quiet it had gotten. You could hear a pin drop in the place. He wondered what the fans in the arena and at home were thinking. Maybe when they got Leo upright, the PA announcer would say something. He gulped. If they got Leo upright.
Bile rose in his stomach. He wasn’t real close to the guy, but Leo was still his teammate. Carter spun around, looking for Jake. He found him sitting on the bench a few feet away, staring into space.
“Hey, man. I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
Jake looked up, his eyes glazed over. “What?”
“I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.” He rose and jerked his head toward Kelly and Scott. “Look at them. I want that. I want Eva to care enough to come racing down the stands if I’m hurt.”
Carter’s brain went into overdrive. Did Jake want Eva to love them? “But it’s just sex, right? We’re just having fun?”
“I thought so, but this is making me reconsider. I might want more.”
Carter moved his mouthpiece to the other side. “More? You mean like what Leo and Scott have with Kelly?”
“Maybe. I dunno, man. I was happy, but now I just feel like an ass. What are we doing with her?”
Luc skated back to them. Placing his gloved hands on the dasher board, he said, “He’s conscious. They’re gonna take him back to the trainer’s room and then probably to the hospital. He doesn’t remember what happened.”
“Well, shit,” Jake said.
“Yep.” Then Luc stood straight and looked at the team. “We’ve gotta shake this off, boys. We’re down by a pair still and there’s not much time left on the board. Let’s win one for Leo!”
The guys nodded, sitting back down. The announcer did make a brief announcement, and play resumed. None of them were engaged in the game, though, they were all too worried about their fallen teammate. Not surprisingly, they lost the game. Afterward, they shuffled back to the locker room, where they were told Leo had gone to the hospital for testing a short time ago and they didn’t know when they’d have another update. Nobody seemed in a hurry to get home, and most of the team ended up at a popular bar a few blocks away from the arena.
It was a Thursday night, so the place was busy, but the patrons gave them a wide berth. The players all sat there drinking beer and talking quietly while they waited for word on their goaltender. Carter finally pulled out his phone to make sure he had battery and saw several voicemails and texts from Eva.
“Hey, guys,” Carter said, tapping both Jake and Luc, “Has Eva been trying to get a hold of you guys, too?”
Both men shrugged, digging into their pockets for their own phones.
Luc sighed. “Yeah. She’s been trying to call me. I forgot to turn the ringer back on after the game ended.”
“Me, too,” Jake replied. He looked up at Luc and Carter. “Think we should call her?”
“My last thing from her came in nearly a half hour ago,” Carter said. “You?”
“Same.”
“Luc?”
“Yeah, same.”
Carter pinched the bridge of his nose, debating what to do. “It’s almost 1:00 a.m. She’s probably gone to bed by now.”
“But what if she hasn’t? What if she’s staying up, waiting for word? Surely she’s calling because she heard about Leo.”
Carter shook his head. “She’s got clients tomorrow. She wouldn’t stay up.”
“I dunno. I think we should at least send her a text or something,” Jake argued.
Carter knew Jake would keep bugging them about it until they agreed. “Fine, but just one text. Shit, we’re gonna be zombies for practice tomorrow, and we’re leaving for Nashville right after that. What a mess.”
Jake was tap-tap-tapping on the tiny keyboard on his phone, and Carter decided he was glad they’d contacted her. He didn’t want Eva worrying about Leo or about them. She had enough on her plate. Carter didn’t know how she did it—kept her business humming along, getting busier all the time, while still seeing the three of them. He began to feel guilty about the sleep they’d caused her to lose over the past few weeks. He didn’t regret it, though. The sex had been some of his best ever.
He looked over at Jake. As if his friend sensed his stare, he looked up. “What?”
“I was just thinking about what you said earlier.”
Luc turned to look at the two of them. “What did Jake say earlier?”
“That maybe this thing with Eva isn’t just sex,” Jake responded. “And that when I watched Kelly with Leo and Scott tonight, I realized maybe I want that, too.”
“I’ve been feeling the same way,” Luc admitted. “But she hasn’t asked for a commitment.”
“If you were screwing three guys at once would you ask for a commitment? I’m sure she thinks we’re just playing with her, having a good time,” Carter explained. “After all, we sa
id it didn’t have to be anything heavy. But I feel like it’s not real casual right now either, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.” Jake and Luc were both in their early thirties, whereas he was only twenty-seven. He knew Eva was around his age and wondered what she wanted. She’d mentioned being young and single. Maybe Luc and Jake were barking up the wrong tree with wanting to make this thing serious.
“You’re not sure how you feel about it being more than just a good time?” Luc asked. “And what exactly does ‘more’ mean, anyway?”
“We need to think about this,” Jake said. “She deserves a well-thought-out approach, no matter what we decide to do.”
“Okay, so what are we talking about?” Luc asked. “A relationship like Leo and Scott have with Kelly? They said Kelly’s trying to get pregnant. Do we want to have children with Eva?” Carter shuddered and Luc laughed. “Is that a no?”
“It’s a ‘not right now.’ Seriously, guys, I’m not sure if I even want to be exclusive with her. You guys are miles ahead of me.”
“Fair enough,” Luc responded. “Leo and Scott have their apartment, and I know Kelly moved in there. We all have separate places. How would we work things if it got more serious?”
A couple of the guys came by the table on their way out, so conversation halted for the moment, but when they were alone again, Jake spoke. “How serious do we really think we are? I mean, do we just think it’s a little more than lust, or are you guys falling in love with her? Can you see being with her for the rest of your lives?”
“I can,” Luc answered.
Both men turned to look at Carter. He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m younger than you guys are, and I’m not positive I’m ready to set up shop with a white picket fence and a minivan in the driveway.”
Luc choked on his beer. “A minivan? No fuckin’ way I’m ever getting a minivan.”
Carter sat back. It was kinda nice to be sitting here joking even with everything that was going on. “Okay, a station wagon then. Those come with a free cock chop.”
“A cock chop?” Luc sputtered out as he continued to cough.
“You know, where they chop your cock off. You won’t need it if you have a station wagon anyway.” He couldn’t help the grin that crept up.
Jake shook his head. “You’re horrible. You’re a horrible, horrible person, you know that?”
“Whatever. Hey, my cock is important to me.”
“Trust me, every man’s cock is important to him,” Luc replied. “And why are we talking about cocks?”
“We were talking about Eva, but this douche bag”—Jake punched Carter in the arm—“got us off track.”
“I say for now we just play it cool, see what happens, especially if Carter’s not on board with it going further right now,” Luc suggested. “Hey, did she reply to the text?”
Jake laughed. “You know, I didn’t even look.” He picked up his phone. “Yeah. She wants us to call her when we know how he is.” He tapped out another message. “That should satisfy her curiosity for now.”
* * * *
Eva felt like she’d been run ragged, and it was still before noon. It was surprising how much energy it took to do massages. Only the knowledge she’d be seeing her guys later made the day bearable. They’d been away for a road game in Nashville Saturday night, and she hadn’t seen them in what seemed like forever. They’d said they had a surprise for her, and she couldn’t decide if she was excited or nervous. Who knew what the three of them would come up with?
She crunched on an apple as she waited for her next client. For some reason she kept scheduling clients too close to each other on Mondays, so her meals ended up being spaced out through the day—an apple here, a sandwich later. By the time she got out of work she was usually starving, and she hoped whatever the guys had in mind included dinner. She thought about the delicious meal they’d prepared for her a week ago at Luc’s condo, and her mouth watered. That night seemed so far away now, and she could swear she’d seen about a hundred clients since then.
Her cell phone buzzed with a text, and she smiled, hoping it was one of the guys. She wasn’t disappointed. Jake’s number popped up and she clicked on the message.
Can’t wait to see you tonight. Wear something pretty and be hungry.
She laughed and texted him back.
I can’t wait either. So what does pretty mean? Are you making more sauce?
He returned the text promptly.
Pretty means naked, but since we’ll be in public, how about a dress? I love your legs. And no, I’m not making sauce. We’re taking you out.
Eva’s brows rose. They were going out in public? All together? Sure, they’d gone bowling, but this sounded more like a date. How would that go?
You’ve intrigued me. See you soon.
Her client knocked on the office door, and she put her phone away. It was time to get back to work.
Several hours later, she rushed into her house to take a shower and change. After drying her hair, leaving it down the way the guys seemed to like it, she put on a little makeup and then went to her closet, where she stopped dead. A dress? She had precious few dresses that fit her, and even less she could wear at this time of year. Most were sundresses, and it was definitely not sundress weather in Buffalo right now. She wore tanks to work, but she kept her room quite warm because the clients liked it that way, so heavier clothing wasn’t needed, but the temperatures outside were still chilly at best.
Eva bit her lip. Jake had asked her to wear a dress. She didn’t have time to go shopping, so she’d have to do the best she could. Reaching into the closet, she pulled out a wrap dress. It had short sleeves, but she could wear a cardigan and tights and be warm enough. Of course, the guys would probably keep her plenty warm, but she knew they’d have to behave if they were in public, as Jake had said they would be.
She finished her ensemble with black, knee-length boots. Not bad. The wrap dress made it look like she had more curves than she actually did, which wasn’t a bad thing. And the style actually suggested cleavage, which was even better. As she turned to inspect herself in the bathroom mirror, the skirt wrapped around her thighs. Perfect.
The doorbell rang, and she hurried to answer it. Just before she opened the door, she reminded herself to play it cool even though she felt anything but. Any sense of calm she’d achieved left her when she saw her guys all standing on the porch, looking far more delectable than they had the right to.
“Hey,” she said, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
“Hey, chica,” Carter answered, stepping inside. The other two followed and she closed the door to keep out the wind and chill. Carter swept her into his arms. “You look incredible. I might eat you instead of dinner.” Eva shivered at the image. He pulled her closer and kissed her, sinking his tongue into her mouth. She moaned and his grip tightened again.
“Leave some sugar for the rest of us,” Luc demanded, pulling her out of Carter’s arms. She went willingly, and he wrapped his large hands around the back of her neck, pulling her gently forward. “I’ve been dreaming about your mouth doing the most wicked things to me. No time for that now, but I’ll take a kiss.” She felt her face go hot, and he chuckled. “I fuckin’ love the way you blush. You’re not embarrassed, though, are you, baby?”
She shrugged. “Not really. It’s just kind of a natural reaction when someone talks like that.”
“Like what, dirty?”
“Yeah,” Eva replied then grinned. “I kinda like it.”
“I bet you do, baby.” His thumbs massaged along the line of her jaw just before he pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was brief but hard, and then he passed her to Jake, who promptly took possession of her mouth, sweeping inside to explore her depths.
When he finally released her, she was breathless. “What a way to be greeted.”
The guys laughed, and Carter glanced at his watch. “We need to leave soon if want to be on time.”
“Where are we going?”
“Y
ou’ll see.”
They ushered her into Jake’s SUV, and he drove them downtown. When they pulled into the small parking lot for Kelly’s, she turned to look at him. “Isn’t this Leo and Scott’s girl’s place?”
“It is.”
“I’ve never been here, but I’ve heard the food is really good.”
“She’s making us a special meal. She called it a ‘Chef’s Table,’ whatever that means.”
“Sounds great.” Luc helped her out of the car and kept her hand clasped within his as they approached the restaurant. She started to tug hers away, and his grip tightened. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t wanna hide this. Neither do Jake and Carter. If people don’t like it, tough.” He looked at her. “Ready?”
“Okay,” she agreed. Eva wasn’t sure she was on board with being totally public, but this was a good baby step to take.
Chapter Nine
As they approached the door, she asked Luc, “Hey, how’s Leo?”
Luc’s brows drew down. “We’re not sure.”
“Did they figure out what happened?”
“Not yet. They know he fainted, but they don’t know why.”
He didn’t seem to want to discuss it, so she dropped the subject. They all walked into the restaurant and Kelly rushed out from behind the counter. “Hey! How are you guys?”
Luc grinned at her, but Eva could tell it was a little strained. Maybe because of Leo’s problems? “Great, Kelly, how are you?”
Kelly sighed. “I’m okay, I just wish they would figure out what happened to Leo. He’s a bear at home.”
“And at the rink,” Carter said before Jake elbowed him.
“I bet. Anyway, we’re all set up in the kitchen if you want to follow me.”
Eva’s brow rose. “The kitchen?”
“Yeah. It’s a new thing I’m doing, only for special guests.” She began to walk in the direction of the kitchen. “Go ahead and follow me and I’ll explain.” Kelly motioned them in ahead of her and said, directing her attention to Eva, “It’s called a Chef’s Table. Basically it’s a table that’s located in the middle of the kitchen where a few people can watch the goings-on and have a whole meal prepared just for them.”
Carr, Cassandra - Cold as Ice [Buffalo Intimidators 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 8