Center of Gravity: An Accidental Pregnancy Romance (An Ice Tigers Hockey Romance Book 2)

by Isabella Cassazza

  What the fuck? Has she already wrapped every man in this room around her little finger?

  Yesterday, he barely got out a word and was sweating buckets, and now he’s standing next to a goddess as if he’s the king of the world?

  “Good morning, everyone!” Where is Rob Hayden and who is this super-motivated, smiling man? “I’d like you to welcome our new GM. Please let me introduce you to Emilia Ravelli.”

  Emilia has just gotten his job, and he’s happy about it? What is going on here?

  Emilia beams at him. “Good morning from my side as well. Thank you, Rob, for the introduction.” She clasps her hands in front of her. “My name is Emilia Ravelli. I’ve been sent here on behalf of the Ravelli Group to help reach this team’s goals.” Her hands waver a little when she unclasps them again. “Now, what can you expect from your new owner and what are our expectations? I’ve only arrived here yesterday, and to be honest, I haven’t had a lot of time to prepare for this job, and even though my father played hockey in Switzerland, I’m not an expert in sports management and certainly not in managing a hockey team.”

  She talks a lot with her hands, using big gestures. She’s also radiant this morning, unlike yesterday, when she looked tired and scared. Whatever happened in that small amount of time has been great for her. I’m glad. I’m not proud of my reaction—if one can even call it a reaction. I may have to apologize to her, but what did she expect? Me crying happy tears and proposing to her because we’re having a baby?

  The baby. Fuck, my throat constricts, and the air in the room feels thick and void of oxygen all of a sudden—at least for me. Holy shit, I’m going to be a father. This woman is an heiress to a multimillion-dollar fortune. She doesn’t need my money, and why would she lie about me being the father when she can have any man she wants? I’ve always wanted kids, but I didn’t see myself having them out of wedlock with a woman I don’t know at all.

  I grab the sides of my chair with both hands and hold on for dear life, concentrating on each inhale and exhale to slow my racing pulse, which earns me another look from Tyler. I ignore him and look in the other direction. Each and every one of my teammates is hanging on Emilia’s lips, absorbing like sponges every word leaving her beautiful mouth. She’ll have the team lying at her feet in no time. For me, she’s just become even more of a mystery. She speaks loud and clear, but her hands waver from time to time.

  Shouldn’t she be used to speaking publicly? Has she even worked before? What does an heiress do all day?

  She turns to Rob, placing a hand on his shoulder, and I press my lips together. Why do I even care? “That’s why Rob will continue to be this team’s GM, but we’ll work hand in hand. While he’ll be responsible for negotiating contracts, controlling the salary cap, make player decisions in accordance with the coaching staff, and manage the coaches and scouts, I’ll be working more on ticket sales, marketing, and manage the personnel other than the hockey staff.” She takes her hand off a beaming Rob.

  “Our main goal is to secure a playoff spot this year and have a go at the Stanley Cup. From what I’ve been told and seen, everyone is very dedicated to achieving this goal, and the Ravelli Group is willing to support you in the best way possible. I’m not going to lie to you; in return, we expect you to help launch our new clothing line RAVELLIS. This line will feature workout clothes, combining design and functionality. Samples will arrive in the next few days, and we’ll outfit everyone. After that, we’ll discuss how you can help us with the launch. Some of you will be part of the ad campaigns; others could post photos working out in RAVELLIS on their social media channels.” Her hands shake a little before she clasps them again.

  “You’ll receive more information over the next couple weeks. We’re also looking to establish our business and evening wear in the North American market. The Ravelli brand is famous in Italy for its timeless custom-made suits. Hockey players and coaches wear suits when arriving at the games, right? It’ll be the perfect opportunity for you to put on your custom-made Ravelli suit.”

  I can’t help but nod, and a quick glance tells me so does everyone around me. She’s giving us quite a speech here, but to me, the Ravelli Group’s plans sound too good to be true. Perhaps she isn’t telling us everything at this point? Aren’t there less expensive marketing strategies than buying a hockey team? Even if Emilia’s father was a hockey player….

  Wait, did she know all along that we would meet again? Did she fuck me despite the fact that she was going to be my boss a few weeks later? Who is this woman?

  “From now on, you’ll exclusively wear Ravelli suits in public. For this to work, we’ll fly in five tailors from our headquarters in Rome next week to measure everyone and talk about your preferred materials. We’ll send out an email with the available options today, so you can prepare and preselect the styles you like. Each suit will be custom-made and fit you like a second skin. The team apparel will be made from the same materials as our RAVELLIS line, which I promise you is super comfortable to wear.” She winks. She fucking winks. And a glance out of the corner of my eye confirms that my teammates hang on her lips as she continues. “We’ll also have photo shoots with the team for our evening wear. I’ll inform you as soon as I have more details. Any questions so far?”

  Michael’s voice sounds through the room. That fucker. Of course he’d try to leave an impression. “How many suits will each of us receive? And can we design our own suit?”

  Emilia walks past us, and my teammates turn around, but I refuse to follow her with my gaze like a love-sick puppy. What’s wrong with them? Most of them are in relationships or married. Put one attractive woman in front of them and they act like teenagers.

  “Great question. Each of you will receive ten suits. I’m sure we’ll find a solution if someone needs more. Great idea with the design as well—I’ll talk to our tailors and get back to you. What’s your name?”

  “Michael King, ma’am.”

  Ma’am? Are we in the deep South all of a sudden?

  “Please call me Emilia. Everyone, please call me Emilia.” Her heels click on the floor when she walks back to the front, and everyone turns around in time to see her innocent smile again. Even Nessy, Smithy, and Tyler don’t take their eyes off her. So much for being in committed relationships. Fuckers.

  I study my hands, clenching and unclenching them, while she continues her speech. “One last thing for now. I’d like to get to know your names. It might take me a while, so please be patient with me. But to speed up the process, I’d like each of you to come to my office today so we can have a brief chat about what your personal expectations are or if you have any concerns regarding the Ravelli Group’s engagement with the team. If you need more time or if you have any concerns later, I’ll always have an open ear for you. Feel free to contact me anytime. I’d like to detect problems as soon as possible and find solutions. One last thing. Italy is known for its hospitality. At least, that’s what Italian’s would like to think about themselves. I know it’s last minute, but I would like to invite the whole team to dinner tonight. You know, in Italy, someone always knows someone who knows someone”—she winks—“who knows another one.” Tyler chuckles beside me, and so do the other players. I’m tempted to plant my fist into each of their drooling faces.

  “Anyway, Mary booked an Italian restaurant. She’ll text you the location. Don’t worry if you can’t make it, but I hope to see you tonight.”

  Nessy stands up and introduces himself to Emilia, checking her out while he shakes her hand. That man is married, for Christ’s sake. “Emilia, my name is Erik Ness, but everyone calls me Nessy. I’m the Ice Tigers’ Captain. I think I can speak for all of us. We’re pleasantly surprised. To be honest, we weren’t quite sure what to expect after Rob told us about the change in ownership yesterday. But it’s great to hear that the Ravelli Group is committed to our team and wants us to succeed. Welcome to Boston. I’m excited for this season, and new suits are always great. I’ve never had a custom-made one,
but I know some people in this room never would buy one off the rack again—”

  “Time to improve your style, Captain!” Michael yells.

  Laughter sounds through the room, and Nessy blushes. “Anyway, not everyone could make it today with the short notice, but I’ll be the first one to join you in your office. After that, we’ll go in alphabetic order, all right, boys?”

  My teammates nod in unison. At least I’ll get the opportunity to talk to her. But only after everyone else has done so. It’s not the first time I curse my last name.

  Emilia claps her hands. “Perfect. Let’s get started. I’ll see you later, everyone.” She leads the way outside, while Nessy follows right on her heels.

  “She’s quite something.” Tyler turns to me.

  “She’s awesome.” Smithy turns around to us, straddling his chair. “I think they’re serious about wanting this team to succeed. Maybe it’s the change we needed.”

  “Let’s wait and see. I need to get my training in. See you later.” I head to the training area, putting on my headphones and shutting out the world.

  Tyler waves his hand in front of my face and motions for me to take off my headphones. What’s wrong with him? I’m in the middle of a set. I raise my eyebrow, but he holds my gaze and crosses his arms over his chest. I shake my head but turn off the music and take off my headphones in slow motion.

  “You need to stop. Whatever you think you’re doing here, it’s not going to work. You can’t outwork your problems, man. Talk to me, Walker.” Tyler puts his hand on my shoulder, forcing me to put down the weights I’ve been holding with one hand while grasping my headphones with the other.

  “What are you, a fucking shrink?” Heads fly in our direction, and I regret my words as he turns to leave. Before he can take a second step, I grab him by the arm. “Tyler, wait. I’m sorry. I—” Fuck, what am I going to say now? I can’t tell him about Emilia and the baby. We aren’t best friends, and even if we were, I want to talk to her first. But since my name is last on the list, I haven’t had the chance.

  A last name beginning with a letter at the very end of the alphabet is stupid to have. In school, I was always the last one when it came to presentations or whatever it was. Sure, I could watch the others and take notes, but most of the time, I didn’t want to wait; I wanted to get it done. But I’m not in school anymore, and my last name isn’t the real problem right now.

  “I have to go to Brooklyn,” I say without thinking.

  “So, go to Brooklyn.”

  The gym has become silent while everyone waits for my reply. “None of your business,” I want to yell at them. Instead, I stand up and push Tyler to the exit. “Let’s go to the locker room.” He takes the lead. Once we’ve arrived, he opens the door and waits for me to step inside. Then he closes it, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

  I sigh and look on the linoleum floor. “I lived in Brooklyn before I got traded.”

  “I still don’t get why it would be a problem to go there.”

  “I have to get a few things from my house.” I lift my chin and look at him.

  “And?” He raises both eyebrows and shrugs.

  “My ex lives in the house.” I hold his gaze and watch his eyebrows drop.

  “Oh.”

  Yeah, “oh” may not be the adequate expression here.

  “So, it didn’t end well?” He drops his arms.

  I snort. “Not exactly.” I turn around, sitting down on my spot on the wooden bench, and look at the floor again.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” He walks over and sits down beside me.

  My head comes up. “You’d do that?”

  “Sure.” He shrugs.

  “You don’t have to.” He and Smithy have been friendly and welcoming from the very beginning, but I was fighting my inner demons and pushed them away over and over. I didn’t want to socialize last season. And I’m not sure if I should befriend him right now when I don’t know how my… situation with Emilia will play out. Will she even want me here after my stunt yesterday? She could trade me all across the country if she wanted too. But how could I have known yesterday that my baby momma is also my boss?

  “I know. But if you need help, I’ll be there. When did you plan to go?” Tyler’s voice invades my thoughts.

  I didn’t exactly have plans, but now that I’m thinking about it… at least I could take care of one messy situation. It’s high time I retrieve the things I left behind and tell my ex and brother to move out. And even though my new apartment is furnished, I’d like to have some familiar things there too. Like my reading light for the coffee table next to the couch or my sound system—if it’s still in one piece. “I planned to go the day after tomorrow, but I’m flexible.”

  He nods. “Works for me.”

  “Thank you.” And I mean it. Tyler is a great guy, and he’ll never know how much I appreciate his help. I make a mental note to find out what he likes and send him a gift after our trip to Brooklyn.

  “Thank me after we have your stuff. So, we’re doing a road trip?”

  “Yeah—”

  The door opens, and Smithy pokes his head inside. “Matt, you’re wanted in Mr. Williams’s old office to talk to Emilia.”

  “Go, we’ll talk later.” Tyler motions me out of the room, and I brush past Smithy with a forced smile on my face.

  I tap my foot while I wait for the elevator with my heart pumping in my chest. I’m not prepared to face Emilia. What am I going to say to her? I should apologize. And I have questions about the baby.

  I put one foot in front of the other like a robot, and way too soon, I’m standing in front of the dark wooden door of her office, unsure how to handle the situation at hand. Is this how she felt yesterday? I knock twice and step inside without waiting for someone to call me in.

  Emilia isn’t alone in the office. Rob is sitting right next to her on one of the leather couches. Fuck, with him in the room, we can’t talk about the baby. Our eyes meet when she stands up to shake my hand, and she gets my unspoken hint.

  “Rob, could you please grab a glass of water for me?” He jumps up from his seat, practically falling over his feet as he runs out of the room to fulfill her request.

  “Training your puppy?” I sit down across from her, looking her directly in the eyes. Smooth, Walker, real smooth. Not.

  “Don’t be a jerk.” She holds my gaze, her eyes shooting daggers in my direction.

  I shrug. She’s right, but I don’t approve of how people fall at her feet. “We need to talk.”

  She throws her head back and laughs. “Now you want to talk. But now isn’t the time. Rob could be back any second. Is your number in the system up to date?”

  I nod. Of course she would have access to her employees’ personal data, and I am one of her employees now, am I not?

  “I’ll call you later. I don’t think I can come to your hotel again. There might be paparazzi.”

  “Paparazzi?” Why would there be paps?

  She sighs. “We released a statement this morning naming me the team’s new GM, and the Italian yellow press has a certain kind of interest in me.”

  “What are you, some kind of socialite?” Is she an “it girl”? Is that even an occupation?

  “I—”

  The door flies open, and Rob speed-walks inside, placing a glass of water in front of Emilia with so much enthusiasm that the water sloshes over the sides.

  “Thank you, Rob.” Emilia takes a sip of water.

  He beams at her, and I clench my fists again.

  “Do you have any more questions, Matt?” Her fake smile doesn’t reach her eyes.

  “No, Emilia, I think I know what’s expected of me.” I give her a fake smile of my own, which must look like a grimace, at least it feels like one, and push myself off the couch.

  “Will you join us tonight?” She remains seated, brushing nonexistent lint from her suit.

  Hell, I’d already forgotten about the team dinner. As muc
h as I hate to watch my teammates drooling over her again, I should attend. “I’ll be there.” I just hope I won’t regret my decision.

  “Great.” Rob rubs his hands together. “Let’s grab something to eat, Emilia. You haven’t had lunch.”

  Does he know about the baby? Why is he so concerned about her? I search for answers in her eyes, but she holds my gaze with a blank stare. I wait for her to stand up and shake her hand. Then Rob motions us outside, where we part ways. While they wait for the elevator, I turn to the stairway with Emilia’s eyes burning holes in my back until I’m around the corner. Leaning against the nearest wall, I close my eyes.

  How am I going to survive this evening, let alone the season?

  Chapter 5

  Emilia

  “How long have you been working for the Ravelli Group?” Michael asks.

  The waitress places my pasta in front of me, giving me time to think about my answer. “I started working in the women’s department right after I finished my master’s degree two years ago.”

  “Have you always wanted to work for the family company?” Coach Benning leans back in his chair so the waitress can place his plate in front of him.

  “Well, it was the plan all along.” Not that I was asked what I wanted to do, but the team doesn’t need to know that. “This smells delicious.” I point at my Spaghetti al Burro e Parmigiano. “Enjoy your meal, everyone.” I smile at the faces around the round table, but before I have to answer another question, I dig into my pasta and take a mouthful. The perfect combination of salty Parmigiano Reggiano, homemade spaghetti, and butter explodes in my mouth. I’m in food heaven. Mary has found an excellent Italian restaurant. Italian food in foreign countries isn’t always what an Italian would call Italian cuisine but an adapted version catering to the countries taste. But my pasta and the bruschetta I had earlier are to die for. I’ll keep this place in mind for future business dinners and for when I’m in dire need of Italian food.