Delay of Game (San Francisco Strikers Book 3)

by Stephanie Kay

  Maybe she should just wait until tomorrow. When he was home and didn’t have a game.

  “Get your ass in gear, Sophia,” Claire yelled out, and Sophia took a deep breath.

  He was going to forgive her. He had to.

  ***

  Sophia and Claire were in their seats in time for warm-ups, and her heart was racing. The music pumped through the arena and then the guys were streaming onto the ice, each team taking laps around their half of the ice, while fans stood along the glass taking pictures. It felt like ages since she’d been in this arena, and she’d missed it. The energy was insane, more charged than during a regular game. This was opening night.

  She scanned the players, looking for number 47, looking for the blond flow poking out of the bottom of his helmet. He was one of the guys who did warm-ups with a helmet on.

  It was a damn shame.

  “Where is he?” Claire asked. “I don’t know why I don’t come to more games. It’s so much better than watching on TV.”

  “I don’t see him,” Sophia said, leaning close to Claire, but never taking her eyes off the ice. She looked at the bench, but it was clear of any players. And then she started to panic.

  Why wasn’t he on the ice? Had something happened? His ankle should be ready to go.

  “That’s weird. Can players skip warm-ups?” Claire asked, but Sophia had already swiped on her phone, looking for anything online to tell her why Finn wasn’t playing.

  She headed to the team’s Twitter feed and found tonight’s roster.

  “He’s not playing,” she said, scanning the image twice to make sure.

  “What? Why not?”

  She found the injury report. “He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. That doesn’t make sense. If anything, he would be out because of his ankle.” What had happened?

  “Is he here?”

  “Yeah, probably upstairs with the other injured and scratched players.” Shit. He wasn’t playing. Her heart broke for him. He’d been so determined to play in the opener, and he’d looked great during the preseason. Not that she’d watched the last two games. It hurt too much.

  “Go find him,” Claire said.

  “It’s not that easy. How would I even get up there?”

  “Don’t you have a media pass or something?”

  “Not on me,” she muttered.

  “Text Lexi. Aren’t her friends dating Cheesy and Harty? I bet they’re here tonight and can get you to see him.”

  “You’re right. I’m done waiting for him,” she said, sending a quick message to Lexi.

  ***

  An hour later, family pass in hand, Sophia and Claire were headed to the WAGs room with Penny.

  “Sorry it took me so long to get you. I get distracted watching Ethan play, and I didn’t look at my phone,” Penny said with a sheepish grin.

  “Thanks for coming to get me at all.”

  “Of course. We just want Finn to be happy again. He was until last week and then the grump returned. We want the grump on the ice, but off of it…” Penny trailed off.

  “Well Sophia is going to fix that,” Claire stated.

  “I’ll try,” she said, before turning back to Penny. “What’s his new injury?”

  “After the Anaheim game he apparently went home and punched his kitchen island. At least his hand isn’t broken. Just sprained. I’m not sure when he’s going to play again. Hopefully soon.”

  Sophia gasped. She’d destroyed his trust and then destroyed his hand. This was her fault.

  “Stop it,” Claire scolded. “Now get up to the ninth floor and straighten that man out.”

  Sophia’s laugh was a little watery and she rolled back her shoulders.

  “Yes, I told security to expect you, so you shouldn’t have any issues,” Penny said. “Now go fix him.”

  Sophia headed to the elevator, her nerves going haywire as she made her way to the box where the injured players sat.

  “Sophia?” His voice was filled with shock, and she spun around and watched Finn approach.

  Holy hell, he looked amazing in his perfectly tailored suit, his hair brushing his shoulders.

  God, she’d missed him.

  “How did you get over here?”

  She held up her family pass. “Penny,” she said.

  “Why are you here?” His voice was gruff, and he stared at her, but she didn’t hear anger in his tone, so that was a good start.

  “Because I’m done giving you time. I love you, and I’m sorry I kept something so painful from my past from you.”

  She didn’t miss his flinch, but she hadn’t said that to hurt him.

  “Sophia,” he started.

  “No. I have to finish. I love you, Eric Finnegan. And not just because you make killer pancakes and amazing sandwiches, or that you have FaceTime dinner dates with your niece, or that you can be a total grump but adorable at the same time. I love you because you are it for me. The person who helped me see that I needed to be honest with myself and my family. To go after my dreams like you have. And I’m sorry that I held part of myself back from you. It was easier to push what happened to me into the back of my mind, to almost forget about it, than to tell you everything and live through that time again. To be reminded of how weak I was to stay for so long. I’m not that person anymore, and I’m stronger because of what we have together.”

  “You aren’t weak, Sophia.” He took a step toward her, but she held out her hand to stop him.

  “And I promise you that I’m done with secrets. Everything is out.”

  He reached for her hand, and she gladly linked her fingers with his. Relief coursed through her as he tugged her close.

  “I was done waiting, too. I was going to go to your house tonight after the game, but I didn’t want you to know about this,” he said, holding up his hand.

  “I’m sorry about that, too,” she said, running her thumb over his bandaged knuckles.

  “It’s not your fault I picked a fight with a piece of concrete, or whatever the hell that damn island is made of.”

  “It’s sort of my fault. And you wanted to be back for the opener and your friend is here and you couldn’t play. I’m so sorry about this entire mess.”

  “Sophia, didn’t you not hear me? I was going to come grovel at your feet tonight. I was a complete asshole for walking away that night. From watching you relive that pain and leaving you there with him. And for not reaching out to you earlier. I let my stubbornness and stupidity get in the way. How can you forgive me for that?”

  The pain in his eyes broke her.

  “Because I love you, Finn,” she said, and he pulled her close. She tucked her face against his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

  Finally, she was exactly where she wanted to be.

  Finn squeezed her against him, his nose in her hair, breathing her in. He couldn’t believe she was here—in his arms. He’d woken up this morning knowing that he had to talk to her, knowing that leaving her alone that night was a huge mistake.

  “I’ve missed you,” she whispered against his chest. “And I’m sorry about everything.”

  He pulled back, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “No more apologizing. I love you, Sophia, so much more than I thought possible. I don’t know how I got this lucky, but I have no intention of ever letting you go,” he said, kissing her palm. Then he noticed her hand and her red knuckles.

  “What happened?”

  “I punched Tony in the nose after you left. Grant taught me how to punch so I didn’t break anything—at least not on me, Tony is a different story. The bruising should fade soon.”

  “You punched him? Did he grab you after I left?” Fuck. He was an asshole for bailing on her.

  “Nope. He taunted me about you leaving, and I was so done with keeping everything a secret. My issues with him drove you away, and I was done, so I punched him in the nose. Holy crap, it bled. He screamed like a baby, and my parents and Grant came running down the hall. I told them everythin
g while Grant pinned Tony against the wall. My mother lit into him and then my father took him out back and used his own fists on him.”

  “Oh Sophia,” he said, kissing her knuckles. “I can’t believe you hit him and I missed it. And you wouldn’t let me hit him.”

  “He’s a jackass, and you are a professional athlete. If you’d laid a hand on him, he could’ve pressed charges.” She shook her head. “No, I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

  “Sophia,” he warned.

  “No. I’m allowed to protect you. We protect those we love, and I love you the most.”

  His heart raced, and he leaned in to kiss her, wishing he didn’t have to stay for the rest of the game.

  “Is he gone?”

  “Yes. My mother spoke with his mother, and Tony is gone. I don’t know where he went, but now that everyone knows the truth about him, I’m not scared. He’ll never waltz into the restaurant to fond greetings. My father made sure of that.”

  “And I will protect you from him if he stupidly shows up again. And remind him why he should never show his face near you again.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to talk about him anymore. That part of my life is truly gone this time, and all I want is to move forward with you.”

  “Like you could get rid of me,” he teased, feeling lighter than he had in ages.

  “Oh Finn,” she said, leaning up to kiss him. He ducked his head, sealed his lips to hers, and then broke the kiss.

  “While I’d love to take you home right now and show you exactly how much I love you, I have to stay for the rest of the game. But after—after, I have plans for us.”

  Her eyes darkened, and he almost said screw it and dragged her from the arena.

  “Isn’t Brandon here?”

  “Yeah, but he brought his family with him for a mini vacation. They got a hotel room, and his kids are young, so we grabbed dinner before the game. My plan tonight was to park myself on your doorstep, so no crazy after game plans with Brandon, but I’d love for you to meet him—tomorrow.”

  Her cheeks pinked, and she let out a small laugh. “I’d like that. I’m sorry you couldn’t play tonight.”

  “Me too, but I should be back on the ice in a week. Just in time for an away game in Calgary in two weeks, so we’ve only slightly altered our tradition.”

  “That’s perfect.”

  “I know your answer is going to be that you have to work, but I’d love for you to come with me. Meet my mom,” he said.

  “I don’t have to work,” she said.

  “What? How’s that possible?”

  “Because I told my parents that I’m going back to school and that I will help out in the restaurant when I can, but not to count on me every night.”

  “Wow. I’m so proud of you. And they took that well?”

  Her smile told him everything, and he hugged her closer. “I’ll probably be in there a lot until I find another job and go back to finish my bachelor’s degree here in January, but they’re giving me as much time off as I want, and they’re being super supportive of me going back to school.”

  “Of course they are. They just want you to be happy.”

  “I know,” she whispered against his chest. “And I would love to go to Calgary with you and meet your mom.”

  “Perfect. Now, I have to get back in there before I get yelled at.”

  “Yeah, I should probably make sure Claire isn’t getting into trouble in the family room.”

  “I’m sure she can hold her own. But, now that you have a family pass, will you meet me outside the WAGs room after the game?”

  “Yes,” she said, and he gave her a quick kiss that left them breathless. It ended much faster than either of them wanted, but the intermission buzzer had sounded and one of his teammates had yelled at him to get his ass back in the room.

  “I’ll see you in a few hours,” she said, pushing him toward his teammate, her cheeks flushed, and he bit back a groan.

  “It will feel like an eternity.”

  ***

  Three hours later—almost an eternity—and they were finally heading up to his condo. He ran his hand up and down her spine, and she leaned into him. The shudder rolling through her made him want to drop their bags and press her up against the elevator wall.

  He tugged her out of the elevator as soon as the doors started to open, loving her laugh, and she rushed along the hallway with him. Bash jumped on them as soon as they walked in the door, and Sophia crouched down to get slobbered with dog kisses.

  “Enough Bash, she’s mine,” Finn growled, helping Sophia to her feet and reaching down to scratch Finn behind his ears. “Now, are you going to stay out here so we can catch up?” Bash tilted his head like he was contemplating an answer.

  “How about a little peen for you,” Sophia started, and he cut her off.

  “Don’t you dare say a little one for you, too.”

  “Definitely not. This is going to take more than ten minutes,” she said, and grinned. She grabbed the treat and gave it to Bash, who happily trotted over to the couch and dove in.

  “Now, where were we?” she asked, gasping when he scooped her up into his arms and almost sprinted to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him before dropping her to the bed.

  “So impatient,” she said, sitting up and curling her fingers into his dress shirt, pulling him between her spread thighs. “Do you have any idea how hot you are in this suit? The only thing better is you out of it.”

  He groaned as her tongue darted out, licking her lips, and she slowly popped open the buttons on his shirt. He barely resisted the urge to rip the thing from his body.

  His cock hardened to the point of pain when she reached his waistband, running her finger under the edge, then slipping her hand in to cup his length.

  Her eyes were fully dilated with a need that matched his own, but he let her lead as she pushed his pants and boxer briefs to the floor, his cock springing free. She leaned in, licking the tip, and he lost it. He ripped off his undershirt and she pulled off her jersey—his jersey—tossing it over the side of the bed.

  He quickly removed her bra, relishing in her indrawn breath when his thumbnail scraped over her nipples. They pebbled in desire, and he needed to taste every inch of her.

  He rolled on a condom as she tore off the rest of her clothes, and then he sank into her warmth, their breaths intermingled as they lost themselves in each other, finally finding exactly what they needed.

  She tightened around him, exploding on a gasp, his name a plea on her lips, and he followed her over the edge, happier than he’d ever remembered being—even when he was on the ice.

  Epilogue – Four months later

  “Sophia, pass the lasagna,” Cat called out from the other end of the table.

  “I will as soon as Finn takes his fourth.” She paused, turning to Finn as the spatula with another slab of lasagna was suspended over his plate. “Third or fourth?”

  “Third, thank you very much. And I can’t help it. What do they put in here?” he asked, a grin on his face.

  “Love,” multiple family members chimed in and Sophia laughed.

  It was Sunday afternoon, and when Finn didn’t have a game, he’d become a staple at their family dinner. Her parents had fully embraced him, as had the rest of her family. But who wouldn’t want to embrace the gorgeous man beside her. He ran his thumb over her palm under the table, his other hand occupied with the fork heading to his mouth.

  “It’s just so good,” he mumbled.

  She leaned in and whispered, “Stop sucking up. They already like you.”

  “I’m not sucking up. We get leftovers, right?”

  She laughed and shook her head. The last four months had been perfect. Better than she’d thought possible. His hand had healed, and he’d been back on the ice in time to play in Calgary. While the hometown fans had cheered for their team, when Finn’s name had been announced in the starting lineup, the crowd had cheered just as loud. He’d introduced he
r to his mother hours before the game. The tension between mother and son that Finn had feared hadn’t been there, and watching the game with his mother, Grace, and Molly had been hysterical.

  Especially when Molly had shouted for Finn to kick someone’s ass after Finn had knocked one of Calgary’s forwards into the boards.

  Finn had gotten an earful from his sister, later that night, after Molly had ratted him out, telling her mother that Uncle Ewic had told her not to tell Grace about the bad word he’d said.

  “How’s school going?” her father’s voice cut through, and Sophia turned to face him, her breath catching as she took in his beaming smile. As much as he wanted her working at the restaurant, he had made a concentrated effort to support her need to pursue her degree.

  “I forgot about all the reading,” she said, unable to stop her own smile. “But, it’s going really well.”

  “And one day we’re going to call you Doctor Sophia,” her father said, that smile still in place.

  “You still have to get that lab coat,” Finn whispered next to her ear, and her heart sped up.

  “Stop it,” she chastised him. He didn’t know that she had one in the back of her closet, waiting for the perfect moment. And now she wanted nothing more than to ditch her family and practice playing doctor with him.

  “Dirty girl, what are you thinking about?” he asked under his breath. She detected a hint of lust in his tone.

  “Nothing. Now pass the lasagna,” she said, taking in a deep breath.

  “We’ll have to explore the reason for those pink cheeks later,” he said, and then sent the lasagna pan down the table to her sister.

  “You are trouble, and if you don’t stop tormenting me, I’m leaving the leftovers here.”

  “You wouldn’t dare. I’ll stop cooking for you at home.”

  Her heart would not flutter when he said home. She’d moved in last month, after the holidays, and she’d either woken up in his arms or to the scent of amazing pancakes more mornings than not.

  “Doctor Sophia,” Elena said, pulling Sophia out of her inappropriate thoughts. Thoughts she shouldn’t have when she was surrounded by her family.