Shut Out
Hockey Boyz Book 3
Angela Stevens
Copyright © 2020 by Angela Stevens
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
For Sarah, Lisa, and Matt
Contents
1. José
2. Nora
3. José
4. Nora
5. José
6. Nora
7. José
8. Nora
9. José
10. Nora
11. José
12. José
13. Nora
14. Nora
15. José
16. Nora
17. José
18. José
19. Nora
20. José
Also by Angela Stevens
Acknowledgments
About the Author
One
José
November, Mia’s Wedding…
Shit! If you asked me, Charlie was making the biggest fucking mistake of his life. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister, Mia, and she was a gorgeous woman. Any man would be lucky enough to win her heart, but Charlie just turned twenty-one. Literally, like two weeks ago. Twenty-fucking-one! And he was tying the knot with my sister.
There was a ripple of applause in the church as everyone got to their feet. Across the right aisle, Mom was sobbing into a starched handkerchief. Glancing away from her and back to the front of the church, Mia and Charlie were looking into each other’s eyes. She had a soft blush across her cheeks, and he was staring back at her like she was his entire world.
Goddamn it, this was why Charlie was an idiot, in my opinion. A month ago, he was signed as a Nashville Predators’ prospect. He had a fucking awesome contract, his future was all set to explode, but instead of focusing on all of that, the idiot was distracted by my sister.
“One of us should have stopped him from doing this.” I whispered to Kai, who was sitting to my left. Charlie was our roommate before getting his call.
“Seriously? She’s your sister, José, can’t you be happy for them?” Kai rolled his eyes and gave me a disgusted look.
I knew he thought I was still pissed over Charlie fucking my sister, but he was wrong. “That’s got nothing to do with it. Yeah, they’re a cute couple, but why do this? And why now? He doesn’t have time for a distraction like this. Charlie has a chance to go far, and…”
“Bullshit. You’re kidding yourself, you know that? Charlie has hit the fucking jackpot. He is climbing the NHL ladder, and he has landed himself a gorgeous wife to help him take that journey. Get over yourself, José, or you will lose a good friend and your sister.”
There was no use arguing with Kai. He, too, had succumbed to the distraction of the fairer sex. Kai put an engagement ring on Angie’s finger at the end of the summer. All I could surmise was there must have been some fucking weird shit in the water or something, because my two friends had the same symptoms. They were blinded by their females, led around by their dicks, and their eyes were off the prize. But it’ll be me telling them, “I told you so,” down the line. Hockey careers and relationships don’t mix. They both require one hundred percent commitment, and both of them need every piece of you to be present. Unfortunately, I had a sneaking suspicion both my friends would choose their women over their careers.
There was a sniff, and Kai put his arm around Angie’s shoulders as he produced a wad of tissues from his jacket pocket and handed them to her. What sane man carried fucking tissues around? She dabbed at her eyes, and I’d been forgotten about while Kai attended to Angie’s emotional needs.
See, case in point. Blinded.
Ten years down the road, Kai and Charlie are going to be looking back on mediocre or unrealized dreams and wonder what they could have achieved, if they hadn’t allowed themselves to be held back by women.
People shuffled out of the pews around me and my aunt stopped to kiss my cheek. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she had the biggest smile on her face. “Such a lovely wedding, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, real nice.” What else could I say?
I had been pretty close to speaking up in that bit when the pastor asked if anyone knew any reason the marriage should not go ahead. I wanted to say that Charlie should focus on his career, to tell my sister to fucking leave him be so he could reach the top, but one glance at all my relatives in their Sunday best, and the scowl Kai was giving me when I cleared my throat made me keep my damn mouth shut. But I regretted it. Charlie and I were friends. Wasn’t it a friend’s job to speak up when his buddy was making the wrong choices?
“I need a fucking drink.”
“Well, how about I buy you one.” Kai took Angie’s hand and placed his other hand in the small of her back as he guided her out of the church. “You want to drive with us?”
I probably should have gone with my mom, but I could see she was in the good company of my aunt and uncle. Their three kids were there, too. Their eldest, Daisy, was making goo-goo eyes at some guy standing close to her. They weren’t holding hands, but their fingertips were almost touching.
“Yeah, that would be good.” Really, I’d like to avoid the reception altogether, but my twin would never forgive me.
As we neared the wedding party all lined up by the chapel door, I was momentarily distracted by my sister’s friend. The bridesmaid was a tiny thing, barely reaching my shoulder. She had long golden hair that had been twisted into an elaborate up-do. There were artfully curled tendrils that corkscrewed down her long, slender neck. She was wearing a simple knee-length dress that was fitted at the waist with a flared skirt. It gave off all sorts of Audrey Hepburn vibes, and the young woman pulled off the elegant look with ease—she looked so much classier than any other bridesmaid I ever saw. She looked born to wear fancy dresses and coiffed hair, and was completely at home with greeting all the strangers that stopped to congratulate Mia and Charlie.
“Nora looks fantastic, doesn’t she?” Angie sighed, and then dabbed her eyes again.
“Nora?”
“Mia’s friend, the bridesmaid.”
I felt awkward, because, for whatever reason, I had a hard time remembering Nora’s name. It was fucking embarrassing, really, as before the Char-Mia marriage, the six of us often hung out at parties. I knew Nora was a big fan of our team, because she had been to almost all of our games. I had developed a habit of looking for her at the rink, actually, as I kind of saw her as a good-luck charm. Though not in the conventional way. Although my luck varied when she was at the match, I did notice the half-dozen times she missed a game in the last year, I played my worst, and the team got a whooping.
Angie whispered something to Kai and he shrugged at her, then looked warily over at me. “Um, Angie just had an idea.”
I had a feeling I scared Angie a little, as she often spoke to me through Kai. “You did?”
She chewed on her lip, and Kai smiled some encouragement at her. Softly, she spoke up. “Well, you know how we need someone for the extra room?”
Angie was talking about Charlie’s room. He moved a couple of months before he married my sister—after we came to blows when I found out he was screwing her. Initially, Kai and I found someone to take it over, but the guy was a nightmare. I had this thing about neatness—I could not live in chaos. The new guy was an absolute slob, and within a month he�
��d driven me to distraction. Quite literally. I couldn’t eat, sleep, or focus on fucking hockey. Even Kai and Angie admitted his filthy habits weren’t something they could live with, either. Lucky for us, he must have hated our little ways, too, because we came home one night to find the dude had moved out, leaving his trash behind, and a note saying he wouldn’t be back.
It caused a bit of a problem finding the extra rent we needed this month, but that aside, I couldn’t have been happier. “You have someone in mind?”
She clutched Kai’s hand, and he gently stroked her wrist with his thumb. “What about asking Nora? She’s also trying to find someone to share with, since your sister and Charlie moved out. If she moved in with us, it would solve both our problems.”
I glanced over at the blonde bridesmaid and contemplated the suggestion. Angie’s idea was not without merit. We needed someone ASAP, and Angie used to live with her, so she’d probably fit in. “Is she tidy?”
“Um, sort of. Her room got a bit crazy sometimes, but she was always really considerate in the shared areas. When I lived with her, we never argued about the cleaning up or anything.”
“Okay, see if she’s interested.”
“Don’t you want to talk to her, get to know her?” Angie asked.
“Nope. If you say she’ll fit in, I’m good.”
Angie seemed to visibly relax. “Okay, I’ll talk to her tomorrow. She’d probably want to move in soon. Maybe straight after Thanksgiving.”
“Sure. That would be good. I could do without having to find the extra rent for another month.” I knew Angie could have helped out by paying the third person’s share. After all, she was living there now, but she shared a room with Kai so it didn’t seem all that fair. She paid her share of utilities, and I guessed she might have helped Kai out with his extra share on the shortfall, but that was between them.
I was pretty sure I unlocked some secret door to Angie, as she seemed to forget she was afraid of me and threw her arms around my neck. “Thanks so much. It’ll be fun living with Nora again.” She quickly withdrew and blushed right to her roots, making her scalp match her hair color, then she ran around the other side of the car, away from me.
Kai held his hand out to me. “Thanks for that.”
We shook. “For what?”
“Being nice to Angie.”
“Aren’t I always?”
He rubbed his hand across his jaw. “Well, Angie worries that she gets in the way, that us living together bothers you. It doesn’t, does it?”
“Why should it? She doesn’t share my bathroom.” I shuddered at the thought. I had this thing about bathrooms and it took less than a week for Kai and Charlie to realize I had to have mine all to myself. “Huh, this other girl won’t use mine, will she?” That was something I hadn’t considered.
“Her name’s Nora. Perhaps you could try to remember it. Nah, we’ll make it work. Besides she’d have to go through your room to use it, so that’d never work.”
The relief rolled off my brow like sweat. “Well, in that case, I’m sure the new arrangements will work out fine. We’ll have someone else to share the rent, someone to keep Angie company, and if she cleans up after herself, I won’t even know she’s there.”
Kai yanked open the car door, shaking his head. “You know what, José, it’s no surprise you’re single.”
I laughed it off as I climbed into the back. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. I intend to be single for a very long time yet. You won’t catch me pulling a Charlie. Twenty-fucking-one! Jesus Christ, I don’t need that type of distraction.”
An hour into the reception, I began to feel like the odd one out. What the hell was it about weddings? Everybody was behaving as if they were in some chick-flick. All around me, couples held hands. Kai and Angie sat so close to each other, I thought they might have fused together. Charlie and Mia were locked in each other’s arms as they moved around the dance floor, and even that blonde bridesmaid had her hands linked behind my cousin’s neck. Sweeping up my beer, I went to find some fresh air.
For fuck’s sake! Next to the exit, my other cousin, Daisy, was lip-locked with the guy from the church. Like what the actual fuck! She was about a year older than me and Mia, but I was about as ready to see Daisy dating as I had been to see my sister having boyfriends.
I brushed passed them and headed out onto the patio. Leaning against a wall, I looked out over the hotel gardens and focused on my beer.
“It’s full on in there, isn’t it?”
I swung around to see a dark-haired woman who looked vaguely familiar.
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
I squinted at her and shook my head. She was pretty stunning in her black cocktail dress, and I put her to be in her mid to late twenties. She had big doe eyes and deep red lips that she absentmindedly licked. The woman sauntered across the patio and leaned on the wall next to me. Hmm, there was something familiar about her perfume, too. “Wait, are you Camille?”
She laughed and winked at me. “Yup, little José grew up.”
The same could be said about Camille. She had babysat me and Mia for a few years when Mom worked nights at the hospital. She was about seven years older than me. I don’t remember her being as attractive back then, but then again, what would an eight-year-old know about that?
She placed her hand on my arm. “I’ve heard some very interesting stories about you, José.” Her finger ran up my suit jacket sleeve and back down again before she leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “Is everything they say about you true?”
I might not be an aficionado of love, but I knew when a woman was coming on to me. It happened a lot, and, well, it just so happened that I could do with a distraction from all the hearts and flowers shit. “Why don’t you take a walk with me and find out?”
One great thing about weddings was no one noticed if you disappeared. There were also plenty of nooks and crannies to disappear into. This particular venue had a cool, private courtyard hidden from the windows by lush plantings. It was perfect for what me and Camille had in mind.
It seemed my old babysitter was quite eager to find out whether the rumors about me were true, and I had no problem indulging her. I might not be into all this dating and relationship stuff, but I was always up for some fun.
Hidden inside a gazebo, Camille was on her knees, my cock in her mouth, while I fisted her hair. Shit, her mouth felt good. I’d tugged her dress down around her waist and her luscious large tits bounced as she bobbed. I’d got her off in just a few minutes, tugging up the hem of her dress and fingering her pussy until she’d gushed all over my hand. Right about then, I was about to collect, and fill her mouth with my cum.
The release was sweet, but as the pleasure subsided, I was ready to call it quits and get back to the party. As Camille put herself back together, I zipped myself back into my pants. A couple of minutes later, we stared at each other awkwardly.
“I should go inside before Mia misses me.” For a moment, I was distracted by the music drifting out of the ballroom. When I focused back on Camille, she didn’t seem to be on the same page. She put her hand on my shoulder and smoothed the creases out of my hired suit. “Or you could come back to mine?”
I took her hand and tugged her toward me. “I had a great time, but…”
She pulled away and sighed. “Sure, don’t bother to explain. I know your type.” Camille strutted across the courtyard, her head held high, not once looking back at me.
After giving her time to get ahead, I wandered back to the party. I didn’t really care what Camille thought of me. She’d wanted some fun, despite what she’d heard about me. The reputation that I was only into hookups wasn’t a flattering one, but it was on the nose, and it did serve me well. It attracted a certain type of woman, which always worked out for me. No use pretending you’re something you’re not, in my opinion. Better to have all your cards laid out face up. It saved a lot of hurt feelings. But every now and then, a woman came on to me, thinking sh
e’d be different than all the rest. Well, sorry, honey. Leopards don’t change their spots. Least not anytime time soon.
Two
Nora
Damn, why did José have to look so darn handsome in that rented tuxedo? The jacket pulled against his broad shoulders, and when it was fastened, it tapered his waist, leaving me to imagine just how perfect his hidden muscular body was, which I had no problem doing in the least. I’d seen him out running in skin tight synthetic fabric that most certainly didn’t require any imagination, whatsoever.
Seriously, the guy was swoon-worthy. Light caramel skin, an ebony flop of hair—he was every girl’s wet dream, and my long-term obsession.
Mia sat down beside me, and I pulled my gaze from her twin brother as he stepped into the ballroom from outside. “Everything turned out perfect, didn’t it?”
The two of us had less than a month to plan and execute this wedding, but no one would have known the whole thing was pulled off so quickly or on such a tight budget. Mia looked perfect in her ivory lace dress, which wasn’t a wedding dress but a cute prom dress we stumbled upon on a sale rack. It cost ninety bucks because a few beads had come loose, but Mia’s aunt was a seamstress and she ran the repairs and took the dress in for her, so you’d never guess it was a damaged off-the-rack dress.
My bridesmaid dress I actually wore to my mom’s second wedding three years ago. Nobody here knows that, and it fit in perfectly with the elegant black and white theme we picked out.
The two of us trawled junk stores and yard sales for the vases and candlesticks we used in the table decorations. I’d painstakingly spray painted them all to match, almost getting high on the fumes as I created the elegant silver finish. The greenery we filled the church with came from hiking around fields for two days, clipping and gathering it. Mia’s family was amazingly resourceful, and they went all out on the food. Organizing a potluck buffet, the banquet table had been groaning under the weight of the spectacular dishes that tasted finer than any catering company’s I’d ever tasted.
Shut Out: Contemporary Sport Romance (Hockey Boyz Book 3) Page 1