9. Sassy

9

SASSY

We reach my place and the roads are terrible. We pass two accidents on the way and I thank heavens that Emile came and got me because the snow continues to fall heavily and the temperature on the dash continues to fall.

“You want to come in?” I smile at him and he sighs, grinning. “I wasn’t sure if you’d ask me in.”

“Why?”

“I wasn’t sure after I did what I did yesterday.”

My brow crinkles. “What? You mean leaving without telling me.”

“I took your virginity. And I wasn’t gentle about it at all. I probably hurt you. I’m not a little guy.”

My brow lifts and I smirk. “I’d agree with that. But I liked it. I’m not sure why you’d say all of that. I’m not mad at you.” I glance out the window at the mess around us. “And I wouldn’t send a dog out in this.”

I eye him up and down. “I don’t think you’re a dog.”

He grins. “Nope. I’m not.”

He follows me inside and right after we get our coats off, I turn on the lights and grumble when they don’t come on. “I guess the power’s out.”

“You’ve got a fireplace. Why don’t I light it for you and we can cuddle up out here and just talk?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Just talk?”

He shoots me a wicked look, his dark brow raised. “To start with. We’ll see how the rest of the night goes.”

I shake my head and walk to the bedroom to change my clothes and grab some spare blankets.

I put on some yoga pants and a loose t-shirt that I wear when I’m staying at home. It’s worn and comfy and faded to the softest blue.

I hand him the blankets and he sets them out and holds a hand out to help me sit down in front of the fire. I take his hand and sit down, smiling when he sits as close to me as he possibly can.

“I’ve noticed that sometimes when you see one of the guys or even when you’re talking to me, you kind of curl your lip. Do you not like sports at all?”

I cock my head. “I wouldn’t say that I hate sports exactly. I just don’t trust jocks.”

“Why?” he asks and his fingers idly run down my arm, setting off little flickers of fire under his touch.

“I guess it started back in school,” I huff, turning to the fire and studying the flames.

“Tell me about it.” He tugs me into his chest and the warm, spicy scent of him washes over me. Tingles erupt all over my body and my pussy tightens, my nipples suddenly pebbled points.

“I got picked on a lot. I mean. I wore glasses and I had a little stutter that made me quiet because I didn’t like people to hear it. My parents also didn’t spend a lot of money on clothes for me so I tended to have older clothes that my mother found at garage sales.”

He nods and rubs my back. My spine feels like fire is spreading all through my backside.

“Anyway, the football team took a rather perverse joy in picking on me. Especially this one guy. Brett Barker. He used to really torment the heck out of me. He knew that I had my nose in a book half the time so one of his favorite things to do was to jump into my seat before I could turn around and see him. And then he’d wrap his arms around me and hold me on his lap.” I feel my face flaming. “I hated it. Everybody stared at me and laughed.”

He holds me tight and then turns me to face him. “That guy’s a dick and if you want me to, I’ll go find him and kick his ass.”

I grin and laugh. “No. It’s not necessary. I don’t really think about it anymore. I just tend to stay away from jocks. I guess I don’t trust them.”

“I can understand that but that just sounds like kid shit. Guy probably liked you and he was too much of a pussy to tell you.” He leans close to my ear and whispers, “Unlike me who’d like to tell you every second of the day how much I like you.”

I reach up and tug him down until his lips are a breath away from mine. “Maybe you’d like to just show me.”

His eyes search mine and they’re soft and sweet, full of so much heat that it fires up my belly again. “I’d like to, Angel. But I think you’re probably still a little sore today and I’m not going to touch you again until you’ve had a few days to rest up.”

I pout and he laughs. “I promise you, I’ll make it worth the wait. But I don’t want to hurt you. I swear last night took years off my life when I realized that it was your first time.”

He hugs me close. “I am going to hold you all night long and then I’m going to help you dig out in the morning because this storm isn’t supposed to last long. I have to go to practice in the morning but I’ll drive you to work before I go in. And I know a great guy with cars. He’ll get your car all straightened out. I’ll call him in the morning.”

“You don’t have to do all that.”

“I want to do all that and more.” He leans close and kisses me hard and deep, until I’m panting wildly. “I want to take such good care of you that you never want to get away from me.”

I cuddle into his chest and we watch the fire. My eyes drift shut and I sigh. “You’ve got a real good start on it, mister.”

He chuckles. “Good.” His warm lips brush my cheek. “Good night, angel. Sleep well and happy dreams. I know I’ll have sweet dreams tonight.”

I smile and let the darkness wash over me, content that he’ll take good care of me and I have nothing to worry about.

The next morning we get ready quickly and he digs out the foot of snow so that I can walk to the car with him holding my hand. He drives me to work and kisses my cheek after he walks me up the steps. He turns to run and smiles at me. “Love you, Angel.”

And I watch him running away from me, my heart pounding in my chest. “I love you too, Emile,” I whisper.

I groan when I see the other team’s enforcer slam into one of the Frostwolves again.

“Good grief! Why are they hitting them so hard? Is that normal?”

Becca smiles. “That’s how hockey goes, Sassy. It’s a rough game.”

“But that guy didn’t even have the puck. The other one just slammed him into the side of the glass. For no reason!” My voice lifts higher and higher while I sit there, my hands fidgeting relentlessly with my new long-sleeved t-shirt with Emile’s number and name on the back of it.

“It’s all part of the game. Don’t worry about it. But let me just say one thing. I never in a million years thought that I’d ever get to go with you to a game and that you’d be wearing a hockey player’s number on you! It’s like you’ve been tattooed by him.”

I roll my eyes. “For heaven’s sake. Don’t be ridiculous!”

She laughs and hugs me. “Don’t kid me. You’re so hung up on this guy that it’s not funny. It’s actually kind of adorable though. I couldn’t be happier for you.”

“Shut up! I know you’re trying to distract me from what’s going on out there.” I wave my hand out towards the ice. “For God’s sake, it’s barbaric!”

She laughs again and hugs me tight while I grumble, staring at the ice.

It’s hard to follow the play. It’s so fast. But I can see Emile wherever he goes. It’s like he has a beacon that follows him so that I can’t look away.

I hold my breath when he goes racing down the ice and one of the other team’s players goes head to head with him for the puck. Then as soon as he gets the puck, he races to the other team’s net and his offensive team scrambles to keep him in sight and block the other team’s hitters. That’s all I can call them because that seems to be all they want to do.

I wince when Iceman gets hammered into the boards by the other team yet again.

“Sheesh! Do they ever stop that? I mean, that guy’s got to be hurting right now.”

“If they need to they’ll go to the second or third string if he gets hurt but that’s just love taps.”

I roll my eyes and then close them when I see another defensive player rolling into the boards with Emile. The two of them cross sticks over and over again and then Emile gets the upper hand and slams the puck to Iceman who takes off like a shot to the net. He jerks hard and then the puck whips out and slams into the other team’s net. Buzzers go off and there are lights flashing everywhere as the crowd screams out their approval.

Before the noise level goes down, another player from the other team lifts his stick high and whack Iceman across the knees, bringing him down.

Emile and his teammates see the hit and this is about to get real ugly.

“Oh shit!” I whisper. I look over and Becca is cringing. “Don’t do it, don’t do it,” I mutter to myself.

But it’s a foregone conclusion and the screaming bloodlust of the crowd intensifies as they all figure out what’s coming.

Every one of Iceman’s teammates, except for one who guards him against his attacker, picks one of the other guys and it’s on. Sticks and fists fly and I cringe and close my eyes.

“I can’t look, Becca! Tell me that they’re stopping.”

She sighs and hugs me tight again. “I wish I could tell you that. But those guys are really going at it.”

“Emile isn’t hurt is he?” I can’t stand the thought of him getting hurt, bleeding, broken.

“Ummm. Define hurt.”

I whip around, my eyes opening and groan when I see that Emile and the biggest defender are going at it, throwing punches left and right. They’re both missing their jerseys and they’re circling each other with their pads and helmets on. Emile leaps forward and slams into the guy and then that guy slams a fist into his middle, doubling him over.

Meanwhile, every person in this place is going crazy, screaming and cheering.

“How can they cheer for this? It’s awful.”

Becca shrugs. “It’s the nature of the game. It’s mean and dirty and they love it!”

“Well, I don’t.” I huff and cross my arms over my chest.

At the rate this is going, all of the guys might end up in the penalty box and it’s about to be one really boring game. I might like a little boring right about now.

At last, after what feels like hours, but was probably only a couple of minutes, they manage to separate the guys and the major instigators, including Emile are escorted over to the penalty boxes where the penalty timekeepers hold them until their time is up. I see Emile holding a pack of ice on his busted lip and eyeing the timekeeper and the play simultaneously.

I count the time down too and as soon as they nod at Emile I groan, “Oh shoot, here we go again.”

Becca grins. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s got this.”

I roll my eyes and sit back down, praying that this is over soon and we can go back home and I can ice up his various injuries and lecture him on why he shouldn’t have gotten involved in that dust-up.

Thank heavens there’s not much time left and the final buzzer rings with the Frostwolves up by two points.

I lean my head back and groan. I roll my head over to glare at Becca. “I blame you for all of this.”

She laughs. “I’m responsible for you finding the love of your life? I’ll take that!”

Emile said that I can go down to the hall by the locker rooms and wait for him.

I grin at Becca. “How’d you like to go down to check out some hot men?”

She grins. “Well, I broke up with Ben so considering that I’m newly single I’d love to check out some gods that might be looking for a little action.”

“Come on then.”

We walk down and I show the guy guarding the hallway the pass around my neck and one I got for Becca since I knew she was going to be with me.

Then we go stand and wait. And wait. Guy after guy comes out and then wanders off with a reporter or friends or family. Until we’re the only ones standing out in the hall.

My brow crinkles and I check my phone to make sure that I don’t have a message from Emile. There’s nothing.

I crane my neck and then the security guard comes up. “Who are you waiting on?” he says with a scowl that could cut glass.

I show him my pass and say, “Emile LaCourt.”

He smiles and waves me out of the little cordoned-off area. “Come on through. Your friend is going to have to wait here but I’ll take you to him. He’s just talking to Coach.”

I turn to Becca with raised eyebrows and she waves me on, eyeing one of the third-stringers who’s eyeing her up like she’s his next meal. “Hey, go on. I’m just gonna stand here and talk to…”. Her voice trails off and he grins at her.

“Casey.”

“Right, Casey. Tell Emile I said hi!” She nods at me and waves and then she turns her full attention to good ol’ Casey, twirling her short caramel curl around her finger and giggling at him like a schoolgirl.

I roll my eyes and follow the security guy. He leads me into the locker room and I stall by the door nervously. “Ummm. I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t be going in here.”

He holds the door open and smiles wider. “I promise you that if I don’t let you through here, I’ll be getting in trouble with Mr. LaCourt.”

I stare at the door nervously but I absolutely don’t want to get this guy in trouble.

I nod my head and slowly creep through the doorway, keeping my eyes down.

He holds out his hand. “Come on, Miss. I’ve got you.”

He leads me to a room in the corner of the back of the room. We’re still about ten feet away when I hear someone shouting and the guard says, “Why don’t you stay here.” He glances at something on his phone. “I’ve got to get to a fight that’s broken out.”

I nod my head and he scurries out the door. I glance around and almost cringe at the testosterone smell in here. It’s overpowering as hell.

“I told you to fuck her and get your head straight! I didn’t tell you to bring her with you to the game and turn it into a brawl on ice because you’re so hopped up on your dick that you couldn’t keep from starting a damn fight!”

“You know that they started it, Coach! That late hit against Iceman was bullshit! That should have been called immediately.”

“You guys didn’t even give them the chance to call it! You were too busy jumping the other team! I’m surprised all of you didn’t get tossed from the game and rack up some penalties.”

I peek around the corner and see Emile in the glassed-in room with the guy I think is the coach. They’re facing each other, both of them practically vibrating with rage. Emile’s face is suffused with red and my own face is flushed.

“I still can’t believe you brought your newest piece of ass to the game and then started a brawl. I expect better from you, LaCourt! You’re no young hothead!”

“Just cause I’m not a young hothead doesn’t mean that I’m gonna let those guys walk all over us.”

“Fine. But I’ve got to think about this. You might be suspended again, depending on what the doc says. And for fuck’s sake if you can’t keep your fucking dick under control don’t bring your latest piece of ass with you!”

Tears drip down my cheeks and I push my fist into my mouth, before I turn and run out the door, banging into the lockers painfully because I can’t see through the tears in my eyes.

This was too good to be true. I should have listened to my head and not my foolish, foolish heart.

I skid to a halt next to Becca who’s standing talking to the guy.

“Becca,” I whisper through my tears. “I need to go. Please, let’s go. Please.” I can’t breathe and tears are coming down so fast that I barely manage to squeeze out the words and hold myself still while she turns towards me and tugs me into her.

“Oh, Sassy. What the hell? Did he hurt you?” She glares at the door. “I am going to kick his ass! You wait here!”

“No, no!” I grasp her arms with my fingernails until she winces. “Please. I just want to go. Let’s go!”

She nods slowly. “Fine. But as soon as we get home you’re telling me what he did and I’m gonna hunt him down and punch him in the junk.”

The other guy winces and backs away, holding his hands in front of his own dick.

“I—I’ll catch you later, Becca.” She glares at him like he’s the one who did whatever to me.

“We’ll see.”

And then she hugs me into her side and guides me out to the car, her arm tight around me when we get to the door and I start to slump to the ground, the sobs wracking me so hard that I can’t even hear her anymore.

But I know that no matter what this pain isn’t going anywhere soon. It hurts to breathe and my head is killing me. And there’s nobody to blame but myself. I knew better.

You can’t trust any jock. I know that. Emile’s no better than all the others. Once he got what he wanted, he was ready to leave me behind.