Chapter 8

My arms tighten around a body. A soft body. Smooth skin. And my nose buries into a neck. I breathe in a hint of vanilla and berry. “Lili,” I whisper.

“This waking up at the crack of dawn thing needs to stop,” she groans.

I open my eyes, reach out a hand, and brush the hair off her face. “The day is young. Why waste it?” I tell her before pressing my lips to her forehead. “Besides, I have to be at the team jet by noon and I want to take you to breakfast first.”

Lili pops one eye open to glare at me. “You want to take me to breakfast? Like, in public?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

“People will see us,” she states the obvious.

“So?”

“I’m not sure I want people to see us.”

“Well, fuck, I’ll try not to let that blow hit my ego, babe.” I laugh. Although, deep down, I’m wondering what the fuck is so wrong with me she doesn’t want anyone to see us together.

“It’s not you. It’s very much a me thing,” she says, then adds, “Well, it’s a my family thing. I don’t want this to stop, and I know you’re not going to want to see me again after you meet them. And that’s okay. I get it. I come with a lot. But I want to be selfish and keep you a bit longer.”

I’m speechless. Who in their right mind would leave this woman?

“Babe, I don’t know what kind of fuckwits you’ve dated in the past, but it’s going to take a lot more than meeting your family to send me packing.” I shrug.

“We’re not dating, Travis. I just meant the sex. I like the sex. You’re kind of good at it.”

“Just kind of? That’s not what you were saying last night when you were screaming my name.” My fingers trail across her collarbone, her smooth skin, up her throat before I tip her chin and force her to look at me. “Also, we are dating.”

“And when did we decide that? We only just met.”

“I decided. Just now. Come on and get that fine ass up so I can take you on our first official date.” I slip out of bed before she can argue with me and give her ass a firm tap to get her moving.

“It’s really not a good idea, Travis,” she says.

“It’ll be fine. Promise.” I walk into my closet, fingering through a few hangers until I find what I’m looking for, and I pull it down. Then I walk out and I lay it over the bed. The same bed Lili hasn’t moved from yet.

“A suit is a bit much for breakfast, don’t you think?” she asks with an arched brow.

“I have a jet to catch and the suit is a requirement. After breakfast, I plan on driving you home and then heading straight to the hangar.”

“Oh,” she says. “Okay, I’m getting up. But I’m warning you I’m not going to look nearly as good as you will in that.” She gestures to the suit.

Forty minutes later, I’m navigating the garage with my hand locked on Lili’s—she looks fucking sensational by the way. Her lips are painted with a fresh coat of red, her eyes are a darker gray color, and her hair is piled up in a high ponytail that I’m envisioning wrapping around my fist. She helped herself to one of my hoodies, pairing it with her black miniskirt from last night and some matching pumps.

My eyes travel up and down her body. “Fuck me, we should just go back inside,” I groan.

Lili peers up at me. “Why?”

“Because I can’t look at you and not think about fucking you,” I tell her.

She smiles huge while her eyes take me in from head to toe. “Yeah, I get that.”

“Liliana?” a deep voice calls out to her from across the garage.

I look over and see three men headed in our direction. I push Lili behind me, much to her annoyance it seems. She slaps my back and tries to step around me.

The three men stop in front of us, and before I can even consider moving, I have a gun pointed right at my head. “You have two seconds to get your fucking hands off my daughter, asshole,” the guy in the middle grinds out between a tightly clenched jaw.

“Daddy, no!” Lili screams and rushes forward, planting herself between me and the barrel.

“Liliana, move out of the way,” he says.

“Lili, move,” I tell her at the same time.

“No. Stop. Oh my god! I’m calling Mom. This is insane.” She ignores the gun still aimed at my skull and pivots towards the other two men flanking her father. “Do something, you idiots. Don’t just stand there.”

I don’t take my eyes off the guy with the gun, though. Lili is way too fucking close to that loaded weapon and I don’t fucking like it. “Babe, I really want you to move out of the way.”

I watch as her father’s jaw tick slightly. But other than that, his face is devoid of emotion. Maybe Logan was right. Maybe my ass really is about to get shot.

Doesn’t matter. Still worth it. She’s worth it. I don’t know her that well yet, but I always trust my gut. And my gut says this girl is worth all the trouble that comes with her last name.

Or I could just be out of my fucking mind.

“Pops, put the gun down. You’re not shooting fucking Travis O’Neil,” the youngest one in the bunch grunts while throwing a hand in my direction. I’m guessing he’s Lili’s brother.

“Come on, Theo, put it away.” The third guy snatches the gun from her father’s hand. “Too slow, bro.” He laughs as he holds it just out of reach.

“I don’t need that to kill him.”

“Dad, stop. We’re leaving,” Lili growls while tugging at my arm.

“He’s leaving. You’re not,” her father says.

“Actually, she is. If Lili wants to leave, no one is going to stop her from doing it,” I tell him, regretting the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. And not because I don’t mean them, but because it’s disrespectful and my mother raised me better. “Sir,” I add at the end. He is her father after all.

“And who do you think is going to stop me from keeping my daughter here? You?” he counters, looking me up and down.

“If I have to, for her, yes.” I keep my gaze locked on his.

“Fucking hell. Lil, get him out of here before it’s too late,” the third guy steps between us with a forced sigh.

“Thanks, Zio Matteo. I am calling Mom, by the way. I hope you have a lot to do today. I wouldn’t rush home,” Lil says to her father, and it doesn’t take a genius to hear the threat hanging in the air.

“Liliana, a word,” he replies before dropping his glare on her and stepping aside.

Lili turns back to me. “I’ll meet you at the car. Give me a second. Or, you know, if you want to leave without me, that’s okay too.” She doesn’t look at me when she says that last part.

I reach out for her face and tip her head up again. “I’m not going anywhere without you, babe. I’ll wait right here. Go talk to your dad.”

“Do not touch him.” Lili points at her uncle and then brother before storming past them, the click of her heels on the cement floor echoing behind her as she goes.

I watch on as she steps up to her father. He pulls her into a hug and her body sags against his chest.

“You know, if you weren’t Travis fucking O’Neil, I would have let him shoot you.”

Her brother’s voice has me looking his way. “Good to know,” I tell him while holding out a hand. “I’m Travis.”

He only leaves me hanging for a second before he returns the gesture. “Alessandro, her brother.” He dips his head in Lili’s direction, then adds, “Get a real good look at my face, because if you hurt her, it’ll be the last thing you see and it won’t matter what your name is.”

“Right, well, I’ve seen far worse,” I tell him. “I’m sure you’ve seen some of my teammates. Not all of them are as pretty as you are.” Then I turn to the third guy and introduce myself. “Travis.”

“Matteo, her uncle,” he grunts and shakes my hand, though it’s clear he doesn’t want to.

“So… nice day, huh?” I ask, trying to kill the awkward silence that’s settled between us.

“You’re playing Nashville tomorrow, right?” Alessandro asks.

“We are.”

“When do you play the Knights again?”

“Vancouver?” I question him.

“Who else?”

“Just checking. Two weeks,” I tell him. I’ve been waiting for this game. My people have been in negotiations with the Vancouver Knights, looking to get me signed. I’m a free agent, and the Knights are it for me. I’ve been a fan since I was old enough to stay upright on a pair of skates.

“I’ll give you one mil to knock Monroe on his ass at least three times when you play him,” Alessandro says, and I laugh.

“Sorry, no can do. I don’t take bribes.” I shake my head. I’m not a dirty player. “But I’ll knock him on his ass just because I can. That guy has a chip on his shoulder the size of fucking Texas.” I smirk.

“Travis, let’s go. My father is sorry for pointing a gun at you,” Lili says when they approach a few minutes later. The look on Mr. Valentino’s face tells me otherwise. The man is not the least bit sorry.

“Well, it was great meeting you all.” I dip my head to Lili’s brother and uncle before passing her father. “Sir.” I nod and keep walking—or, more accurately, I let Lili drag me towards the car.