Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Chloe

Not gonna lie, that kiss with Nikolai has had me walking on billowy puffs of clouds the last forty-eight hours. I can still feel the thick, soft scruff of his overly long hair. Just enough length to grasp in my fist. Dammit, I wanted to have enough time to run my fingers through it and maybe even roughly pull his head between my legs.

Well, not in the bar. In my hotel room. Not even this new lease on life and promise to say yes to things is enough to have me adding public indecency to my list of new experiences.

But I got shut down by a lawyer instead. It's true what they say: lawyers are killjoys.

So I went back to my hotel room alone, my body keyed up and my brain looping through all the scenarios in which I could have reached new heights of sexual empowerment by keeping Nikolai up all night. But it's fine. Sometimes one needs to dip their toe into the pool before cannonballing their way into the deep end. And that kiss was certainly the type of toe dip that had my heart fluttering.

Not that I should be comparing–but fuck, it's only natural to do so, so I'll cut myself some slack–I never experienced that kind of kiss with Josh. We'd been inexperienced college kids when we first started dating, and then we were old married people with mortgages to pay, gym memberships to ignore, and then serious health problems to face. Josh and I had slipped into being friends without the benefits somewhere in our marriage. If I am being honest, our sex life was never super fulfilling for me. Josh was a neat freak and all about the end goal, not the process. Where I wanted cuddling and foreplay and maybe a lubed-up toy or two, he wanted sterile conditions and missionary for the three and a half minutes–five if it was our anniversary–needed to seal the deal.

Based on his last comment about my mouth, I have a feeling Nikolai doesn't mind getting dirty...

"What's with Niko?" Kaitlyn's voice brings me out of my sex-starved thoughts.

"Huh?" I blink and refocus on the packed arena around me. A loud buzzer sounds, and I catch the backside of Nikolai barreling his way off the ice.

"Ew. Why's he offering you a tooth, ice bath king?" Olivia asks Roman.

Kaitlyn barks out a laugh. "That's just Niko. He's got a thousand Russian phrases and not one of them makes any sense."

"Wait, what?" If they're talking about Nikolai, I have a sudden burning desire to know exactly what they're saying.

Olivia looks at me funny. "We said hi to Niko but he just shouted about not knowing and giving Roman a tooth." She looks over at Kaitlyn. "They drug test, don't they?"

"He's not on drugs," I say quickly and confidently. When both women turn to look at me, I realize my error. According to their knowledge, I've never met Nikolai. "I mean, he'd be stupid to risk his entire career on drugs right before the All-Star game when millions of eyes will be on him. Right?"

Kaitlyn nods. "He's not my client, but I'd kick his ass if he tried anything like that. Banks says he's fighting to get custody of his daughter. Drugs would be a serious problem for the judge."

My breath catches in my throat. The call from the lawyer who interrupted our kiss. It might have been about his daughter. I curl a lock of hair around my finger and twist it over and over. Shit, I was pouting over a spoiled sexcapade, and the quiet goalie was fighting to be part of his daughter's life. I see over a hundred third-grade girl faces in my mind, my prior students and little girls who deserved to have a present father figure in their lives. All that pitter-pattering of my heart turns into a puddle of sympathy.

Another loud buzzer makes me jump and we all take our seats for the start of the game. The announcers are practically screaming with excitement, and though I've been to a lot of hockey games in my life, my breath is pumping in and out of my lungs like I'm out there on the ice myself. Mostly because Nikolai comes skating out to take his place in front of the net and now I can't rip my gaze from him, even when Kaitlyn and Olivia keep up a steady chatter.

His focus is intense. He never takes his eyes off the puck, always moving this way and that, positioning himself in the crease like it's some kind of fluid dance. Two opposing players break away and race down the ice toward him. I hold my breath. Nikolai moves lightning fast and deflects the puck with such grace I'm officially staring. Half the crowd cheers and the other half boos their disappointment. Just for reference, I'm part of the cheering crowd. We may have agreed to stay strangers, even after the best kiss of my life, but I will always cheer for that huge man to win.

But also? I realize we have to remain strangers, despite my daydreaming fantasies. He's in a legal battle for his daughter and being seen with a random woman on his arm would not help his case. Not that he has a bad reputation, it's just hockey players in general have a bit of a stereotype. Hence, why my father always warned me to stay away from them. Little kids have always held a special spot in my heart. I wasn't blessed with children, but I've spent my life teaching them instead. I would never come between a dad and his daughter.

"He's staring over here again. I swear. Are you sure he's not on drugs?" Olivia asks Kaitlyn, chuckling.

I realize with a start that we've reached the intermission of the All-Star game and Nikolai has skated off the ice with his teammates. I push all my thoughts aside and enter the conversation, steering it toward Kaitlyn and Banks Bennet, her boyfriend. They've been dating quietly, being that she's his agent, but she's here to tell him she's ready to make it public. She looks like a woman in love. Her cheeks have color and her eyes are practically sparkling. Hell, even her hair looks amazing and shiny like a shampoo ad. What I wouldn't have given for Kaitlyn's physique back when I was a teenager. She's tall and thin and looks like she has more confidence than all these hockey players combined.

"So, I hear you're moving to Tampa?" Kaitlyn asks, turning her attention to me.

I nod, all that excitement from the kiss now deflated. "Yeah, already moved into my duplex. Just putting together plans to start my own youth hockey rec league."

Kaitlyn grabs my arm. "Oh my god, yes! I come across so many kids who just want to play but have burned out on all the travel teams and trying to get the attention of scouts."

We exchange numbers, and I promise to call her next week to discuss my league further. A buzzer sounds again, and players stream out onto the ice. I turn my attention to Nikolai, who doesn't have his face mask on yet. He flicks a glance my way and just the brief moment of eye contact sears into my skin. His jaw is locked tight and those eyes are so focused I can barely breathe. I remember what it felt like to have those full lips on mine. He breaks the eye contact by jamming his face mask on and skating in the opposite direction.

"Wow," Olivia breathes. "He looks pissed about something."

"Seriously, honey, you gotta stop checking out the hockey players," Roman whines.

Kaitlyn snorts and Olivia snuggles into Roman's side, proclaiming there isn't a woman in the arena who didn't feel that look from Niko. I stand so quickly I almost kick the box of popcorn the person next to me set on the ground. All heads turn my direction.

"I'm not feeling so great. I think I'll head back to the hotel," I tell my friends. Olivia and Kaitlyn give me a hug and Roman studies me before offering to walk me out. "I'll be fine, thank you. Just need some more sleep," I reassure him.

I actually need out of this arena where I can finally take a deep breath and forget about Nikolai Drugov. He's in a custody battle, and I'm just looking for some harmless fun. We're so incompatible it's funny. He wants us to remain strangers and strangers we shall be.

I get a rideshare to take me back to the hotel, not wanting to spend any more time in these heels that are damn cute but cutting off circulation to my toes. I wash all the makeup off my face and slide into silky pajamas, another indulgence I'm trying out. My phone pings, and I pick it up off the bed to see a text.

Dad: Do you have plans the first weekend in April? I'd like to host a barbecue.

My calendar has been wide open for months and, sadly, I don't see that changing by April.

Me: Um, sure. Can I bring anything?

Dad: Just yourself, sweetie! I'll be making an announcement.

Me: Well, jeez, Dad. Now I won't be able to sleep all week! What's the big news?

Dad: It's really not that interesting but an old man needs any excitement he can get.

Me: Sure. But if this is about you moving to The Villages, I gotta stop you right there. I'm not on board with that.

Dad: It's not that. But out of curiosity, why not?

Me: Google The Villages and shower loofahs.

He doesn't answer for a while, which I hope means he moved on to something else. My phone pings just as I'm settling into a good romantasy book on my Kindle.

Dad: Jesus, Chloe! I can never unsee that. Can never use a shower loofah again either. Thanks a lot.

I crack up and return to reading, determined to put loofahs, announcements, and hot, grumpy goalies out of my mind.