Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

ELENNA

"If the team keeps up their momentum, they may be in contention for the Goodall Cup," Aidan was saying to a reporter right before the game.

I was only half-listening. My attention was on making sure the players had all the equipment they needed, and doing runs back and forth from the washing machines and dryers to make sure the guys had clean, fresh towels.

Finley was right, it wasn’t glamorous, but I didn’t mind. I liked working with him and the other guys. I loved watching my guys do what they did best, organising, leading and kicking ass. Their confidence was hot and contagious. If they could stay calm, then I could.

"What’s your reaction to rumours that your wife is dating two other men?" the journalist asked.

Aidan laughed. "I thought we were here to talk about the Demons?"

"You’re their head coach, so I’d think it’s Demons related." The journalist laughed, like she was trying to lighten the mood and put Aidan at ease. "Wouldn’t you agree?"

I walked past with an arm full of folded, dry towels and resisted the urge to wrap one around her throat when she smiled at him, obviously attempting to flirt.

Aidan caught my eye and rolled his towards the ceiling. He was definitely not impressed with her efforts.

I made a face before hurrying on, into the locker room to move the towels from the trolley and place them on a shelf near the showers. I barely glanced at the semi-naked men around me before hurrying back out with dirty ones in need of washing. The hamper wasn’t full, but I wanted to walk past again and make sure I didn’t need to rethink my temptation and strangle her after all.

I trusted Aidan, it was the journalist I didn’t trust not to put her hands where they shouldn’t be. If she wanted to keep them, she better be careful.

"No, I don’t think my personal life is relevant here," Aidan was saying. "I’d rather talk about the team’s performance this season. If you’re not here for that then I can—" He started to step away.

She rallied quickly. "Of course, would you say Orion Scully-Evans’ addition to the team has had a positive impact on their performance as a whole?"

"Definitely," Aidan agreed. "He’s been a big asset, as has the increase in team unity. As you know, no team is all about one player. The Demons have pulled together this season and they’re playing like a well-oiled machine. There’s always room for improvement, but it’s a step in the right direction."

"Yes, I’m sure it is," she said. "Well, all of Dusk Bay is cheering you on tonight."

She sounded disinterested now she knew she wasn’t going to get any dirt from him. She or someone else would try again later. At some point, we’d have to discuss our relationship with the world, if only so we could control the narrative.

I smiled to myself and hurried past. If she noticed me there, I might be bombarded by personal questions, and I wasn’t ready for that yet. So far, Finley and I managed to keep out of the limelight, happy to leave that to Aidan and Orion.

"She’s relentless, isn’t she?" Sinclair trotted to catch up with me. "I swear she lies awake at night thinking of ways to get me to spill the beans on the players. She knows full well I have an ironclad NDA. Even if I wanted to talk about them, I’d be fired and sued so hard my grandchildren would still be paying off the debt."

"I have to give her bonus points for persistence," I said. "What’s her name?"

"So you know who to take the hit out on?" Sinclair teased. She glanced back over her shoulder. "Naomi Higgins. She works for the local television station, but I suspect she’s angling for a job in Sydney or Melbourne. One juicy story here could make her career."

"She’s not going to get it from me," I said darkly. "She seems like the kind of person to change a story to make it seem…more salacious than it really is."

"Definitely." She glanced at her watch. "Ten minutes until game time." She seemed preoccupied.

"Is this about after or during the game?" I asked, careful to keep my voice down.

"Believe it or not, it’s both," she said. "I can’t tell you what or who, because of my NDA, but I have a feeling you’ll find out soon enough." She gave me an apologetic look and a nod before heading to the entrance that led into the rink.

I wished I could do something to help, but no doubt she had the matter in hand well enough. She was good at what she did, including putting out Demons-sized spot fires. Because of her, the team had a good reputation within the AIHL community.

If only they really knew what went on around here.

I hurried to throw the towels in the washing machine before I also headed towards the rink to watch.

"Orion is off his game tonight," Finley remarked, his mouth near my ear, eyes on the ice.

"He does seem distracted." Which I totally understood. I’d be distracted as fuck too.

He’d already missed taking control of the puck when the opposition centre almost handed it to him. He’d stopped short of bashing his stick into the boards in frustration.

Aidan pulled him off the ice for a couple of minutes to give him a chance to regain his cool. By the time he went back out, he was slightly calmer, but still on edge.

The rest of the team was a lot more focused. Ever since the first puck drop, they’d virtually skated over the opposition.

I couldn’t remember ever seeing Tiger so aggressive, which was saying something.

Coast seemed to be everywhere.

Phoenix hadn’t let a single goal get past him, although one came incredibly close. He’d snapped his arm out at the last second, stopping the puck maybe a finger width from the inside of the post.

Now, he knelt in front of the goal, legs apart, leaning forward, ready.

Bray, Javey and the rest of the team sat on the bench, cheering and shouting, while Aidan yelled out directions, telling Bray to be ready to get on the ice in a minute or two. They switched out so often I didn’t know how they didn’t get whiplash. It was all part of the game, and I admit, added to the excitement.

The atmosphere in the arena was both tense and electric at the same time. The whole audience was on the edge of their seats from the start of the first period. Mostly cheering for the Demons, but many supporting the opposition.

Some of these people probably never went to an ice hockey game before this season. The sport was still growing in Australia, but it was growing quickly.

The horn sounded for the end of the first period and the guys skated to the edge and stepped off the ice.

Aidan said something to Orion that had him shaking his head and looking furious. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but neither of them looked happy.

Orion stomped away and grabbed a drink of water.

"Wild guess that Aidan noticed Orion’s head isn’t in it," Finley said.

I snorted. "If I noticed, then he definitely did. Maybe he’s thinking about last night." I glanced sidelong at Finley.

He grinned. "I know I am. I also noticed you had trouble walking this morning, before you had a bath."

"I have no regrets," I declared. Last night was amazing. Having Aidan and Orion deep inside me, while watching Orion suck Finley off, was memorable.

We’d all showered, more or less together before meeting back on the bed for a second round. This time with Finley in my pussy, Aidan in my ass and Orion’s cock in my mouth. And in Finley’s too, for a while.

I thought Aidan might tell them to fuck each other, but it was as clear to him as it was to me they weren’t quite ready for that yet. When they were, I wanted to be there.

"I didn’t think you did," he said. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself very much."

"I did, but my favourite part was hearing you say you love me," I said. And saying it back to him.

"I do love you," he said. "Very much." He kissed my cheek. I didn’t look around to see if the journalist or anyone like her was looking or taking pictures. A kiss on the cheek and a quiet conversation could easily be construed as innocent. No one could prove it wasn’t.

"I love you too," I said back. I crossed my legs at my knees as the second period started. As I expected, Orion was sitting out on the bench. He looked like he could have chewed holes in the ice, but it was Aidan’s call.

The second period went almost as well as the first, but the opposition snuck two goals past Phoenix. It ended with the Demons leading by five points.

The third started with Orion back on the ice, looking like he was ready to spill blood to prove that he deserved to be out there.

"He’s almost as hot as you," Finley remarked.

"He’s much hotter than me," I argued. All three of them were, but that was okay. I loved all of them, no matter what, and I knew they all loved me, even though Orion hadn’t said so yet. He would, when he was ready. Or I would. Either way, we’d get there.

"Not a chance," Finley said lightly. "I’m going to devote the rest of my life to making you realise how beautiful you are. And giving you more orgasms than you can count."

"I’m going to do the same for you," I told him. "You’re beautiful too."

He pretended to fluff the back of his hair, and grinned, before we both turned our attention back to the game.

Orion was definitely back in his headspace now. People right at the nosebleeds seats of the arena probably saw the look of concentration on his face. The way he followed the puck, aggressively keeping it from getting past him, and stopping the opposition from regaining control.

In the first few minutes, the Demons scored another goal, increasing their lead. The opposition battled, played well, just not as well as the Demons. Any other night, they may have won, but tonight they were having their asses handed to them on a silver platter.

The audience was loving every second of it. They were on their feet, stamping and clapping as Javey snuck the puck in around the goalie by feinting to the left and charging to the right at the last second.

Ice sprayed up behind him, scraped by the suddenness of his movement. He was like a dancer out there. Strong and nimble.

"I give credit to them for not giving up," Finley said. It was only a minute or two until the end of the game and, in spite of a last-minute goal, they couldn’t have caught up to the Demons.

The final horn sounded and the whole place erupted in cheers and shouts, and a rough rendition of the Demons’ adopted anthem, a song by Wolf Venom.

Half the people didn’t know the words, but no one seemed to care very much. They’d remember even fewer of them after a few celebratory drinks.

I clapped and cheered as loud as anyone else, before catching Orion’s gaze and grinning.

He actually smiled back.

"Will miracles never cease?" Finley said. "He does know how to smile." He raised his hands and clapped for Orion, who rolled his eyes and sat down to remove his skates.

I elbowed Finley in the ribs. "Of course he does."

He laughed and rubbed his side. "It’s good to see. He deserves to be happy. We all do."

"Yes we do," I agreed, letting him help me to my feet and heading away from the rink.

If Aidan’s plan worked the way he hoped it would, we might even get the chance to do just that.