15. Cassi

fifteen

Cassi

Y ou're in love with them. Teagan's voice rings in my head. She can't be right, can she? I've had a lot of fun with the guys these last few weeks, but love? I don't think so. Otherwise, I wouldn't have broken up with them or accepted that stupid offer of a date from Jake.

Then why did I cancel my date and rush to the ice arena to declare that love to them?

Because I was scared, I've never had anyone treat me the way the three of them treated me. So when Teagan pointed out that I was in love with them, I freaked out and took the coward's way out by texting them we were over. But I have to fix this if it's not too late.

Pushing my way through the crowd, I made my way to the tunnel—just my luck—I forgot my VIP badge at home in my haste to tell the guys I love them before the games started. To make matters worse, the new security guard didn't recognize me, sending me to the back of the ticket line.

Ever since the issue the team had with Gemma's ex-boyfriend who used to play for the Indiana Freeze, Colt, Beck, and Jensen have increased security so much that without a VIP badge, you're pretty much shit out of luck. But thankfully, my luck hasn't run out yet as I wave my hands to gain the attention of three of tonight's referees, who happen to be surrounding someone in a semi-secluded corner of the arena. The closer I get to them, the more I realize that someone is my friend Heidi.

"Heidi!" I call out, rushing to her side, only to be blocked by an angry-looking referee.

Until he sees my face and recognizes me as Cassi Masterson, a cutthroat agent, not the love-struck woman who needs to speak to her men immediately. "Ms. Masterson, I didn't realize that was you." His eyes travel down my body to the tight black dress that hits me mid-thigh—not my usual work attire. But at least his gaze looks confused, not interested because I'd have to kick his ass since I'm pretty sure these three guys have got Heidi tied in knots—or maybe it's the other way around. I'm not sure.

All I know is I need to talk to Dalton, Ace, and Maverick before the game starts. "I need to go to the locker room and talk to my guys."

Heidi gives me an "I told you so" smile before it slips from her face: "They're not in the locker room. They're already on the ice. Coach Davis is trying something new for pre-game warm-ups." She shrugs.

"But…"

Heidi snaps her fingers, interrupting me, "We wear the same shoe size."

"And…"

"Take my skates and skate out there to your men and tell them you love them." I don't miss how her eyes dart to each referee as she tells me what to say to my men. It seems like she should take her own advice if I'm not mistaken.

"That's brilliant!" I kick off my high heels as she unlaces her ice skates.

I slip into Heidi's skates and lace them up tight. With the help of the referees, I make my way to the entrance of the ice rink. Gliding across the ice, I dodge players and pucks on my mission. I'm a few feet from my targets when my mission is cut short by an angry-looking Coach Davis with his arms crossed over his big, burly chest.

"I expected this nonsense from Heidi and the other young girls, but you're a full-grown woman, Cassi. You're interrupting a crucial game." His scowl deepens, making me feel guilty for skating out onto the ice like a crazy woman interrupting the teams as they warm up for the game.

"You're right, Coach. It was a foolish idea. I'm sorry." I turn around, intending to skate off the ice, and wait until after the game to talk to Dalton, Ace, and Maverick. It's a miracle they haven't noticed me on the ice yet. If I'm lucky, I can skate off without them seeing me.

But before I can skate away gracefully, my skates get tangled in my haste to leave the ice, and I begin to sway to the left. I try to regain my balance, but only to overcorrect and sway to my right. I can only imagine how I look to a packed arena with my arms flailing around as I fall to the solid ice.

I close my eyes and wait for the hard impact, but it never comes. I open my eyes to find I'm being held up by three pairs of arms that magically appeared when I needed them most to position me back on solid ground as they bombard me with questions.

"Are you okay?"

"What are you doing out on the ice?"

"I thought you were out on a date?"

The last one from Maverick hits closest to home with his accusation. Did I technically have a date tonight? Yes. Was I actually going to go through with the date? No. But they don't know that yet. I have to convince them that I was scared and wrong to push them away like that.

"I'm fine." I start answering their questions. "I'm out here on the ice because I need to tell you all something before the game starts. And for the last question, I was wrong to accept a date when I'm in a relationship with the three of you." I glance at them through my lowered eyelashes. When they don't speak, I add. "Or was in a relationship with the three of you."

"Go on." Maverick doesn't make this easy on me, challenging me to defend my bad behavior.

I straighten my shoulders and lift my gaze to meet theirs before I continue, "I found myself falling in love with the three of you." At my confession, their faces changed from confusion, concern, and anger to love and desire—exactly what I needed to see to continue my little impromptu speech. "I got scared. What would three young, hot studs want with a woman almost a decade older than them." I take a deep breath and blow it out before I finish. "I'm here out on the ice with a furious-looking head coach staring at me like he wants to rip my head off to tell you I'm sorry and that I love you. And if you'll have me, I want a permanent relationship with all of you."

My stomach twists in knots as I wait for what feels like forever for them to answer. I can feel the eyes of the over twenty-five thousand fans, players, and coaches boring into me. But I ignore the trickle of sweat that slides down my back and wait.

Finally, they break eye contact with me and glance at each other before Maverick finally speaks, "Of course, we love you and want a permanent relationship with you—on one condition."

"Anything," I beg, not caring if all twenty-five thousand plus in the arena hear me grovel—my men are worth it.

"Our one condition is after the game, you," Maverick pauses, and my heart beats faster. Take us to bed or lose us forever! " they yell at the same time.

To which I yell back with a big smile, "Show me the way home, Honeys!"