34. Emma

Closing my eyes, I relax in his embrace, and then they fly open in horror. I leap off the bed and grab my dressing gown from where I'd slung it on a chair this morning.

"What?" Taran asks, sitting up and looking a bit fearful.

"I am a terrible person, that's what!" I nearly shriek, running my hand through my sex-tangled hair.

"Okay, you got me. Why?"

Sighing, I know I have to come clean. This is a disaster in the making. Clearing my throat, I put my hands on my hips as a defence mechanism to look tough and devil-may-care. "On Friday night, I had sex with another man."

Taran blinks at me and then frowns. "And?"

"And? And! I just had sex with you! It's Monday!"

"I didn't know you on Friday night."

"What?" I glare at him for not making any sense. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Precisely that. I didn't know you, so why would I care what you did when I didn't know you?"

"Oh. Erm…" He makes a lot of sense, but… there's a huge but. "He didn't wear a condom, and neither did you," I add, almost under my breath, filled with shame.

"Emma."

I avoid his gaze.

"Emma, look at me."

Nope.

He rises and comes to me, his big dick swinging in the wind and making it hard to focus. "Emma." He takes my hands. "We're all adults here. I'm not going to rake you over the coals for something you did, but I have to ask. Do I need to be worried about this guy? If you are involved with him, then yeah, this is more of a problem."

"No! I'm not involved with him. It was a one-night stand. Not even. A quick shag in the heat of the moment."

"Okay, then, fine. We don't have an issue."

"It was Lachlan McLeod," I blurt out, knowing he needs the details.

He raises an eyebrow at that but doesn't say anything.

"Say something."

"What is there to say? Although, I suppose that makes this a bit more complicated but also not in a way."

"No complications. I told him it was a one-time thing. I'm his boss."

"True."

"Why aren't you more worried about the condom thing? We need to get tested or something. I don't know. I don't usually do this!"

He grabs my hands tighter as I get more frantic. "That is something I'm not worried about. The players' medicals are stringent."

"Oh," I say, a bit floored. I hadn't considered that in my flat panic at being such a hussy. But really, this doesn't say a lot about me as a person, as a modern-day woman, does it? I'm letting these hot, young, buff hockey studs get in the way of my common sense. From now on, I need to do better.

I let out a deep breath, trying to calm my racing mind. Taran's right, logically speaking. But this whole situation is a mess. I need to get my act together if I'm going to lead this team effectively.

"Do you feel better about things now?" he asks carefully.

"Not really," I admit. "Everything has moved so fast."

"I know, but I'm all in, Emma Thornton. The puck is in your half now."

"How do you really feel about me being with Lachlan? Is it going to be a problem for us?"

"I'm not jealous if that's what you're asking. I'm not even really surprised. Lachlan and I… we are alike in a lot of ways."

"You say that like you know him."

"Just what you hear and see, you know." He shrugs nonchalantly, but I think he has let slip something big there. I just don't know what.

"I think we need to slow down. I'm sorry. I know that's horrible of me when we've just had sex, but I need to stop a sec and think about what I'm doing. How does this look, and what effect will it have on the Warriors and on you?"

"I don't give a shit how it looks for me. I want to be with you, and even if you were the owner of the Arrows, I wouldn't let that stop me. If you want to slow down, then that's what we'll do. It's simple, Emma. I am here for you in whatever way, at your pace."

"You don't think I'm a tease?"

He bursts out laughing. "No, absolutely not."

"Or a slut?"

"God, no. Definitely not that. You are a gorgeous woman with needs. I'm not judging you, Red. Not now, not ever."

"You're too good to be true, you know that?"

Taran's eyes twinkle as he leans in, kissing my forehead. "I'm just a guy who knows what he wants. Let's get back to the party, yeah? Celebrate your birthday properly."

I nod, taking a deep breath and straightening my shoulders. We get dressed quickly and make our way back down the road to the pub.

We step inside, and the noise and energy hits us. Anna spots us and waves us over, her smile as wide as ever. I can always count on her to keep things light.

As we approach, Lachlan's eyes find mine. There's something unreadable in his gaze—maybe hurt, maybe confusion, or perhaps just curiosity. Keir is beside him, looking more uncomfortable than I've ever seen a bloke, and my heart pounds as I remember his confession.

"Happy birthday!" Anna shouts, handing me a pint. "You're only thirty once!"

I laugh. "Thanks, Anna."

"Here's to Emma!" Taran lifts the glass Anna shoves at him and everyone follows suit.

"To Emma!"

I force a smile and take a sip of my drink, trying to ignore the awkwardness that seems to settle over our little corner of the pub.

"Emma, love?"

I turn to my mum and give her a bright smile. "Hey, Mum."

"Happy birthday, sweet girl." She shoves a small box at me that is wrapped in shiny paper.

"What's this?" I ask, taking it and placing my glass down on a nearby table.

"Just a little something." She smiles, her dimples deepening.

"As long as it's not the key to another hockey team, thank you."

Mum snickers loudly, snorting as if it's the funniest joke on the planet. I get my looks from her, and I can see Taran eyeing her curiously. Should I introduce them? Probably.

"Mum, this is Taran Fraser."

"Oh, I know who you are," she says, holding her hand out.

He grabs it and kisses it with a sly smile. "Nice to see you again, Cherrie."

Cherrie? He calls her by her first name? What the fuck is this? The Twilight Zone?

"Hmm," I murmur. "Should I open this now?" I interrupt the little secret bubble fest going on.

"Yes," Mum says.

I unwrap it, feeling all eyes on me as I do so. It's a small jewellery box that looks a bit faded. Inside is a delicate gold locket, the kind with intricate engravings on the outside. I open it to find a picture of my mum as a baby on one side and a tiny photo of me as a baby on the other.

"It was your grandmother's," Mum whispers, her eyes misting over. "She gave it to me on my thirtieth, so I thought you should have it now."

Tears prick my eyes, but I blink them back, managing a wobbly smile. "Thank you, Mum. It's beautiful."

"Happy birthday, love," she says again softly, giving me a quick hug before excusing herself to mingle with the other guests.

I slip the locket around my neck and glance over at Taran, who's watching me intently. "You okay?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah," I nod. "Just emotional. It's been a day."

He chuckles and puts an arm around me, giving me a comforting squeeze. Just as I begin to feel somewhat normal again, Lachlan sidles up to us, his expression unreadable.

"Emma, can we talk for a sec?" he asks, his voice serious.

I glance at Taran, who nods slightly and releases me. "Go ahead," he says softly. "I'll be here."

Nodding, I follow Lachlan to the other side of the pub, wondering what he could possibly want to say that hasn't already been said.