Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

EDEN

"I don't know about this," I said under my breath.

"Relax," Cat said easily. "The rink is open to the public, we have every right to be here. Besides, I want to see my guys with the kids. They love doing stuff like this." She saw the expression on my face and smiled. "I know, if anyone said that about them a couple of years ago, I wouldn't have believed it either. But they really do enjoy giving back to the community."

"I believe you." I held my hands up in surrender. "Most of the team does."

Except Jagger, who was scowling when I caught sight of him sitting in the stands. I watched him and Mitch talk for a couple of minutes before they realised I was here. Mitch looked happy to see me. Jagger, not so much.

"Toby is in his element here," Marley said. She nodded over to where he crouched in front of a group of awestruck kids.

I couldn't hear what he was saying, but they hung on every word, nodding and laughing.

"He's a big kid himself," she added with a grin.

"Aren't they all?" Cat rolled her eyes playfully.

I couldn't argue with that. It was one of the things I liked about Mitch and Jagger. In spite of Jagger's grumpy exterior, he had his lighter moments. I treasured each one of them. I missed them.

"Let's sit down," Marley said.

I followed her and Cat to the stands, sitting where the guys recently vacated. They were now down on the ice, teaching the kids how to hold a stick, hit a puck, and in some cases, stay upright on ice skates.

Mitch was grinning and laughing with a group of ten-year-old kids.

Jagger stood nearby, scowling like he wished he was anywhere but here. Still, he was quick to grab a girl with blonde pigtails, right before her feet slid out from under her.

Once she regained her balance, he stepped back and resumed scowling.

"Looks like Toby might have some competition for his job," Marley remarked.

Toby knelt in front of the goal, a girl with short red hair beside him. She had full goalie protective gear on, including a mask over her face. Her body was tense with concentration as the other kids hit the puck toward the goal. She saved one with her stick and another with her gloved hand. Her reflexes and skills were amazing for a kid that young. Toby was grinning the whole time, encouraging her, and giving her tips.

"Future AWIHL for sure," I agreed. Hopefully, by the time she was old enough, the women's league would be established, and players, regardless of gender, were making as much money as those in North America.

A man from the local newspaper was moving around the rink, taking photos. He took a lot of Toby and his little protégé.

"Looks like everyone is having a good time." Kage Foster stopped beside us to look out over the rink. He turned and let his gaze linger on me.

"I'm going to get a coffee," Marley declared. She pushed herself to her feet.

"I'll come with you," Cat said. To me she added, "We'll bring you back one." She gave me a meaningful look of encouragement before they both hurried away.

Yeah, they were about as subtle as a flamingo on stilts, waving a rainbow flag.

I nodded my thanks and leaned back to watch the guys, half an eye on Kage.

"Most of them," I agreed, responding to Kage. My gaze slid back to Jagger, who was hitting pucks back to Mitch, and the handful of kids he was working with.

He glanced over at me and his expression tightened.

I offered him a smile, but he glanced away before a puck slid past him.

"He's laughing on the inside," Kage offered.

I snorted. "He's keeping it well-hidden."

The team's head coach had seen us together often enough to know I was involved with both guys. They respected him and so did I. It didn't hurt that he was handsome, in a rugged sort of way. Like Brock, silver was sprinkled through his hair, here and there.

"Jagger isn't the sort of guy to lay it all on the table," Kage agreed. "Not like Mitch. He's the kind to bare it all, and then some." He gave me a searching look, like he was trying to figure out where we all fit together.

"He really is." I nodded. Most of it, anyway. I still had no idea where I stood with either of them. I hadn't expected a welcome party, but scowls and vague smiles were all I got.

"What about you?" I asked. If they weren't going to give me anything, then maybe I could give them something to think about. I started with a bright smile for Kage, and cocked my head as I waited for him to answer. "Are you a closed book or an open book?"

He looked surprised at the question, but his expression became thoughtful. "I like to think I'm the kind of book a person can get into, but that leaves them guessing at just the right places. Keeps them wanting more."

His expression was mild, but his words had me blushing.

"So you're a mystery novel," I said.

"That sounds about right," he said. "The kind you enjoy when you're curled up in bed." Faint lines around his eyes crinkled as he smiled. "What about you?"

I leaned forward. "I'm the kind of smutty romance you read with one hand."

His eyes widened and he grinned. "Is that so?"

"Definitely," I agreed. "Maybe we should explore that sometime."

His brow dipped. "Aren't you and—" He jerked his head towards the rink.

I sighed. "I don't know what we are." I briefly told him about the situation, leaving out any mention of Brock.

"Sounds messy," he said.

"It is," I said. "I came here today to try to talk to them. I didn't know what else to do."

Kage sat in the chair beside me and crossed his legs. "I appreciate you being honest with me. Now it's my turn to be honest with you. I'm very tempted to suggest we disappear into the locker room so I can mess up your make-up and hair. One good fuck with me and you'd forget both of them."

Holy shit, that was blunt.

"You think so?" I asked lightly.

He looked over at me. Electricity crackled between us, hot and bright. I wouldn't have been surprised if it was visible to everyone in the rink.

"I know so. Unfortunately, there are kids present, and they may walk in at exactly the wrong time. I'll make a note to hold these events at our arena next time. My office would have been perfect."

"Your office would have been perfect for what?" Jagger demanded.

I hadn't seen him approach, but now he was standing right in front of us.

I startled slightly, but Kage didn't so much as flinch.

"You're supposed to be on the ice, Sanderson," Kage said evenly.

"And let you make moves on my woman?" Jagger demanded. "What the f— Heck?" He was angry, but apparently not angry enough to forget he shouldn’t swear in front of all those children.

I stared at him. "Your woman? Says who? You haven't spoken to me for days. How am I supposed to know what you're thinking or feeling?" His anger and possessiveness were hot, but they didn't clarify the situation. If anything, they left me more confused than ever.

" I didn't even know," he snapped. "Seeing you with him…" He gestured towards Kage and shook his head. "Is something going on between you?"

"Not yet, but if you don't get your head out of your ass, there might be," Kage said, still unruffled.

"How about I rearrange your face?" Jagger snarled. He started towards Kage, gloved hands curled into fists.

"How about you don't?" Mitch grabbed one of his arms and held him back. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Kage is trying to muscle in on our woman," Jagger said.

Mitch stared at him, then Kage, then at me.

"Do you want to be with Kage?" He seemed confused rather than hurt or angry.

I stared back at all three of them before rising to my feet and pointing at the two players. "I want you two to figure out what you want. If it's not me, then why shouldn't I go out with someone else? Why not Kage?"

Apart from being the mother of all complications, that might affect how they worked together. Right now, I couldn't bring myself to give a shit. If they didn't want me, then why shouldn't Kage fuck me senseless?

I started to step away.

"Wait," Mitch called out.

I stopped, but didn't look back. "What?"

"I want you," he said. "So does Jagger. Right Jag?"

I turned around slowly and locked my gaze on the dark-haired centre.

He pressed his lips together. "I want Eden, and Mitch,” he ground out. “If you both want more than just, you know, s-e-x, then… I want to try and see how it goes. Maybe we have a future together and maybe we don't." Grudgingly and on a long sigh, he added, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to find out."

"But if you want Kage too, I support that," Mitch said hastily. He seemed desperate to cover all of the bases before I started to bolt for home. He glanced at the coach like the older man better not do anything to hurt me or he'd personally rip his arms off.

"We had one conversation," I said.

"You seemed to enjoy the conversation," Kage said. "I know I did. Look, we're all adults here. It seems to me like the three of you aren't completely committed. I want to take Eden out and get to know her. And you guys can do the same. Wherever all of this ends up, it ends up." He shrugged, but he hadn't flinched through the whole conversation. He was laying his cards out on the table, making his play. Take it or leave it. The openness was refreshing. If it helped Mitch and Jagger to figure their shit out, then all the better.

"Sounds reasonable to me," Mitch said with a hint of reluctance. "If that's what Eden wants."

"What if it goes beyond a date?" Jagger asked.

"If it does, then it does." Kage shrugged. "I say we let Eden decide what, and who, she does." He emphasised the word, drawing it out.

I sat back down slowly. "So, none of you mind if I see all of you?" I couldn't deny my attraction to Mitch or Jagger, or that I found Kage intriguing. This was a lot, but for once I didn't want to back down, or back away. I wanted to jump in with both feet and see where I landed. I was done staying back from the edge and not taking chances. Life was too fucking short not to take a leap once in a while.

"I don't mind," Mitch said. "Unless you choose Kage over us. Then I’ll mind." He gave Kage another dark look.

"Not my fault if I'm irresistible," Kage said with a grin.

Jagger snorted. He didn't seem convinced about this arrangement. One thing was clear, he had no intention of letting me go. He'd rather share me with Mitch and Kage, than not have me at all.

"There's something else," I said slowly. Keeping it as brief and PG as possible, I told them about Brock.

None of them seemed surprised, least of all Mitch or Jagger.

"I've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one else is looking," Mitch said. "He's as hot for you as I am."

"As we are," Jagger growled.

"As we are," Kage agreed, before staring Jagger down.

"Fuck." Jagger mouthed the word. "Where does this leave us?"

"Right where we were a couple of minutes ago," Mitch said. "Eden gets to decide what and who she does. Whether that's the three of us or Brock. Or the three of us and Brock. As long as we communicate with each other, I don't see why we can't make this work."

"Fine by me," Kage said with a shrug. "Eden, want to have dinner with me tonight?"

I glanced at the other two guys, before I nodded. "I'd love to."

"Eden, do you want to go out with Jagger and me on Friday night?" Mitch asked.

"I'd love to," I said again.

Jagger nodded along with me.

So much for not getting complicated. This just got all of that and more, and I was here for it. I hoped this didn't end badly for all of us.