Chapter 32

Sebastian

I skate around the rink, being careful not to mow any little kids over. I smile at a little girl, who I think is my coach’s granddaughter. I love this day every year; it’s fun hanging out with my teammates’ families. I glance around for at least the hundredth time.

“She’s not here,” a voice says to my left.

“Noted. Thank you, Aiden,” I say dryly.

He has a scowl on his face, but that’s not unusual for him, especially with this many people around. “I hate this event,” he mutters, not surprising me in the least.

“Yeah, but you’ll be better when Bri gets here.”

A smile ghosts his lips at the mention of his girl. It always amazes me how much Bri has tamed the man. Rico skates over to us and stops on a dime. “Your girls aren’t coming?”

I smile at him calling Stephanie my girl. “They are; they’re just not here yet.”

Gunner joins our group next. “Can we leave yet?”

I smile at my grumpy captain. “You’re getting as bad as Aiden was. We need to find you a girl.”

“No, you really don’t,” he responds. He looks around the ice warily. “What do we have to do?”

“Right now, it’s just free skate. We’ll start the game soon, and then lunch. Then pictures, and then I think we’re free to leave at that point,” I tell him. “Chloe said we just have to be here until pictures are done.”

“I don’t know why she always makes us do these days,” Aiden grumbles.

“She’s just doing her job,” Gunner responds, sending him a dark look. His words surprise me, and I glance at him. He’s not looking at me, though. He’s looking across the ice. I turn to see what’s caught his attention. Chloe stands on the ice without skates on, somehow managing to balance while holding a clipboard and talking to coach.

“Why doesn’t she have skates on?” I ask no one in particular.

If possible, Gunner’s scowl deepens. “Good question.” And then he shocks me by skating towards our PR manager.

“Huh,” I mutter.

“Your girls are here,” Rico says.

It takes a minute for his words to register. When they do, I whip my head around grinning. The smile slides from my face as I take her in. Stephanie is beautiful in everything she wears; I love seeing her in her work blouses and pantsuits. But this look? Wearing a Green Thunder sweatshirt, ripped jeans, her hair piled on her head, and ice skates? If I wasn’t already in love, I would have fallen right then and there.

“Better wipe that drool off,” Rico says with a smirk and skates off.

I close my mouth, aware of the fact that I am totally obsessed with this woman. Then my heart nearly leaps out of my chest when she skates towards me. She wobbles for a moment but quickly finds her rhythm. I don’t move from my position, and when she stops in front of me, I stare at her. “You can skate.”

She smiles. “I can skate.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you can skate?”

She shrugs. “I haven’t done it a lot as an adult, but I rollerbladed all the time as a kid and ice-skated from time to time.”

I move closer to her and wrap an arm around her back. “Have I told you that you’re my dream girl?”

She raises an eyebrow, challenging me. “Shouldn’t you watch me play hockey first before you make that call?”

My grin widens. And this is why this girl lights me up. “I don’t need to see you play hockey for me to know you’re my dream girl.” She doesn’t. She doesn’t need to prove a single thing to me. I take her hand in mine. “Skate with me?” She nods, and I turn and maneuver next to her. The rink is a little crowded, but we stick to the outside of the rink and try to avoid the congestion in the middle. The longer we skate, the more she relaxes. When I look down at her, her face is flushed, her eyes are bright, and she has a smile on her face. My heart tugs in my chest, and I take a breath and force a smile to my face when she looks up at me. I don’t know how to tell her that I crave her more than I crave my next meal. That look on her face? I want to put it there every single day. A tug on my hand pulls my gaze to her. She lets go and skates over to where Brielle is obviously struggling.

“Hey Bri,” I say as I stop in front of her and Aiden. “Looks like it’s going well,” I casually observe.

“Go away,” she tells me, causing me to laugh.

“Ignore him,” Aiden says.

“You’re getting better,” I tell her.

She looks over at me with an exasperated look. “Yeah right.”

“You are. The last time I skated with you, you could barely move.”

“I seem to recall that the last time we skated together, you plowed into me and knocked me over,” she says with a scowl.

Stephanie turns to me. “You knocked her over?”

“Yes,” Aiden says in response.

I defend myself. “Okay, let’s just remind ourselves what actually happened. I was skating along when Bri stopped right in front of me. I couldn’t stop from running into her, but I did try to catch her and break her fall.”

A whistle blows, drawing our attention that way. “It’s time for the kids’ games,” Rico says he skates over to us. We all head to the side of the rink and step off the ice and head over to the seats.

Stephanie stops and turns towards me. “I’m going to find a bathroom.”

“Me too,” Bri pipes in.

“I can show you where they’re at,” I start, but Bri waves me off.

“I know where to go.” The two of them take off, walking carefully in their skates. I put my blade protectors on and head over to the office where I can grab some blade protectors for Stephanie. It takes me a while to get back because I get caught by several different fans, here today for the event. When I finally make it back, I walk over to where Aiden and Brielle are sitting, engaged in a deep conversation.

“Where’s Stephanie?” I ask, glancing around.

“She got stuck talking to somebody,” Brielle says, waving me in the direction I’d just come from. I turn around, looking for my girl. I’m on way back to the lobby area when Gunner and Rico come towards me. Something about their expressions make me instantly on alert.

“Some guy’s out there with your girl,” Rico says. “He’s in her face and—”

I don’t wait for him to finish as I stalk towards the lobby, wishing I didn’t have my skates on so I could run. I throw open the door and scan the area. I don’t immediately see them; they’re over in a corner, tucked away from people walking past. I stride that way. I don’t like the way he’s in her face; not at all. I take in the expensive suit, the gelled hair, and the polished shoes the way I instantly take in a defender in a hockey game. I categorize the details and file them away in an instant and make a judgment call. He’s tall; I’ll give him that. But I’m taller and now happy that I’m still wearing my skates. I notice that Stephanie has taken hers off at some point and is back in her sneakers, making us both tower over her. I join the conversation, stepping up next to Stephanie and sliding an arm around her waist. “Hey, Love.” Her surprised eyes meet mine, but I can’t bring myself to apologize for my actions. “I’m Sebastian,” I say putting out my hand.

He ignores my outstretched hand. “I am aware.”

His words rub me the wrong way. “And you are?”

“William.”

I barely keep the scoff off my face; his name even sounds rich. “Thank you for stopping by, William,” my girl says. “I hope you’ll remember what I said.”

Every part of me wants to know what she said to him, but I keep my mouth shut. I can tell he doesn’t like whatever she’s referencing, and my body tenses. If he’s looking for a fight, I have no problem giving him one. “I think you’re making a mistake,” he says, making me even more on edge.

“I know what I want, even if nobody else agrees with it,” Stephanie says in determination.

“Everybody just wants what’s best for you, Stephanie.”

His use of her name is too familiar; I don’t like it. “Hey, Pal, this is a private event. So, there’s the door.”

“I know it’s a private event; that’s how I got in.”

I frown, but I feel Stephanie tense next to me. “What do you mean?” she asks.

I swear he puffs out his chest. “You’re looking at Green Thunder’s newest attorney.”

I stare at him and then look down at Stephanie. She, somehow, doesn’t look nearly as surprised as I feel right now. The man has the audacity to grin. “I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other,” he says to Stephanie.

“Actually, I don’t think we will,” she responds stiffly.

“If I have anything to say about it, we will,” he says with a wink.

I step right up to him. “Actually, if she doesn’t want to, then you won’t. I’m pretty sure she made that extremely clear.”

It makes me satisfied that he has to look up slightly at me. “As your legal counsel now, I would advise that you back away and don’t make a scene. It wouldn’t end well for you.”

A hand on my arm gets my attention, and I take a step back, putting a hand at Stephanie’s back. “Yeah, we’ll see about that,” I mutter, not looking away.

“Hart,” Gunner says, joining our conversation. He looks between the idiot and me, and his eyes flick to Stephanie and then back to the idiot again. “Who are you, and why are you here? This is a private event.”

“Which is why I have an invite,” he says and turns on his heels and walks away, leaving all three of us staring after him.

“Who the—” Gunner glances at Stephanie and catches himself. “Who was that?”

Stephanie sighs, and we both turn to her. She has a look on her face that I don’t like at all. “I have a feeling that was my father’s doing.”

“Do you know that guy?” I ask, irritated.

“Yes.” At her admission, I feel my chest tighten. “He works for my father.”

Gunner puts a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to head back in. You should probably come soon; we’re starting the game in a few minutes.”

I nod, and he leaves us. “You okay?” I ask gently. She looks flustered as she looks up at me.

“Welcome to my family dynamics. I would understand if you want to run while you can.” She gives a humorless laugh, but I can see the worry behind it.

“Hey.” I reach out and take her hand. “That guy? He doesn’t scare me at all.”

“It’s my father who’s behind it,” she argues.

“Okay. Well, he scares me a little bit.” I give a mock shudder, causing her to smile...which is what I was after. I nudge her chin up with my thumb. “But if they’re looking to scare me off; it’s not going to work.” I can see her expression change, and my chest settles at the hope in her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Beautiful.” I step closer and wrap my arms around her and pull her close.

“You’re so tall in those skates.”

I smile at her words. I lower my mouth to hers. “Tall is good, right?” I say in a low voice.

“I love tall,” she whispers back.

Just as I’m about to touch my lips to her, I see William stride into the lobby from the corner of my eye. I pull my girl closer and touch my lips to hers. At the same time, I lift a finger and let him know exactly what I think of him. Is it childish? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely not. Nobody gets to treat my girl like she’s not absolutely amazing, and nobody gets to talk down to her like that! Not on my watch.

All my thoughts fade at the softness of her lips and her body as she melts against me. I deepen the kiss, knowing I will never get enough of this woman. When she makes a small moaning sound, my restraint is kicked to the curb. I maneuver her backwards into the small alcove without taking my lips from hers. I rip my lips from hers and kiss down her neck. “Sebastian,” she whispers and shivers as she turns her head to give me better access. She lets me kiss her neck for a minute before she grabs the back of my head and pulls my lips back to hers. I groan low in my throat when she opens for me, and my tongue twines with hers. I’m pretty sure I’ve died and gone to heaven.

“Uh, Hart?”

The sound is like cold water. I freeze, and Stephanie does the same in my arms. I give her one more gentle kiss and then pull back. My eyes run over her quickly before I move away, making sure she’s presentable. I reach for her hand as I turn around and give it a quick squeeze to reassure her. “Coach sent me to get you,” Scott says, uncomfortable, to say the least.

I bite back a smile. “Thanks, Scott. I’ll be right there.”

He turns and walks away quickly; I can’t help but chuckle softly as I turn back to Stephanie. “You good?” I ask gently and tuck a hair behind her ear. Her lips are red, her skin is flushed, and her eyes are full of life...basically my favorite look on her.

“That was embarrassing,” she says, brushing off her shirt like it’s one of the blazers she usually wears.

“That was amazing, Baby,” I correct. “You ready to go play some hockey?” I can’t help but grin wide; I feel like my heart is going to burst. I’ve got my favorite things combining today—making out with my girl and hockey? It”s a good day.

“I guess,” she says, somewhat unconvincingly. I walk with her hand-in-hand back to our practice rink, ready to play my favorite sport with my favorite girl...and I am totally aware of the fact that I’ve become a sap.