Chapter 6

Fiona

"Whoa!" Lucas shouts when Tucker McKinstry slams some poor soul into the boards so hard I jump on my son thinking they're both going to come crashing through. We're in the front row and it feels like we're in the game.

"That was awesome," Lucas shouts as the two of them explode away to get back into the action.

He has a huge smile on his face as he looks up at me.

"Look!" I say as I spot Harris hopping over the boards onto the ice. "He's back on!"

"Yes!" Lucas says with a fist pump. "Go, Dad!"

We can't take our eyes off him. He's electric.

It's the third period and he's already scored two goals. I don't think I've ever cheered so loudly in all my life. They're the away team, so I think we were the only ones in the arena cheering, but we were loud enough to make up for it.

I grip Lucas' hand and squeeze it too hard as Harris goes on a tear. He steals the puck mid-pass and takes off skating in the other direction.

The crowd groans now that he has the puck again.

Two players on the other team converge on him. Harris passes it to another player—Kemp. I don't know how he squeezed that puck between the two guys, but he did. He is really good.

Kemp takes it the rest of the way and shoots at the net. The puck bounces off the goalie's helmet and lands out of his reach. Harris' stick swoops out and he hooks the puck, bringing it back in. With a flick of his wrist, it flies into the top left corner of the net.

"Yes!" me and Lucas scream, jumping up and down as the boys celebrate on the ice.

The arena gets quiet as the score becomes three to one for us.

Harris quickly breaks away from the guys and comes skating over to us. My heart races as he approaches with that sexy grin on his face.

He gives me a wink, which makes my cheeks blush, and then he turns to Lucas and makes a heart with his thumbs and fingers on the glass. Lucas does the same, matching his father's hockey gloves with a heart.

I've never seen such a big smile on his little face. He's still beaming when Harris is forced to skate back to his bench.

My racing heart turns to a warm fluttering as I watch him cross the ice. I can't take my eyes off him. He's so handsome with those stunning brown eyes and that muscular build.

I was surprised at how my body responded to him at the signing. I've changed and matured a lot over the past five years—motherhood will do that to a gal—but I was right back to being that starstruck young woman I was when we met the first time.

I've been so focused on worrying about how Lucas was going to react to Harris, that I didn't think about my own reaction to the man.

"He's so good, right Mommy?" Lucas says as he looks up at me with a huge smile.

"He's good," I say as we sit down. My body is tingling as I watch him sit on the bench, grab his water bottle, and take a drink. His eyes dart right to mine.

I squirm in my seat as I feel the craving. My body is literally craving him.

Images of that magical night come flashing back into my mind. The sexy grunts in my ear, the tremendous weight of him on my body, the blissful feeling of him pushing between my legs and sliding into me.

"Can we get another soft pretzel?" Lucas asks, yanking me out of my sensual fog.

"Huh? No, we already had one."

"Please?"

"Okay, fine," I say as I wave the guy over. This is a night that neither of us will ever forget. Might as well go all out.

I pay the outrageous price, break off half the pretzel, and give Lucas the other half.

Harris keeps his protective eyes on us until the coach waves him back into the game. He leaps over the boards and the crowd groans now that the hat trick star is back on the ice.

He winks at me as he skates by.

"Mommy, why are you so red?" Lucas asks as he looks up at me.

"It's uh, the pretzel."

"Oh."

We both watch as Harris bodychecks a bigger guy into the glass and kicks the puck to his teammate.

I keep thinking back to this afternoon when I was watching Lucas and Harris talking on the couch. I didn't know whether to cry or smile or be happy or terrified. It was a lot of emotion to deal with. I'm still trying to sort it all out.

I never really thought about how much Lucas would benefit from having a father in his life. It was something I never let myself think. I always pushed it away. I buried it deep and let the daily chaos of my job, my bills, single parenting, dirty laundry, and stacks of dishes wash over it. I let my mind stay occupied with the daily grind and didn't give any oxygen to thoughts like that.

I figured Lucas could get his male role models from his uncles—my brothers, Ryan and Marc. But Marc was always busy with his own three girls and Ryan has always been a bit of a dolt. He's hardly someone I want my son looking up to.

But seeing him sitting there with Harris, with his father… It was a massive wake-up call. He needs a male presence in his life.

And so do I.

"It's over?" Lucas asks when the buzzer goes off.

The crowd is groaning unhappily as they shuffle to the exits.

"It's over," I say sadly. This is the only game Harris is playing in Kansas City this season, so I don't know when the next time we'll be able to see him play will be.

Harris breaks away from the celebrating pack of Hyenas and skates over.

"Are you going to wait by the locker room?" he asks through the glass. He looks so hopeful. It's heartwarming to see.

I smile and nod at him. How can I not?

"We'll be there."

"I'll be quick!" He gives Lucas a fist bump through the glass then gives me a devastatingly sexy smile before he hurries away, darting past everyone and into the back.

He gave us special passes that let us wait outside the locker room with the agents, sports reporters, and other family members.

It's way past Lucas' bedtime, but he's wide awake with all of the excitement.

He's looking around at everything in awe. I'm just staring at the door, waiting for it to open with my stomach in knots.

I'm wondering what's going to happen. Is Harris going to say goodbye, and that's it? Does he fly back to San Antonio tonight and I'm left with a brokenhearted young boy who doesn't understand why his father is not returning his calls?

Or, does everything change in a different way?

Do all of our dreams come true?

Keep yourself grounded, girl. Lucas is going to need you to keep your head on straight. We both need it.

I take a deep breath as the door opens.

"Dad!" Lucas shouts as Harris walks out in a suit. God, he's gorgeous.

Lucas runs under the rope and leaps into Harris' arms. They both look so happy as he picks him up and they squeeze each other tight.

Stay grounded. Stay grounded.

I smile tightly as I walk over.

"Hello, Fiona," he says in that deep sexy voice that always manages to send tingles rippling down my skin. "Did you enjoy the game?"

"It was so fun!" Lucas answers for me. My heart squeezes when I see the way he's looking at his father. He's looking at him like he can't believe he's there.

"Harris!" a reporter calls out as the swarm of them start butting their way over and crowding around the boys. Harris holds Lucas protectively in his arms. "Three goals! When was the last time you had a hat trick?"

"A long time," Harris says with a laugh as about six microphones are shoved into his face.

"What changed?" one of them asks.

"I got a good luck charm," he says with a smile as he looks at his son. "Two of them."

I feel my heart do a little flip as his sexy brown eyes dart to me.

This man is gorgeous. He's wearing a gray suit with a white shirt, no tie. Some of the ink on his chest is showing and it's making me lightheaded. I remember running my palms over that tattooed chest as he was thrusting in and out of me. My fingertips start tingling at the memory.

Heat starts swirling in my core and settling between my legs. I squeeze my thighs and try to think of something else. This is not the place for dirty thoughts like these.

"Who is this good luck charm?" one of the reporters asks.

"This is my son, Lucas," he says proudly. "And this is my girl, Fiona."

He parts the crowd and comes to me. His brown eyes are full of love and affection as he puts his arm around my shoulders.

He smells good. Like rich cologne.

The reporters ask me about six different questions all at the same time, but Harris tells them we're done and he pulls me away to the quiet end of the hall.

"Are you guys hungry?" he asks. "Do want to grab some burgers at my hotel? It's across the street."

"I don't know," I say as I look at the time. "It's getting late."

"Please, Mommy!" Lucas says with a desperate look on his face. The night is going so well and I don't want to take him away from his father. I don't know how much time they'll have together in the future, but they have tonight. Who am I to separate them?

"A quick one," I say, and Lucas celebrates.

"Thank you," Harris whispers as he leans forward and kisses me on the cheek.

Lucas holds his hand and talks his ear off about the game—mostly about the pretzels and soda he had—as we walk across the street to the hotel.

Lots of fans congratulate Harris on his game and he quickly signs a few autographs without breaking stride.

We head into the beautiful luxurious hotel and me and Lucas are looking around in awe as Harris orders some food at the front desk to be brought up to his room.

"It's going to be about thirty minutes," he says when we get into the elevator. "Should we go check out the pool?"

"Yes!" Lucas says.

We stop on the third floor and head down to the pool. It's after eleven, so the pool is closed and the door is locked.

"Awww," Lucas says, clearly disappointed. It's the first time I've seen him upset all day.

"Hold on," Harris says as he takes off down the hall. "I'll be right back."

He comes back a minute later with the security guard who swipes his card and lets us in.

"How did you do that?" I ask as we sneak into the dark room. The only light is from the beautiful pool, which gives the whole area a blue ethereal glow.

"I slipped him a hundred," he says with a sly grin.

This man is full of surprises.

"Can we go in?" Lucas asks as he bends down and puts his hand in the water. "It's so warm."

Normally, I'd say no since he doesn't have a bathing suit, towel, or change of clothes, but I'm the cool mom tonight. I'm just going with the flow.

"Sure," I say. "Strip down to your underwear."

He's giddy as he gets undressed. "Are you coming in too, Dad?"

Harris grins at him. "Definitely!"

I forget to breathe as I watch him pull off his suit jacket and then start unbuttoning his crisp white shirt.

That sexy tattoo comes into view and I'm feeling my pulse racing away as I try not to look at his muscular shoulders and shredded abs. My eyes don't care what my brain is telling them. They keep darting back to his rippling muscles and perfect arms.

When they're both in their underwear, they hold hands and do cannonballs into the pool.

Lucas squeals in delight when he pops up, clinging to Harris' arm.

"You coming in?" Harris asks with a heated look.

They're both waving at me to join them. My little family is in there and all they're missing is me. Nope, not family. Stay grounded, girl.

I can't say no.

"Don't look," I say as I start to strip down to my bra and underwear. My body is not the same as the last time he saw me. After going through a pregnancy and months of breastfeeding, my body has taken some damage, but Harris doesn't seem to mind with the heated way he keeps glancing over at me.

I quickly slip into the pool and swim over as Lucas squeals.

We have so much fun.

Harris throws Lucas into the water over and over. We all get out and jump into the deep end together while holding hands. Lucas is in the middle at first, but then I notice how Harris squeezes his way into the middle so he can hold my hand.

I forgot how powerful these hands were. They feel good.

It feels like we're a happy little family. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I'm glad that Lucas got to experience this, even if it is just for one night. I'm glad I got to experience it too. It's a night I'll never forget.

We grab our clothes and rush to the elevators in our underwear, still soaking wet. We all giggle to each other when the elevator doors open and the elderly couple inside gives us a shocked look.

They push into the corner as we crowd inside and ride the elevator up to the top floor.

Harris' room is amazing. It's a two-bedroom suite with a bar and a stunning view of Kansas City. The food is already arranged on the table. We quickly dry off with the bathroom towels and sit down to eat.

Harris orders the latest Ninja Turtles movie on the giant TV and we all smile and laugh as we watch it while eating the burgers and fries. When we get to dessert, we bring the massive pieces of chocolate cake into the big bed and eat it all warm in the blankets while watching the movie.

Harris and I keep meeting eyes over Lucas' head. It feels so special. It feels so… right.

I hope this is a night that changes everything.

Lucas falls asleep about halfway through the movie and halfway through his cake.

I take the plate away from him and wipe the chocolate from his mouth.

"We should get going," I say sadly. It's well after midnight.

"I was hoping you two could stay," Harris whispers as he strokes Lucas' wild hair. "We can have breakfast together… And we can put him to bed and talk."

I swallow hard as I look at the colors from the TV flashing on my baby's sleeping face. He looks so peaceful.

"I don't want you two driving through the city in the dark."

It is very comfy in here. Lucas is already asleep…

And I do want to know what he has to say, even if I'm scared to find out.

"Okay," I whisper as I look at him. "I'll stay."

He lets out a breath of relief and lovingly takes my hand. "Thank you."