52. Darcy

CHAPTER 52

DARCY

I'm doing something I absolutely should not be doing—watching game tape and gathering data—when the buzzer for the front door rings on my phone. A smile spreads over my face, and warm, elated feelings spin in my chest, because I think I know what this is.

"Hello?"

"Got a delivery for Darcy Andersen."

Knew it. "Come on up."

I buzz him in, and minutes later, the delivery guy knocks on the door.

"Third time this week." He grins between me and the enormous bouquet of flowers, and my face goes hot.

Those elated feelings join hands and spin in a huge circle before they flop over and sigh. The first bouquet was oranges and yellows, yesterday was different shades of purples, and today is soft, feminine pinks.

"Either someone screwed up big time, or he's in love."

I cough out a dry laugh as I sign for the delivery. "He's not in love."

We're just having fun. Hayden Owens doesn't fall in love .

"Whatever you say." He gives me a short wave. "See you soon, I'm sure."

I chuckle, thank him, and close the door before pulling out my phone. Hayden answers my FaceTime call on the second ring.

"Another?" I angle the camera at the giant bouquet on the kitchen counter. "What are you up to?"

"What do you mean?" He grins, lying on his bed, leaning against the headboard in the hotel room.

My fingers trail over one of the delicate petals of a pretty pink rose. "You're spoiling me."

"And?"

I blow out a breath, still smiling like a doofus. Hayden's sent me a bouquet every day since he left for away games. I can buy my own flowers, but I don't, and I have to admit, being gifted them is different—sweeter and more meaningful.

"And it's too much."

"Are you uncomfortable with me sending you flowers?" His low voice makes the back of my neck prickle.

"No," I admit.

"Are you having second thoughts about what we talked about?"

My heart lodges in my throat. "No. Definitely not."

"Good." His eyes turn soft. "Me neither."

My stomach flutters. I miss him like crazy and can't wait for him to come home so I can push him down to the floor, straddle his hips, and grind against him until his eyes do that darkened, hazy thing I find so hot.

Flowers feel serious, though. Flowers feel like a relationship. I don't want to get my heart smashed just when I'm starting to feel like myself again.

"We said we were just going to have fun," I tell him quietly .

"Buying you flowers is fun. I like spending money on you, Darce. Is that a problem?"

At the tone of his voice—commanding yet teasing—I bite down on a smile. "No."

"Good. What are you doing tonight?"

My attention darts to my laptop screen. I'm not taking the job with Ward, and I should leave the analytics to the professionals.

"Darce," Hayden drawls, seeing the guilt all over my expression. "What kind of trouble are you getting into?"

I huff a laugh. "Nothing." I suck in a deep breath. "Okay, I was watching the game from the other night."

"You were?"

I give him a strange look. "Of course I was. And I wore your jersey during it, obviously."

His eyes gleam with pride. "I didn't know that."

"Why are you surprised? I love watching you play. Anyway, the game the other night. Ward keeps pairing Alexei with new defensemen, and it isn't working."

I have that feeling again, the one that led me to checking the numbers for the Storm's array of power play and penalty kill configurations.

"There's this guy who plays college hockey, Luca Walker." My pulse picks up. "I think he'd play well with Alexei."

Hayden's eyebrows go up. "Oh yeah?"

"He played one game in the NHL last year, and it didn't go well, but I think it was just a one-off." I shake my head, frowning. "It was just one game, and there are a lot of reasons why a guy doesn't play well. He's young, but he has a lot of similar characteristics to you." Luca Walker is kind of sloppy, but there's talent there. "Ward has a lot of experienced guys on the team, but if I look at how teams play over, say, five years, they have more younger players that they're always developing. There are only a few young guys on the team right now. A lot of the players are twenty-five or older."

"You think the Storm should draft this guy?"

"It's worth a try to see if Alexei plays well with him." The league's trade deadline is approaching quickly, and after that, the teams are set for the rest of the season and playoffs. The Storm are likely in the playoffs this year, but there's no guarantee. If I'm right, a change like this could make a difference. "You should say something to Ward."

He arches an eyebrow. " You should."

My thoughts go to the job offer in my email from yesterday morning. In case you change your mind , Ward wrote.

Fear holds me back, and I hate myself for that. I'm terrified that my data won't hold up and it'll lead to the Storm getting knocked out of the running for the playoffs. Careers are at stake. Someone could get hurt. The team wants to win the playoffs so badly, and I'd never forgive myself if I messed that up for them.

Hayden is a whole new element to why I can't take this job. I'd be working closely with him. I'd probably be traveling with the team. This thing , whatever we're doing with his sweet kisses on my neck and sleeping in the same bed every night, has an expiration date.

And then I get to watch as he moves on to other girls, showering them with his teasing smiles and pulling them into his lap.

I can't watch that. I can't take the job.

I meet Hayden's curious gaze and shake my head with a small smile.

"He's going to know who it's coming from," he says.

"Tell him you were contacted by a fortune teller."

He still grins, shaking his head. "Fine, I'll say something, but I'm sure it'll be as subtle as a bag of rocks." His gaze rests on me for a long moment. "What if you took the job, Darce?" His eyes spark. "It would be kind of fun, wouldn't it, working together? Ward always brings an analyst or two on the road. We could have sleepovers."

Against my will, I grin, picturing it. Watching movies on the plane together. Sneaking into each other's rooms late at night, tangling the sheets up and falling asleep together, exhausted.

It would be nice to love my job again, and to use my skills for something cool instead of wasting them on something I don't care about.

"Alexei's going to retire within a few years, whether he wants to or not. What if I'm the reason he never gets to the last round of playoffs?"

I'm scared , I don't say.

He studies me with a serious expression. "But what if you are the reason the team gets to the playoffs? What if you can help us? The risk is shared, Darce. No one's going to point fingers at you for a play we executed. There are lots of reasons plays don't work. The team's future doesn't ride on your shoulders." His mouth tips. "Besides, you know what you're doing. That mistake you made? That was years ago."

I hum, nodding and glancing away. It feels like it happened yesterday.

"I wish that shit never happened to you," he mutters, sighing. "You're brilliant, Andersen. Everyone can see it but you. And you deserve to have the life you want."

He shifts onto his side, leaning his head on his elbow and propping the phone against the pillow. As he does, I catch sight of something on the night table behind him.

"Wait." I lean in, squinting at it, and sparklers go off in my chest. "What's on the nightstand behind you?" I ask, even though I can see it perfectly well .

His expression stills, and he doesn't even glance over his shoulder. "The photo you gave me," he says with a guilty grimace, like he's done something wrong.

My heart beats harder. "You took it with you?"

He rubs his jaw, looking away. "I always take it on the road with me."

Oh god. He's so sweet. There's no relationship in my life like the one I have with Hayden. My eyes prick with emotion. If we screw up this having fun thing, I'd never forgive myself for losing him as a friend.

"I slept in your bed last night," I admit. And the night before. And I'll probably sleep in his bed tonight.

I'm staying detached—I am —but I sleep better in his bed with his scent in my nose. I'm not expecting it to last forever.

A pleased smile curls onto his mouth. "Really?"

"Mhm." My face goes warm. "Is that okay?"

"Yes." His grin broadens. "It's more than okay. I love the thought of you in my bed at home, waiting for me." His eyes fall closed as he sighs. "Fuck, I'm so horny."

A surprised laugh slips out of me. "Hayden."

"Sorry." He grins, but there's a shard of agony in his expression that makes my stomach tumble with anticipation. "I just miss you."

"I miss you, too."

There's a beat of silence where we just look at each other. God, I wish we were together right now. I wish I could sink my fingers into his hair and help him relax.

"We should go furniture shopping this weekend," he says.

I make a funny face at him. He has a whole apartment full of furniture. "We don't need anything."

"Yeah, but…" He shrugs, smiling. "It's all the furniture I had when you moved in. It should look like our place, right? I want it to look like you live there, too. "

But what about after Jamie and Pippa's wedding? I want to ask. If we go back to being just friends, I can't go back to sleeping in my own bed and keeping my hands to myself like nothing happened.

"Is this because of my list?" I ask. "The player-worthy pad item?"

It feels like I made that list ages ago. The idea of inviting some strange guy into our place makes me recoil.

His jaw ticks. "No." He glances away, and the tightness in his expression clears. "I had a designer buy all that stuff, but I want something that feels like us." The corner of his mouth slides up. "I want it to look like our home."

There's a warm pull in my chest and I swallow past my warring emotions. This feels suspiciously like a girlfriend kind of thing, to pick out new furniture with him. I should be setting better boundaries, but when I picture it, I love the idea of a home that Hayden and I personalized together.

"I want that, too." For a long moment, we just smile at each other. "You get home on Thursday night?"

He nods, gaze resting on me while he wears a small smile.

"I'll pick you up from the airport."

"You don't have to do that. I can get a ride."

"I want to." Another girlfriend thing I shouldn't be doing. Something occurs to me, and I clap my hand to my forehead. "Wait. I can't. I have that Women in STEM event on Thursday night. The roller disco fundraiser." I sink in disappointment. Hayden does so much for me, and dropping him off at the airport earlier in the week made him so happy.

"Don't worry about it." He waves me off. "This is the seventies thing?"

I nod. "We're fundraising for the tuition fund, to send low-income girls to university. Too bad you can't make it." My mouth twists. "You'd love it. "

"You could say we're trying on false teeth we found on the beach, Darce, and I'd probably have fun as long as you're there."

I gag and he laughs.

He's in love , the delivery guy said. That goal was for you , Hazel said. And he brings the photo of us on the road with him. My heart thumps harder in my chest.

"I bought some more lingerie," I blurt out.

His brows shoot up. "You did?" His eyes darken, and the strong line of his throat moves as he swallows. "For me?"

"For me ," I tell him with a teasing grin. "But yes, also for you."

"Show me."

My face goes pink, but I'm delighted. "No."

He sits up on the bed, focused on the screen with fascination. "Please."

I laugh. "You'll have to wait to see it when you get home."

His head falls back and he groans. "Darce, when I get home, you're going to show me a lot more than the new lingerie."

A thrill runs through me, and I bite back my excited grin, my mind racing with dirty images. "I can't wait."