Her hand slid into my hair, which had me almost losing focus again. But no, I needed to stop. We were strangers—strangers who would never see each other again. It wouldn’t be right to keep this kiss going on any longer. Plus, I was sure management would be kicking us out soon if we didn’t stop.
I broke the kiss, staring down at her. The look on her face seemed to be one of bewilderment and shock. I didn’t have time to figure out exactly how she was feeling, for fear of either kissing her again or from her wanting more from me than I could give.
I lightly caressed my thumb along her jaw, memorizing her and this moment. “Goodbye, Belle.”
And with that, I took a step back before turning and walking out of the restaurant.
Chapter 3
Holden
December 16th
I foldedanother hoodie and placed it in my suitcase. Most people would be excited about getting to stay in a luxury resort in some ritzy mountain town in Colorado during the holidays, but not me. Especially not when I was being forced to do it as part of my contract with Mynt, a sports clothing brand sponsoring me. I was grateful for the sponsorship but not grateful for the extra travel.
The Mynt Peak Resort had been generous enough to offer me extra accommodations so my family could join me. Little did they know that their generosity had me feeling annoyed instead of grateful. I didn’t have a family, at least not in the traditional sense of the word.
The sperm donor, as I referred to as the man who was my biological father since there was no way I wouldever call that man dad, had left my mom as soon as he had found out she was pregnant with me. Which mydear sweet motherhad never let me forget during the eighteen years we’d lived under the same roof. My Aunt Maggie, my mom’s sister, had somehow convinced her to keep me, even though my mom never stopped complaining about it. Aunt Maggie was the only reason I was where I was today, and that was the reason I had offered the extra accommodations to her. Unfortunately, that meant my uncle and cousin would be coming with her, but Maggie deserved a getaway. She would love what was sure to be a festive Christmas weekend in Winterbrook, and she was the only one I cared about.
Thanks to her, I’d been signed up at the local youth hockey team, since she’d somehow known I needed to get out my frustrations and forge some kind of nontraditional familial connections. She’d paid for everything and taken me to all my practices and games. She had been a true lifesaver for me, and I’d never be able to truly repay her. This free trip was the least I could do.
My phone vibrated against the nightstand. I grabbed a pair of sweats from my suitcase before reaching to see who was calling and laughed when I saw the name—The Zeke Man.
He must have changed it the last time we were together.
Zeke and I had been teammates when we’d played on the New York Coyotes, before we’d been traded together to the Minnesota Wolves last year. He’d retired after we’d lost in the second round of playoffs and hadspent the last seven months blissfully in love with the team’s physical therapist, Piper.
Although we were eight years apart, he and I had bonded over our similar backgrounds, as much as two people who had trust issues could, and I was happy to see his name on the screen.
“The Zeke Man? Really?” I asked in a way of greeting.
His laugh boomed through the speaker. “You know that’s what everyone calls me.”
I shook my head at him even though he couldn’t see me. “No. That’s whatyoucall you.”
“Don’t be jealous.”
I huffed a laugh. “Yeah, that’s it. I’m jealous ofThe Zeke Man.”
“You should be.” His voice was full of cocky amusement, but then it softened. “How you doing, man?”
“I’m fine,” I said automatically.
Zeke made a sound like he didn’t believe me. “Yeah? ‘Cause I know the holidays can be rough. Just wanted to check in.”
I let my head fall back and stared at the ceiling. “You don’t have to do that.”
Zeke and I weren’t known for talking about our feelings, but since his retirement and being in a relationship with Piper, he was making it a habit of checking in with me. In a way, I appreciated it, but in another way, it annoyed me. I’d been on my own practically my whole life. So I didn’t need—or want—anything else. Well, except for hockey.
“I know I don’t. But I also know what it’s like to spend Christmas alone.” There was a pause. “I got lucky with Piper. You’ll find your person too.”
I scoffed. “Who says I’m looking?”
“Holden.” I could practicallyhearthe knowing look on his face.
Zeke used to be on the same page as me when it came to women and relationships. But all it took was a pretty pair of feisty green eyes to finally change his stance on love. Except the main difference between Zeke and me was that I wouldn’t be so easily swayed.
Suddenly, a pair of chocolate-brown eyes appeared in my vision, strands of honey-blond hair framing a pretty face, and an echo of her laughter filled my ears as I thought about the woman I’d met several days ago. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Belle and that kiss we’d shared under the mistletoe.
