Time ceased to exist as the pages flipped on my phone screen. The only thing better would be if we were alone. Because while Aiden didn’t regress, I could see this becoming a thing—us lying in bed or curled up together on the couch, ideally at the cabin while I read to him.
When I glanced at Aiden, his eyes drooped. Rapid blinks turned slower until his eyes stayed closed for longer and longer periods. We’d just hit a ‘good part’ as Aiden called the on-pageporn, but his injury and the long day got to him. He fell off, snoring softly.
I’d started reading this book thinking I wouldn’t enjoy it, that I only chose it because Aiden seemed excited by it, but I had to admit, romantic suspense would be getting slotted into my reading list from now on. Pornography might not be my thing, but what I’d read tonight was. The temptation to continue pulled at me hard, but there were so few things we could do together, especially now that he was injured, and also until he got signed to a team, and I was no longer his coach, that I didn’t want to go on without him.
I let my head fall to rest against the lounge chair, pushing it to recline as much as I could without losing my grip on Aiden’s hand. Hawk could hear a mouse fart from a mile away, and would alert me if anyone came to the door.
THIRTY-NINE
SASHA
“What the fuck is this?”
My eyes shot open, my body raised from the bed as if launched into the air. My heart thundered, nerves caught fire while my mind came online. The sound of Mikal’s booming voice echoed in the room. Hawk, who jumped over me from the bed, placed himself between Mikal and me, growling and barking menacingly. Julie always said he’d go to war for me if needed, and now I had no doubt.
“Hawk, quiet.” The dog silenced himself immediately. I stood from the chair, patting Hawk on the head. “Good boy. Sit.”
For the first time ever, Hawk hesitated. Considering Mikal stormed around the room ranting in Croatian, I didn’t blame the dog for not being willing to go off guard.
“What’s going on?” Aiden asked sleepily. I moved to his side, Hawk jumping up on the foot of the bed between Aiden’s legs as Anya and I simultaneously addressed the angry man storming about the room.
“Mikal…”
“Mikal…”
He pointed at me, his eyes turning cold when he saw me standing next to Aiden. “You shut up!” Then he turned to Anya and said, “Do not ‘Mikal’ me, Anya.”
“Mikal, Sasha is your best friend.Ourbest friend.”
“Not any longer.”
“Mikal…”
“Tata!”
Mikal’s eyes burned when he stalked toward me, ignoring the growling dog on the bed—the dog he gave me. The defenseman of old showed himself in the way Mikal moved. The Bear, they’d called him, and rightly so. The huge man moved slowly and with purpose, but could explode with massive amounts of power and speed when necessary, and that was who came toward me now.
I sighed. I should probably feel guilty for the relationship Aiden and I shared, but I didn’t. Funny how love with the person meant for you erased and blurred the lines, because not even after the fear Aiden had been seriously hurt had faded and some sleep did I give a shit.
The door flew open, and a nurse, the crotchety one from earlier who didn’t like me, came in. “What in God’s name is going on in here? This kid needs his rest.”
Anya glared at Mikal as she answered the nurse, “I apologize for my husband. He’s a bit boisterous when he’s scared and upset, but I promise we will keep it down.”
The nurse’s gaze bounced around until it landed on me and then moved down to Hawk. “Coach Storm, I know your dog is aservice animal and I respect that, but unless you get him under control, I’ll be forced to ask you to remove him from the premises.”
I sighed. “Yes, ma’am. I apologize. Hawk,” his ears twitched, but his eyes remained focused on Mikal. “Quiet. Down.”
Hawk huffed, but he moved, lying next to Aiden’s legs instead of standing on the foot of the bed, ready to protect.
The nurse, whose name I couldn’t remember, huffed before turning for the door. There she paused and said, “Don’t make me come back in here, or I’ll throw everyone but the patient out on your asses.” The door opened and closed behind her, leaving us alone again.
“Coach… Tata… please don’t be mad. It’s my fault. Alex didn’t know until you called him.”
“Impossible.”
“You asked me not to dig, Mikal. Unless it’s obvious like Malachek, or the player has introduced his family to me, I don’t know who any of the kids’ parents are.”
Mikal swore under his breath, then said, “You’re still his coach, Sasha.”
