I watch the game go on, and once again, my girl blocks another puck. Her blonde hair is in a braid that swings aroundfrom under her helmet, making me want to tug the elastic down and set her wild curls free.
“Hunt, you’re up!” Coach Talmage calls, and quickly, I pull my helmet on and head back out onto the ice.
This is the most fun the team has had all season. The guys taunt the women players, and the women taunt us right back, only much harsher, but it’s all in good humor.
“Your girlfriend is sort of a badass,” Jameson says, skating behind me. “She’s keeping up with everything I’m throwing at her.”
I grin proudly down toward the other end.
When we were at that hockey camp in New Hampshire, I knew she was good, but a part of me did wonder if she was only being taken seriously on the ice because of who her dad was. Now that I’ve had the honor of watching her take on a position she really didn’t have all that much experience with, I know that’s not the truth. The woman is a fucking machine.
Once he’s gone, Margo skates beside me, bumping her elbow into my side.
“He’s right, you know,” she mutters. I’m pretty sure if she’s about to give Isla a compliment, it’s not going to come out easy. “I was wrong. She belongs on the ice, no matter what her last name is.”
I have just enough time to glance at her, clearly shocked because she isn’t the type of person to throw compliments around freely. And I also never thought she’d admit she was wrong. Before I can answer, the puck comes back down our way, and Summer passes it to Margo, who takes off toward the goal.
I can’t really make out what she says to Cash, but whatever it is, it changes his body language, and seconds later, the puck is sent in the back of the net, and the girls rush toward Margo just as the buzzer goes off.
We lost to a team of women, but when I see Isla skating toward us, I’m more than okay with losing this one time.
Margo seems to have this weird way of making Cash forget how to think. He’s the golden boy, and she’s … well, certainly not the golden girl.
I skate toward Isla, closing the gap between us and throwing my arms around her. “Hold me while I cry, Nineteen,” I joke, and her smile only grows bigger.
“You played a good game, babe,” she answers sweetly before the devilish side of her flashes me a smirk. “Just not good enough.”
My mouth hangs open, and I release my hold on her and grab my chest. “Ouch, baby. You’re mean today.”
Giggling, she slides her hands against my waist. “Sorry, hotshot.”
“You know what you could do to make me feel better?” I utter, pretending to pout. “Give me a nice blowie after this.”
Isla rolls her eyes and shakes her head at me.
Coach Huff claps his hands together to get our attention, and everyone turns to face him and the other coaches.
“Well, that didn’t go quite like I’d planned,” he says, dropping his head down dramatically before he picks it back up and grins at all the players. “Jokes aside, we couldn’t be prouder of both of our hockey teams this year—truly. And because my boys aren’t sore losers, there will be pizza at The Tower in an hour. And the boys can’t touch a single piece until everyone on the women’s team has eaten.”
The arena erupts into cheers, and I keep my arm around my girl for as long as I can until it’s time to part ways.
“See you on the other side, Nineteen,” I coo with a cheesy wink. “Think of me while you’re showering.”
“Didn’t need to hear that,” Margo grumbles behind us, and Isla’s cheeks turn the adorable shade of pink that I love so fucking much.
You’re an idiot, she mouths before taking off toward the women’s locker room.
What a day. What a practice.
And my girlfriend proved once again—to not just her own team, but the men’s team too—that she is a fucking weapon. And that right there makes me so unbelievably proud to call her mine.
THIRTY-TWO
HENDRIX
It’sa little hard to think with Isla sitting on my lap while everyone around us plays Would You Rather. Her ass is right against my dick, and even though I’m trying to pay attention to the game, I’m having an awfully hard time.
Craning her neck to look at me, she says, “I’m going to go grab a water.”
