“Maybe she can sit in the box next time.”
I can’t see the smile behind his goalie mask, but I know it’s there. “Glad to see you finally care.”
“I’ve always cared,” I say it solemnly, feeling like a piece of shit that none of them realize how much I truly care about them. I need to do better.
“Good to see you showing it.”
I look down at my skates, the blade of my stick hitting the toe of my skate. “I’m going to do better.” Anders’ shoulder hits mine, rocking me to the side.
“That’s all we ever wanted, man.”
I clear my throat. “Alright, great, enough feelings. Let’s go out there and kick some ass.”
Alexi makes some crazy caterwauling noise as he comes to the front of the tunnel. “Let us light these motherfuckers up!” he says as the horn blares, and we skate on the ice to stretch and prepare for the game.
My gaze automatically goes to section 101. Her blonde hair is wavy and tucked behind her ears, and she’s smiling. A true beaming smile I never thought I’d see again. At that moment, my plan is clear.
Chapter forty-three
Thestadiumisloudand lively as the guys hit the ice. The sheer amount of excitement and enthusiasm has me grinning. It feels nothing like the last time I was here. When I came here with John—I grimace thinking about the perv—I felt suffocated and wanted nothing more than to escape. But now I can feel the excitement zip through me like an electric shock. I want to be here and, more than anything, I want to watch my guys do what they do best.
Anders is the easiest to spot, looking like Gumby as he skates on the ice. His helmet is fun. It’s dark blue like their uniforms with two gnarly looking foxes on each side. I can see some tendrils of blond hair peeking from the base of his helmet. He immediately starts doing his ice humping work outs, and I pretty much need to fan myself.
“Shit, Charles, you better chill out or else we might have a riot in here.” I blush and shrug my shoulders.
“Do you not see him doing splits and basically humping the ice?”
“Yes, I see it. Hey, who is number eight?”
I squint and try to remember the players that the guys told me. When I see the C patch on his sleeve, I shake my head. “That’s the captain, Alexi Bandnin.”
“That ass,” Piper whistles.
“He could be your father.”
“I would definitely call him daddy if he wanted.” I shove her, and she laughs. “What can I say? I’ve got a penchant for older men.”
“Yeah, we know.”
She furrows her brow, and I sigh. “Your celebrity crushes are Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Denzel Washington, and Mads Mikkelsen.” I grimace at the last one.
“Bitch, have you not seen Hannibal?”
“Yes, and that’s what makes it weirder.”
She rolls her eyes but watches number eight as he skates. “You know I could use a distraction.”
“Can’t you fuck an age appropriate nerd in one of your classes?”
Piper grimaces and shakes her head. “You would think that as medical professionals they could find the clit. You would think wrong.”
“Gross.”
“Gross, indeed,” she agrees and I go back to eye fucking my guys on the ice. They are taking turns shooting on Anders, and damn, is he limber. His legs bend incredibly fast to stop pucks with his leg pads. Eli doesn’t have his helmet on, and his reddish brown hair gives him away. He must feel me staring as he gives me a boyish grin as he hits the puck that goes right past Anders’ waist and into the goal.
I just know that if Anders didn’t have his mitt in one hand and his stick in the other that he would be giving Eli the finger. Mikael shoots, and Anders blocks it. They bump their cute little gloved fists, and then that dark stare is on me, and my heart sinks. He isn’t growly or giving me a death glare. His expression is soft and almost… pleading with me?
“Have you read his letters yet?” Piper asks, and I nod my head.
