I roll my eyes as my teammates continue to file in behind me. “Isn’t that his attitude most of the time?”
“No comment,” she snorts, gesturing into the plane. “Take your seat, please, Mr. Boucher, so we can get you all home.”
I head down the aisle to take my normal seat next to Vladi. He already has his earbuds in, which means he wants to focus. I sigh, already missing our deep conversations. I’ll save my existential question about life for later and leave him be. I put on some music, take some deep breaths, and close my eyes.
Do I have nerves about the next game? Yes. But more than that, the fear sitting in the back of my mind at all times creeps to the front—this damn stalker and what he wants. I’m constantly worried about Kenni. We’re together a lot, but I worry about her when she’s alone. Is someone following her to the airport? Is someone hanging out in the building across the street from her apartment and watching, waiting to see when I leave? Did they somehow take that photo of us on the tenth fucking floor with a drone or something?Fuck.I pinch the bridge of my nose.I don’t need this added stress during the playoffs.
Sinking into my seat, I chew on the inside of my cheek. I just want to spend time with her. I want to get to know every detail about every minute of her life before we met. I want to hear about her time in the Air National Guard. I want to hear about what she was like in high school. I want to hear about the old boyfriends I need to beat up because they didn’t treat her right.Then thank them for fumbling Kenni so hard she found me.She’s the air in my lungs and, if that was ever taken away from me, I wouldn’t survive.
I send a quick text to Ray. I’m hoping he’s got some sort of update on stalker-gate at this point because I need something,anything, that will calm my nerves.
Jordan
Hey Ray…Any leads?
Ray
Nothing new. We talked to the guy that runs the coffee shop across the street from the apartment, but he hasn’t seen anything unusual. And he’s run the place for ten years, so I don’t think he suddenly got a fixation on either of you. Looking into some new leads, but nothing concrete. I’ll keep you posted.
Fuck.I run my hand down my face. I want this fucking guy caught.
Jordan:
Thanks for the update. , , ,
I was hoping this would take away the worry over all this, but all it did was make me more worried that we have zero information.Who the fuck is doing this?
59
kennedy
Awarm hand wraps around my body as I lie in bed, making me hum as I burrow deeper into the wall of muscle behind me. Waking up curled into him has become my new favorite thing. Being woken up with his hard dick pressed against me? Even better.
Normally, the sun creeps in at this time of day to wake me up, but the curtains might as well be super-glued shut after we got the photo of us dancing in here. A shiver runs up my spine thinking about what else might have been photographed without us knowing. I certainly do not need nude photos of me leaked on the internet. As a female in my profession, things are difficult enough. A chill runs through me that we still haven’t figured out what the hell is going on, and Jordan’s security people are coming up empty trying to find a lead.
I cannot for the life of me figure out who the hell would be doing this. After Chadd was extra bitchy to me on the last flight, I still feel like that weasel is somehow to blame. Jordan had Ray do a background check and some digging on him—came back clean. Not even a parking ticket.Bastard.
He had a bug up his butt while we were in Canada, but I don’t know what that was all about.And I don’t care enough toask.We won. Our flight was smooth. What more could he want?Maybe he is secretly betting against the Riders?Whatever the reason, he doesn’t need to be fucking rude during every minute of the flight. He even mouthed off to Theresa, telling her to stick to drinks when she popped in after the score posted online, asking if we’d heard the team won. I have never seen her so pissed, her face turning the same color as the in-cabin fire extinguisher. To be honest, I’m surprised Chadd is still alive after that.Shame. I would’ve helped her take him out.
I take in a deep breath and slowly let it out, sinking into the body behind me. I’m not going to worry about any of that right now. Today is game seven, and I’m so damn proud of this man hugging me so tight. I fight back the mist in my eyes. This team, this town, really deserves it. I’m so glad this game is at home. I can be there, fully present, and not have to worry about where the team is flying next. No flight plans, no bitchy Chadd, and I can drown my nerves with Ginny in the suite. Just me, the WAGs, and twenty thousand people screaming for our team. Whatever the outcome, though, I’m going to be there for him. If he’s celebrating, I’ll help him fill the Cup with blueberry pancakes from Millie’s. If they lose, I’ll hold him in my arms until he cries himself to sleep. Either way, we’ll be together. And that’s all that matters.
He stirs behind me as I absentmindedly rub my thumb on his arm.
“Morning,” he says, his voice still groggy. “What time is it?”
“A little before seven. What time do you need to leave?”
He tucks his face into my back, placing a gentle kiss along my spine. “Eight.”
“You ready for today? I was just about to get up and get out of your hair. I know you have your game day routine, and I don’t want to get in your way.”
“Kenni…no,” he whines as he squeezes me so damn tight, I never want to leave. “You’re never in my way. I want you here. Plus, youknowmy routine, and it doesn’t start untilafterI head out for morning skate. I come home and take my nap. Then I make my Genovian pear and cheese snack and do the dance routine to Go for It from the greatest episode of Saved by the Bell of all time, where the girls make a music video, and Jessie gets addicted to the caffeine pills because she’s under so much pressure and was so scared. And, for some reason, Zack comforts her by telling her she’ll get through this. It helps me get in the right state of mind before a game.Andit’s a good reminder that drugs are not the answer.”
I roll over in bed, facing him with a smile. “You’re so damn cute, you know that? You have the craziest pre-game routine, but I love every bit of it. And thatisthe greatest episode of that show. You know, now that I think about it, you were a lot like Jessie around the satanic Care Bear. You were so…scared.” I giggle as he pinches my arm, quickly kissing it better. “You’re such a big baby.”
“Oh…so you’re calling me baby now?”
I shake my head. “I called youa baby…that’s very different.”
