“Yep. Doing good, man. You?” Graves is having just as good of a game as I am. Hell, we all are. The kind of synergy we have going on tonight is the shit of legends. If we can keep this up for the rest of the season, we have a real chance of going all the way.
“I’m feeling good. Want to hit Chasers after the game? It’s been too long since we all went out.”
I chuckle. “That’s what happens when you’re engaged, bro. You end up going home to your lady, and you don’t spend as much time with your boys.”
“From what I’ve heard, you haven’t been going out as much lately, either. Byrne won’t stop bitching about it.”
Shit.
“What am I bitching about?” Logan stands in front of us with a scowl.
“Wright’s antisocial tendencies,” Maddox replies.
I shrug. “I’m just done with the whole scene, you know? It feels shallow. I’m too old to be going out and hooking up with random women every night.”
“Since when?” Logan says, one brow raised. “Seriously, you don’t have a brain tumor or something, right?”
“That’s not even funny,” Bash says, shaking his head.
Logan shrugs. “He’s being weird.”
“Who’s being weird?” Ryder asks.
“No one,” I say as Coach claps his hands and shouts at us to get geared back up and out on the ice. Saved by the bell, or whatever. “But yeah, I’ll go out tonight, as long as everyone’s there.”
“Isla’s already asking the girls,” Maddox says with a clap on my shoulder.
“Then, let’s go win this thing so we can celebrate.”
The guys all roar their agreement as we get back on the ice.
The whole barcheers as we saunter in, high off a shutout. The crush of people chanting our names and crowding around us would have given me a thrill before, but now all it does is make me worry about Mira and the girls’ safety.
Maddox has Isla tucked into his side, a scowl on his grumpy face for anyone who gets too close. Ryder’s hand clutches Lexi’s, and even though he doesn’t look as menacing as my best friend, it’s clear that if anyone messes with his girlfriend, he won’t hesitate to fuck them up.
Then there’s me.
My fingers itch to wrap around Mira’s waist. I want to lay claim to her in front of every single man in this bar, so they know not to touch her. Hell, I want them to know they shouldn’t so much as look at her. But I can’t. I can’t, because Mira isn’t ready to tell everyone that she’s my wife. So I do the only thing I really can do and glare at any dumb fucker who gets too close.
Sebastian chuckles next to me, but I ignore him.
We make it to the massive booth in the back that Chasers reserves for us on nights we’re playing at home, and I let out the breath I’ve been holding. Everyone slides into the booth, and I can’t keep my fingers from skimming my wife’s lower back as I encourage her to slip in next to Bash. I’m the last one in, leaving me on the outside seat. I don’t want Mira fending off the fans. No way would I let her take the outside seat.
We order several pitchers of beer and enough appetizers for everyone. The atmosphere is celebratory, and we’re garnering plenty of attention due to how loud and rowdy everyone is. A few fans make their way over to congratulate Bash on the shutout and gush over the win, but for the most part, they leave us alone. It’s one of the reasons we love this place. The patrons are fans, but there’s an unspoken understanding that when we’re here, we’re largely off-limits.
And that’s the way it stays for the first hour. We laugh and goof around. Mira smiles brightly beside me, just as much a part of the Rogues family as Isla and Lexi, even though none of them know she and I are together. She’s Maddox’s little sister—not tomention, she’s cool as shit—but she’s also my roommate, and she’s not afraid to give the guys shit.
She’s laughing at something Sebastian says when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Turning, I prepare myself to smile at a middle-aged fan with a beer belly and glassy eyes. Except, that’s not who I see.
“Hi,” a bubbly blonde with curly hair and a low-cut top chirps. Her lips curve in what I imagine she believes is a sultry smile, but it doesn’t do a thing for me. There’s not a woman on this earth who can affect me the way my wife does, and I realize with total clarity that I don’t even notice women anymore. Not the way I used to. Sure, I notice them as human beings, but that’s the extent of it. There’s no hint of attraction, no bolt of lust, nothing.
I have eyes for one woman, and it’s the beautiful brunette sitting beside me, laughing her gorgeous ass off, uncaring of how loud she is or who may be watching her.
“Uh, hey,” I say, polite but dismissive. I immediately turn my attention back to the table, but the blonde is undeterred. She taps my shoulder again and flips her hair. “You’re that hockey player, right?”
My smile is tight. “Yes?”
The woman smiles brightly. “Ohmygod, I told my friends it was you.” She turns to a group of three women watching her intently and waves them over. They talk excitedly to each other as they stand from their table and saunter over. The blonde eyes Logan and Bash. “We are such big fans.”
