16
CHARLI
The following morning,I found myself in the Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland. War had mentioned in passing that he’d grown up here. And I was curious about the place he’d once lived in. But we were already at a sports center and away from the residential areas.
“Ready?” War asked as he switched off the truck’s engine. “For your intro to hockey?”
I nodded. “Yes, sure.”
I couldn’t see his eyes since he wore shades, but his amusement was vivid in the smirking curve of his lips I so badly wanted to kiss again.
My face still heated, remembering when we’d returned to the apartment last night. He had my clothes off the moment he locked the door, and he drove me wild before he let me come. And this morning—
“C’mon, then,” his voice hauled me back. “Let me show you what hockey is all about.”
His enthusiasm got to me, and I couldn’t resist a teasing, “Show-off.”
“For my girl, yes.” He chuckled and leaped out of the truck.
At the sudden rise of excited voices, he glanced over his shoulder and sighed.
I frowned, peering through his side window, then grinned as the handful of parents and kids changed direction to where we were. He faced his fans. They undoubtedly kept an eye out for him.
With my tote in hand, I moved my shades from my head to shield my eyes from the morning sunlight and opened my door, missing him coming around to help me down. My five-six height wasn’t that short as far as I was concerned, but next to his six-four, yeah, I probably was.Aaandreal awkward when things got hot between us, and doubtless why I always found myself picked up or put on the counter, or positioned in various other inventive ways. At least we made it to the bed last night.
Smiling, I leaped down to the tarmac, my sneakers cushioning the impact, and shut the door. I rounded the truck to where War remained trapped next to his open door. I stood back and waited as he signed autographs while cellphones snapped pictures.
He finally lifted his head, glanced at me, then flashed up a hand. “That’s it for now, guys. Those taking part in the hockey tryouts,” he told the kids, “I’ll see you inside.” He opened the truck’s back door, removed his sports bag and hockey stick, and cut through the crowd to my side.
“Let’s get out of here.” He put his hand on my waist, pulling me close like he was my personal shield, and we headed into the center.
“That’s the girl from thepaintwarspics, his girlfriend,” someone yelled behind us.
War cut me an amused look. “See what you started?” he drawled.
“Me?” I fake-sniffed. “You were the one who implied I was your girlfriend.”
“True. But I called it, didn’t I?”
He did. Smiling, I gave him a one-arm hug, and his own tightened around me, then I felt his lips brush the crown of my head, and my chest expanded with my growing feelings for him.
He pushed open the heavy metal door into the arena, and a cacophony of yelling voices, skates swishing on ice, and laughter greeted us. The noise was much louder here than in the parking lot with the excited fans. No one noticed our entry yet, for which I was immensely grateful, even though I knew I had to find a way to adapt. I wanted to be there for War, and this was his hometown where he was well-known and idolized. And playing for the Cheetahs made it even more so.
The arena had tiered seating, and War found a spot behind the rink’s protective glass in the front row. Several kids were already gliding on the ice with adult supervision and chasing after the puck with smaller hockey sticks.
War sat beside me and unzipped his sports bag.
“Do they all know the rudiments of the game?” I asked.
He glanced to the rink, then at me.
“Greenhorn here, okay?” I fake-glowered at him from beneath my lashes.
He laughed, and my chest squeezed. I loved seeing him happy.
War nodded. “Some of them, yeah. A few will try out to see if they have what it takes. Others…” His brow furrowed. “It’s mostly the parents pushing them. Either way, it’s all about the drive, instinct, and love for the game. The session after the tryouts are for those showing true potential.”
Right. “So, you’re their only coach?” I asked.
