Page 77 of Broken As Puck

“I suppose so.”

We chatted for a while longer, but when it was time for the teams to emerge, I found my seat nearby and got my camera ready. The players filed out one by one, and as soon as my gaze landed on Matt, I couldn’t tear it away from him. He filled out his uniform so well with those sexy, broad shoulders, long legs, and strong thighs.

He was gorgeous. And he was mine.

Except no one knew it.

He looked straight ahead as he glided onto the ice, not showing any of the nerves I knew he felt, and my heart swelled with pride. He’d come a long way from being the son of parents without an extra penny to their name, up to their eyeballs in debt. Against all odds, he’d reached the NHL and been named an alternate captain.

Now, if they won tonight, he’d be in the playoffs. I wished I could travel back in time and tell that stressed little boy how far he’d go.

As he passed me, I raised my camera and snapped a photo of him. I almost wished he’d look up at me and blow a kiss, but that would be against the rules I’d set, and it was foolish to want it. If we acknowledged our relationship, we could be in big trouble, especially after keeping it quiet for so long.

So I sat there and pretended my chest didn’t ache from being ignored, which was ridiculous when I was the one who’d insisted it be this way. He’d tried to revisit the matter after his parents had caught me at his place, but I hadn’t been ready for more yet.

That had hurt him, and I’d hated it.

When the game began, both teams came out strong. Clearly, neither intended to cede entry into the playoffs without a fight.

Jesse scored in the first period, and being a goal up only seemed to strengthen the Chaos’s resolve. They were in sync like I’d never seen them before. The game moved quickly, and if I were less familiar with the rules, I might have lost track of what was happening.

The Chaos was still in the lead at the end of the first period, but Boston scored early in the second. I didn’t see exactly what happened, but Matt ended up on the ground, and a pair of Boston forwards managed to get the puck past Davenport.

I shot to my feet, uncaring about the goal as I waited for Matt to get back up. He couldn’t be injured. He hadn’t gone down that hard, right?

The tightness in my chest eased as he clambered up more gracefully than I would’ve, dusted himself off, and returned to his position. He didn’t seem to be moving stiffly or to be favoring either leg. Thank God.

The Chaos held firm for the remainder of the period, and they entered the third with a one-all tie.

With minutes remaining on the clock, it looked as if the game might go into extra time, but then one of Boston’s players took the puck from Kelly and passed to one of their teammates as they dodged around Gauthier. The teammate slapped the puck toward Davenport, but it ricocheted off his pads.

Matt took control of the puck and sent it winging up to Harris, who put on a burst of speed and took it all the way to the opposition’s goal. He feinted a pass across the goal and then, when the goalie was distracted, slipped the puck over the line.

Kelly and Young piled onto him, each slinging an arm around his shoulders. I was pretty sure Young would have kissed him if they hadn’t been wearing helmets, and the thought made me laugh. Harris wasn’t one to appreciate gestures like that.

I looked back at Matt, who’d essentially assisted the goal. He and Gauthier were exchanging high fives.

My heart was in my throat for the remainder of the game. I crossed my fingers on both hands that the Chaos would keep their lead.

And they did.

As the final buzzer sounded, they cheered and hugged each other. Even Coach Dunn had to fend off an overeager Young when the man tried to wrap his arms around him. I didn’t realize I was screaming until I stopped, in need of a drink.

I was still buzzing when they came out of the changing rooms later, and I almost threw myself into Matt’s arms the second I saw him. It was only at the very last moment that I realized that might seem inappropriate and held myself back.

It wasn’t until hours later that I got him alone. He came to the hotel room I was supposedly sharing with Kim, but I hadn’t seen her since we’d left the stadium, so I assumed she was tied up elsewhere.

I grabbed his hand, dragged him inside, and shut the door.

“You were amazing,” I said, hugging him tightly. “Congratulations.”

He smiled down at me, his eyes warm, and kissed me. “Thank you. It was… Whoa. I was so stressed going in, but we kicked ass.”

“You deserved that win. And the pass you made to Austin?” I grinned up at him. “Fantastic.”

“I’m glad you thought so.” His smile turned naughty. “Do I get anything special as a reward for being so talented?”

I laughed. “A place in the playoffs?”