Page 44 of Pucks and Coffee

“And I’m finishing it,” he snaps, ending the conversation.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my anger. And damn it, it’s hard.

I have goals.

I admit I was wrong and I shouldn’t have thrown my shoulder into that asshat’s shoulder, but fuck me, I’m so frustrated. Why is it the woman I am married to can look past my past but the fucker I’m playing with can’t? Damn it. This only proves that I need to work harder and I need to get to the NHL.

Away from Andrews’s bitch ass.

Nothing can keep me from doing that. And I need to keep my wife at arm’s length before I do something stupid.

Like forget that this is a fake marriage.

CHAPTER 24

Eliza

I swear this is the loudest game I’ve been to.

I sit in my peepaw’s box with my feet up on the ledge, a cup of cheese on one knee and a half-eaten pretzel on the other. Clara sits on one side of me, and Peepaw is on the other side. Though, at the moment, he’s in the back, schmoozing it up with some important people. I stuff a piece of pretzel into my mouth and watch the Bears dominate on the ice. We’re down, but they’re playing damn good hockey.

It’s kind of funny how much I enjoy the sport. I never thought I would, but even before I started dating—well, got married to—my hockey husband, I enjoyed everything that hockey is about. The atmosphere, the smell of the ice, the food, and especially, the hot-ass guys on the rink. There is something about a hockey player that makes my heart race. Or maybe it’s all Coleson Katz that has my heart doing flips. One thing is for sure; I didn’t get all gooey inside watching Louisa’s fiancé play.

Probably because Coleson is such a huge presence on the ice and demands my attention. He’s everywhere at once, and even though he’s hard-hitting and swift, he’s also graceful. I’ve always enjoyed watching him play, but now that I’m married to him, I find myself more invested in everything he does. I even have his stats up on my phone, just to make sure he is where he needs to be. I want so desperately for him to make it to the NHL, and I know he will. Even if it means losing him as mine. That’s a given anyway, but damn if I hope he’ll decide he wants me.

That’s the most dangerous feeling of all—hope.

I exhale, wishing I could somehow get him to fall for me just as I’m falling for him. No matter how confident I want to be, I can’t help knowing he won’t. I think his parents did a number on him, and while I assume he knows I’m nothing like his mom, I think it might be more than that. I’m not sure what, but when I figure it out, I’ll do everything to make him realize we have something huge between us. Something that would be a crime to ignore.

Last night has been on replay in my mind since he rolled out of bed. I had hoped he would want a repeat performance, but he hasn’t. He went to sleep before I even made it to bed, after teaching me how to make a bunch of drinks. God, how I wish I could have tasted him before he left for his game.

I’ve never wanted to suck a man’s dick so much in my life as I want to suck his.

My body warms at the thought, but then I feel Clara’s gaze on me.

“Yes?” I ask, not meeting her gaze.

“Just looking you over, making sure you’re okay.”

“I’m just fine,” I say, taking a long pull of my beer.

“No regrets?”

I shake my head. “None at all. I am happy, Clara.”

She presses her lips together, concern in her beautiful dark blue eyes. “It just happened so fast. We don’t even know him.”

“I know,” I say sadly, aware that they may never know him. I don’t want them to like him, or fall for him like I am, and then have it all end. The “I told you so”s would be in abundance, for sure. “But he really is wonderful.”

“His repu?—”

“Is just that. A reputation that he’s working to fix. He is more than that, and he treats me very well. Once things calm down between him, Peepaw, and Elliot, we’ll all go to dinner so you can see how happy we are.”

Clara doesn’t seem very convinced, but she doesn’t say that. She only nods, leaning into me. I rest my head on hers, kissing her temple. “You just deserve all the happiness, and that’s all we want for you, Liza.”

I smile against her hair. “And I love you all for it. I am happy, I promise.”

Will that be the case in a year? Not at all. But until then, I’m going to keep up the ruse, and I’m going to enjoy my hot hockey player. I may even get him to fall for me—though, it’s far more likely that I’ll be eaten by a bear.

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