Page 99 of The Trophy

“He asked me to go home with him, but Luca is spending Christmas in Nebraska with his Mom and is going to Europe for New Year. Besides, you know how Mom is. She’s already sad that you won’t be there for Dad’s birthday on New Year’s Day, I couldn’t break her heart by canceling on her too.”

Bay considers my words. “I guess you’re right. But you never know, she might have been so excited at the idea of you spending New Year in a real royal palace, that she would have probably forgotten about Dad’s birthday.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “I might meet the King soon anyway. Luca’s sister is going to start here at Star Cove in the fall and the Dean has invited the King on a private tour of campus right before the playoffs. Luca said he would love for me to go stay with them at the Grand Hotel. Apparently his father is reserving the entire hotel for their stay.”

Bay’s eyes are as wide as saucers. “Damn. I guess if Topher’s parents think I’m not good enough for their son, I can always tell them that my sister is going to be a princess one day. That might help me score some major points.”

My phone beeps with a text message. “Get your own brownie points,” I tease her, rising from my chair. “Blaze is here and I have to go. Lock the door with your spare key, will you?”

BLAZE

I’ve been thinking about telling her for a while now.

Even before Cash told me that he told Lake I love you and she said it back.

I know it’s only been a few months since our first date, but fuck it. When you know, you know, right?

There’s always the risk that her feelings for Cash are stronger, but if this relationship has a chance to work, I can’t think that way.

These are the thoughts that swirl into my head while we ride to the ice rink.

Taking my bike rather than a car is a blessing because we have no chance to make conversation and I can have my mini melt down without her knowing.

I love the feeling of Lakyn’s arms wrapped around my middle as I turn the last corner and stop in the parking lot at the back of the arena.

If life was an endless bike ride, that’s how I’d like to go through it, with her holding me tight.

“What are we doing here?” she asks, handing me the helmet I bought especially for her. “I thought we were going out?”

“We’re having our date here, if you don’t mind,” I offer her my hand, walking toward the back door that leads directly into the coaching team’s offices and locker rooms. “We both have finals before the break and I thought it would be better not to be out too late.”

I unlock the door, stepping aside to let Lake in and using the light on my phone to see where I’m going.

“I don’t mind, babe,” she says, taking the hand I offer her. “As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter where we are.”

This, right here, is one of the countless reasons why I love her. A lot of other women, would be disappointed with the picnic I packed and stashed in a soft cooler hidden in my locker. But not Lakyn. Not that I don’t want to wine her and dine her, I’m looking forward to that too.

“And there was light,” I chuckle, switching on the overhead fluorescents in the hallway and the locker and ice rink lights from the fuse box right at the entrance.

“Are we even allowed to be here?” Lakyn asks, blinking a few times to get used to the bright lights after the relative darkness of the ride here.

“We’re not ‘not allowed’.” I say sheepishly.

“Blaze,” she crosses her arms over her chest, using that little sexy librarian tone that gets me instantly hard. “I can’t get in trouble…”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me. “Relax pretty girl. Technically the arena closes early on Wednesday nights for extra maintenance, but I asked the guy in charge of the maintenance team and he knows we’re here. As long as we don’t damage anything and clean up after ourselves, he told me to go ahead.”

I usher her into the locker room, headed straight to my locker.

“This place is nice,” she observes. “When I think about a locker room, I imagine something that smells terrible. This place is state of the art and looks brand new.”

I nod. “I guess I take it for granted, but you’re right. Star Cove takes immense pride in its Division I hockey team, so the facilities are top notch.”

I open my locker, taking out the insulated backpack with our dinner and two pairs of skates; mine and a pair Bay lent me for Lakyn.

“If you have such great facilities, why did they have an auction to build a new athletic center?” she asks.

“There’s a lot of demand for tickets and while this place is awesome, the seating area isn’t huge. A bigger arena means more tickets and concession sales and more advertising space for sponsors. Or something like that, at least according to the Dean.”

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