Page 32 of Twin Babies for the Pucking Billionaires

“Who’s afraid of dogs?” Axel teases, looking at Declan.

“I’m not afraid, I’m allergic,” Declan corrects, rolling his eyes. “You guys are just trying to make me angry now. Being allergic is not being afraid.” He mumbles some curses under his breath as he puts things back into his gym bag.

“Still, should be fun,” I say, trying to keep the mood light.

“Remember, we need to win the hearts both on and off the ice. This event is intended to generate buzz, fill the stands and make this season count,” Coach reiterates.

“You got it, Coach. Do we have a chance to change or…” I ask.

“Nope!” And then, to everyone, he says, “Wear your least dirty jersey and head back out. I don’t want the crew to think that I don’t run a tight ship around here. None of you should even think about embarrassing me, or I will have all of you running miles before practice tomorrow.”

I hear Troy visibly wince. He suffered an injury a few games ago and although he has recuperated, the idea of running must still be unpleasant to him.

I punch him lightly in the arm. “It’s all going to be okay. No one will be running.” I whisper.

“I heard that,” Coach says. “Now get out there and make the fans love you.”

Chapter Ten

Millie

I’m playing with Peanut when Chase comes back. When he told me to join him somewhere this afternoon, the last thing I expected was to end up at the local dog shelter.

“Hey, you can leave Peanut here for a couple more hours,” Chase says, crouching down to scratch Peanut’s ears. “Then we can come back to pick him up.”

“Where are we going?” I ask again, curiosity bubbling up.

“It’s a surprise. Now, come on, baby,” he says with a mischievous grin.

We step outside, and he hands me a motorcycle helmet. “Seriously? A bike ride?”

“Yup. Trust me, you’ll love it.”

I put on the helmet and soon we’re zipping through the city streets. My confusion grows when we pull up to theUnited Center, the massive arena that is home to the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Why are we here?” I ask, bewildered.

Chase grins, pulling off his helmet. “I wanted to bring you somewhere fun. And give you a chance to play with little puppies and maybe meet some hockey players.”

I freeze. “You’re kidding, right?”

He frowns. “What’s the problem?”

I feel my face heat up with embarrassment. “Remember that ex I was telling you about? The one I want to beat up?”

Chase’s eyes narrow. “Yeah, the asshole I’d like to punch?”

“Yeah, that one. He’s the captain of the Blackhawks.”

Chase visibly relaxes, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Oh, then no worries. You’re meeting the Chicago Icebreakers, not the Blackhawks. Everyone knows the Icebreakers are better.”

I laugh, relief washing over me. He takes my hand and kisses my palm. “We can leave if you don’t want to do this, though.”

I lean in and kiss his lips. “No, I love the idea. Let’s go.”

We walk into the rink, the chilly air hitting me immediately. The sound of skates on ice echoes around us. Huge men glide effortlessly across the ice and I spot puppies on mats with a camera crew setting up.

“Wow,” I whisper, taking it all in.

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