Page 56 of Pucking my Enemy Boss

“Maybe I’ve just got something good going on,” I say, winking at him before heading toward the locker room.

Liam catches me on the way in, a towel slung over his shoulder. “You’re, like,unreasonablyhappy for someone who just got his face smashed into the boards five minutes ago.”

I flash him a grin. “Just riding the high, man.”

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push. “Sure. If you say so.”

The second I’m showered and dressed after the game is finished, I’m out of the locker room, practically sprinting toward the parking lot. Holly’s waiting for me, and there’s no way I’m letting anyone else get in the way of whatever she’s got planned for tonight.

Holly’salready sitting in the car when I arrive in the garage at the back exit, glad to be undetected. I slide into the passenger seat, and as soon as I’m buckled in, I lean over, pulling her in fora kiss. I hold her tight like it’s been days instead of hours since we last touched.

I never knew sneaking into the passenger seat of my lover’s car after a game could feel this exciting. It just fits. She’s glowing—literallyglowing, like the happiness is radiating off her. I can’t help it.

She pulls back, breathless, but smirking. “I promised you a surprise, remember?”

“I thought the surprise wasthis,” I murmur, leaning in again, but she pushes me back with a laugh.

“Nope. There’s more. You up for it?”

“Always.” I grin, starting the engine. “What’s the plan?”

She crosses her arms, giving me a look that’s pure sass. “You’ll see. But first, we need to make a stop.”

We drive for a bit, winding through the city, the lights of Chicago twinkling like Christmas ornaments. She’s watching me, I can feel it. The way her eyes linger on my face, like she’s studying every detail, every shadow. It’s intense.

We pull up to a street corner that’s decked out in lights. Christmas lights. And not just any lights—over-the-topChristmas lights. You know, the kind that make you think the entire neighborhood's competing for the Griswold family title. Holly practically bounces in her seat as she parks the car.

“Okay, what’s this?” I ask, glancing around at the festive chaos.

She grins, hopping out of the car before I even have a chance to open my door. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

I follow her, slightly wary but mostly intrigued. She grabs my hand, and just like that, we’re walking through what looks like a scene from every Hallmark movie ever made. There are hot chocolate stands, kids running around, couples ice-skating in a little rink that’s been set up in the middle of the block.

And then I see it. A massive Christmas tree in the center of the square, decorated to the nines. Holly stops in front of it, turning to face me with a small, hopeful smile.

“I know you’re not big on Christmas,” she says, her voice soft. “But I thought maybe this would be nice. Something different.”

It’s not just nice. It’sperfect. And yeah, maybe Christmas isn’t my thing—hasn’t been since David passed—but standing here, with her, under the glow of a thousand twinkling lights? It feels ...right.

Holly’s watching me closely, like she’s waiting for some kind of reaction, and I realize I haven’t said anything. So, I do the only thing that feels right. I pull her in, pressing my forehead to hers.

“You always know what I need,” I whisper, brushing my lips against hers.

She smiles, her eyes sparkling. “Guess I’m just good like that.”

We stand there for a while, just taking it all in. The lights, the soft hum of Christmas music playing in the background, the warmth of her pressed against me. For the first time in a long time, the holiday season doesn’t feelheavy. It feels light. Almost magical.

Holly’s the first to pull away, her eyes dancing with excitement. “There’s more.”

“More?” I raise an eyebrow. “You really went all out, huh?”

“Trust me, you’ll like this.” She takes my hand again, leading me toward the ice-skating rink.

Oh,no. No way.

“Holly,” I start, already backing up a step. “You know I can’t?—”

She cuts me off with a grin, holding up two pairs of skates. “Yes, you can. And you will.”

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