Page 131 of Playboy

“Oh,” Sara says, drawing out the single syllable. “You have talked about it.”

“Huh?”

“You zoned out. Because you’re thinking about it. Am I right?”

I shrug. “We barely know one another.”

Millie slaps the bar, startling me. “That line is getting old. We all see it. You know my brother better than anyone, and I could say the same about him.”

I glance back in Daniel’s direction and find him staring at me, his lips tipped up softly. When he realizes he’s been caught, his dimples deepen, and he winks. “Having fun, dream girl?” he mouths.

I shake my head, though there’s no hiding the way my face splits into a grin. Because yeah, I’m having fun. Every single moment I spend with this man is fun. And I really hope I get many, many more moments with him. Hopefully the rest of my life.

FORTY-THREE

DANIEL

There arefew things I enjoy more in life than hockey. I can say without a doubt that a year ago, hockey was my number one priority, the thing that mattered most, and very few things came close to competing. It was my entire existence. Hockey was my identity and the one thing that brought me true joy. I spent all my time on the ice or hanging out with my friends who were also hockey players. The reason women wanted to date me? It was hockey.

Not a moment of tonight had anything to do with hockey. Not even a flicker of the spotlight flashed my way. It was all about my girl, and yet it was easily one of the best nights of my life. Hockey doesn’t hold a candle to her. If I had to choose between my career and hers, it’d be a no-brainer. I’d gladly stay home with our son and support her in every way I could.

I’m not sure when it happened, or even how the hell it happened, but it’s the god’s honest truth. Fortunately for me, Hannah doesn’t want me to choose. She seems genuinely excited to stay home and enjoy our son while following her passion, and I get to play hockey and spend time with my family when I’m in Boston and maybe even bring them along when I travel sometimes.

When we got home, I started a bath so Hannah could relax. I’m doing the same, waiting for her in bed, looking through all the photos our friends tagged her in on Instagram.

She is gorgeous in every picture. Her tight black cotton dress hugged her perfectly, and her red-painted lips were always tipped up in a smile.

When a FaceTime request from Camden pops up on my screen, I smile and tap Accept.

“Hey! We missed you tonight?—”

When his expression registers, I snap my mouth shut. His eyes are red and glassy, his face pinched in pain.

“What the hell happened?”

“I saw Tara.” The words come out gruff and slurred. He rarely speaks her name, like it hurts to form the word. Tara was his high school girlfriend. His sister’s best friend.

“Shit.”

“Bound to happen,” he slurs, head lolling to one side.

“Where are you?”

Is he in public? If so, I need to make some calls and get him home. Or is he home? If that’s the case, should I find someone to stop in and check on him? I’ve got contact info for a few of his teammates, so I could probably figure something out.

“She has a daughter. Did I tell you that?” He leans against a wall, eyes drooping.

My chest pinches. Fuck, his heart’s gotta hurt right now. “Yeah, Cam, you told me. Where are you?”

“Thought it was my kid for a minute. Could have been.” He breathes heavily.

He’s known for a long time that Tara’s daughter isn’t his. Turns out she belongs to his former best friend. When Cam caught Tara and that asshole together, they admitted to having been cheating for a long time.

To make matters worse, his best friend was dating Cam’s sister at the time. The four of them had been inseparable for years. He was devastated, but he kept his knowledge of the affair to himself. Eventually, Cam’s sister found out. She packed up and left Vegas and never came back. When she discovered that he knew and hadn’t told her, she cut off all contact.

That’s why Camden never went back home during the offseason. And why I was shocked when he chose to return to the area that haunted him. But unlike me, he’s got nothing but hockey. I guess the belief that he could be something more there outweighed the concern he had for the demons he’d have to face. Until now, that is.

“She’s not yours, Cam. You had the DNA test. Where are you right now?”

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