Page 82 of Cross Check Hearts

As soon as the game ends, my teammates rush to Noah, slamming him into the glass, pounding his helmet, a sea of bodies colliding in celebration. I skate toward them, the adrenaline still pulsing hot through my veins, my heart pounding against my ribs. Through the sea of bodies in the stands, I spot Hannah jumping up and down like a lunatic, clapping like she just won the damn lottery.

I fucking love having her here.

Even though thousands of fans are losing their minds for us right now, hers is the only voice I care about.

The only thing that would make this victory sweeter is if she was wearing my jersey. My number.

It takes what feels like forever for everyone to calm down, but once all the celebrations are over, we all head off the ice.

The guys shout and sing all the way to the locker room, and I join in with the celebrations, reveling in the moment. It might not have been me who scored the game-winning goal, but I know I was an integral part of making it happen—and keeping the Glaciers from scoring on us first. That’s what I love about being a defenseman.

The warm water feels amazing on my aching muscles as I step into the shower, but I barely feel it. Mentally, I’m still on the ice, reliving every second of the game—and the incredibly proud look I saw plastered on Hannah’s face. It’s all I can think about until I’m out and toweling off with the rest of the guys.

“Whoa, looks like someone’s getting a little too friendly with the puck bunnies,” Theo says from behind me, amusement in his voice.

I don’t know what he’s talking about at first, but when I glance over my shoulder, he jerks his chin toward my upper back. I tense, realizing he’s looking at the still-raw marks Hannah left on my back the last time we had sex.

“It… uh, it wasn’t a woman,” I say, my heart pounding because I’m having a hard time coming up with a believable alternative on the spot.

“Then what happened? Did you get mugged by a raccoon or something?”

“No. I… scraped my shoulder moving some furniture around in my apartment,” I lie.

It’s not very convincing, and I don’t think they buy it, but none of them press the issue.

Still, it’s frustrating having to hide my relationship with Hannah like this. I know she said she isn’t ready for a relationship yet, and I’m doing my best to respect that, but I hate having to keep it a secret. I wish we could just rip the bandage off and let the news out, but I’m not sure doing that would actually make life better for either of us.

I finish getting dressed and head out to the family and friends lounge with the rest of the guys. I’m not expecting anyone to be there to see me—I don’t have any friends or family in the area yet—but when I spot Hannah watching me from across the room when I walk in, my heart kicks against my ribs. I want nothing more than to cross the room and wrap her in my arms, but we both know we’ve got to keep our distance here where anyone could see us. Especially with coaches and her dad potentially around.

She gives me a warm smile that hits me right in the chest. I make my way over, careful to keep things looking casual even though every part of me is screaming to touch her.

“Good game,” she says, her mismatched eyes shining.

“Thanks,” I tell her, fighting every instinct to pull her against me. Standing this close without being able to touch her is fucking torture, but I get it. We both agreed to keep things quiet, especially around the team. That doesn’t mean I can’t hate every second of it, though.

I stare into her eyes a moment longer, hoping she can see how much I want her, before she excuses herself to chat with some of the wives and girlfriends nearby. We both know it’s safer this way. Smarter. But that doesn’t make it any easier to watch her walk away.

Frustrated, I slump down into a chair to watch Hannah chatting with the other women. It’s stupid to think like this since we aren’t even dating, but part of me can’t help wondering if she and I are ever going to be able to have what some of the other guys have with their women or if we’re always going to have to keep sneaking around. I’m not giving up on the possibility, but the more time we spend together, and the more I fall for her, the more I realize how hard it is to keep what we have a secret.

After a few minutes, I slip out of the arena and head for my bike. It’s not too late on the West Coast, so I decide to give my mom a call before I head home. She answers after just a couple of rings as I lean casually against my bike, the phone pressed to my ear.

“Bonjour, mon cœur!” The smile in her voice is clear even over the phone, and it automatically brings a smile to my face too.

“Hi, Mom. How are you doing?”

“I’m a little tired, but I’m hanging in there. I was watching your game. That was an incredible goal Noah scored at the end. You did great work setting him and Theo up.”

“Thanks! I was wondering if you’d tune in.”

“Of course. I’ve watched all of your games so far. I’m so proud of you, Declan. I always knew you were going to do amazing things, but seeing you on TV playing in the NHL like this is almost a dream come true.”

I chuckle. “That makes two of us. But hey, while we’re on that subject—I’ve been thinking, and I want to fly you out here to Denver to see me play.”

“Really?” Her voice perks up.

“Yes, really. There’s a charity event coming up in a while that you could tag along for too. You’ll love Denver, I know you will. Sure, it can get kind of cold, and the elevation takes some getting used to, but it’s beautiful here. I can’t get enough of the mountains, and I think the clean mountain air here would be great for you.”

My mother clicks her tongue against her teeth, fond amusement clear in her voice. “I know what you’re up to. You’re angling to get me to move out there, aren’t you?”

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