Page 6 of Cross Check Hearts

“Just the beginning,” he finishes, his eyes holding a promise that makes heat pool low in my belly. “If you want it to be.”

“I do,” I whisper, my tongue darting out to taste him on my lips. “I definitely do.”

Chapter3

Hannah

Present Day

My hand drifts to my lips as I stare at the familiar face in shock. I only knew this man by a fake name, but his lips have covered almost every inch of my body, and he gave me one of the most incredible nights of my life. And somehow, he’s also the new rookie for my dad’s team.

Declan stares back at me, a look of shock on his face like he’s in just as much disbelief as I am.

We stay frozen, eyes locked on each other, for what feels like at least a year, until my dad puts a hand on my arm and jolts me out of my stunned silence. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah, I just noticed we have a new face on the team,” I cover and greet Declan with a polite nod like I would anyone else I’m meeting for the first time. “Good luck with this season, everyone. I’ll be cheering for you.” I give my dad a kiss on the cheek like I always do. “I’ll see you later.”

“Come by for dinner tonight if you’re not too busy studying.”

“I will, I promise,” I tell him and leave the locker room as quickly as I can. As soon as the door closes behind me, I lean against it to let the shock catch up to me and catch my breath.

This can’t be real. I mean, yes, I just saw Declan with my own two eyes standing in the locker room, so it wasn’t a delusion, but I still can’t believe that the man I had the hottest night of my life with is the newest member of the hockey team my dad manages. It shouldn’t be possible. That night was hundreds of miles away, and it was exactly what I needed in that moment, but it was supposed to be just a spring break thing. Something I left behind and never told anyone about.

My law school friends would never believe this—not that I can tell them. I’ve spent years being the responsible one, the coach’s daughter who follows the rules. One night of freedom wasn’t supposed to follow me home.

These two parts of my life never should have collided. But they have. And I don’t know what I’m going to do about it, but I do know that I need to get the hell out of here.

I shake my head and push away from the door, walking quickly away from the locker room toward the parking lot and hoping I won’t cross paths with anyone before I get to my car. I charge out of the arena’s doors into the brisk Denver air, gulping down breaths of it as I make a beeline for my car across the lot.

“Hannah!” A familiar, deep voice calls out my name just as my trembling hand finds the door handle.

My shoulders tense. I already know it’s Declan, and as much as I want to turn around to see his gorgeous features again, I don’t trust myself to keep my hands off him if he catches up to me and starts in with that silver tongue of his.

Get in the car, Hannah. Just get in the fucking car and go.

But something takes over me, and I glance over my shoulder despite the little voice in my head telling me not to. As soon as I see Declan striding toward me, his gorgeous dark hair catching the sunlight, I freeze with my back against the car door. Now that I’m seeing him in something other than dim candlelight, he’s even better looking than I remembered.

The memory of him in that mask was one thing. But here, in broad daylight, with no shadows to hide behind?

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

The dim club lighting concealed just how perfectly sculpted his jaw is, how his eyes crinkle at the corners when he grins broadly.

And that’s exactly what I was afraid of seeing.

I know I should ignore him, just lock myself in the car and leave as quickly as I can—but I can’t take my eyes off him, no matter how much my brain is screaming at me. It feels like a hockeygodis chasing after me, a solid, animated slab of muscle and power. How could anyone run away from a man like this, especially after the incredible night we already had together?

I watch his hands swing lightly with each step, and my mind flashes back to those same hands all over my body, massaging and pleasing me, inside and out. I shudder and flush at the memory, but the goosebumps prickling across my skin jar me out of my trance.

That was then, this is now.

What we had that night was amazing, but it was only for the night, and we both knew that going into it. I made it clear. But now that he’s here in my little corner of the world he was never supposed to find, I don’t know what to do. If our paths had crossed again in pretty much any other scenario, that would be one thing, and maybe we could figure it out. But he’s playing for my dad’s team, and that’s non-negotiable.

I know my dad better than anyone. His rules aren’t casual suggestions—they’re etched in stone. I pushed boundaries that night in California, but this is different.

I’ve wasted so much time frozen in place that Declan is definitely going to reach me before I can get in the car now, so with a fresh burst of resolve, I decide to head him off instead. I meet him halfway across the parking lot, and when he opens his mouth to speak, I snatch his hand and drag him off to the side of the building where hopefully none of the other team members will see us if they come out. His brows shoot up his forehead, but he goes along with it.

“I can’t believe it’s you.” He laughs incredulously when we stop, but I bring a finger to my lips. His brows stitch together. “What’s with the secrecy?”

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