Page 29 of My Fair Player

No one—no one—was going to make her feel less than cherished.

“You can say what you want to me on the ice,” Liam said, voice calmer now but no less firm, “but have thedecencyto act like gentlemen in front ofmy bride.”

He stood tall, drawing up to his full height as he looked over the group. Ashley glanced up at him then, her eyes catching his in a moment that felt like the world paused again, just for a beat. The gratitude in her gaze rocked him to his core. It was fierce and tender and awed, like she hadn’t expected him to step in—not like this.

That expression, that look of hers, it was everything.

Liam’s heart thudded harder in his chest. He’d do anything to protect that light in her eyes. He stepped closer to Acton, laying a hand firmly on the man’s shoulder with the same authority he used on the ice.

“And I was bouncing ideas off of my wife,” he added, tone lightening just enough to make it clear the moment was moving on, “asking her if she thought you should start tonight or not… so I’ddefinitelyleave her alone if I were you.”

He saw it then—the shift in Acton’s expression, the glance at Ashley, who raised one perfect eyebrow in response and very deliberately crossed her legs away from him before picking up her Kindle with all the grace of a queen dismissing her court. It made Liam want to laugh, but he kept his face straight, leaning in just slightly to whisper the final blow.

“You know the rules,” he murmured. “Happy wife, happy life… so while I’m the team captain? I take her input seriously, and you should too.”

10

ASHLEY

The first periodof the game was over.

Jamie, Kenneth Salas’s wife, had pulled her aside, explaining that Matthieu and Jeannie weren’t married, but they were going to fix thattodayin a very public display for everyone to see – and that shocked her. She and Liam had been married for over a month now. It had been a requirement of his contract. But how had these two managed to avoid marriage or hide it and she realized it didn’t matter.

She wouldn’t have changed any of that month that they had taken getting to know each other. Whether it was simple smiles, making coffee for each other, or simply caring for the other person – it was a strange feeling to have someone in your life who moved so fluidly beside you. It wasn’t jarring or something she disliked, but rather, having Liam there felt like the best possible gift she had ever opened.

And it had from the very beginning. He was such a giving and tender person deep down inside, putting her above all others, treating her like his queen, and she loved everymoment, every smile, every shared presence with him. She awoke looking forward to sharing a cup of coffee with him, craved coming home knowing he would be there, and he’d become such a visceral part of her life without anything else, that it just felt almost ‘right’ that they were starting to delve into revealing a bit more of themselves to each other. Love without intimacy was still love, but intimacy without love seemed painful or sad. How could you share a part of your deepest being with someone and not feel it? She wasn’t trying to judge or condemn, but falling for Liam brought a closeness that she never imagined.

Jamie turned, her hands flailing with frantic excitement as she looked at the immediate crowd around her. The air shifted, a red carpet unfurled in front of them like something out of a dream, and Ashley donned the plastic crown she had been given, holding her fake roses in her hand.

Jamie made everyone within earshot a ‘bridesmaid’ – even one man with his face painted with the white slash from the uniform on his face was wearing one of the fake silver tiaras.

“Your veil!” Jamie hissed, and Ashley saw Larsson’s wife was near tears. Yeah, she recognized the signs of someone about to flip their proverbial lid and made her way to the woman to talk her down off the ledge.

“Ohhhh my veil! Oh my gosh, now?!” Jeannie was practically shouting as Jamie rushed to her side to help. They two were slapping at each other’s hands, trying to take over, a cell phone clenched between her teeth, mumbling instructions.

Noobs, Ashley sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. She pushed past them and looked at Jeannie, Larsson’s ‘wife,’ directly in the eyes.

“Breathe,” she commanded, her voice low but resolute, cutting through the anxious hum in the air. Ashley placed both hands gently on Jeannie’s trembling shoulders, anchoring her. “Look at me. Listen to me. If this were a plane, I’d be telling you to put your tray table upright and fasten your seatbelt, but it’s not. You are marrying your best friend, and he’s waiting for you – so let us help.”

Jeannie nodded shakily, her chest rising and falling with effort as she tried to calm herself. The frantic blur in her eyes softened just enough to show she was listening.

Ashley smiled softly, her fingers deftly sliding the veil into place with care. The delicate fabric trembled slightly in her grip—maybe from Jeannie’s nerves, or maybe her own. She tucked a strand of hair behind the bride’s ear, her voice quieting as she leaned in, speaking almost as if revealing a secret. “Liam always talks about the team being his extended family,” she said gently, meaning every word. “So, let your extended family help you celebrate… and breathe. This is a moment ofjoy.”

Her voice caught slightly at the end, emotion swelling in her throat as she stepped back to give Jeannie space. The bride offered a watery smile, a flicker of strength returning to her face, and then she was gone—darting off, bouquet in hand, to take her place beside the goalie.

Ashley’s gaze drifted upward, pulled instinctively like the tide to the moon. And there he was.

Liam.

He stood on the ice in the distance, helmet now in his hands, golden hair matted to his forehead with sweat, catching the overhead lights like something out of a memory. He looked wrecked and radiant all at once. Her breath hitched.

That kiss.

That one kiss between them had changed everything—broken open something raw and real inside her. It had unraveled walls she didn’t know she’d built and stitched together parts of her heart that had long been scattered. If life were a video game, that moment would have been the sound of leveling up—of unlocking something extraordinary.

Even across the room, she couldfeelhim. The taste of him lingered on her lips, sweet and electrifying. The warmth of his palms on her skin. The scent of him—soap, sweat, ice, and something she could only describe ashome.

It wasn’t just chemistry.

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