Page 61 of Second-Rate Superstar

Was this how Jaxon felt when he first met Natalie? If it was, I felt sorry for the guy, having to sit on his hands for nearly a decade while she wasmarried to another man, then having to battle past her demons to earn the trust of the woman he loved.

There was an all-consuming need to claim Dakota. And not just in a physical sense. I wanted exclusive access to her incredible mind, to learn what made her tick. I wanted to be the first person she thought of when she woke up every morning and the last one she pictured before falling asleep at night. God knows she was always at the forefront of my mind. I wanted her to claim me right back, to declare to the world that she was mine.

She’d had me hooked since that first night by being the girl she portrayed to the world, but the glimpses she’d shared since then were what had me obsessed with discovering who she was beneath it all. There was no doubt that when she revealed her true self, I would fall helplessly at her feet.

My heart already belonged to her, even if she hadn’t accepted it yet.

It’s going to feel fucking amazing when she gives in to what I already know. That she’s mine.

The world faded away as we stared at each other, but the bubble surrounding us burst when thundering footsteps sounded from the kitchen.

“Yes! Uncle Braxton is here!” Beau called out from behind me.

Shifting Charlie in my arms, I turned to find Beau and Knox, side by side, mini sticks in their hands. Those two had only met briefly this past summer during Benji’s summer clinic back home in Michigan but became instant friends. Now that they lived in the same city—the same housing community, no less—they were inseparable. Not only that, but they also played on the same line for their youth hockey team, just like their dads, and the chemistry between them was off the charts.

Knox was older by about a year and the fairer of the two, with dark blond hair like his mom and gray eyes like his dad. Beau, with his dark hair and brown eyes, had a slight advantage in being a hockey kid longer—notjust in playing himself, but in living the life of a player’s child. Their competition level knew no bounds.

I caught Dakota’s smile from my peripheral vision as she remarked, “Very popular with the kids, aren’t you?”

Smirking, I nodded. “Allow me to introduce who we lovingly call Double Trouble. Beau is Jaxon and Natalie’s boy, and Knox belongs to Benji and Liv.”

Dakota eyed their sticks. “And hockey-obsessed like their dads, no doubt?”

“Damn straight!” Benji shouted.

Leaning in close, I grazed her ear with my lips, whispering, “You know you want to come over to the dark side. Stop fighting it.”

I was rewarded with the sweet vision of a shiver rolling down the length of her body. And when I pulled back, that physical reaction was paired with the stunning sight of her blue eyes darkened in lust.

Before I could blink, those beautiful blue depths sparkled with mischief, and she smirked. “Then, I guess it’s time to put all those lessons to use.”

“What?”

Speaking to the boys, she asked, “You got a stick for me?”

Beau fist-pumped the air. “Yes! Game on!”

Game on, indeed.

Natalie and Jaxon’s basement spanned the entire length of the house, featuring walk-out access to their in-ground pool, which was currently drained and covered in preparation for winter. A healthy portion wassectioned off as an in-law suite, where Liam used to live, but now served as a guest apartment when Preston and Lucy visited from Manhattan. There was also an indoor sports court, home gym, movie theater, game room, and a large den.

The boys led the way to the sports court, where the space was split in half. One side had a basketball hoop while the other was fashioned into a mini rink, boards and all. The only thing missing was ice. It was a hockey kid’s dream, and I’d witnessed my fair share of epic mini sticks battles in this room.

But none of them would be more high stakes than the one we were about to play.

Amelia and Jameson must have been in one of the other lower-level rooms, and had heard the excited chatter echoing around the sports court and leaking into the hallway because they joined us not long after. Still juggling Charlie in my arms, I introduced my raven-haired thirteen-year-old niece and blond twelve-year-old nephew to Dakota.

It was strange to think I was almost closer to their age than Jaxon’s, and I hoped as they grew older, they would view me as a cool uncle they could come to when their parents gave them a hard time.

Knox handed Dakota a stick and explained the rules. “Even strength teams, on your knees. First team to five goals wins.”

Glancing around, Dakota asked, “Okay, so who plays on which team?”

Beau surveyed those gathered in the room. “You challenged Uncle Braxton, so you can be one of the team captains. He can be the other. Challenger chooses their partner first.”

Charlie screamed, “I wanna PLAY!!!”

Her shrill voice had me wincing, but I knew what it was like to be the much younger sibling, being left out, so I advocated forher. “Looks like it’s gonna be three on three.” Beau and Knox groaned, but they’d have to suck it up. Turning to Jameson, I asked, “Are you in to make it even?”

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