Page 13 of Hooking a Firefly
Chapter 6
Harrison sat in the locker room and prepared for the upcoming game.He carefully donned all of his equipment.His padding was important to protect him from injuries that could potentially be caused by the puck.Leg pads, special arm pads, his catcher, and blocker gloves…they all played an important role.But before he could put all of that on first, he had to put on the rest.His uniform and padded pants with the tailbone protector.After he had it all on and was on the ice, he’d be hot and sweaty in mere minutes.
He finished lacing up his skates when Alek strolled in.“Hey Thoreau, your lady is here tonight.”
Harrison froze.“I don’t have a lady.”What the hell was he talking about?
“Sure you do,” Ivan called from the other side of the room.“The pretty red head you danced with the other night.Seemed like something was there between you to me.”
They had to be fucking with him.Ashlyn would not willingly come to a hockey game.Especially one of his hockey games.She didn’t do sports.At least that was something she had told him once.Hell, she didn’t do clubs either.Even if her sister was the owner, and yet, she’d been at My Alibi a couple nights ago.Perhaps she had come to the game.He could not fathom why she would have, though.“She’s not my girl.”That was the absolute truth.It didn’t matter how much he wanted her to be his.“She’s Faith and Scarlett’s sister.I was being nice.”He was being way more than that.Harrison had loved holding her and feeling her body against his.
Alek shrugged.“Well, if you’re not interested, you won’t mind if I ask her out.”He gestured toward Ivan.“He’s planning on taking Faith out after the game.That will leave her poor sister all alone.”
Harrison nearly growled in protest.He had no claim on her and he definitely did not want Alek anywhere near her.Somehow, he would have to get to her first before she was cornered, with no way out.“Ashlyn can make that decision for herself.You don’t need my permission.”It hurt to admit that.
“Good.”Alek grinned.“I love a sexy red head and if she allows me to, I’ll show her a good time.”He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
He would not respond.He wouldn’t.Fuck he wanted to slam his fist into Alek’s face.Instead, he focused on lacing up his other skate.Ashlyn had made it clear she didn’t want Harrison.Even though they had socialized in the same circles lately, that hadn’t changed.The dance had been wonderful, but she had remained skittish.If he could only break through her ice… “Good luck,” he said to Alek.“Ashlyn isn’t so easy to charm.”
“That’s because she hasn’t had the pleasure of experiencing mine.”Alek said in a smug tone.
Ivan snorted.His Russian accent thick as he spoke.“You have no charm.You’re like a bulldozer running over everything in its path.”
“That’s you asshole,” Alek said, and then flipped him off.
Harrison shook his head.They might give each other a hard time, but they were loyal to each other.They were the best of friends.If they were ever traded to separate teams, it would be a nightmare.He didn’t think Alek and Ivan would know how to be opponents.
“I’ll have to pass on your rude gesture,” Ivan retorted.“I am not into men.Go make your offer to someone more willing.”
Harrison chuckled at that.He pulled his jersey over his head.Some things never changed and in this instance, he was glad for it.Hockey had been good to him.His love life not so much.“I’m going out on the ice to warm up.You two lovebirds work out your issues before game time.”
He was starting to believe them when they said Ashlyn and Faith were at the game.Faith wasn’t that much of a surprise.It was Ashlyn that made him wonder.He was heading out to the ice a little early so he could see if she was there.It would have helped to ask if they knew where they were sitting; however, that would have given them a reason to ask more questions, and Harrison didn’t want to give any answers.Ashlyn would always be a sore spot for him.
He skated onto the ice and went toward the net.His helmet was covering his face, but he could see fine out of it.Still, when he reached the net, he flipped it up and pretended to adjust his gloves as he scanned the arena.He froze when he spotted Faith.She was right by the glass, just right of the goal.Ashlyn wasn’t near her, though.Alek and Ivan were wrong.She hadn’t come with Faith.
Then he glanced upward, and the breath was knocked out of him.This was a version of Ashlyn he’d never seen before.She wore skin-tight jeans that hugged every inch of her luscious curves, and a Fireflies jersey that was tied to one side.He wondered if she wore his number.
Stupid.Why would she have done that?It would mean she liked him more than she let on.Still, he wanted to know.He silently prayed she’d turn enough for him to see the number on the sleeve, or better yet turn all the way around so he caught a glimpse of her ass in those jeans.The number would be a bonus in that case.
She stopped once she reached Faith.Her lips tilted upward, and then she laughed.He couldn’t hear it, but the motions of her mouth had him riveted.Harrison had to regain control before the game started or he’d play like shit.He enjoyed having her there, but it was also a distraction he did not need.
Ashlyn turned to push her seat down.Harrison held his breath.He’d been right about one thing—her ass did look fine as hell; however, he was sucker punched at the sight of the number nineteen, and his name emblazoned on her back.What did it mean?Was he reading too much into her choice?He had to set it aside and ask later.His head had to be in the game, not on the motives of the only woman capable of tying him in knots.
The hockey arenawas filling up fast.The home opener of the Fireflies was always a big draw.They probably wouldn’t have been able to obtain seats if not for Faith, using her connections to the hockey team.Harrison might have helped with tickets if Ashlyn had asked.She never would have, though.She shouldn’t be there now.
She glanced down at the ice and met his gaze.Ashlyn hadn’t thought he would notice her there.She’d been wrong.Of course, if they hadn’t been so damn close to the goal, he might not have.When she had agreed she didn’t think they would be or she’d have said no.To be fair, she hadn’t asked, so she couldn’t be mad about it.
What she could have done, though, was not wear a Firefly jersey with Harrison’s name on it.When they had gone shopping, Faith had been appalled she didn’t own any hockey related shirts.Why.Her sister believed she would have… It didn’t matter how she felt about Harrison.She would not have acquired anything that gave those feelings away.
Faith had picked out her outfit.She claimed it was the only jersey available that Ashlyn wouldn’t drown in.As it was, it was still too large.She’d had to tie off a side, so it didn’t reach her knees.
“Why is Harrison staring at you like that?”Faith asked.
Ashlyn shrugged.“He’s probably shocked to see me here.I hate hockey, remember.”Not the truth, but she would never admit that to anyone.
“Maybe,” Faith said.“Somehow I doubt that, though.There’s something in his aura…”
Ashlyn cursed under her breath.How could she have forgotten about her sister’s gift?Ashlyn remained neutral as much as possible around Faith because of it.Harrison didn’t have any such boundaries.“Oh?”She narrowed her gaze and stared at the ice.“You know I can’t see what you do.What’s different?”
