Page 2 of When Love Takes The Ice

I guess it has affected the relationships I have with women, since I’ve never really had a very serious one. I don’t even know if I believe in love. My longest relationship lasted about a year, and I’m twenty-eight now.

I would love to be in a committed relationship, but with the hectic travel schedule it makes it hard to form relationships, even in the off-season.

I'm often confused if a girl genuinely likes me or just my NHL star status and wealth.

I envy Taylor in that respect; he and his girlfriend, Emmerson, knew each other growing up. They were high school sweethearts. He has no problems in that area.

I’m not like most guys. I need a connection with a woman in order to form a genuine relationship, and it rarely happens.

I admit, it was fun in the beginning, meeting a new girl in every city. I’m rarely lonely for long, but they come and go, and after a while, it kinda gets old.

Most of the time, that’s not how I want it.

Having someone to come home to would be nice. Someone who has my back. Someone I can be intimate with. The idea of having a woman like that is appealing, even though I'm unsure about the logistics of traveling and being apart.

I guess, seeing what happened to my parents, relationships have put me off. Even though I know one event shouldn’t influence my whole life.

Last week, I met a friend of Taylor’s and Emmerson’s, her name is Maddison Gray.

She lives in Florida and flew over to Seattle for a few days’ vacation. She came to a Hawk’s game with Emmerson. Despite only knowing each other briefly, she impressed me, and I felt a connection with her straight away. She’s not only cute and funny, she’s smart too.

We had Mexican food and drinks right in the middle of the playoffs.

She had no idea she was inadvertently wearing my jersey at that game. Seeing her in my number certainly got my attention, even if Taylor joked she picked the short straw.

Her lack of hockey knowledge is cute, and we had great chemistry.

I invited her to join me at the stadium the next day to hang out and show her around. We shared a few stolen moments when no one else was around, including a hot kiss which I keep replaying over and over in my head. Unfortunately, time didn’t permit us to take things further. Although, we did exchange numbers.

The thought of her pretty face, deep blue eyes, and that petite, athletic frame tugs a smile to my lips. She gets my blood pumping, making me think of all the things we could do together. She’s a gorgeous distraction.

Maddison Gray—real estate extraordinaire.

Being a successful woman is a major turn-on for me, and I want to catch up again. With the playoffs over, I have some free time before pre-season training.

I haven’t stopped thinking about her since she returned back home. I was a little dumb-struck when I met her because of the energy between us, not to mention how gorgeous she was. I had heart palpitations, my palms were sweaty, the whole nine yards.

I’ve been trying to think about how to word a simple text, and figure out if she’d want to see me again when I visit my mom.

When I’ve fully calmed down from my nightmare, or whatever the hell it was, I get up and walk to the kitchen, naked, to get a glass of water. I always sleep naked; luckily for my neighbors, my luxury condo has block-out blinds.

I lean on the countertop and guzzle the water, running a hand through my messy sweat-soaked hair. It's shorter now, but still long enough to tie back if I wanted.

As much as I don’t want to, I can’t stop thinking about my dad.

He has a vast commercial property portfolio and has dedicated his life to acquiring and selling companies and real estate. He made a significant amount of money at the beginning of his career, starting with a generous inheritance from my grandfather. Through his property dealings, he established himself as a prominent figure in the business world.

I've never had to rely on him as an adult, which I like. While he provided financial support for my tuition in college, he hasn’t supported me financially or otherwise in any other area.

I’ve been able to stand on my own two feet.

His hold on me persists. No matter how old I get or how much wealth I gain on my own, he still wants to rope me into his business.

I want to coach or commentate once my hockey days are over. I've always imagined myself being around kids and helping them succeed.

My mom thinks I’d make an excellent coach. She says I have a ton of patience. I guess I got that from her.

I walk over to the window and take in the view of the Seattle skyline. I’m in my little bubble up here. My apartment is spacious, with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a home gym, a study, and a jacuzzi. I guess it’s masculine, and I’ve made it my own. However, the more I accumulate, the more I contemplate the emptiness without someone to share it with.

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