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  We got coffee and sat at her small, round table in the compact dining nook. “I don’t have too much food right now, or I’d cook you breakfast. I’ve been a mess.”

  “That’s fine. We can go for breakfast if you’d like,” I suggested before raising an eyebrow at her. “Do you have plans for today?”

  “No, I don’t have work or anything. I’ve been trying to go over stuff from the show, but my head has been chaotic. Tori does most of that for me. I’d be lost without her.”

  “You’ll be fine. I’ll help you.”

  She smiled at me, and I sipped the hot liquid from a thick, colorful handmade cup. I glanced at it and she looked down at her matching one.

  “I made these for Mom a couple of times for gifts. Diana or Grandma would take me, and I’d make a real mess of things. She always made it so she could use them despite that. I feel close to her when I use these for coffee and tea.” Elyse laughed softly, and I fell a little more for her at that moment.

  We took a quick shower to get ready for breakfast, and I slipped into the same clothes from the night before. Elyse shyly pulled on some thick leggings and a baggy Henley that brought out her eyes, finally grabbing some boots.

  “You’re beautiful.” I kissed her again as she blushed, taking my hands.

  “Stop, you’re embarrassing me,” Elyse murmured before she pulled away to look at me. We grabbed what we needed, and I drove her to a family restaurant a few blocks away, asking for my usual table. Elyse looked at me as we were seated in a back booth with a great view of the forest behind us. “The usual table? You come here a lot?”

  “A few guys from the team like it since they keep it low key. We always sit back here and chill out. The food is incredible too. Take a look.” Elyse nodded and picked up the menu. She opened it and read through the choices as her eyes lit up a few times.

  “What’s your favorite?” she asked. I laughed. I ordered a massive plate of bacon, sausages, ham, grits and eggs that she could never handle, so I suggested a couple of other things that she took into consideration. We were both ready when the waitress came back with our coffee, and she smiled as she glanced between us.

  “It’ll be here soon,” she told me, and I nodded with a friendly smile. “She’s good about giving us our privacy,” I told Elyse, and she nodded.

  “I see that.” She leaned back and rolled her neck slowly. “I feel like I got hit by a truck.”

  “You’ve had a hard few days. I’ll be here for a while and spoil you rotten,” I promised as she stared at me. “We have a week away after that.”

  “Of course. It’s your job.” She smiled weakly, and I hated my career for a fleeting moment. That made no sense since I worked all my life for hockey and no woman ever got in the way of that. I couldn’t let it happen now.

  We enjoyed our breakfast and spoke about lighter subjects throughout the meal. I was already planning dinner by the time we left once I’d had Elyse in another part of her house. Who was I?

  We ended up going to my place and watching a movie in my bed. We were close to naked, and she was draped over me as I stroked her hair back. Elyse was utterly relaxed, and I smiled down at her as she laughed at something on the screen. I knew that me knowing her truth took some weight from her shoulders, and all the pieces fell into place. The police officer outside of her house. Her aunt glaring daggers at me. Everyone was protecting Elyse, but I was the main one for that job now.

  She fell asleep a few hours later, and I checked the team schedule on my phone. I had a morning skate tomorrow and then an evening game. I stared at her as I considered asking her to go, now aware of the reason she ran away from me the first time. The article said that she didn’t witness her mom’s murder, and I guessed that she didn’t know exactly what happened. It made a lot of sense that she’d run from any threat.

  I still wanted her to be a part of my life as much as possible. I sent a message to Justin and told him to ask Tori to go with the hopes she’d bring Elyse. I also checked out my array of take-out menus and decided we were going to have Vietnamese food if she was up for it. I wasn’t leaving this house until tomorrow morning.

  Elyse stayed the night with me, and by the following morning, Tori had convinced her to come to the game. She watched from the bed as I dressed for the skate after I told her to stay here and rest. I liked having her here, and my mind raced as I locked my door.

  She left later when I got home, telling me she needed to get ready and go to dinner with Tori before the game. I kissed her and watched as she headed to her car to drive back to her place. I walked back inside and smiled as I thought back to the last week. A lot was going on here, but I wanted every bit of it.

  Our biggest rivals were visiting us tonight, and I felt the adrenaline rushing through me in the locker room. We were going to win, but the thought of Livingston being on the ice giving me shit to provoke me made me slow down. He always pushed it, and I usually wouldn’t hold back. Tonight, Elyse would be watching, and I didn’t want to trigger her in any way.

  “Hey, Bells. What’s up?” Justin asked as he took a seat beside me to lace up his skates. He glanced at me and frowned. “What’s wrong?’

  ‘Nothing,” I replied as I shook it off.

  “Everything better with Elyse?” he asked, and I looked at him with a quick nod.

  “Yeah, we worked it out,” I assured him as Coach walked into the room. He looked tense, and I dropped it as I ran a hand through my hair. He gave us the usual pep talk, but there was more to it since we’d been arch-rivals with this team for a few years. We were both doing well in the standings, and it wasn’t a matter of that. It was the way they tried to squash us every time and used every tactic to get their win.

  We were pumped when we got up and headed to the ice. The crowd screamed as we skated out in a line, and I raised a hand to wave to them. Adrenaline flowed through me as I moved around the rink before we went to shoot pucks. I looked over the seats, knowing where the girls would be as I smiled. They were both there with some other girlfriends of the team. Tori was yelling as she raised her hands in the air, and I chuckled. Elyse looked a little taken aback as the other women said something to her, and Tori threw her head back.

  I focused on the general crowd and started taking shots at our goalie as I grinned. The opposing team was already out, and I glanced over to see Livingston giving me a dark look. Fuck. He wanted to throw down, and I planned to try to avoid that tonight.

  “Someone has your number,” Justin said as he skated up beside me. “How many minutes in the sin bin for you tonight?”

  “I’d actually like to play for a change,” I said as I focused on my team. “He’s an asshole, and I don’t want to feed into it tonight.”

  “Who are you?” Justin asked in feigned shock as I laughed. We kept taking shots and headed over to the bench when the coaches nodded our way. The puck dropped, and I moved towards it as the game began.

  It was a fast game, and I moved through players as I attempted to get a goal. I was rewarded with one a few minutes into the first and watched as the other guys spoke carefully in a group on their end. I was in for it and I glanced up to see Elyse watching me, winking at her as she blushed.

  I scraped through the first twenty minutes without any issues and headed back in as the other guys talked about the game. I wondered if I could manage to avoid violence for the rest of the game since I didn’t think Elyse would appreciate it. We were ahead by a goal, so we had that going for us.

  The crowd cheered for me as I felt someone hit me from the side, sending me to the ice. Looking up, I saw Livingston smirking at me as Justin moved towards him, saying something in a low voice. I made my way back to my feet, observing my friend as he leaned closer to Livingston. I shot a look at the girls, and Tori was yelling something as Elyse looked on, her face pale. I let out a groan as everyone parted and we got back to the game, but at the beginning of the third, I felt someone slide their stick in front of my skate.

  “Fuck.”
I gritted my teeth as I pitched forward, not needing to look up. They were all threatened by me, but one guy had it out for me. He was still pissed that his girlfriend tried to hook up with me a couple of years back right under his nose. I declined her offer, and he wasn’t with her anymore, but it seemed to have bruised his ego. I slid into the wall and felt pain shooting through my shoulder as rage flooded me. I looked up and saw Livingston skating away as Justin stopped beside me.

  “Tripping,” he said as he helped me up. The refs were there to make sure I was fine, which I was, and we went on a power play. I also assisted with our fourth goal and grinned at their bench on the way to bump gloves with my guys. We had a few words throughout the game, but I kept it at that and decided to get a second assist over fighting with any of them. The crowd screamed, and I grinned. I looked up at the girls and saw Elyse staring in confusion as one of the other girls leaned in to explain something to her.

  Coach told me I did well as we left the ice, giving me a curious look. I did a quick interview and showered before dressing to go. I walked to the exit and saw a group of people waiting, smiling as Elyse looked over at me.

  “Dinner? I’m starving,” Justin said as I nodded and slipped an arm around her.

  “You’re still here,” I murmured as she pressed into me.

  “You were a good boy tonight. They kept trying to get you to turn on them. How come?” Elyse asked as I considered my answer.

  “It’s professional, since we’ve had a rivalry going for a bit. I also think he hates me personally. Who gives a shit? We won.” I saw Justin smile at me as he led the way to the parking lot.

  I paused and snuck a kiss as she gasped, enjoying the feel of her mouth against mine. I chuckled as I pulled away and agreed to whatever restaurant Justin suggested, caught up in her smoldering eyes. It was just the four of us tonight since the others went to a bar, and Tori smiled at us across the table.

  “You look good together,” she observed as Elyse blushed and closed her eyes.

  “Shut up,” Elyse murmured as the waiter brought their wine.

  “It’s true,” Tori insisted as I shared a look with Justin. We ordered some food and talked about the game as I filled in blank spots for Elyse. I was so glad that she enjoyed herself and watched as she laughed at something that Tori said.

  Chapter 16

  ELYSE

  I WAS WORRIED about the evening, but I had a good time. I noticed the way the other team pushed Ryder’s buttons, but he didn’t respond. I assumed it was an unusual thing for him to do so by the way the women around me were talking, making me wonder if he held back for me. I remembered seeing him in the first game and how aggressive he was. I didn’t want him to change for me. I didn’t want anyone to change for me, especially because of my past.

  When we waited for him at the tunnel in the arena, I shifted on my feet. I’d avoided any aggression for years, to the point where I withdrew from people. I had it in my head that nothing would happen to me and I’d never be triggered if I just stayed in calm settings. I thought Tori was insane when she suggested the art show, but we had several long chats about it. She pushed me to go for my goals and use my talent. Screw the past. I didn’t do anything wrong.

  That was the beginning for me. I met with people about art and saw galleries as I selected a place. It was exciting, and I eased into the life as I used the inspiration to paint. There were men along the way who wanted to get to know me and go out with me. I shut them all down.

  I came back to earth and looked around the table. The moment I met Ryder, I knew he was different. I was shy with him at first, but once I felt the heat between us, I couldn’t resist him. I enjoyed the hockey game tonight, and if I were honest with myself, I’d admit that he turned me on when I was outside. He quirked an eyebrow at me, and I smiled.

  We finished dinner and rose to leave. Tori and Justin excused themselves, and we went to our respective cars.

  “Want to stay at my place?” he asked as I pressed my lips together.

  “Yeah.”

  He opened my door and leaned in for a kiss before closing the door and jogging to his vehicle. When I was in the car, I started the engine and headed to his place. Ryder seemed as eager to get there as I did, and we didn’t even make it to the bedroom.

  He kicked the door closed as our lips met in clumsy kisses. I was aware that watching him tonight turned me on, and I gripped his shoulders as I turned my head to deepen our kiss. I heard the lock and Ryder reached down to cup my ass as I wrapped my body around his. He stumbled slightly, and we nervously laughed before he made his way to the couch.

  “Did you have a good time tonight?” Ryder murmured as I pulled his face close to mine. He kissed me gently and pushed away as I smiled.

  “I did. Watching you out there turned me on,” I admitted as he let out a hiss and pushed me on my back.

  “Did it?” His voice was thick with lust, and I let out a shaky breath.

  “Yes. I need you.” My voice was down to a whisper, and he claimed my lips with his. Rather than rush into sex, Ryder kissed me everywhere as he stripped me, teasing me to a hard release. “Damn it, Ryder. Just let me come.”

  He laughed as he parted my legs and pulled my underwear aside. “I’ve not even touched you here yet.” He slid a finger over my slick folds, and I dropped my head back. I incoherently moaned as he touched and caressed, making me want so much more. When he thrust a finger inside me, I jerked against him and arched my back. “So beautiful. Come for me, Elyse.”

  I did once he was sucking on my clit and fucking me with his hand. I cried out his name and gripped his hair as Ryder held tight through my pounding orgasm. “Oh my God.”

  He insisted on going to his bed for the next part, and I agreed in a sleepy voice. Ryder lifted me and carried me before excusing himself to get some water. I slipped off my jeans and relaxed, smiling as I inhaled his scent that hovered in the air.

  He brought back some water, and we cuddled in bed together. We made love more, and I fell asleep tucked against him.

  In the morning, we talked on the couch over coffee. He had the scores on TV turned down low, and I watched him as I sipped the steaming liquid in my cup.

  “You know that I never thought I’d be able to handle any violence. Perhaps the better word is aggression.”

  Ryder looked at me with warmth in his eyes.

  “I thought that if I hid from it, I could forget what happened. Not that I saw anything, but I still hear her screams sometimes.” I shuddered, and he pulled me gently against him.

  “They told me in therapy that I had post-traumatic stress from the incident, and we talked through it, but I still avoided anything that I deemed harmful. Poor Tori had to ease me into going out in the city and being around crowds. It was awful.”

  “I can imagine.” He kissed my hair. “That first game, it triggered you?”

  “A bit. I just needed to get out of there. What happened last night? You were different.” I was curious after seeing the opposing players pushing him.

  “I knew going in that game might be a problem. One of the guys hates me. I could have reacted and gotten in a fight. I spent a lot of time in the sin bin with some teams, but you were there. I decided to let it go and use my skills to prove myself.” He smiled at me. “It hurt like fuck when they pulled their shit, but I take care of myself. I knew I would be fine.”

  “I don’t want you to hold back for me, Ryder. Hockey is your passion,” I murmured as he turned his body towards mine.

  “So are you. It felt good to beat them with goals over fists. We won, and that’s the desired result.” Ryder kissed me as warmth filled me, and I slipped my arms around him. I pressed closer to him, and we moved together slowly. We ended up making love with me on top, rocking hard and slow on top of him. When I came, he took over the movements and then held me against him. “I told the guys I’d work out tonight. I know they’re dying to know what happened last night.” I laughed and buried my face in his neck.
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br />   “I have an early shift at the store,” I murmured as he stroked my hair back.

  “You haven’t quit that job?” he asked as I stared at him. His face broke into a smile, and he pecked my nose.

  “No. I am still painting during my downtime, but I love that job. It centers me, and I am only part-time,” I explained, and he nodded. “I haven’t made it yet.”

  “You will.” He kissed me again, and I moaned gently, loving the feel of his arms around me. We stayed on the couch until he had to leave, and we walked to our cars together. He kissed me hard and asked me if he could stay the night at my place if I didn’t want to come back to his. I told him to call me and he promised that he would before we went our separate ways. I headed home and smiled as I walked into my house, playing everything back in my mind. My phone rang and I saw that it was Tori, dropping to the couch to talk to her. We discussed the night before and she told me how proud she was that I made it so well through the game. I told her how I went home with Ryder and that I was falling harder for him. We both knew that I was growing and moving away from my tragedy, and Tori encouraged me to keep going.

  Once we ended the call, I went into my studio. I had a sunset in mind that I watched recently on a hike and wanted to capture it through art. I had sold every painting at the show and had some to work on for clients as well as a smaller gallery in town. It was enough work to keep me busy along with the bookstore, and I had some of my own self-made money in savings for a change. It was nice, and I listened to music through my small speaker as I brushed paint to give the sunset an edgier look.

  I took a break when my phone rang a few hours later and I saw that it was Ryder. He asked me if I wanted company, offering to bring my favorite Mexican food by my place. I told him that sounded perfect and went to the bathroom to freshen up. I took a quick shower earlier and tied my hair up in a knot before changing into a clean T-shirt. I made my way to the living room to answer the knock at the door, smiling when I saw Ryder waiting there.