Page 99 of Puck Love

“Are you referring to leaving me alone with three hockey players and a hockey hooker? Because why would I have a problem with that?” ballbusterdeadpans.

“We’ll be right back,” Stella says, and I go to take her hand but she yanks it away out of my grasp.Okay then. She’s pissed. Not that I really blame her, butstill.

She leads us toward the back deck, but Eli is holding Veronica close out there and that’s not a discussion I want to walk in on so I steer her toward anotherroom.

“That’s a closet,” Stellasays.

“Oh.”

She sighs and takes my hand, leading me down a hall. “Comeon.”

Stella opens a door on a music room, with egg foam lining the walls, a huge board with various knobs and buttons, and a small closed-in booth in thecorner.

“This is where yourecord?”

“No. This is where I come to record the stuff I have to get out in the middle of the night. This tiny studio is only capable of somuch.”

“Huh. Whoknew?”

One look at her expression and it’s obvious that Stella isn’t as fascinated by this room as I am. “Van, who’s thatgirl?”

“She’s a puckbunny.”

Her face shuts down but she doesn’t look surprised. “And what exactly is she doing in my house onChristmas?”

“I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t know he was going to bring anyone, least of allher.”

She exhales loudly. “And who is she to you,exactly?”

“She’s noone.”

“Did you sleep withher?”

“Yes,” I say, resigned. “It was a long time ago; I was drunk. I’d just scored my first ever hat trickand—”

“And a woman who slept with you is now in my house, preparing to have Christmas lunch withus.”

“Stella, that’s . . . notall.”

“What? Did you get herpregnant?”

“No. Jesus. No, okay, just listen. Promise you won’t getmad.”

“That’s usually what you say to someone when they’re going to do just that,” she snaps, folding her arms across her chest. “Really fucking mad,Van.”

“Two months ago, I had aparty.”

“I thought you didn’t haveparties.”

“I was hurting bad, baby. I’d had a fight with my Coach, I wasn’t allowed on the ice, and the only woman I’d ever cared about threw me out like trash. I threw a party, and Veronica wasthere.”

“No.” Stella shakes her head. “I don’t think I want to hear anymore.”

“Nothing happened. Well, it sort of happened, but it didn’t. She broke into my room and was waiting for me while I was in the shower. She tried to . . .” I pause. I don’t want to tell her this. Fuck, I’d give my left nut not to have to say this, but I gotta come clean, because I love this woman, and I can’t have any more secrets between us. “I pushed her away, but not before she wrapped her lips around mycock.”

“You pushed her away?” Tears are spilling over her cheeks now. “Did you come in her mouth,first?”

“No. Country, it was two seconds. I swear to you, you can ask her. I shoved her off me, gathered up her clothes, and threw her out. I threw everyoneout.”