Page 73 of Her Puck Daddies

“Sven,” I sigh. “About what you said the other day... moving in?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” he replies, a grin spreading across his face.

“Well then… I guess I’m all yours.”

Chapter 25

ERIC

Of the three of us, I can hold a grudge the longest. And after what went down with Dean a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been keeping to myself for the most part, even though it all came out in the wash. With all the evidence the security team collected and handed over to the authorities, Ava’s now ex will be locked up for a long time.

I get that Ava needed to prove her own strength to herself, too. I do. But knowing coach was aware of the situation, and how deeply our publicist got involved, I can’t even look at either of them right now.

Ava, on the other hand.

She’s changed since that day. There’s a new confidence in her, more forthright, more assertive in everything she says and does. Yet, I’ve held myself back from her. She’s been living with the captain, sleeping in his bed. I know Levi spends plenty of time up there, joining them for some “fun.”

But not me. Not yet.

I'm not angry with her, anymore at least. It's my own guilt now. I can’t seem to shake how much danger she’d always been in, right under my nose. Me, the guy who can read people like an open book, the one who can pull poke checks on the best hockey players in the world without them even realizing. But I missed something as big as this?

It gnaws at me. Every damn day. I haven’t been okay with it. I should’ve seen it. I should’ve known.

So, I’ve been avoiding Ava, keeping my distance from her and the guys. Until now.

“Eric, wait. Eric…” Ava's voice shouts from behind. It was only a matter of time.

I turn to face her. Her beautiful, highlighted brunette hair is tucked into a ponytail, and she’s wearing those scrubs. Today’s version is somewhere between orange and pink.

She catches up with me, grabs my arm, and pulls me into her office. I lean against the table as she starts grilling me. “Are you ever going to forgive me for this? Because I’ve gotta say, I’m reallysick and tired of feeling punished by you, and not in the fun way.”

I glance down at her. She’s standing firm, arms crossed over her chest, but I can’t shake the worry I’ve been holding onto since that day. Her ankle’s healed, but what about everything else? What about us?

“What would I have done if I’d lost you, Ava?” My voice cracks on the words before I can stop it. I look down, trying to mask the depth of my fear. I mean it, though. “You really don’t get it. I can’t think about anything else. Every single morning when I wake up, and every night when I go to sleep, all I can think is… What if you’d been killed that day?”

Her voice softens in that familiar, comforting tone. “But… Eric,” she whispers. “I wasn’t. I’m still here.”

“Still here?” I shake my head. “You didn’t tell me. You didn’t warn us. You went off like some damn secret agent and threw yourself in harm's way, like it was all on you.”

“I had to. This was my problem,” she says, her tone defensive.

“But you’re not justyouanymore. You’re ours, Ava.Mine, Sven’s, and Levi’s.” I feel my chest bubble with frustration. “It’s not just about you anymore. If something had happened, if I’d lost you, I would’ve lost a piece of myself too.”

She’s quiet for a moment, and my stomach twists. I need her to understand.

“I was thinking about you. All three of you,” she finally says, her voice low, but steady. “You guys are why I did it. I had to stop him. But it was more than that. I had to stand up for myself, too. Had to show the girl I used to be—the one he controlled—I wouldn’t let him tear me down again. And I couldn’t let him hurt the men I love.”

My heart skips a beat at the words. She loves us? She lovesme? It's electrifying and overwhelming, yet I know, without a doubt, that I feel the same way.

I swallow hard. “I love you, too,” I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them. It’s something I’ve never said to any woman before. Not like this. “And I need to know you’re safe. Just promise me, Ava. No more secrets. No more hiding things from us. We’re in this together. All of it. You’re not alone anymore.”

She smirks at me, her fingers tracing a line down between my pecs, soft and teasing. “Tell you what. I promise never to act as bait for an ex again.”

I frown, not taking it lightly. “I’m serious, Ava.”

Shegives a little laugh, but there’s sincerity behind it as she wraps her arms around me. “I won’t do anything dangerous without telling you first,” she says, her voice soft. “Okay?”

“Okay.”