Page 42 of Hockey Halloween

Larry

Check, please!

She lived on the east end of the city, in the opposite direction to my place. I didn’t care about the extra time it took to get there, but I missed holding her hand on the shifter. She lived in an older high-rise, with guest parking for my Porsche.

I followed her inside, noting the trembling of her hands. Was she having second thoughts? Nothing had to happen, but I wanted to see her again, and that wasn’t a conversation to have in the hallway.

Her apartment was smaller than mine, unsurprisingly, but cozy. She’d taken the time to put up pictures, cushions on the couch, plants. There was a coffee cup on the breakfast bar, a cute one with cartoon teeth on it. Things I hadn’t done since I’d bought my condo a couple of months ago.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Make yourself comfortable.” She left in a hurry, closing a door down the hallway behind her. Leaving me with a dilemma.

Did she want me to be here when she opened the door again or not?

I was honestly confused. She could have said something about changing her mind at any point from the time I put the car in park till she opened her apartment door, but hadn’t.

On the other hand, I’d been with women who were anxious to fuck, and she wasn’t showing any of those signs.

I shrugged and sat on the couch, pulling out my phone. I wouldn’t assume anything was going to happen, but in case she did want me here, I’d stay. I wanted to, anyway.

Ten minutes later, after I’d checked on the games around the NHL, the door opened.

A woman with pink sweats hugging a shapely body walked toward me, wet dark hair swinging around her shoulders.

I recognized the bright blue eyes I’d been staring into all night, but the fair skin with a pale blush on her cheeks was new.

She was pretty, and I still had no memories of seeing her as a kid.

She and her brother didn’t share features, and Kelli looked more like her mom.

Not classically beautiful—her mouth was a little too small, her face too round for that—but she looked more appealing than anyone I’d seen for a long, long time.

Why couldn’t I remember the girl she’d been? Dylan had said she hid, and between that and my obsession with hockey, I’d never noticed her. My loss.

She twisted her hair with a finger. “Hi. Sorry, I felt really gross and needed to clean up.”

“I get it. You were nervous too, weren’t you?”

She sighed. “Sorry.” She was apologizing again. “I’ve only slept with my boyfriends, so I’m trying something new here.”

I stood up, shoving my hands in my pockets. “We don’t have to do anything.” I was disappointed, but I could be patient.

Her eyes widened. “I want to. Really. I mean, my school crush is here, and I’d be an idiot to say no.”

I stood in front of her and gently picked up her hands, rubbing my thumbs over the backs. “What if we waited?”

Her forehead creased. “Would you like something to drink first?”

I shook my head. “Wait for another time.”

I could feel the tension easing out of her hands. “For how long?”

“A day. A week. Whatever. ”

“If you want to go…”

“I don’t. But I’m not looking for a one-time deal. We can set up a date and take it from there.”

“Seriously?” There was a smile hovering on the edges of her mouth.

I nodded. “How about just a kiss for now?”

Her eyes blinked, the crease still in her forehead. I leaned down and pressed my lips to the furrow.

I pulled back and she freed her hands, reaching up to my neck and dragging me down to press her lips to mine.

She might not be used to hookups, but she knew how to kiss.

I tugged her to me, hands sliding over the soft material of her sweats as she melted against me, tongue swiping against my lips.

I opened up and she pressed in, my hands moving to her ass to bring her even closer.

She eventually stepped back, eyes hazy and a smile on her lips.

I took a moment to catch my breath. “So how soon can we have this date?”

Kelli

I checked my reflection one more time.

Larry had said casual, so I was wearing my best jeans—they made my ass look incredible—and a soft sweater with my sexiest underwear underneath. My hair was mostly behaving, and my makeup perfect. A long way from the Raggedy Ann he’d seen a few days ago.

I drew in a long breath. I was doing this. Last time, I’d let fear get to me, but not tonight. I’d been playing it safe since Dad died, dating safe guys and avoiding risks. All I’d gotten for it was a couple of boring boyfriends.

Not that I expected Larry wanted to be my boyfriend, but I needed to do this for me. My longtime crush, the guy I’d always compared others to, could be mine for tonight.

He was a hockey player, but also he was sweet and really nice.

I saw his parents sometimes, and they were full of the things he did for them and the charities he helped with.

He’d been patient with the kids at the ice rink.

My ovaries had sat up and taken notice. Then I’d panicked when I had him in my apartment.

I was lucky he’d wanted to see me again, even though we hadn’t done anything but kiss. Tonight those nerves could just fuck all the way off. I was ready. So ready. My vibrator had been getting a workout since my last boyfriend, but I wanted the real thing.

He messaged that he was outside so I straightened my shoulders, reminded myself that I was an attractive and sexy woman and I was going to do this. I grabbed my coat and purse and went out to meet him.

“Seriously?” My stomach hurt from laughing. “Their names are Beast and Goober?”

Larry nodded, eyes dancing as he talked about his friend and former teammate Remy in Austin. “I swear. Beast is a little demon dog. But the cat has him trained.”

The more he told me, the more I wanted to know. “Do you have a pet?”

“Too difficult while I’m playing. I travel half the time, could get traded—it’s not ideal for an animal.”

“Would you want one? Someday?”

“Yeah.” He sounded serious now. “I’d like the whole thing. Wife, kids, house, dog and cat.”

His gaze met mine and my stomach clenched. I wanted that too. And the idea of having it with him? Took my breath away.

I swallowed. “Want to get out of here?”

“Where would you like to go?”

“My place, your place—doesn’t matter.”

He raised his hand. “Check, please!”

I smothered a laugh.