Page 23

JETT

“What are you doing here so early?”

Jett looked up and frowned, seeing the team captain, Liam Savage, on the ice and doing drills. Dealing with him was not exactly what he had planned today, nor did he want to hear about how great this man’s life was.

Team captain, happily married, joined the mile-high club – which was something Jett had only dreamed about in his wildest fantasies… but ‘ Nerd-holio The Great ’ got to live it, and he was jealous… combined with a whopping case of self-imposed sexual frustration.

“Upright and breathing,” Jett retorted, expecting his tone to be enough to drive away the other man, putting a wall between them.

“Yeah, me too,” Savage muttered, swinging his hockey stick at a puck almost like a golfer – and missing.

It was so unexpected, so out of character for the ‘golden boy,’ that he couldn’t help it. Jett snorted in laughter just as Savage slipped and landed directly on his butt.

“What’s your deal, bruh?”

“I guess the same as yours,” Savage muttered and extended a hand, to which Jett looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“We ain’t besties.”

“Shut up and give me a hand.”

Jett clapped slowly… and then sped up basically applauding the man. He put his fingers in his mouth, blew a whistle, and hollered ‘Bravo!’ as Savage glared at him.

“Are you finished?”

“Almost,” Jett retorted, getting out his cell phone camera to take a picture of the captain sitting sprawled on the ice looking all perturbed and pouty.

He was gonna put this on the team text thread that one of the other guys started.

The moment his phone was out, Savage uttered a curse word and scrambled to his feet in record time.

“I’m impressed. Photogenic and quick on the ice. No wonder you are the team captain.”

“You have a mouth on you.”

“Newsflash – look in the mirror, Cap. You got one too. You just never use it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Speak up for yourself, get pissed off, talk to us like we’re your partners, coworkers, teammates… and screw it – get chummy if you have to!” Jett railed, letting out all of his repressed energy and frustration. “But don’t just follow and nod. You’re not a lemur. You’re our captain.”

“I’m confused,” Savage muttered, bewildered. “Why are you talking about a marsupial?”

“Bro, I’m talking about whatever that four-legged heaving thingie that gets angry, runs into crowds, and gets all stabby with his forehead…

” Jett waved dramatically, holding back a laugh.

He wasn’t that stupid, but this man in front of him was utterly clueless.

He needed to draw his own conclusion, come up with his solution, and start mimicking whatever aggressive animal he spouted off in response to his vague description.

“ A bull ?” Savage began in disbelief, staring at him like he’d lost his mind. “You mean a bull ?”

“Ding! Ding! Ding!” Jett retorted, knocking on his own head like he was ringing a bell.

“By Jove, the man got it. Your last name is Savage, you’re the team captain, the boss, the guy in charge – so start acting like it.

Take control of the team on the ice and learn from Boucher, but make it yours.

Boucher ain’t our captain,” he paused, poking the stunned man in the chest. “You are! So start ‘ captaining ’ the team, Boy Scout.”

Savage stood there, looking at him, but Jett could see the wheels turning in his expression.

“It’s like your wife on the plane…”

“Don’t talk about Ashley,” Savage growled, leaning into his words almost aggressively, and Jett fought back a smile. That was exactly what he saw in the man except Savage had to acknowledge it, grasp at it, and bring it to the ‘table’ all on his own.

With a little encouragement, of course.

“Man, she’s so hot – but I couldn’t believe that I had to tell you on the plane…”

“DON’T TALK ABOUT ASHLEY!” Savage roared, his shoulders heaving in anger as his words echoed in the empty arena. It was just the two of them out there on the ice.

Jett was still pushing buttons, cranking up the beast inside the man, relishing this moment as almost therapeutic for both of them.

He didn’t want to argue with Karen ever again, but they also weren’t ready to get frisky in bed either.

All that pent-up energy had to go somewhere, and picking at Savage was the perfect thing.

“That shapely body,” Jett whistled. “I bet in that tiny airplane bathroom she could hike her leg and…”

The team captain, the one everyone jokingly called ‘boy scout’ behind his back and to his face, seemed to explode… living up to his name. The man let out an unholy roar, threw down his stick, and sprang at Jett like a creature possessed.

Maybe I shouldn’t have poked quite so hard…

This is gonna hurt!

Savage slammed into him, knocking Jett flat onto his back on the ice, and he was really grateful for the God-given good sense to have yanked on his helmet despite it being just practice.

His helmet popped against the ice, jarring his teeth, and he saw stars behind his eyes – just as he saw fists headed for his face.

Jett tensed and felt the explosion of pain in his nose and jaw, immediately throwing up his hands to protect himself as he began backpedaling, screaming to reach the man who he’d pushed beyond all reasoning.

“Liam! LIAM !” Jett hollered wildly, taking hit after hit and dodging a few. “ SAVAGE! brO! I AIN’T INTERESTED IN YOUR GIRL – I LOVE MY WIFE! ”

And paused just as Savage hit him once more, right in the nose – again.

I love my wife…

Jett was flinching at the pain and felt Savage get up off his chest where he’d been literally attacking him. The captain slid off of Jett, collapsing on the ice beside him, and the two men lay there looking at each other – spent.

“I love my wife,” Jett repeated simply, testing the words aloud, his voice full of amazement and disbelief at everything that just happened with him.

The captain, the display of force, the realization of how infatuated he was with Karen, and what a miracle it was to have found someone like her by chance.

“I love Karen and was only teasing you, brother… and whatever you just unlocked? Dude, that was epic – but aim it at the other team, okay?”

Savage chuckled nervously and then sighed, flopping onto his back on the ice almost in a mirror image of Jett – and then looked at him again.

“Are you okay?”

“Bruh – are you?”

“We’re struggling,” Savage admitted in a hushed voice. “I love Ashley so much, but things are hard between us sometimes, and I just don’t get it.”

“I think it’s girls in general,” Jett agreed, reaching up to touch his nose to make sure it wasn’t broken. “Karen can really push my buttons, but gosh, she’s so freakin’ hot when she gets angry. I swear I like doing it just so I can see her all fired up and raging at me.”

“You’re messed up, you know that?”

“In so many, many ways…”

Both men looked at each other – and laughed.

“Seriously,” Jett began after a few moments, smiling.

“Whatever that monster was, you need to unleash that on the ice and start bossing a few of us guys around. You’ve got that ‘C’ on your uniform for a reason.

Start thumpin’ it. Beat your chest and show us you’re the boss. Everyone is expecting it.”

“It feels weird – especially when Boucher was supposed to be the captain, and they picked me.”

“So make them realize you were the right choice,” Jett coached. “Hang onto your title as long as you can – earn it – wave it around – whip it out and flaunt it.”

Savage chuckled nervously and nodded, looking at him strangely. “Did you do all of this on purpose? Did you say those things to get me angry?”

“Hulk smashed… my poor, sweet, ‘ widdle’ face,” Jett mocked and stuck out his lower lip to pout – and winced.

“You need ice,” Savage cautioned. “You’re swelling.”

Jett rolled over and put his face directly on the surface, wincing at the temperature against his sore lip. He rolled his face slightly, putting his jaw against it and sighed in relief. He was going to look awful when he got home and wondered what Karen would say.

“What are you doing here today?”

“None of your business,” Jett instinctively snapped protectively. He didn’t want to discuss his own private frustrations with any. “And I’m going home to explain how my team captain beat me up…”

“Oh mercy,” Savage groaned and looked at him. “Please don’t say that…”

“Man up and own it,” Jett retorted caustically. “Puff your chest, strut your stuff, and shake what your mama gave ya… not many people get the drop on ol’ Jett Acton. You get a gold star, bro – and I’m gonna tell the rest of the team that I ran into a polar bear.”

Savage started laughing awkwardly.

Jett smiled – before wincing again.

“It looks bad.”

“Maybe it will score some points with my girl…”

“Good luck, brother,” Savage said gently and sighed. “I think I’m gonna get Ashley some roses on my way home.”

“That ain’t a bad idea. I might steal it...”

“Go for it.”

“I think I will.”

Both men still lay there, silent before Jett started to get up. Savage did the same – and Jett sprang at him, shoving him face down into the ice, and noticed gleefully that the man banged his chin.

“There!” Jett crowed, leaping to his feet in one smooth move. “Ain’t nobody getting the drop on me without walking away with a bruise!”

Savage spat blood out onto the ice – and smiled at him.

“See you Monday for practice… and I’m bringing the bull.”

“BOOYAH, bro. Bring the bull, 'cause I’m tired of seein’ the heifer.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Good talk – now go away.”

“Deuces,” Jett quipped, holding up two fingers as he glided backward away from the man. “Don’t be surprised if I start referring to you differently at practice.”

“Oh?” Savage chuckled, getting to his feet. “Why am I scared?”

“You should be,” and with that, Jett walked out of the arena, cackling dramatically. He was rewarded with the other man’s laughter behind him and a split lip. “Ow, that really smarts.”

A n hour later, Jett was carefully dabbing at the corner of his lip as the elevator door opened onto their floor. He walked up to the door, put in his key, and drew in a deep breath as if he were preparing for a possible battle. Opening it, he was greeted with silence.

Kicking off his shoes, he glanced at the clock and shrugged. It was still early and assumed Karen was sleeping. Walking into the kitchen, he started the coffee pot… and froze as he heard faint singing from nearby.

His wife was singing softly in the distance – and it was doing a number to his insides. He already thought she was incredible, sexy, and so wickedly smart but to add this little nugget to her personality was making his heart flip wildly in his chest.

Oh gosh, he was stupidly in love with her.

Padding silently, he moved toward the bedroom door and paused, listening. He stepped back, gathered up the surprises he’d bought for Karen and then looked at the door again as an idea hit him.

And smiled.

“Ow… stupid lip,” he muttered, but the plan in his mind was already in motion, and nothing was stopping him – including his busted lip.