Page 44 of Playing for Keeps (Seattle Hawks Ice Hockey #4)

They were the last words he spoke to me before he left.

After we broke from our embrace, Jay reached down to pat Robbie, rubbing his face into his fur.

It was only then that I saw he was crying too, but it was a silent shedding of tears that no one could hear, mopped up by our dog’s fur. “I’m gonna miss you too, Robbie dog.”

We part ways after breakfast after light banter about the wedding and Jay’s game tonight, without too much ado.

Deb, our moms, and her friends have yoga and the spa day with lunch to attend to and it’s a nice distraction for a few hours with everything that has gone on so far.

I manage a quick call to Beth in the afternoon before I’m getting ready for the game tonight, where I get a few things off my chest.

I give her some juicy details, but there’s some things I keep for myself because I’m kinda embarrassed to say them out loud.

I still can’t believe where he had his head last night, doing things I never thought possible.

He got me off so damned quickly, and he was definitely pleased with himself. Talk about sex god.

But the ultimate end to the perfect day, even after having a massage, facial and pedicure at the hotel spa, is seeing Jay skate out onto the ice.

I’ve been excited all day about seeing him play tonight. I loved the game I went to in Seattle, and hockey has become somewhat of a favorite over the past few months.

He’s so freaking phenomenal, and hot as all hell in his hockey get up.

Jay managed to get us amazing seats right behind the players’ box, and I spot Emmerson and Cindy when we’re about to take our seats.

I knew there was a chance I’d see Cindy because she works for the team.

She often travels with them even though she works in administration and not directly in the team.

But it doesn’t stop her from traveling when she can.

Her sister looks after their little Frenchie, Henry, when they’re away.

She loves coming to the games and Tyler always makes it known he’s her guy when he skates by and even slides up to the barrier before the game to blow her a kiss.

We have a quick group hug and a giggle over Tyler’s affectionate display. Taylor isn’t much better, he’s warming up with some fancy footwork right in front of where we’re about to sit. His attention is set on his gorgeous redhead.

“These two are too much!” I laugh. “Talk about smitten.”

“I don’t think they’re the only ones.” Cindy smiles, giving me a little conspirative wink.

“Jay hasn’t taken his eyes off you,” Em agrees, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear and nodding over to the side in a single sweep of her head.

I glance down at the ice and sure enough, sapphire blue eyes are on me.

Jay casts the cutest wave ever and I wave back, feeling the giddiness in my chest and more butterflies erupting in my belly.

The promise of another night with him tonight when this is over has me just about exploding.

“It’s been an intense weekend so far,” I admit with a shaky breath.

That is the biggest understatement of the year.

“He seems to have more than a spring in his step,” Em goes on. “I think that might have something to do with you, Jade. He’s always bouncing off the walls when you’re around.”

“So true,” Cindy chimes in.

I laugh, trying to hide my embarrassment with my hands covering my face, but I realize what the heck. From what Jay and I were talking about earlier, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to be hiding anything for much longer.

We take our seats because the game is almost about to start, Cindy and Em find their seats just in front of ours and I glue my eyes to number #88 Jefferson.

His physique in that uniform as they stretch, sends my pulse into overdrive. That lean body and muscular frame, I enjoyed kissing every inch of it.

Seeing him in his element now is such a highlight, he’s worked so damned hard to get where he is.

True to his word all those years ago, he sent us a postcard from every city he visited when he was recruited into the NHL.

It makes me smile, thinking about the excitement it used to stir whenever one would arrive.

“I knew he was going to make it,” my dad would say proudly. He had so much faith in Jay and really helped keep him on the straight and narrow while he completed high school. I have so much respect for my dad for that.

It etches in the forefront of my mind what they’re going to think about Jay and I being a thing. But I’m broken out of that train of thought when I see Em in front of me covering her face with her hands, then Cindy giggling next to her.

When I look back to the ice, I see Jake, Taylor, Tyler and Ashton are all in a line in front of Jay as music starts rolling from one of the speakers, and seems to flood around the arena quicker than wild fire.

In tandem, they all stick one foot out to the right side, shimmying their hips, then to the left, following the same motion.

Then a step forward, a step back, another roll of their hips.

They all exaggerate the moves over again and it’s then I realize it’s part of one of the dances Jay and I were learning with Markus.

I cover my hands over my mouth, muffling the sound of my squeak even though it surely can’t be heard anyway over the noise of the crowd. Mom glances at me in my peripheral, but my eyes are transfixed on the team.

Jay’s giving them a withering look, but the smile is all in his eyes.

They ham it up a notch as they clap their hands together over their heads; the crowd joining on in, the hoots and cheers echoing off the barrier walls as the boys shimmy around in a circle.

I’ve no idea how they’re doing this on skates, I guess it’s years of practice on the ice.

Tyler gives Jay a friendly shove in the back, it’s obvious he’s coaxing him to join them in the dance they’ve clearly been practising. Jay is shaking his head and trying his best to protest.

Cindy turns her head and looks back at me, she can’t contain her smiles and laughter, Em is clapping along with the rest of the crowd.

As I glance down the long row of my family and some of Tanner’s friends, even Ben made it tonight, they’re all clapping and cheering toward the ice.

Luca is beside himself, dressed in the little Hawks hoodie and hat that Jay brought for him.

Finally, Jay throws his arms up in the air and pushes off his skates, joining the boys at the end, right next to Tyler as they do their shimmy routine twice more.

His hip sway action is next level, and I have to admit, the rest of the boys aren’t bad themselves.

The crowd hoots and cheers, at least, the Hawks fans, anyway.

But really, everyone seems to be having a good time as the boys all pat each other on the back and give Jay a friendly shove.

It’s then he turns and looks at me, right when their opponents are called onto the ice.

His face is flushed and his eyes dance. That heart-warming, panty-melting smile I know is for me, seems brighter than anything I’ve ever seen.