Page 23

Cian

I survived my forced rest period, despite having to sit out three away games in a row, which meant Blair traveled with the team while I was stuck at home. My first game back, we beat Calgary at home and had a quiet celebration afterward. Just the two of us.

Blair’s family hadn’t tried to reach out, thank God. I’d meant what I said, and I tensed up, ready for action anytime her phone rang.

Tonight, she was leaving her phone at home, though, because the Aces were having their Christmas party, and I’d convinced Blair to go as my date.

Officially.

No more bullshit friends with benefits.

She was already at Oscar and Mia’s getting ready while I got some bits and pieces sorted for our own private Christmas party the following week. I loved how easily my friends had accepted her into our little chosen family, and I knew that Mia loved Blair for Blair, not just who she was to me. She’d threatened me with bodily harm if I fucked things up the week before and all but told me Blair would get her in the breakup, and by extension Oscar. I knew she was joking, kind of, but it still reminded me how important it was for me to get this right.

“Did you get your tree done?” Oscar asked as I stepped into a cloud of cinnamon and clove scented heaven.

“Yeah, I did. Why does it smell so good in here?”

“Mia found the Christmas candles. The girls are just about ready.” He handed me a beer and settled back against the kitchen counter.

“So… I have to tell you something.”

His eyes were wary, a look I couldn’t ever remember seeing on my best friend’s face before.

“What’s up? And how can I help?”

He shook his head. “Nah, nothing like that, but it’s going to change things.”

Their doorbell chimed, announcing the arrival of the limo we’d hired, but I kept my gaze locked on my friend.

He sighed, raking his hand through his hair and scrubbing his face.

“Mmff frefrowow.”

“In English?” I asked.

“Mia’s pregnant.”

Joy rushed through my body as I threw my arms around him with a shout.

“Holy shit! Congratulations, man. Wait… this is good news, right?”

Oscar relaxed, returning the hug with a solid back slap.

“Oh, yeah. We’ve been… not trying, but not… not trying? If you get what I mean. We wanted to sort of leave it to fate, but now it’s happened and I guess we’re both freaking out a bit.”

“That’s amazing. I’m going to have to start planning ways to beat out Luca for favorite uncle.”

Mia’s brother was a surly, touch averse, mean bastard… who was going to love this kid like his life depended on it.

Oscar huffed a laugh and took a long pull on his drink as the click of matching sets of heels echoed down the hall.

Oscar whistled while I tried to remember how to breathe as our women stepped through the doorway and came in for hugs.

“You told him?” Mia asked. I snatched her into a quick hug on her way past as Oscar growled good-naturedly.

“Congratulations, Mumma,” I whispered, letting her go to her man as Blair stepped in to take her place.

“Hey, you.” She tilted her head back, and I touched my lips to hers in a gentle kiss that wouldn’t mess up her lipstick.

“Time to go,” Oscar announced.

We all piled into the limo and drank soda in deference to Mia on the ride in.

The room was already packed as we wandered in, music playing over speakers hidden behind tinsel and mistletoe. On one side of the room was a table full of items to be auctioned off for charity, while the bar was on the other.

“Can I get you a drink?” I asked Blair, running my hand down her back. The dress exposed all of the soft skin between the nape of her neck and her lower back. I couldn’t stop touching her and already had plans for when I could get it off her. She asked for a white wine and I wasted no time getting her order along with beers for me and Oscar, and sparkling water for Mia.

“Check it out,” I murmured to her as she sipped her wine. “Mistletoe.”

She smiled and lifted her chin.

Carding my hands through her hair, I pulled her mouth to mine in a kiss that was still semi fit for the public, but left no doubt about what would come later.

“Holy shit. You work fast, O’Leary. Looks like I owe you fifty bucks.”

The obnoxious voice broke through my happy moment, and I couldn’t suppress a low growl as Chet fucking Doyle muscled his way into our space.

“Look at her, she’s panting like the dog she is. You only had to bang her. Seducing her is above and beyond, brother. You are stone cold.”

Blair’s body was stiff beneath my hands, and I didn’t know if it would make things better or worse if I cold cocked this son of a bitch to shut him the hell up.

I’d probably get some kind of community service medal for improving the culture in the Aces organization.

His laugh was a vile taunt intended to tear Blair down the same way her family had tried, but there was no fucking way I’d let that happen.

“Shut the fuck up, Doyle.”

“No, no. You deserve all the accolades here. I’ve witnessed a master at work. Did you get her to tell you she loved you? Fuck, yes. You’re a straight up killer.”

Blair broke out of my hold and headed for the door while Chet’s laughter nipped at her heels.

Stay and break his face? Or chase down the woman I was in love with.

Violence sounded like such an easy answer, but at the end of the day he was irrelevant.

Blair mattered.

Spinning on my heel, I chased after her, heels skidding to a halt when I found her leaning against the wall outside.

“Wait… what? Ahh, I can explain.”

“I know you can. And you will.” Her voice was calm. Not in a shut down, dissociating way, but a what idiocy did you pull? Tell me so I can help way.

“During preseason, he was being an asshole.”

“Standard.”

“And he started ranting about this stupid idea for a bet.”

She nodded, waiting for me to continue.

“Anyway, he wouldn’t shut the fuck up, so I said yes so you wouldn’t have to walk in and hear all the shit he was spewing. I’d forgotten about it until he said it just then. It was stupid, and I didn’t get to know you for the money. I’m in love with you. Plus, Mia’s already picked your side if we break up and I can’t lose my friends.”

She was too calm. As she leaned against the wall with a foot cocked, arms folded across the front of her sinful dress, I wanted to fall to my knees and prove how much she meant to me.

But I’d also just said I loved her, and she wasn’t reacting to that either.

“That was pretty stupid,” she said eventually, and my heart let out a hard thump in relief.

“It was.”

“But your heart was in the right place.”

“You’re taking this really well.” I held both hands out. “Not that I’m complaining, just observing that you are.”

She smirked as she stepped into my body and wound her arms around my neck.

“It’s pretty easy when you told me you loved me weeks ago.”

“What?” I pulled back, searching her face for signs she was joking. I would remember telling her I loved her, right?

“After the Boston game. You passed out in the car on the drive home, and when I tried to wake you, you told me then.”

I screwed up my face, trying to remember the night. There was a vague memory of Wyatt kissing his girlfriend, and some filthy ideas I’d since put into practice with Blair, but nothing between O’Malley’s and waking up the next morning.

But something else occurred to me.

“Is that why you pulled away from me?”

She fidgeted with her skirt.

“It took some time, and some conversations with my therapist to process what you’d said. My old way of thinking kept looking to disprove it, but I wanted it to be real so badly that I couldn’t cut and run like I thought I had to.”

It made sense. Safety didn’t seem so safe when you were used to the chaos. A whole paradigm shift was needed to be able to recognize our worth.

“Would it help if I said it again?” I asked, running my hands over her back because I could.

“Maybe.” she tilted her head, a playful smile pulling at her perfect lips.

“I love you, Blair Kennedy.”

A beautiful pink flushed up her cheeks as I licked at her smile, asking her to let me in. She opened up to me and I took her mouth in a kiss that was all about possession. She was mine. Now. Forever.

“Just so you know, we’re officially ditching this friends with benefits thing,” I growled.

Blair hummed.

“You are my girlfriend, and one day soon, you’ll be my fiancée. I don’t want you to doubt what my intentions are here.”

“Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren’t you? I think we’ll have to talk about the benefits package,” she drawled, surprising a laugh out of me.

I bent my head back toward her and just before we kissed, she murmured, “I love you,” against my lips.