Page 3 of Tempting the Goalie (Riverside U #5)

“I do.” We head to the kitchen, and I take a mug out of the cabinet to make him coffee, just the way he likes.

“Did he call you to apologize? Is he groveling? You better not take him back,” he warns.

“He hasn’t called,” I admit, and those words sting because I wasn’t important enough to West for him to inform me of the end of our two-year relationship.

“You deserve better than him. You deserve the best,” he states, and he makes my heart dance. Luc is the sweetest guy I know and probably the most handsome, but he also doesn’t believe in love and has never been in a relationship.

“Don’t flatter me. I wasn’t pretty enough or good enough to hold West’s attention after all the promises he made,” I mutter, feeling low.

“You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. Don’t talk about yourself that way,” he insists. His gray eyes fill with conviction, but his words don’t count. We’ve been friends forever. We are as close as two friends who grew up together can be.

“Enough about me. How has your weekend been?” I ask, taking a cleansing breath. I need to stop thinking about West’s betrayal.

“We had a game out of town Friday night. Got back last night. It’s been weird having all these girls living with us. My friends are just so happy. . .” His face morphs into disgust.

I laugh out loud. “You have to see your face right now.” I slide his coffee to him from across the counter. “They’re in love, Luc. Although, I think you’ve taken me over to the dark side. I don’t think love exists.”

“My friends will tell you different. One of their girlfriends was just complaining about all the banging headboards we have in the house at night,” he scoffs.

“As in all of them are having sex all night?” I ask intrigued.

He nods. “They can’t seem to keep their hands to themselves.” His face looks sour and despite my pissy mood, I laugh.

“I wouldn’t know what that feels like. West and I weren’t like that,” I confess. West came into town once a month. It was the best he could do on his crazy schedule. Last summer he took me to Italy for two weeks. Italy was beautiful and romantic, but I didn’t feel a rabid hunger for West.

“What do you mean?” Luc asks. “You were with the guy for two years.”

“We didn’t have some crazy sexual chemistry. It was just okay.” I shrug.

My best friend and I never discuss sex. It has always been an off-limit topic.

Our friendship was always platonic. The summer Luc’s mom died in a car crash was the same summer Mom left.

Luc was devastated and I felt abandoned.

We were only ten years old. Luc snuck through my bedroom window every night and we had sleepovers.

Having each other eased the loneliness. He would sneak out in the morning before Dad or my brothers woke.

It was something we did for years. Coming to Riverside U put a distance between us, but it didn’t take away the closeness we shared.

My best friend looks uneasy from my comment. He was leaning over the counter, cupping the mug, and he straightens out and walks the mug over to the kitchen table. He takes a seat.

“What are you saying, Izzy?” he asks then he sips from his mug. He looks stiff and doesn’t make eye contact.

“Nothing. Just that the sex wasn’t something to write home about. We never knocked any headboards into walls.”

He winces at my words and pins his eyes shut like he is in physical pain. “Are you saying you never orgasmed with the asshole?” He opens his gray eyes and they look stormy as all hell.

I shift uneasily. Luc knows West was my first. I met West at the end of my first year here at Riverside.

He was visiting the arena since he’s an alumnus here.

It was one of the only times I was visiting Luc, and we hit it off.

He asked me out, which was a big deal because he’s famous.

I didn’t care about his fame. I liked how down-to-earth he was.

He fooled me into believing he was an honorable man.

“Do you really want me answering that question?” I ask in return.

“I asked,” he deadpans. The way he’s looking at me makes my skin prickle.

“We don’t talk about sex and orgasms,” I remind.

He shifts and clears his throat, mumbling something I don’t understand.

“You brought it up so spit it out. You want to tell me you were dating a guy for two years who didn’t make you come?” he asks flabbergasted.

“I faked it.” I scrunch my nose and feel my cheeks flush.

“Ouch, that’s bad, Izzy. Like real bad. The guy couldn’t hit it home. Why did you stay with him for so long?” he asks, which is fair.

“It was comfortable. He wasn’t demanding. He has a busy schedule and I have a busy schedule. We worked and you know he was my first. I don’t know anything different from what I experienced with him.”

“Jeez.” Luc pinches the bridge of his nose. “It’s for the best. The guy is a douche and now you get to go out and experience real dick.”

“OMG, I can’t believe you just said that to me,” I chide and giggle at the same time.

“I can’t believe you’re blushing,” he counters. “You’re twenty-one years old, for crying out loud.”

“I know how old I am, Luc. I just thought I was going to finally get my family. Settle down with West and have kids.” I sniffle.

“Come here.” He motions me over to sit in his lap. I take in his fresh scent. I place my arms around his shoulders and bury my face in the crevice of his neck. I inhale everything that is Luc. My safety net. My home.

He rubs my back. “You’re going to be just fine, Mon coeur.”

“I’m broken, Luc. There’s nothing fine about what happened. West didn’t have the decency to see me and tell me to my face that we’re over,” I state, and I pull my head up and look into his stormy eyes.

“Because the guy is a coward. I warned you from day one.”

“I thought you weren’t going to say I told you so,” I remind.

He winces. “Sorry. I could clock the guy. Just wait until I make it to the NHL. I’ll get him back one day.”

His comment makes me laugh. “That’s completely unnecessary. I know it’s for the best. Imagine I married him, and he left me with kids. I’d be just like Dad.” I blow out a breath. “That scares the hell out of me.”

“There’s someone out there who’s perfect for you. Who will love you the way you deserve to be loved. Who will be there for you through thick and thin and not take off,” he assures.

“I don’t know how you can be so sure when you’re so against relationships. You’ve never even been in love. Hell, do you even know what love is?” I ask and instantly regret it.

“That’s unfair. I loved my mom, and I love Elyna and Braden. I also love you.”

“I love you too, but that’s a friendship love. Not a I want to tear your clothes off and make love to you all day and night kind of love,” I state.

Luc shifts and I stand because he seems antsy suddenly. He walks over to the kitchen sink and places his empty mug inside.

“You know my head is messed up, Izzy, but it doesn’t mean every guy out there is. I see how dedicated my friends are to the women in their lives. How hard they’ve fallen. Before Finn fell for Charlie, I didn’t think that kind of thing existed. Now I see it does.”

“It’s just not for you,” I point out, which is silly because Luc doesn’t see me in that way.

“Exactly,” he confirms. He looks at his phone, clearly checking the time. “I should go, Mon coeur. If you need me any time of the day or night, just call, text, whatever.”

“You have a bootie call to attend to?” I laugh.

“Nah, I’m heading back to the hockey house. I need to sleep early. Got an early morning practice and I want to be on my A game.”

“Okay, thanks for coming. You don’t need to worry about me. My ego is more hurt than my heart.”

“I know, but I still wanted to come and check on your ego. Tell you that you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.

” His statement sends my heart soaring in the clouds.

When I was younger, I crushed hard on Luc.

Hell, I pictured us getting married and having kids, but with the years I learned Luc was never going to settle down.

Life had been bitter to him, and he wasn’t buying into a life with a wife and white picket fence.

I burst into laughter. “When did you start lying to me?”

He palms his chest. “I’m offended, Mon coeur. It wasn’t a lie. You’ve always been the prettiest girl.”

I sigh and blush. I don’t know what to think, sometimes Luc and I share these odd affectionate moments.

Moments where things feel very confusing.

A fraction of a second when the lines of friendship blur.

The moments like this one pass faster than two blinks of my eyes and then we are back to normal.

“Oh! I almost forgot. Elyna called, she said she was looking for you,” I say to him.

He worries his lower lip.

“What’s going on?” he asks.

“She got fired from her job in Montreal. She’s heading back home,” I share, knowing those words will worry him.

“Shit,” he hisses. “To my dad?”

I nod. “She said he’s been doing okay from what she knows, and that it’ll be all right. I told her to get in touch with Phoenix. He’s been looking for help.”

“Thanks,” he says. “My dad is never okay.”

“I can help her out with babysitting when I head back home after exams,” I offer.

“I told her the same thing, but it’s a short-term solution,” he replies.

“Maybe give her a call. She’s alone with that cute baby of hers.”

“My nephew is a handsome dude,” Luc agrees. “But don’t look so starry eyed. A baby is a lot of work.”

“I know.” Ever since Mom left and our family fell apart, I’ve missed that feeling of being whole.

Where some people dream of a career, I dream of having lots of kids and staying home with them.

I guess that is why I was drawn to childhood psychology.

I want to understand the different stages of growth and help nurture and raise healthy children.

Luc frowns. “Forget about the jerk. Maybe go out with some friends and have fun or something.”

“What’s fun?” I joke.

“Maybe I should take you to a party with me, on second thought, it’s probably a bad idea,” he retracts.

“Hey, why is it a bad idea?”

“Because guys will hit on you and I’ll want to beat them up.” He gives me a crooked grin. My heart shouldn’t flutter from that grin I’ve seen a million times, but it does. It soars and I must remind it to chill the heck out.

“Have a good night. Call if you need anything.” He gives me half a hug and he’s out the door. All I can think is , my best friend could be the perfect guy for me, but he’s completely off-limits and unattainable.