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The Dragon who’d body-checked her ex looked up with burning rage firing his eyes. As he met Athena’s gaze the anger melted into something softer, something that took her breath away.

She blinked, and Chad was gone.

“Was that Lonnie again?” Meddy asked, frowning at the player currently shaking off a hit while slowly skating back into position.

“Sure was,” Jenny confirmed.

“Mullens has been hitting him hard tonight,” Meddy said casually, making it clear she thought something was up between the two men.

“I haven’t seen this much fight in the team all season,” Jenny said, slurping on her tall drink of sweet tea. Her eyes cut toward the newly returned-to-play center, Dylan, as he glided onto the ice as though his ankle injury had never happened.

Fight was the right word. Athena wanted to scold Chad for being such a hotheaded goon.

Either that or wrap her legs around him and kiss him hard for being protective or romantic or whatever he was trying to be.

Because she knew these fights were for her.

For the tears Lonnie had caused her to shed, and the fears he’d planted in her heart.

“Anyone need more popcorn?” she asked, feeling antsy. “Drinks? Hot dogs?”

“Sit.” Her sister grabbed her arm, holding her down. “You’ve already hit the concession twice.”

“Are you and Mullens finally dating?” Jenny asked. The group of women scanned the ice, searching for him.

At that moment, as though conjured, Chad skated past. He looked up, his eyes connecting with Athena’s and she felt the heat of their earlier kiss. He lifted a glove, pointing a finger at her while skating backward, eyes still on her, his slow smile warming her heart.

He would protect her. He had her back.

Man, he was sexy.

“You and Mullens?” Meddy cackled. “About freaking time.”

“Wait, though.” Jenny frowned. “Didn’t you call all hockey players heartbreakers?”

“They are,” she said breathlessly, unable to look away.

Her sister gasped as she spun to face Athena, clutching her arm. “He’s beating him up for you!”

“Who?” Cass asked, her eyes flitting over the ice in confusion.

“Nobody,” Athena told her.

“Didn’t you talk to Lonnie earlier?” Meddy demanded.

Athena kept her gaze lowered and focused on drinking her sweet tea.

“Something happened.”

“ Nothing happened.”

“Tell me.”

Athena sighed and dropped her shoulders in defeat, knowing her sister wouldn’t let up until she had the truth. She whispered, “Chad saw me crying.”

Meddy gasped, half standing, her voice loud and clear. “Lonnie made you cry?” She immediately scanned the ice as though she planned to jump the barriers and fight Lonnie as well.

“No! Not like that. Sit.” She grabbed her sister. “I’m just tired and was feeling frustrated. And Banxie died.”

Meddy gave her a look filled with such sympathy a lump formed in Athena’s throat. Slinging an arm over her shoulders, her sister pulled her in for a quick half hug.

“I’m fine,” Athena said. “Really.”

Meddy’s eyes narrowed as though she was reading a truth meter. “And Mullens saw you crying.”

“Yes.”

“And now he’s being all protective.” Her lips curved up in a smile. “That’s really sexy, you know.”

Jenny nodded.

“It’s dysfunctional,” Athena stated, though her tone lacked conviction. There was no way she’d admit how sexy she found the fighting.

“Who?” Cass complained, clearly impatient about being left out.

“Mullens and Lonnie,” Meddy explained.

“Who’s Lonnie?”

“Athena’s ex on the other team.” Meddy tapped her cup against Athena’s. “Admit it. It’s hot.”

“Super hot,” Cass said with a grin, having caught up with what was happening between the men.

“Someone’s getting lucky tonight,” Jenny predicted in a singsongy tone. “Get him to kiss you on the inside of your elbow. Totally erogenous.”

“You need help,” Cass muttered, shooting her a sly smile.

Jenny crowed, “You tried it! It was sexy! Admit it!”

Cass shrugged, her cheeks turning pink.

“What are they talking about?” Meddy asked.

“No clue.” Athena sagged in her seat, scrunched her eyes shut and rubbed the heels of her hands into her forehead, trying to relieve the growing tension.

Chad and his behavior were hot, sexy and dysfunctional.

She really, really wanted to enjoy this. To leap into his arms, wrap her legs around his waist and kiss him silly. But the idea of him fighting her battles—in a war that had already ended—felt…

She didn’t even know how it felt. She’d never had a boyfriend act like this before and she couldn’t decide if it was super sexy or frustratingly antiquated. Did he believe she couldn’t take care of her own business?

“It’s sweet,” her sister said, nudging her.

“Yeah, he’s telling you he loves you in Neanderthal,” Jenny said, slurping on her drink.

The other women burst into laughter.

“He doesn’t love me,” Athena muttered, knowing her face had turned red. “And remind me to loan you my favorite new caveman romance.”

Jenny grimaced. “That’s a thing?”

She nodded knowingly.

“Mullens likes you,” her sister sang, then sighed dreamily. “He’s expressing his truest feelings.”

“With his fists,” Athena argued.

“He’s a man, Athena. An alpha who’s feeling protective. And he’s smart. He’s using the bounds of the game to beat up your ex and send him a message.”

“Except Lonnie and I are so totally over.”

“Then maybe that message is for you.”

Mullens exited the locker room, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. He looked left on instinct and felt the lift of a smile.

There was his woman.

She saw him, her face turning red, her gaze darting away as though shy.

Her right arm crossed over her chest as she toyed with her necklace, her left arm across her middle.

She licked her top lip and came closer, as though unsure what sort of reception she might receive, uncertain what she could expect from him and their relationship.

He wanted her to expect the best. To expect everything she’d ever wanted and to know that she’d never be denied.

“Hey.” He bent, placing a light kiss on her lips.

“What was that out there?” she asked. Her gaze kept darting up to his, then away.

“A pretty good game, wouldn’t you say?” he replied, grinning.

“More penalties than usual,” she pointed out.

“Yeah.” He’d been a bit rougher. And for good reason. He locked his eyes on Athena.

“Tina,” he said, pressing her closer to the wall, blocking out the surrounding men who were whooping it up over their win as they made their way out of the locker room. “You and me? We’re a team. Someone makes you cry, I take care of it.”

She stared at him for a long moment.

“Defend the net like it’s something that matters to you,” Coach had told him.

No problem. All he’d had to do was think of Athena.

“Do you think Lonnie made me cry?”

“Yeah. Because he did.”

That man had hurt her, caused her to feel as if she didn’t matter. He’d made her feel small.

And a woman like Athena should soar.

She should be able to trust her heart.

Mullens wanted the time back that she’d wasted on Lonnie. He wanted to deliver it to her. Mend her.

And he couldn’t do that. But he was a forward for the Dragons, and he could attack. Attack the other team so they couldn’t go after his own. He could go after the man who’d made her so afraid to give her heart to another.

“I was crying earlier because our cat died,” Athena said.

Our . Our cat.

He clenched his jaw. Lonnie didn’t deserve to be a part of anything with her. Now or ever.

But he also knew there was something more than a beloved animal passing away that had caused those tears. He’d seen it written across her face. The frustration, the hurt, the anger.

“Well,” he said gently, “after tonight, he won’t let one of his pets die ever again.”

She laughed, delight brightening her eyes, and Mullens realized Athena Gavras might find him and his possibly possessive aggression sexy after all.

“You okay with me getting a little rough?” He winced dramatically, trying for cute.

“A little ?” She huffed a laugh, leaning into him.

“A lot?” Mullens savored the feeling of her body pressed against his. It felt like forgiveness and divine possibility. “He deserved every bit of it.”

“Yeah?” Her arms were snaking upward, her palms tracing a path up his chest. He snugged her closer.

“Yeah. Anyone who hurts my Tina has to answer to me.”

“Well, there was this one time in fourth grade when Cole Wylder accidentally knocked me down on the playground and I broke my retainer.”

“You want me to go after him?”

She nodded, eyes wide, playing up her role. Darn if she wasn’t the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

“Tell me where he lives,” he growled.

She laughed again, her face awash with joy.

Man, he loved this woman.

“I need you to get Mullens on board.”

Athena looked up from her monitor, where she’d been watching a clip of Chad talking to a reporter.

As he chatted, a woman came up, flipping up the hem of her shirt to reveal her tanned, hard midriff.

Without missing a beat, Chad had accepted the marker she’d offered and scrawled his name across her stomach as though claiming ownership.

Athena knew this was part of his image, but it made her stomach tighten and roll like it was trying to knot itself. Had the man even considered saying no?

Maybe he enjoyed it. She poked at her own belly through her silk blouse, unimpressed with the way it swallowed her finger.

Some dietician she was.

But it wasn’t just the female fans with lithe bodies throwing themselves at him.

That came with the territory, along with the clips they ran of him smiling in selfies with different women, letting the audience believe he’d dated them all.

No, it was the following gala clip that had caused her head to start pounding.

In the clip he’d been looking handsome, a glass of whiskey in hand, his fitted suit exuding power, his smile filled with devilish charm.

He’d been commanding the row of men behind him, also with drinks at the ready.