raging through me, I moved in with the girl I couldn’t stop fantasizing about. And she was totally, completely off-limits. Because her family gave me what I wanted and needed so much. Because they trusted me enough to give me a home…I could never betray that trust.
Now, being so close to her, smelling herhair, our hands brushing, I was hyperaware of everything about her and it made me crazy. So when we looked at each other and her soft, pretty mouth was close enough to kiss and she was right there looking at me like she wanted it too…I lost my mind.
I forgot about Gary warning me not to touch his daughter. I forgot about her brother being my best friend. I forgot that I’d vowed to never do anythingto disappoint Gary and Brenda after they’d taken me in.
We spent most of that weekend in bed, and it was fucking amazing. Jenna was sweet and sexy and so damn enthusiastic in bed. I may have fantasized a time or fifty about what sex with her would be like, but I tried not to since I knew I could never have her. Now I had her, and it was beyond any fantasy. I think I literally banged my brainsout that weekend, because it was such a goddamn stupid thing to do, and yet I did it anyway.
I had to drag myself away from her Sunday for my game, but she was going to come watch. She’d seen my games before, and I always liked it when she was there. But when I stepped onto the ice for warm-up and sought her out in the crowd, I almost tripped and fell flat on the ice. She was sitting with herbrothers.
What the hell were they doing there?
Guilt slammed into me. Fuck, if they knew what I’d just done to their little sister, they’d be pounding the shit out of me after the game. And if they told Gary and Brenda—Christ. I was so fucked.
I never wanted to disappoint Gary and Brenda. I owed them so much. If things didn’t work out between Jenna and me—and really, why would they? I’d neverhad any luck keeping a girl around for long—whose side would they take? Not mine, that was for fucking sure. Jenna was their baby girl, the one they all looked after.
I was a dead man.
I tried to focus on the game and the puck. I’d have to deal with this after.
Somehow I managed to play well despite the feeling of impending doom that weighed me down. I scored two goals and we won three-two,the packed arena noisy and vibrant with triumphant energy.
Somehow I’d processed what was happening in the back of my mind while I played. I’d screwed up. Big-time.
Huge
fucking time. It could not happen again. When I thought about telling Jenna that, my stomach cramped. But surely she’d understand why this had been a terrible mistake.
In the dressing room, after I’d showered and changed, Ichecked my phone. I had a text message from Connor that I hadn’t seen earlier, saying they were coming and we should go out for pizza after the game.
Great. It had been sent before the game. Had Jenna said anything to them? Would they still want to go out for pizza, or would they rather take me behind the arena and kick my ass?
I swallowed and texted him back that I’d meet them at Marciano’s.Then I sat on the bench in front of my cubby with my phone in my hands, trying to gather up the guts to go out there and face them.
Well, I couldn’t sit in that dressing room forever. I hauled my gear out to the old beater of a car I drove and headed to Marciano’s. They were there at a table for four when I walked in. There were lots of other people I knew there too, and I had to stop a coupleof times on my way to the table to accept congrats on the win and the two goals. I was the guy who’d been drafted into the NHL, so yeah, BMOC. Everyone knew me. I forced a smile even though my gut felt like a rock was lodged there.
I took the empty seat across the table from Jenna and met her eyes. I was asking her questions without saying a word, but Connor and Daniel’s hearty greeting and theeasy vibe as they offered me more congratulations reassured me they
Now, being so close to her, smelling herhair, our hands brushing, I was hyperaware of everything about her and it made me crazy. So when we looked at each other and her soft, pretty mouth was close enough to kiss and she was right there looking at me like she wanted it too…I lost my mind.
I forgot about Gary warning me not to touch his daughter. I forgot about her brother being my best friend. I forgot that I’d vowed to never do anythingto disappoint Gary and Brenda after they’d taken me in.
We spent most of that weekend in bed, and it was fucking amazing. Jenna was sweet and sexy and so damn enthusiastic in bed. I may have fantasized a time or fifty about what sex with her would be like, but I tried not to since I knew I could never have her. Now I had her, and it was beyond any fantasy. I think I literally banged my brainsout that weekend, because it was such a goddamn stupid thing to do, and yet I did it anyway.
I had to drag myself away from her Sunday for my game, but she was going to come watch. She’d seen my games before, and I always liked it when she was there. But when I stepped onto the ice for warm-up and sought her out in the crowd, I almost tripped and fell flat on the ice. She was sitting with herbrothers.
What the hell were they doing there?
Guilt slammed into me. Fuck, if they knew what I’d just done to their little sister, they’d be pounding the shit out of me after the game. And if they told Gary and Brenda—Christ. I was so fucked.
I never wanted to disappoint Gary and Brenda. I owed them so much. If things didn’t work out between Jenna and me—and really, why would they? I’d neverhad any luck keeping a girl around for long—whose side would they take? Not mine, that was for fucking sure. Jenna was their baby girl, the one they all looked after.
I was a dead man.
I tried to focus on the game and the puck. I’d have to deal with this after.
Somehow I managed to play well despite the feeling of impending doom that weighed me down. I scored two goals and we won three-two,the packed arena noisy and vibrant with triumphant energy.
Somehow I’d processed what was happening in the back of my mind while I played. I’d screwed up. Big-time.
Huge
fucking time. It could not happen again. When I thought about telling Jenna that, my stomach cramped. But surely she’d understand why this had been a terrible mistake.
In the dressing room, after I’d showered and changed, Ichecked my phone. I had a text message from Connor that I hadn’t seen earlier, saying they were coming and we should go out for pizza after the game.
Great. It had been sent before the game. Had Jenna said anything to them? Would they still want to go out for pizza, or would they rather take me behind the arena and kick my ass?
I swallowed and texted him back that I’d meet them at Marciano’s.Then I sat on the bench in front of my cubby with my phone in my hands, trying to gather up the guts to go out there and face them.
Well, I couldn’t sit in that dressing room forever. I hauled my gear out to the old beater of a car I drove and headed to Marciano’s. They were there at a table for four when I walked in. There were lots of other people I knew there too, and I had to stop a coupleof times on my way to the table to accept congrats on the win and the two goals. I was the guy who’d been drafted into the NHL, so yeah, BMOC. Everyone knew me. I forced a smile even though my gut felt like a rock was lodged there.
I took the empty seat across the table from Jenna and met her eyes. I was asking her questions without saying a word, but Connor and Daniel’s hearty greeting and theeasy vibe as they offered me more congratulations reassured me they
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