Pucking Strong: An MM Workplace Hockey Romance (Jacksonville Rays Book 4)

Dressed in my full hockey kit, I make my way down the hallway, protective covers on my blades. Nothing about this day has conformed to any of my typical pregame rituals. If I were a more superstitious player, I’d probably be breathing into a bag by now. Instead, I’m skipping my final equipment check to meet my new mother-in-law.

“He’s just through there,” says Brady, pointing down the hall to where an open door waits. Patting me on the padded shoulder, he disappears.

As soon as I enter the room, Teddy hurries forward. “I’m sorry. Henrik, god, I’m so fucking sorry to bother you. But I was freaking out because I didn’t want you to feel ambushed or, like, throw you off your game or—”

“Where’s your mother?”

He blinks, dropping his hand away from my arm. “What?”

I glance around again. “I was told I was meeting your mother here.”

“Oh, no. Not here.” He waves a hand up towards the ceiling. “They’re all up in the stands already.”

“They?”

He groans. “Yeah. Okay, so, I know this isn’t technically your problem. Fake marriage, and all that. But my entire fucking family is here to watch this game. Like, everyone.”

I blink. “Everyone?”

“Down to the last niblet. She’s two. Her name’s Gianna. Actually, she’s pretty cool. She’s got this adorable little—”

“Teddy, focus.” I grab him by the shoulders. “I only have two minutes. Look at me, focus, and tell me only what I need to know.”

He takes a deep breath and lets it out, nodding. “Yeah, okay.”

When I’m sure he’s not going to keep spiraling, I let him go. “Well?”

“Poppy invited my whole family to this game. You’re about to skate out there and see my mom, my sisters, their partners, and all my niblets. The whole Wilson-O’Connor-Fulton-Osman clan. They’re here, and after the game, they want to meet you.”

I absorb this information, filing it away under “No immediate action needed.” Then I say, “And what do they know about us?”

“I mean, pretty much everything. They just met Karro. I did a video chat with her and Hanna and—oh god—” He presses a hand to his chest. “I hope that’s okay. I didn’t even think to ask you first. I swore I’d defer to you with all things Karro. I know how protective you are. And this was sort of huge, letting her meet my family. I’m sorry—”

“It’s fine. You’ve got sixty seconds. Anything else?”noveldrama

He shakes his head. “Nope. I just really didn’t want you to skate out there and be surprised.”

I nod, already conducting the mental calibrations needed to shift myself back into pregame mode. “Thank you for telling me. But I really have to go.”

“Yeah, totally.” He backs away. “Go play hockey. Win pucks, or whatever.”

I let my gaze trail away from his panicked expression to take in the rest of him. He’s wearing the WAG jacket with a white T-shirt, jeans, what looks like a pair of my shoes, and my favorite Swiss watch. “Looks like you had fun in my closet today.”

He shrugs, grinning. “Our closet now, remember?”

On his first night at the apartment, I told him he could take anything he wanted. He looks good in my clothes. And he smells good in my cologne.

He looks me up and down too, eyes narrowed. “You look better today. More well rested. You feel ready?”

We both know the only reason I’m rested is that he let me sleep in his arms last night. Like a child, I clung to him, using the rhythms of his body to reset my own. “Thanks to you,” I say, offering him a weak smile.

His gaze heats as he steps back, crossing his arms in the jacket bearing my number. “I should be careful with that, huh? You hockey players and your superstitions. If we set a pregame precedent and it proves lucky for you out on the ice, we may just have to repeat it … right?”

I swallow, unsure how to compute this conversation with my brain’s current efforts at recalibration. Is he offering what I think he’s offering? I should say no. He wanted these barriers in place for a reason. We’re letting our emotions get the better of us. On no account should I go crawling back to his bed tonight, desperate to feel the warmth of his skin against mine.

I should say no. Instead, I step forward in my skates, our heights more pronouncedly mismatched. He sucks in a breath, leaning away, as I wrap my arm around his shoulders. Lowering my face, I drop my forehead to his and close my eyes, content to just breathe him in.

His hands flutter at his sides, finally resting on the thick pads at my hips. We stand there, breathing in sync, as he lets me hold him. He gives me too much. Like a glutton, I take. I can’t help myself. Outside that door, chaos swirls. But in here? In Teddy’s arms? There is only peace. I want to chase this feeling. I want to take and take until I’m full up of him.

“You’re gonna be late,” he whispers. “And then you won’t have to worry about telling the press about us because I’ll be shark bait.”

Groaning, I lean away.

He clears his throat, shoulders stiffening. “Good luck out there, yeah?”

“Thank you, Teddy.”

He just huffs, backing away with his hands in his pockets. “Oh, don’t thank me yet.”

“Why?”

“You haven’t met my family.”