His kiss is salty with residual sweat but still warm and sweet with his gentle touch. When I start to draw away, he lingers, his eyes demanding more. And I oblige. How can I not?
The crowd goes nuts again, eclipsing their celebratory clamor over the first goal of the game. Luke smiles and winks before skating off to join his teammates, who take turns patting him on the shoulder and juggling him around while I stand in shock.
My father used to say that a moment can either be a crossroads or a defining factor in a person’s life.
This feels like one of those, but as to which one…?
I have no idea.
CHAPTER 20
LUKE
“That game was epic, y’all!” A bare-chested Wade struts around the locker room, high-fiving anyone willing to smack his sweaty hand.
And so was that kiss with Sophie. I’m not normally a PDA kind of guy, but the rush of scoring like we did—as a team in sync—fueled something in me. So I went for it.
But when she hesitated, everything surrounding us faded—the chanting of the crowd, the faces of the fans lit with expectation, the sounds of skates and sticks on the ice behind me. Nothing existed but her, me, and a moment that would define the trajectory of whatever was growing between us.
I literally held my breath until she leaned down and met my lips with hers.
Wade stops where I’m sitting on the bench in front of my locker. “You, my friend, were a force to be reckoned with tonight. And I’m not just talking about scoring the first goal.” He holds his hand up, waiting for my slap as he wags his eyebrows in a comical fashion.
Seeing as how I have plenty of sweat of my own, I use the bottom of my water bottle to smack his waiting hand. “Ethan brought it home.”
Ethan pulls a skate off and grins. “Team effort.”
My chest must be expanding with the surge of pride filling it—Wade’s right. Tonight’s game felt like the Sun Kings stepped up a level. We’re gelling as a team, and it shows on the ice. Jayce may have scored the winning point tonight, but he also set a new personal record for assists.
Blows my mind to think I’ve gone from wanting to dropkick the guy to another team to valuing him not only as a teammate but also as an integral part of what we’re turning into. I tried to get out of captaining the team that first week, and now, weeks later, I’ve found my groove, and it feels…almost natural. I certainly don’t miss that pregame anxiety that plagued me in the beginning.
Maybe this means?—
No. Iknowit means the past is finally staying where it belongs. Even Kinsley is thriving better than ever. She always texts me before a game to wish me luck, but this time, she mentioned she had a date—with Brandon. I’m guessing their road trip proved she was more his type than she thought.
I may have to plan a surprise visit to make sure this guy is worthy of my kid sister. She deserves the best. Mom would want that, and I intend to make certain of it.
Jayce tosses his sweaty towel at me, but I swat it away with a grunt. “Where’s your head, old man? You look like you left us for the clouds.”
I give him as evil a grin as I can muster. “A place you can only dream about.”
He dons a cocky expression in reaction to my ribbing. “That’s my reality. Welcome to the club. And that sweet sna?—”
“Don’t push it, Jayce,” I growl at him.
His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “Sorry, Cap. Just happy for ya.”
I reward him with a tight grin. “Thanks.”
With a brief nod, he walks off to chat with some of theguys at the other end of the room.
At record speed, I get cleaned up and back into my suit. I sent Sophie a text, asking her to be there when I walk out. I want—need to see her because she needs to know that wasn’t a show for the crowd. That was me asking for something more. Something lasting. And I need to know if she feels the same.
My gut tightens as I reach for the door leading to the back hallway where wives, girlfriends, and sometimes family will wait for us. I can only compare this feeling to the time I was in the presence of the Stanley Cup, but you don’t touch the cup until you’re a winner.
I stored that moment away as a promise to myself—one I thought was lost after I left hockey. But whatever this is with Sophie feels bigger. More promising.
The thing is, I already feel like a winner when it comes to Sophie. Even though we’ve only been involved a short time, she’s helped me believe in myself again. But I need to know she didn’t just kiss me through that camera hole because she felt she had to.
