I couldn’t help but snort just as Roger closed in.
“Oh, look, the lovebirds are here,” he derided.
But before I could respond, Gabe leaned in and swiped his tongue against my lips. A soft moan slipped out when he said, “Always delectable.”
I giggled. I couldn’t help it.
“Still trying to act like this is a thing?” Roger asked.
“Oh, Jenzy, didn’t see you there.” Gabe only spared Roger a quick glance over his shoulder, and then he focused his eyes directly on me. “And do you mean this thing, like the fact that I’m in love with Dani because she fucking incredible, and you’re clearly an idiot?”
I sucked in a breath. The words had flowed out of him with such ease that I could almost believe them, and holy crap that was not good for my sensibilities.
“Please, Dani. This is ridiculous. We belong together. We had a good thing going, and you know it. Moving on to Tucks from me? Pssh, your standards are lower than I thought.”
I snorted. “You realize you just insulted yourself, right? I thought goalies were supposed to be smart. I know Gabe is. Smart and loving and supportive. Wouldn’t really call that lowering my standards.”
I could not get a read on my ex, and it bothered me more than it should. One second, he claimed we belonged together, and the next, he tried to insult me for dating Tucks. Pick a lane, asshole.
“I see your dad’s here. Great to see him and catch up. He suggested we all grab dinner one night,” Roger continued, like my words hadn’t even registered, which wasn’t surprising at all. What the hell had I seen in that man?
“No, thanks. Gabe and I have plans,” I said.
It was obvious now that part of Roger’s interest in me was my father. Hell, he hadn’t even cared about the few things I’d shared about growing up with my dad. That should’ve been enough to get me to walk away, but he’d been annoyingly good in bed. Assholes should be shit between the sheets.
Gross. I did not want to think about Roger that way ever again. What would Gabe be like? Probably super attentive and when he made me come first, he wouldn’t boast about how generoushe was like Roger had. Ugh, why did I stay with that man for months?
“Why are you even here tonight?” I shook my head. “No. You know what? I don’t care. Just leave me alone.”
“I came because it’s for an important cause,” he said.
“And your PR department told you to?” I fired back. From what I’d learned about him in our short time together, he wasn’t the compassionate sort. Gabe was immediately ready to help out at One Center without me even really talking about it, but any time I’d asked Roger if he wanted to join me one weekend and hang out with the kids, it was always an immediate no.
There truly was no comparison between these two.
“Are you trying to cause a scene?” Roger bit out at my raised voice.
“You caused one by walking over here. Just go away. Leave me alone. I’ve moved on and I’m done hashing this out with you.”
“Yeah, moved on to a guy who won’t even stand up for you. So quiet, Tucks, tucking that tail between your legs again.” Roger sneered.
Fucking hell, this was ridiculous. I glanced around, but by some miracle, no one appeared to be looking in our direction as people were finding their seats. Dinner must’ve been called, and I hadn’t even finished one cookie, dammit.
Then Gabe’s hand squeezed my hip, but he held himself behind me, not storming to the front. He was the perfect anchor.
“Listen, asshole. I’m only going to say this once.”
Roger scoffed. “Should be good.”
“Dani can handle putting you in your place all on her own. She doesn’t need me to step in like some overbearing jackass. If she does, she knows she just needs to ask and I’m right here and ready. Seems she’s in complete control, though, so I’m just here to support.”
“Like a weak little bitch,” Roger muttered.
Gabe’s hand squeezed my hip again. It took everything in me not to tell Gabe to deck the dick, but I didn’t want him to get into any kind of trouble fighting with a player off the ice when the season was just starting and Roger was all bluster right now.
“Good night, Roger. Do us a favor and write a big fat check for being a big fat prick, then go home.” I spun on my heel, linked my fingers back through Gabe’s, and walked away.
“Fucking hell, that was hot,” I swore I heard Gabe mutter.
