“I want something my ex wasn’t,” I admit and take another bite of salmon glow fried by the open fire.
“And that is?”
“Loyal, trustworthy, ambitious, fun without it being awkward, and well...taking care that I also come in bed.”
Jasper sputters his drink. “What the heck, woman?”
“I mean what I said. My ex never cared about my pleasure, only his own.”
Jasper says something in Finnish and shakes his head in an unapproving manner. His reaction would make me laugh if I wasn’t interested in hearing what he just said.
”Care to translate? I only understood vittu.”
“I just said how that fucking guy is a complete prick. You should have dumped his sorry ass sooner if he couldn't even fucking take care of your needs as a woman.”
“Well, I learned my lesson the hard way,” I whisper, feeling embarrassed to admit what happened with Tucker. ”He cheated…twice.”
“Why would someone who has you, one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met, downgrade?”
I narrow my eyes at Jasper. “You don’t know what those women were like.”
“No, I don’t, but I know you’re better than any woman I could ever have.”
“Thanks, but let’s not shame them. My ex was the one who did me dirty,” I remind him.
“I like how you defend his other women.”
I shrug. “Real queens fix each other’s crowns. I strongly believe in that, even if I don’t have to like them. There's no point in talking shit about people I don’t know only because they helped my ex cheat. I bet he told them he’s single, too.”
“I have a few teammates who do that on the road.”
“How about you?” I ask nervously, curious about his answer.
“What about me?”
His question brings heat to my cheeks. “Do you ever, um, have exclusive arrangements?”
“You make having sex sound like a business deal.” Jasper laughs.
“I assume you athletes who travel a lot see it all.”
“Like with everything else, there are different types of us who all have varying ways of seeing this. I think cheating sucks, and I never sleep with taken women. I haven’t been in a committed relationship before, so who knows how I would act in one, but no other women, that’s for sure.”
My eyes go round and my mouth forms a littleobefore I say “You have never dated seriously?”
“Nope.”
“How come?”
“I have put all my focus on hockey since I can remember. I guess I never had the mental capacity to consider dating. But I’m starting to see how lonely I’ve been…because sharing this trip with you has been one of my top moments in years. And that’s saying a lot as I joined the Triple Gold Club this summer.”
Is that like the Mile High Club or something?
“I’m pleased to hear that. But I have to know; the Triple Gold what? Is that a sex thing I haven’t heard about before?”
He belly-laughs, holding a hand over his stomach, before replying, “The Triple Gold Club, meaning I have won all three major hockey titles—an Olympic Gold, a World Championship, and the Stanley Cup.”
That makes more sense than something to do with naked activities. “Oh wow. That’s beyond amazing, right?”
