My teammates swarm me as the last seconds tick down on the clock. The emcee's voice reverberates through my chest. “He’s done it! Kamden Stryker has secured the first hat trick of the season!”
The pull of her stare from the stands is unmistakable amidst the surrounding chaos. I don’t free my smile until my eyes connect with hers. Everything else fades away as her smile blooms. I barely notice my friends jostle me around on the ice as I place my hand over my heart before using it to blow a kiss to my ray of Sunshine.
Satisfaction flows through me like a raging river as a blush creeps over her cheeks. Her smile grows as the crowd erupts in a deafening roar. All eyes turn to her as I openly claim her as mine.
The thrill of a hat trick is no match for knowing my girl is in the stands, cheering me on with my name on her back.
I don’t pull my eyes away from her even as shouts go through my teammates.
“Is that Cap’s girl?”
“Way to go, Cap!”
“Lila’s on the jumbotron!”
She ducks her head with a shy smile as I’m pulled in all different directions. I allow myself to be pulled away by my teammates even though the last thing I want to do is take my eyes off her.
But the quicker I get the interviews done and make it to the locker room, the quicker I get to see her. That’s all the motivation I need to kick everyone into high gear and get this shit done.
Students spill out of the front door of The Penalty Box like an overstuffed pizza roll. The sea of people part, and cheers move through the crowd as soon as I’m spotted.
Theircongratulationsmean nothing to me compared to my need to get inside and find my girl. This need to hold her and bathe myself in her mango scent is overwhelming.
There were too many layers separating us at the rink. Layers of glass. Layers of people. Now that she's so close, I can’t get to her fast enough.
My eyes relentlessly search for her in the crowd of meaningless faces. A flash of a red bow that matches the one tied around my wrist pulls my attention.
A sense of rightness settles in my chest as she comes fully into view. My name sits proudly on her back like a beacon for all to see. A beacon that proudly shouts,This woman is mine!My fingers itch to trace my name and feel the warmth of her skin.
She’s not the only one in this restaurant who’s sporting my name on her back, but she’s the only one who deserves it.
The only one whose presence is now as necessary as breathing.
Her laugh cuts through the elated voices around us as I close in on her. My smile rings clear in my voice. “Hi, Sunshine.”
She graces me with a beaming smile as she throws her arms around my neck. That smile that’s reserved just for me never fails to send a wave of butterflies through my stomach. “Ah, you’re here! You played such a good game!”
I secure my arms around her waist and let her mango scent override the smell of stale beer and nachos that is an ever-present staple of The Penalty Box. “It’s all thanks to my good luck charm.” The bow around my wrist is a statement as powerful as the kiss I blew to her on the ice tonight.
Her eyes practically sparkle as she leans back to look at me. “Nah. That’s all you, Trouble.”
A sudden elbow to the ribs turns my attention away from Lila to find a teasing smile on Ellie’s face. “I see how it is! You get a girlfriend, and the rest of us just disappear into the background to live our lives as side characters.”
One arm stays firmly around Lila’s waist as I pull Ellie into a side hug. “There, happy now, Shrimp?”
She rolls her eyes in mock annoyance as she grabs Lila’s hand. “It’ll do, Goose.” Her eyes turn pleading as they fall on Lila. “Come on, I’ve got to go to pee.”
The strength it takes to unlock my arm from Lila’s waist is immeasurable. “Hurry back.”
The smile shining brightly in her eyes holds me captive as my sister drags her into the crowd. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
The hole they made in the crowd seals behind them as I take my usual seat at our table. Dax’s eyes narrow as he examines me with a tilt of his head. “You know, you started playing the best games of your life after Sullivan came around.” His eyes swivel to Mace next to him as a smirk takes over his face. “Maybe it’s time we settled down, Mace. Seems like that’s the best way to level up our game.”
A sultry voice that sends chills, and not the good kind, down my spine reaches my ears. “Great game tonight, Kam.”
I reluctantly turn to find Kim’s low cut top directly in my eyeline. I somehow fully hide my cringe as I realize it's my jersey she’s wearing. “Uh, thanks, Kim.”
Her eyes crinkle as the fakest smile I’ve ever seen sprouts on her face. The overpowering stench of her perfume washes over me as she leans a fraction of an inch closer. “Are you going to the party at the Football House tonight?”
