Page 31 of Offside Angle

I set her back down gently but don’t let go right away, keeping my arms around her waist. Her usual perfume is mixed with the faint scent of ink and whatever she was working on today, and I don’t realize how badly I needed to see her until she’s right here in my arms.

She looks up at me. “Surprised?” she asks, tilting her head.

“A little,” I admit, smiling. “You said you couldn’t come.”

Lena shrugs. “Moved some things around. Figured you could use the support.”

I lean down and kiss her again, slower this time. “Best surprise I’ve had all week.”

“Who’re you paired with in your room?” she asks as we start walking

“Jace,” I answer. Then I smirk. “Want me to kick him out?”

She laughs and shakes her head. “No. But you can sleep in my room tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

We head back to the hotel together. First stop is my room so I can quickly change out of my post-game sweats into something more comfortable. Lena waits in the hallway while I throw on jeans and a clean hoodie. Five minutes later we’re heading downstairs to the restaurant where most of the team is still eating and winding down.

The second we walk in, Cole spots us. “Oh, look who it is!” he calls out dramatically, pointing at Lena with an exaggerated pout. “The traitor.”

Lena just laughs and flips him off.

My parents are sitting at one of the bigger tables with a few of the guys. The second they see Lena, my dad lights up and waves her over. My mom is already standing up to greet her with a warm hug.

And sitting right there with them is Santi. My parents are fussing over him like they’ve adopted him again — my dad clapping him on the shoulder, my mom asking about his work and how he’s been since the last time they saw him. It’s been years, and they’ve always liked him.

Santi glances up as we walk in.

His eyes drop to our joined hands for half a second. Then he looks back up at me, bites his lower lip, and gives me that small, amused little smile — the exact one he’s had since we were kids whenever he found something entertaining.

I feel my jaw tighten, but I don’t say anything.

Lena squeezes my hand once, completely unaware of the silent exchange happening across the table.

I squeeze back and try to focus on the fact that we just won and she’s here.

We’re back in Ravensburg.

We won Game 5 at home in a hard-fought battle that had the entire arena on its feet, and then we stole Game 6 in Halifax to close out the series. First round done. We’re moving on. Now we have a few days to reset and recover while we wait for the rest of the bracket to finish their own series. It’s the beginning of May, the weather is finally warming up, and the city feels alive with playoff energy.

Zara decided the team needed something fun to post besides game highlights and locker room clips. So here we are — the entire organization crammed into one of the bigger clubs downtown for a private night. Music is thumping, lights are flashing, and the drinks are flowing. Everyone is here. Vets, rookies, coaching staff, medical team, and, of course, Santi.

I’m sitting in a booth near the edge of the dance floor with Lena tucked against my side. She’s wearing one of her dresses — the kind that hugs her curves and shows off the ink on her thighs and shoulders. She looks incredible, and I’ve caught more than a few of the guys staring. I don’t mind. She’s mine, and tonight I’m happy to show her off.

Cole leans across the table with a dramatic pout. “I still can’t believe you went from being a certified ladies’ man to being whipped by my own sister,” he says, shaking his head. “Of all the women in the world, you had to pick the one related to me. The betrayal runs deep, man.”

Tyler laughs and chimes in. “Yeah, Mats. What happened to the guy who used to have a different girl at every home game? Now you’re all domesticated and shit.”

Elias smirks from his seat, sipping his drink. “He’s gone soft. One good woman and suddenly he’s smiling like an idiot every time she walks into a room.”

Lena doesn’t miss a beat. She leans forward, resting her chin on her hand and giving them all a sweet, dangerous smile.

“You boys are just jealous,” she says smoothly. “Mats finally upgraded from whatever sad rotation he had going on before. And as for you, Cole…” She tilts her head at her brother. “Maybe if you stopped being such a dramatic baby, Viktor would actually let you win an argument once in a while.”

Cole clutches his chest in theatrical betrayal. “Wow. Wow. My own sister. In front of everyone.”

The table erupts in laughter. Even Shane is cackling from a few seats down, and Roman is smiling into his drink. I pull Lena a little closer, grinning hard enough to prove Elias’s point.