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He nibbles my lips, crushing me into his chest. My nipples harden into aching points as his hands move up my ribcage. His thumbs lightly skim the undersides of my breasts. I can't help but moan before pulling away.
"One more for good luck." Ryan chuckles, stealing another quick kiss before reluctantly stepping back from me.
"I thought we agreed to be just friends?" I side-eye him skeptically.
"Friends can kiss sometimes."
"Oh? Do you kiss all your friends like that? Should I warn Luke that you may put the moves on him or Holly?"
"Luke's already issued his caveman death threats about Holly." Ryan rolls his eyes. "That guy is insanely territorial and protective when it comes to 'his woman,' as he calls her."
"That sounds like Luke. They're crazy, disgustingly in love. But I'm happy for them. Holly deserves to be happy."
"And what about you, Em? Don't you deserve to be happy? Don't we?"
I swallow hard, looking into Ryan's eyes. He's so sincere. It's one of the things I've always loved about him. He always means what he says.
My phone buzzing with a series of texts saves me from answering his question. I grab it off the coffee table, ignoring Ryan's questions altogether.
"Holly and Luke are on their way to the rink. We should leave now too. Did you want to ride together? I'm meeting Tyra early to bring her to our bougie box."
I know I'm evading and rambling. It's a bad habit of mine when I'm nervous. Thankfully, Ryan seems to understand and doesn't push the issue, and by the time we pull into the arena we're back to friendly, meaningless banter.
??????
"I love watching Ryan play hockey."
Tyra is a hit in the WAG box. She enthralls everyone just by being her perfect self. She's kind, witty, and patient signing autographs and taking selfies. The live in-game camera keeps circling back to our area, popping Tyra up on the jumbotron, making the crowd go wild. I doubt one person in the building believes Tyra and Ryan aren't still together. If I didn't know any better, I would too.
"Did you go to many of Ryan's games when he played for LA?" Holly asks.
"As many as I could. Our schedules were always crazy. Between his games, practices, and my shoots, most of our time together consisted of hanging out and relaxing at home."
"So, are you guys still dating? I read online that you two broke things off, but I never know what to believe when it comes to celebrities and gossip," April Owens asks, balancing a two-year-old baby girl on her hip. The tiny bump protruding from her midsection just started showing. She and Jake Owens, our team's resident veteran, have the cutest little family ever.
“No." Tyra smiles kindly. "Ryan and I always made better friends than anything else. We tried the dating thing, but it didn't work out. The spark wasn't there."
The ladies nod along, asking more questions about other Hollywood actors and what life is like in LA. It's the usual banter.Is Ryan Reynolds as hot and funny in real life as he is on the screen? Is Taylor Swift really the coolest person ever, and what are her cats like? Who's the worst person you've ever worked with?
Yes. Yes. Cute, fluffy divas. Harvey Weinstein.
The conversation, questions, and laughter flow as the game plays out in front of us. The Northmen and Blaze are tied three-three heading into the third. Chase Wilder has a pair of goals, and Luke and Ryan both have assists. The team is playing well against Tampa. It's a tight game, but the Northmen are keeping up with the Blaze, who sometimes get under our skin. I have a niggling suspicion that we may meet up with the Blaze in the playoffs. You’ve gotta beat the best to be the best.
Just before the third period starts, Taylor glides into the box. Everyone knows about Holly's sister, and even if they didn't, there's no avoiding the obvious. They look so much alike, with their wavy, chestnut hair and striking features, that you'd need to be blind not to notice. It would be insane if they didn't share genes. Their main difference is in their eyes. Taylor's are the colour of warm milk chocolate, and Holly's are a ridiculously bright shade of blue.
A few months ago, our former boss was blackmailing Holly and Taylor's father. Taylor had no idea her father, Robert Ashley, an Ottawa "businessman"—loan shark—wasn't her biological father. To make a long story short, Alec Sparks fucked around when he played in the NHL and got a little too close with Robert's wife. Alec owed a significant amount of money to Mr. Ashely, who still has no idea his wife had an affair. Alec was being blackmailed by our boss, Rick the Dick, to keep his dirty laundry quiet. In a twist of irony, Rick's in jail now, and so is Mr. Ashley. Apparently, his business wasn't entirely above board. You can't outrun the tax man.
As for Alec Sparks, he's likely still fucking around. It was a hot mess so grandiose and wild it could have been a work of fiction.
"We're all set for the press conference after the game," Taylor reports to Holly and me. Aside from our usual post-game wrap-up, we are having a press conference after the game to announce the team's latest fundraising partnership with First Start. It's a charity to help low-income kids pay for equipment so they can play sports.
Taylor is motoring off details until her eyes catch sight of Tyra and go as wide as saucers.
"Oh my god! It's Tyra Price," she squeaks, glancing around the box and then down at herself like she's unsure what to do with herself.
"Hi," Tyra says, offering her hand to shake Taylor's, who is agog and stuttering. "I'm Tyra. It's nice to meet you."
"Taylor Ashley," she replies, taking Tyra's hand firmly while blushing. Jeeze, the girl is fangirling hard. I've never seen Taylor so flustered. I've never seen Taylor flustered, period. "You're even more beautiful in person than in movies."
