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  “He did?”

  Kyler nodded. “I told him you’re really nice and he said the best kind of women are smart and pretty, like you.”

  “He really said that?”

  “Yeah.” He took a big sip of his slushie. “Can we go sit down now?”

  “Sure.”

  I thought about what he’d said as we made our way to our seats. It made me warm all over and a little bit excited. This was the Niko effect. Usually I had to be in his presence to have this physical reaction to him, but here I was, breaking out in a sweat because he’d said I was pretty.

  Kyler and I chatted about school, hockey and the new movie he wanted to see until the game started. As soon as the players skated out and I spotted the ‘Vereshkova’ jersey I was searching for, I realized it was time to stop denying it, at least to myself. I liked Niko, and not just in a one-night-stand kind of way. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d found a man so intriguing and sexy at the same time.

  Hockey was so primal. Watching Niko throw down with players from the other team only added to my impatient desire for him. I found myself jumping up before Kyler did when our team scored. I was into this game, partially because I was so into one of its players.

  Our team lost 2-1, and Kyler was downtrodden on the walk to wait for Dell.

  “What do you want for Christmas?” I asked him.

  He shrugged.

  “Maybe more Legos?” I said. “So we can build taller castles?”

  “Yeah,” he said, his tone sullen. I tried not to smile, but it was hard to take his sulking seriously when he had a bright blue slushie mustache.

  Players had started funneling out to the parking lot, all dressed in well-tailored suits, and I tried not to be obvious about searching for Niko.

  “I’m tired,” Kyler admitted, glancing up at me. “It takes Mom and Luke a long time to get ready to go home. Can I spend the night with you?”

  “Sure.” A cold gust of wind blew through, and I bent down to wrap his scarf around his neck.

  “Hey there.”

  I knew that deep voice. It was the only one that made me melt into a puddle no matter what it was saying.

  “Hi,” I said, standing up to smile at Niko. He grinned back at me boyishly. Did I have the same effect on him he had on me?

  “You guys have slushies?” he asked.

  My eyes widened and my hand flew over my mouth. Damn. Why hadn’t we used straws?

  “Do I have a blue mustache?” I asked through my hand.

  “Just a tiny one,” he said, his eyes sparkling with laughter. “It looks good on you, though.”

  He’d already seen it, so I dropped my hand with a sigh. Way to impress him, Sadie. Sexy skirt and blue slush-stache. But the way he was looking at my mouth … his dark, bedroom eyes made my stomach twist with excitement.

  “So, good game,” I said. Our eyes locked, and I wondered if he was thinking of our last encounter – against the wall at Lucky’s. I sure as hell was.

  “Thanks,” he said dismissively. Like Luke, he apparently didn’t think it was possible to have a good game if his team didn’t win. “Hey, you coming out tonight? Want a ride?”

  My heart sank. I wanted to go out with him so damn bad, blue-stained lip and all, but I couldn’t.

  “Ky’s really tired, so I’m taking him home to bed,” I said.

  Niko nodded. “You guys need a ride?”

  I thought of the kind of ride I really wanted from him, and my cheeks warmed despite the chilly night air. “I drove, but thanks.”

  A couple teenage boys stood off to the side, waiting for Niko.

  “Next time, maybe?” Niko asked me.

  “Yeah. Next time.”

  He held my gaze for a couple more seconds. “Okay. ‘Night, Sadie.”

  “’Night.”

  He looked at Kyler. “Get some sleep, winger. I heard you’re coming on our road trip tomorrow.”

  “Can I sit by you on the plane? Will you teach me more Russian words?”

  “Da,” Niko said, arching his brows.

  Kyler looked up at me and grinned. “That means yes.”

  “And how do you say ‘no’ in Russian?” I asked, genuinely curious.

  “You’ll never want to say that word around me,” Niko said, winking. He turned to the waiting fans and I told my heart to stop racing. It didn’t listen, though.

  Chapter 6

  Niko

  Even through my dress shirt, I felt the tight nipple of the woman pressing her body against my arm. Did she even have a bra on?

  I took a bite of my steak, and she moaned in my ear and started chewing on my ear lobe while I ate. Christ, I didn’t even know this chick.

  I pulled my shoulder away from her, but she clung to me.

  “Uh … I’m just gonna eat,” I said. “I need my other arm.”

  She gave me a pouty face. “You’re no fun.”

  I ignored her comment and turned away. Would I ever adjust to this lifestyle? Playing hockey had always given me an advantage with women, but playing at the highest level was a whole new ballgame. After our last game in Nashville, a woman had walked into the men’s room and taken her shirt off when I was taking a piss at a restaurant. She’d dropped to her knees, leading to an awkward conversation where I turned down her offer of a blowjob.

  These women weren’t into me – they were into bagging an NHL player, and I wasn’t flattered by it anymore. They were annoying and had no self-worth. In college, yeah, I’d have done them. Or even in the minors. But getting called up to the big league had also been a call into adulthood. And now, nothing turned me off like a woman who thought so little of herself that she’d do shit like flash her tits at a stranger in a public bathroom.

  “Would you like to switch seats?” the woman next to me asked. When I’d gotten to Lucky’s I’d sat down by two teammates, but our table was now overrun with others – mostly women.

  “That’s okay, thanks,” I said. “I’m just gonna finish eating and leave.”

  “The attention’s kind of overwhelming, isn’t it?” she said. “I’m Taryn, by the way. I’m a friend of Vic’s wife Dawn.”

  Her dark hair reminded me of Sadie. But Sadie’s was longer and shinier. And Sadie had some curves, but this woman was stick-straight. A waif, really. She wasn’t even a hundred pounds, I could tell. I wished Sadie had been able to come tonight. Even if I didn’t get to be alone in the back room with her again, just sitting here with her would’ve been good. I missed her sexy laugh and sharp comebacks.

  “I’m Niko,” I said, nodding at Taryn.

  “I know. I’ve watched you play. I usually have performances on game nights, but I come to all the games I can. I’m a big hockey fan.”

  “Performances?”

  “I’m a ballerina.”

  “Cool,” I said, turning back to my plate. I wanted to finish eating, go home and get some sleep. I shoved in the last couple bites, finished my beer and stood up.

  “Have a good night,” I said to Taryn.

  “I’m going too, actually,” she said. “Share a cab?”

  She stood, waved at Dawn across the table, and followed me.

  “Uh, I drove here, sorry.”

  “Oh. Could I trouble you for a ride?” She batted her eyelashes up at me.

  I didn’t let my annoyance show, but fuck. This must be what hot women felt like at a bar. I was like a piece of meat. Taryn was more subtle than the braless woman, but her intentions were clear.

  “I would, but I’m beat,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “And I’ve been drinking. I hate to give anyone else a ride when I’ve been drinking.”

  That was bullshit. I’d had one beer. But if I let this woman in my car, I’d never get rid of her.

  Taryn followed me out the front door of Lucky’s.

  “Sure, that’s fine,” she said. “If you ever want to hang out, Dawn’s got my number. I’m not looking for anything serious.”

  Translation: you can fuck me any
time you want. But that didn’t appeal to me. I nodded and gave her a half-hearted wave before turning in the other direction.

  I preferred chasing Sadie to women who let me know they were desperate to be caught. She made me work for it. And as much as I wanted to work for more with her, she was a distraction I couldn’t afford. Our run-in after tonight’s game had been brief, but I’d been thinking about her wide smile and blue slushie mustache since. I’d set out to charm her, but instead, she was wrapping me around her little finger without even meaning to.

  The December wind had a brisk bite, and I buttoned my wool coat as I made the long walk to my car. I’d played a strong game tonight, earning the hard-to-come-by praise of Butch Price. I was playing well on the new team, probably because it was my sole focus.

  Sadie was the first woman who made me feel like more than just a hockey player, but I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn’t afford to go beyond flirtation with her. My family needed me, and I wasn’t about to let them down.

  ***

  Sadie

  Dell held up a pair of men’s red and green striped bikini briefs.

  “Think Luke would like these?”

  I cringed. “God, I hope not. And if your man’s junk fits in those, you have my condolences.”

  She gave me a glare before moving to the next display in the department store we were Christmas shopping at.

  “I was joking, Sade. And I think you can tell from Luke’s size that he’s blessed in that department.”

  “Does it bother Luke that you see the dicks of the other guys on his team?”

  Dell shrugged. “I don’t, really. They all cover up. And if I’m working on someone’s groin and a towel slips or something … it’s not sexual at all. It’s like a doctor and patient, you know?”

  I nodded. “Can I ask you something without you drilling me about it? Will you just answer me and not give me any shit?”

  “Sure. Let’s go look at ties, I want to buy Luke some new ones. What’s up?”

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What’s Niko’s body like?”

  Her brows shot up and I could tell she was dying to drill me, but she held back.

  “Probably about like you’d imagine. Very muscular. He’s not as lean as some of the guys, but he’s still all muscle. A few tattoos.”

  My pulse pounded with irrational jealousy as I imagined my best friend seeing Niko fresh out of the shower. “A few?”

  “One near his pelvic bone and one on his upper arm. He’s not super hairy like some of the guys are.”

  Dell picked up a purple tie and met my gaze.

  “I like that one,” I said.

  “I don’t work on Niko much,” she said, adding a green tie to the purple one in her hand. “He’s one of those guys who doesn’t bitch about pain. He just plays through it. I get the sense he’s worried they won’t keep him on the team – that he’ll get sent back down.”

  Just the thought made a knot of worry form in my chest. “But he’s playing well, right?”

  “He’s playing great. But it takes most guys a while to feel comfortable and secure.”

  I furrowed my brow as I eyed the plain dark tie Dell had just picked up. “I don’t like that one.”

  “It’s for my dad,” she said, adding it to her stack. Another stab of envy struck me. She had a husband and a father to buy Christmas gifts for. Not to mention a beautiful son. I had no one. I wasn’t genuinely jealous of her, because I loved her and she deserved happiness. But I wished I could also have someone to dote over.

  “You like him,” she said. It was a statement, and I didn’t argue with her. “He likes you, too. But be careful, Sade.”

  “Why? Is he a manwhore? Does he have a crazy ex-wife?”

  She smiled. “No. But hockey players have lots of opportunities. You know that. I’d probably get fired and possibly jailed for castrating one of my players, but that’s what I’d do if he hurt you.”

  “If I had a sister, she’d be you,” I said. It was something Dell and I had often said to each other over the years we’d known each other. “So if there’s something I need to know, say it.”

  She gave me a serious glance over the table of ties. “I heard he left Lucky’s with a friend of Dawn’s the other night. A ballerina or something. The guys were talking about it because it was the first time Niko’s left a bar with a woman since he got here.”

  Disappointment washed over me so strongly I thought I might need to sit down to get ahold of myself. But why? Niko was a red-blooded man, not to mention a professional athlete, with no commitment to anyone. Our flirtation wasn’t remotely close to dating.

  “I’m sorry,” Dell said, setting the ties down and hugging me. “I hate seeing you hurt.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’m okay. I can’t date anyone anyway, so I don’t even have a right to be jealous.”

  “I don’t know what happened, so maybe you should ask him about it,” she said.

  I shrugged. “It’s none of my business. Let’s go to that bakery we passed and get something with lots of frosting.”

  Dell carried the ties up to the register to pay for them, smiling over at me as we waited in line.

  “I’ve been reading your ‘60 Days Single’ columns. You’re such a talented writer. I’m so proud of you, Sadie.”

  “Thanks.”

  I pasted on a smile, which I never did around Dell. I didn’t want her to see how much it bothered me that Niko had been with another woman. It was probably for the best anyway. Niko was nothing but heartbreak in a tall, sexy Russian package. Better now than later.

  ***

  Niko

  My mom had been answering the phone at the deli the same way for nearly 20 years now, and hearing the familiar words in her clipped Russian accent made me smile.

  “Hello, Vereshkova’s Deli.”

  “Hi, Mom,” I said.

  “Nikola!” Her excited tone drowned out the background noise of customers. “How are you, son?”

  “I’m good. Really good, Mom. How are you?”

  “It’s good here. Papa is busy with customers. How is hockey?”

  “Great. I want to bring you guys here to visit. Can I send you some plane tickets?”

  She snort-laughed into the phone. “Airplane?”

  “It’s perfectly safe, Mom.”

  She laughed skeptically. “You can talk to Papa about it.”

  He was even more opposed to flying than she was. My parents hadn’t ventured out of their New York neighborhood since moving there 20 years ago. Our traumatic trip here was probably the reason. Lyov had gotten sick on the boat and been near death when we arrived in the States.

  Mom’s voice grew muffled as she started listing off the specials to a customer. My parents were both in motion at the deli from sunrise to sunset, and relaxing was a foreign concept to them. That was one reason I wanted to fly them here for Christmas and put them up in a fancy hotel. They deserved to be the ones getting waited on for a change.

  “He is not here!” she said to someone, frustration in her tone. “No. Vlad, you go.”

  The name sparked my attention immediately. “Vlad? Mom, what’s Vlad doing there?”

  He was bad news. Len Petrovich’s bill collector wasn’t someone who dropped by the deli for a sandwich. He only showed up for one reason.

  “Are you guys back in debt to Len?” I asked, alarmed by the idea. My father only borrowed from Len when times were desperate, and he’d assured me repeatedly that he was making ends meet. My brother Lyov was the one who told me things were getting tight for our parents.

  “I am sorry, it’s busy here,” my mom said to me.

  “I can call later, okay?”

  “Okay. You’re a good boy, Nikola.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Love you.”

  I hung up and walked into the locker room, where guys were just starting to arrive for practice. I needed to call on one of my friends from the old neighborhood to ask around and find out if my paren
ts owed Len money.

  “What’s up, douchebag?” Luke said. “You look kinda down.”

  “Nah, I’m good. Just hoping Orion’s ankle is better today.”

  Orion was one of the three guys on my line, and we’d finally gotten into a groove. On the ice, I knew Orion and Kellan, and they knew me. We moved as one, and losing a man would upset our balance.

  “Yeah, Dell had to meet him at the hospital at one this morning after he fell,” Luke said, shaking his head with disgust. “She didn’t get home til after four. Stupid fucker was drunk and fell down some stairs. Sounds like his ankle will be okay in a day or two, though.”

  “Good,” I said, breathing out a sigh of relief. I needed to keep playing strong, and Orion was part of that.

  “Hey.” Luke spoke in a low tone. “You okay? You seem really serious and uptight lately.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Just trying to earn a permanent place here, you know?”

  He grinned at me. “You’re permanent, man. Price doesn’t call people up until he knows they’re ready. Relax. You gettin’ laid?”

  “Uh … it’s not really my focus right now.”

  “Fuck that. You need to unwind, man. I heard you hit it off with Dawn’s friend the other night, the dancer? You guys left the bar together, why didn’t you fuck her?”

  I shrugged. “We didn’t hit it off. She just followed me out of the bar. I left and I think she was getting a cab.”

  “You don’t like her?”

  I shook my head. A grin spread across Luke’s face.

  “We need to find you a hook up on our next road trip.”

  “No,” I said, a little louder than I intended. “Don’t fucking do that, it’ll just end with some woman getting her feelings hurt.”

  “What’s your deal? You used to be fun.”

  I punched his bicep. “I’m still fun, asshole. Just let me worry about my dick and you worry about yours.”

  He raised his hands in surrender. “My dick’s in good hands. I’m happily married. Your problem is that your dick’s in no one’s hands but your own.”

  I walked the few steps to my locker, reaching for my skates and messing with the laces. I didn’t want to continue this conversation. The only woman I had any interest in was the only one he’d warned me to stay away from. He was perceptive, and I didn’t want him knowing what was really going on inside my head.