Page 42 of Fake Out Hearts

It’s probably just as well. She tastes just as fucking amazing as she did the first time I kissed her, and I need to be doing my best to forget about that fact, rather than giving myself constant reminders.

“I should get back out there,” Becca says, breaking the moment of silence between us. She gestures in the direction of the stands. “I want to get a snack before the game.”

“Good plan.” I nod, releasing her hair and stepping back. “See you out there.”

“Okay.” She hesitates, then surprises me by throwing her arms around me. “Thank you. Good luck tonight,” she whispers into my ear.

“I don’t need it. I’ve already got all the luck I need right here,” I say, grinning.

She laughs, the musical sound pouring into my ear. I don’t want to let her go, but I’ve got a game to get ready for, so I press a quick kiss to her cheek before leaving heading back to the locker room to finish getting geared up. Maxim is in there when I enter, and he glances over at me as he laces up his skates.

“So, you tied the knot, huh?”

I nod, aware of several of my teammates glancing our way. I have no doubt that he told all of them the news as soon as he got to the locker room. “Sure did.”

“Recently?”

“Yeah, it’s new. Very new.”

“Damn, I had no idea. Sorry, man. I never would’ve approached her if I’d known. Are we good?”

I stare him right in the eye to make sure he gets the message. “Yeah. As long as you never hit on my wife again, we’ll be totally fine.”

Maxim grimaces, clearing his throat uncomfortably as he holds his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Yeah, you got it.I’m not trying to get my ass kicked over something like that. I promise.”

My possessiveness surprises even me, because it’s not an act. Becca’s not really mine, but I still feel responsible for her. And I sure as hell don’t want any other men—not even my teammates—hitting on her. Kaplan may not have appreciated what he had, but I know I’m not the only one who sees what a catch she is.

“Forget it,” I say, forcing my shoulders to relax. “We’re good. Let’s just focus on winning this game.”

“Now that I can do.” Maxim nods and turns his focus back to getting ready.

I try to clear my head while I’m finishing gearing up. There’s a lot riding on this game tonight, not least of all my reputation. Noah and the rest of the guys are going to be watching me like a hawk, looking for even the slightest indication that my relationship with Becca really is the distraction they’re already convinced it is.

No doubt the team management will be watching me closer now too. Not that I needed the extra scrutiny from them, if the rumors about my contract hold any weight. But I can’t focus on any of that right now. All I can do is put one skate in front of the other and make sure that I play like the badass I know I am.

With Becca here, that should be easier than ever. So as my skates meet the ice for our warmup, I immediately scan the stands for her and find her sitting rinkside, right where she belongs. She beams and waves at me, then stands up to take off her coat and show off my jersey she’s wearing underneath.

It’s all I need.

Chapter 14

Becca

Even with the distance between us and his face shield, I can see Theo beaming back at me. He raises his stick in his gloved hand at me, and my heart gives a little flutter in my chest. I sit back down and watch him take a few warmup laps around his team’s side of the ice, getting faster and looser with each lap. It amazes me how naturally he floats across the ice. There’s so little friction that it’s almost like he’s not wearing skates at all.

“You must be Becca!”

A curvy redheaded woman beams at me as she marches toward me with a woman I recognize as Margo, the Aces’ social media lead and Noah’s fiancée. Margo and I haven’t met before, but I remember seeing and hearing about her when the news of her relationship with Noah broke.

“I’m Callie, and this is Margo,” the redhead says and throws her arms out at me for a hug.

“Nice to meet you both,” I say and hug Callie, then Margo.

I don’t know what I expected from the other girlfriends and wives of the team, but I’m sort of surprised they’re being so warm and welcoming, especially with how quickly all of this happened for me and Theo.

“I’d say we’ve heard a lot about you, but that wouldn’t be very true,” Margo says with a smile when we break. “Anyway, sorry for the ambush, but Theo told us you were coming so we thought we’d find you to properly welcome you to the family.”

“Thanks,” I say, although it’s not enough to describe how grateful I feel. Given my history with Shawn and the abrupt way that Theo and I got married, I kind of assumed the other women would be rude or at the very least distrustful of me for snatching their friend and inserting myself into their space, so it’s reassuring to see that isn’t the case.

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