Page 71 of Breakaway

She flew into them and he held her tight, lifting her feet off the floor as usual. “Congratulations!”

He kissed her, a long, hard, jubilant kiss.

“I knew you’d do it.”

He drew back and met her eyes, smiling, his heart expanding, still buzzing from the adrenaline high of the game. Having his folks and Remi there just amplified the high.

His parents waited behind her to congratulate him too, exchanging amused looks. He blew out a long breath and greetedthem while Matt and Logan went into the restaurant to get a table there.

“Good game, son.” Dad clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Your plus-minus was great tonight.”

They moved to the restaurant, him holding Remi’s hand, and crossed the plush carpet to the large round table set up for the seven of them—where was Tag? Jase frowned and looked around. Tag must have got held up by the press even longer than he had.

At this late hour, few diners occupied the other tables in the posh restaurant and the quiet tinkle of piano music and subtle lighting steadied Jase’s edgy nerves. It was hard coming down sometimes, especially after a game that mattered as much as this one had. He held Remi’s chair for her as she took her seat, smiling up at him. Damn, she was pretty. He sat beside her, lifted her hand and kissed it.

They exchanged a heated glance. Adrenaline equaled sex for Jase, and much as he wanted to spend some time with the family, he wanted even more to take Remi back to his place and fuck her senseless. Fuck them both senseless. He shifted in his chair, then winced. That check into the boards had left a few bruises.

Ah well. It was worth it.

Then Tag arrived.

Jase rose to his feet to greet his brother, which was almost like looking in a mirror. Tag had an inch and a few pounds on him and Tag’s nose was perfect and straight, but they shared the same eyes and mouth and chin. They stood in front of each other for a long moment. The tightness in the corners of Tag’s eyes and mouth told Jase how his brother was feeling and Jase felt Tag’s disappointment like a stone in his own gut. He wished he knew what to say, but neither of them was very good at talking about crap like that.

“Good game.” Tag slapped Jase on the back.

“Thanks, man.” Jase paused, then they gripped each other in a tight, emotion-laden hug.

Growing up as Tag’s younger brother had never been easy. Competition, challenge and conflict had always been there. Formost of Jase’s life, he’d tried so hard not to compete with Tag, knowing he could never be as good as his big brother, that he’d gone in the wrong direction, lost his way, almost lost himself.

“Course you wouldn’t have won if I hadn’t let you win every face off,” Tag said, cracking the tension.

“Bullshit.” Jase rolled his eyes and grinned. “You’re just getting so old your reflexes are slow.” But when Tag’s face tightened for a fleeting second, he wished he hadn’t said that.

Hell. Tag wasn’t old. He was only thirty-one, only two years older than Jase. In his prime.

Although hockey players did have a short career.

He shook his head. Tag was a great player, one of the best, and Jase only wished he could live up to his big brother.

He pushed that thought aside, determined to celebrate. And not only celebrate the game. He was celebrating Remi being there, celebrating that they were together and that his family was getting to meet her. He eyed them, hoping like hell they liked her.

He introduced her to Tag, the only one she hadn’t met yet, and then they ordered dinner.

“So what do you think, Jase?” Dad asked. “Can you take St. Louis in the first round?”

“Hell yeah.” It was the only answer. No doubt. No fear. “We’ll take ’em in four.”

“Morsey’s injured,” Tag said. “Probably done for the year. Helluva an advantage.”

“Poor bugger,” Logan said. “That sucks.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re gonna have to improve your penalty killing against them,” Tag said.

Remi’s fingers curled around Jase’s. He glanced at her. “Are you bored with all the hockey talk?” he murmured into her ear. “Sorry. This is what my family’s like when we get together.”

She shook her head and her big aquamarine eyes met his. His body tightened. “I’m not bored,” she said with a small smile, then dropped her eyes.

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