Page 72 of The Huckleberry Bookshop

He wanted her to expect the best. To expect everything she’d ever wanted and to know that she’d never be denied.

“Hey.” He bent, placing a light kiss on her lips.

“What was that out there?” she asked. Her gaze kept darting up to his, then away.

“A pretty good game, wouldn’t you say?” he replied, grinning.

“More penalties than usual,” she pointed out.

“Yeah.” He’d been a bit rougher. And for good reason. He locked his eyes on Athena.

“Tina,” he said, pressing her closer to the wall, blocking out the surrounding men who were whooping it up over their win as they made their way out of the locker room. “You and me? We’re a team. Someone makes you cry, I take care of it.”

She stared at him for a long moment.

“Defend the net like it’s something that matters to you,” Coach had told him.

No problem. All he’d had to do was think of Athena.

“Do you think Lonnie made me cry?”

“Yeah. Because he did.”

That man had hurt her, caused her to feel as if she didn’t matter. He’d made her feel small.

And a woman like Athena should soar.

She should be able to trust her heart.

Mullens wanted the time back that she’d wasted on Lonnie. He wanted to deliver it to her. Mend her.

And he couldn’t do that. But he was a forward for the Dragons, and he could attack. Attack the other team so they couldn’t go after his own. He could go after the man who’d made her so afraid to give her heart to another.

“I was crying earlier because our cat died,” Athena said.

Our. Our cat.

He clenched his jaw. Lonnie didn’t deserve to be a part of anything with her. Now or ever.

But he also knew there was something more than a beloved animal passing away that had caused those tears. He’d seen it written across her face. The frustration, the hurt, the anger.

“Well,” he said gently, “after tonight, he won’t let one of his pets die ever again.”

She laughed, delight brightening her eyes, and Mullens realized Athena Gavras might find him and his possibly possessive aggression sexy after all.

“You okay with me getting a little rough?” He winced dramatically, trying for cute.

“A little?” She huffed a laugh, leaning into him.

“A lot?” Mullens savored the feeling of her body pressed against his. It felt like forgiveness and divine possibility. “He deserved every bit of it.”

“Yeah?” Her arms were snaking upward, her palms tracing a path up his chest. He snugged her closer.

“Yeah. Anyone who hurts my Tina has to answer to me.”

“Well, there was this one time in fourth grade when Cole Wylder accidentally knocked me down on the playground and I broke my retainer.”

“You want me to go after him?”

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