Page 1 of Puck Drop
ONE
Logan
Six months ago
“Truth or dare?”
I smirk at the way Elizabeth looks at me when she says that. The little twinkle in her eyes makes it obvious that she is up to no good.
“That’s a tricky question, Lizzy,” I tell her. “I want to saytruth, because I don’t have anything to hide…”
“But?” She hops in place while clapping her hands together.
I take a couple of steps forward until I am close enough to kiss her. The difference in our heights has never been more obvious now that she is wearing flats, but I don’t care. I want to pick her up and carry her with me everywhere I go.
“But I can’t ever resist your dares,” I confess.
I bend my head and touch her lips ever so lightly with mine, pulling back when she is ready to give me more. In the last few months that I’ve known her, I’ve found that she loves being teased. And I absolutely love teasing her, while secure in the knowledge that she wants me no matter what.
I met Elizabeth Brown at a charity event organized by the hockey team I presently play for, the New York Sliders. She didn’t know who I was when we first started talking, which didn’t surprise me in the least. After all, as a third string goalie, I barely had any play time. Besides I’d just got picked from the minors when the second stringer, Jared Anderson, scored the top goalie position. That’s after the former top goalie on the team took a leave of absence.
The attraction between us was instant, threatening to make us spontaneously combust unless we did something about it. However, the proverbial bucket of ice-cold water was thrown over my head when I connected some dots and realized that she was the daughter of the Sliders’ owner. That threw a wrench in my newly found enthusiasm, which I tried my hardest to rationalize.
There was a clear clause in my contract, stating that relationships with anyone from the staff were prohibited. There was a zero tolerance in that regard, and there was no way around it. Any proof showing that a player had a relationship with an employee that was anything other than professional would automatically place said player on waivers, or, worse yet, send them straight back to the minors.
With that said, Elizabeth Brown was not employed by the Sliders organization. That meant that we were not breaking any rules. However, I was still too new to the team, and I didn’t want to jeopardize my future in any way.
After a very long and meaningful talk, we both agreed that we should keep between us whatever we had, at least for a while, and only until we became more serious.
Now, it is six months later, and I am so in love with this girl, I would walk through fire for her. My gut tells me that she feels the same about me, and I am ready to say the words. It will be a huge step, and it will take us to the next level. But seeing theexcitement in her eyes every time she looks at me confirms to me that we are heading in the right direction.
“I can’t resist throwing dares at you,” she whispers against my lips.
She stares into my eyes for the longest time, and I suddenly notice a glimpse of hesitation right before she looks away.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she answers, maybe a little too fast.
“Lizzie,” I sigh. “I can tell something is bothering you.” I bring my fingers up until I can touch her face, running my thumb up and down her delicate jawline. “Tell me, baby.”
She looks at me, then glances away again. When she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, I resist the urge to do the same to her. Being patient never frustrated me in such a way that I feel like I am about to crawl out of my skin. What if she is about to break up with me?
This is ironic, considering only minutes ago I was thinking that we’re in love and that we’re ready to confess our feelings to each other.
“We’ve been together for a while now,” she finally says, and my heart can’t take the tension. “I have feelings for you.” Her voice is shaky now, matching the exact pattern of my heartbeats. “I’ve been waiting for you tell me the same, Logan.”
She sounds like she’s chastising me, and I can’t help the chuckle escaping my lips. That only seems to infuriate her, though. She tries to take a step back.
“I think you just told me everything that I need to know.”
“Wait!” I grab her by the hips just in time. “I don’t know what you think you know, but if it is what I think it is, you’re dead wrong.”
Elizabeth’s eyes fill with unshed tears. “Stop teasing me like this.”
“I’m not teasing you, baby.”
I bring her body flush against mine, but she’s not having it. She pushes at my chest, trying really hard to get away from me.
