Chapter 10

"It's a good turnout, better than I expected," I said as I peered out at the crowd in the arena. It was nowhere near the sell out crowd I was used to but I hadn't expected it to be this full. 

"Well they did a great job of marketing it," Beth said, leaning back against the wall of the tunnel and looking back at me with this bemused expression that kind of made me want to drag her to the equipment room and kiss the look right off her face. 

"You mean you did," I reminded her. She shrugged and said nothing. She'd used the team's and my twitter page to blow this event up, not to mention facebook and every other social media outlet she could think of. She'd run me off my feet sending me to every radio station from the university to the biggest sports radio station in the city and then she'd booked me on every local news station. I hadn't worked as hard since training camp for the Olympics. I wasn't the only one impressed either. 

"Fabulous job," Norm extended his hand towards Beth. She looked down at it and looked honestly shocked. "You've obviously got a flair for marketing. We should talk," he added, gripping her hand once and then turning to head back down the tunnel. She stared after him and then turned her still wide eyes towards me. 

"The man has a point," I smiled at her. It felt like I was getting an `atta-boy' too. "Like I keep saying, pretty and smart," I added, tapping her shin lightly with the blade of my stick. She frowned at me but smiled. 

"Well go, finish off my work," she smirked but there was something in her eyes that told me she was proud of her success but I knew her well enough by now that the only way I was going to get that out of her was by tackling her and tickling her until she cried uncle. Maybe later, I thought as I heard the sound of the skates of the other guys start to come up the hallway. 

"Well go out somewhere nice, after this, to celebrate," I promised. She shrugged and said nothing. Nice places didn't impress her. Pulling one glove off and holding it between my elbow and my side, I reached, hooked a finger in one of the belt loops on her jeans and tugged her closer to me. "How `bout a kiss for luck?" She wrinkled her nose. 

"This...smell is gonna take some getting used to," she coughed and stuck her tongue out. 

"The quicker I get a kiss the faster the stink goes away," I promised. She rolled those green eyes of hers' at me, pinched her nose between her forefinger and thumb and then leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the corner of my mouth. "Aww, c'mon, you can do better than that," I laughed as she tried to pull away.

"Not while your cheering squad is watching," she whispered and tilted her chin in the direction of a group of pucks down by the glass. I'd already spotted them, I guess outta habit, but as soon as she drew my attention to them these girls started waving and making all kinds of noise.

Well shit. I hadn't had to think about this before. I'd heard some of the guys talking about how their girlfriends had a hard time dealing with the pucks. I looked at them and then at Beth. Somehow I wasn't worried about how she was going to deal with those girls. After all, I'd seen her in action at the bar back home. 

Still....

"Sorry," I said, because I felt like I should. She shrugged and smirked. 

"If one of them tries to pull my hair I'll break her surgically perfected little nose." I laughed. It was exactly what I'd thought she'd say. 

"I'll meet you here, after the game, `kay?" I hadn't let go of her yet. She shrugged again and gave me those eyes that she did sometimes at home, when I was getting out of the shower. That look made my dick twitch behind the cup. Not a comfortable sensation. 

"That depends on how you play," she purred, a sexy half smile on her face and then she licked her lips. Daaaamn. 

"I thought this was for charity," I whined. "I was gonna go out there and fuck around, not do much of anything." This time when she shrugged she had an `oh well, your loss' look on her face. I groaned.

"That's not what the people paid to see Super Boy," she teased and then pressed another, butterfly light kiss on the corner of my mouth but this time one of her hands slid between us and she gave my cup a pat. I clenched my teeth. The woman did not play fair. 

"Alriiiight, jeeeeezuzzz," I moaned. She giggled as I let her go and turned and sashayed down the hall, swinging her hips to the beat of the blood draining down into my balls.

"Remember, play good," she called over her shoulder. I just stared. I still didn't understand what kind of spell she'd put me under but I had it bad. 

"That yours?" one of the guys in the firehouse red uniforms asked as he donned his helmet before hitting the ice. 

"Yeah," I grinned, still watching her walk away, "I don't know how or why, but yeah." 

I had checked on the t-shirt sales and walked around the concourse as the crowd began to drain into their seats, a good feeling bubbling up in my chest. I'd done this. Well...not by myself, but it felt like my accomplishment all the same and I figuratively patted myself on the back for it as I bought a bag of popcorn and followed a young woman and her son down into the seats. He was wearing a bright red plastic fireman helmet and had a little black and white stuffed Dalmatian wearing a Hawks jersey under one arm. 

Little boys and their big dreams I thought as I found my seat and opened the bag, popping a dry and, to be honest, stale kernel into my mouth. I made a face and thought about rolling the bag shut again when a big hand reached over my shoulder and grabbed a handful out. 

My panties knew who that disembodied hand belonged to before I turned to look but I had to satisfy my curiosity. Once I did, I wished I hadn't. 

The self satisfied smirk he was wearing as he chewed made me want to toss the whole bag over his head. So did the way he was wearing his baseball hat on backwards like that made him cool. The way the white waffle shirt he was wearing screamed uncle across his shoulders made me want to chew it off him with my teeth. 

"So this is what you've been trying to keep from me huh?" he asked, surveying the arena like it was his kingdom. I glared at him and turned back around. Pat was skating towards the red carpet they'd just rolled out at center ice. Someone was going to give him a microphone and he was going to give a short speech. He was worried about it. It pissed me off that Jon was there knowing he'd mock him in the room if he fucked this up. "I know everything about everything that happens around here," he whispered in my ear, reaching around me this time to dig his long, thick fingers into the popcorn. I didn't answer him. It didn't really matter now if he knew, except for this part. 

"I...uh...I just wanna thank everyone for coming to the first annual Chicago PD versus FD charity hockey tournament." The crowd hooted and hollered. I looked up at his face on the big screen and watched Pat take a deep breath. 

"You know you would have filled the place if you'd got me and a couple of the other guys involved," he whispered into my ear, interrupting. I turned and gave him my best death glare. He laughed and shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth. How was it, I wondered as I turned back around and tried to concentrate on what Pat was saying about his personal donation to the widows and orphans fund, that the blue eyed blonde haired All American boy was the black sheep while the dark eyed conceited bastard sitting behind me got to be the hero?

As Pat handed back the microphone and skated towards the bench to get his stick to take the opening face-off, his personal fan club erupted in high pitched screams. I glared at them too, my glare turning murderous when I heard what could only be described as a masculine giggle behind me. 

"Y'know, I've always wondered this," he chuckled, climbing over the back of and sliding down into the empty seat beside me, "do they wait outside his place and do that when he gets out of his car?" He reached for more popcorn. I shoved the bag at him and got to my feet. All of the positive feelings I'd had about this moment were gone now. 

"At least they're women. Most of your online stalkers seem to be boys," I snapped at him and then turned on my heel and started running up the stairs. I knew I couldn't out run him, not with those long, long legs of his, but I hoped that he'd leave me alone, even if I knew better. 

"Hey," he grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him at the top of the aisle, "it was just a joke. I thought it would make you laugh. All the WAGs hate those girls," he grinned, that crooked, butter wouldn't melt grin that was featured in every other picture of him on Tumblr. I stared at the center of his chest instead. "He will go back to them, maybe not tonight but his ego will lead him back down the path of least resistance eventually." It was a speech that was supposed to play on my insecurities. The only way that could work the way he obviously wanted it to was if I actually cared, which I didn't.

 

"You're really use to getting whatever you want, aren't you?" I said quietly, wrenching my arm from his grasp and making a move to go around him; a move he blocked as easily as he would have deked a defenseman out on the ice. 

"I think you have me confused with your boy Buzz down there," he growled at me, his hand closing around my upper arm. It didn't hurt. In fact his whole big possessive guy routine was making my panties melt slowly like a candle. "I've had to work for everything I have. I'm not saying I don't get what I want," he added, giving me one of those long, up and down glances, "eventually." I groaned and rolled my eyes because that's what I felt like I should do, it's what a loyal friend would do and what a girlfriend ought to do even if what I really wanted to do was dig my hands into his shirt and pull that smirk down and kiss it off his face.

"You really think you're something don't you?" I smirked at him and for the second time tried to wrench my arm free. This time I failed, miserably. 

"I'm more interested with what you think," he purred, leaning close, his dark eyes daring me to lie.  I stared at him, concentrating on his eyes, which, unlike the rest of him were short enough of perfect that I could overrule my libido long enough to tell him a certain kind of truth. 

"I think you should get down of that pedestal everyone around her has you on and ask yourself if you're the kind of man any woman would want." The smug smile on his face faded and his eyes darkened. My pulse leapt. Christ on a pogo stick the man was even sexier pissed off. 

"He's a conceited self centered little asshole. You don't want to be with a guy like that," he hissed at me, his fingers digging deeper into the flesh of my upper arm. I winced. 

"I don't want to be with a guy that would try and muscle in on his best friend's girl," I replied very slowly. If I'd said it any faster I probably wouldn't have got it out at all. At the very least it would have gotten all breathy and sounded insincere. As it was, my blood was coursing through my veins so quickly I thought he must be able to hear it, must be able to see my heart beating in my chest. 

 

"Best friend?" he sneered. "Is that what you think we are?" I took a deep breath in, kept my gaze level with his and smiled. 

"It's what all these people think you are and I'm guessing that's exactly how the team wants it," I reminded him as calmly as I could. His mouth twitched. His nostrils flared and his fingers dug deep into my arm. "How am I going to explain those marks to Pat later?" I hissed at him. I thought it would make him let me go. It didn't. He pulled me closer so that his cheek brushed along side of mine and his lips brushed the outside of my ear. 

"I want to put all kinds of marks on you." My body convulsed. It wasn't a shudder, a shiver or a tremble. It felt like I'd had those pedals they put on you to revive you. I could almost hear someone saying `charge to 300'. I closed my eyes. I could picture him closing his teeth around the ivory white skin of my breast and lower. I gasped. 

I didn't even realize he'd let me go until a woman, a complete fucking stranger put her hand on me and peered at me like I'd just escaped a loony bin.  

"Are you okay?" she asked. I blinked at her, bringing her into focus before glancing around me at the crowd now streaming into their seats. 

 

"Yeah..., yeah just...dizzy I think," I smiled at her and she smiled back, probably glad I hadn't started muttering to myself or pulled a knife. "Thanks," I said again as I focused on his back, the mile wide width of his back as he disappeared into the crowd. "I'll be fine now," I promised, sucking in a long breath and turning to head back to my seat; alone. 

 

He was signing autographs and joking around with the guys like he was a good guy, like he didn't beat up cab drivers and get sauced and try and fuck their daughters the first chance he got. At least I could see that he'd made good on his promise to come to training camp in good shape s he sat there with his shirt off, the beginnings of a six pack showing. 

"Hey man, when did you get here?" he asked, grinning up at me like I was puck teetering on high heels with her boobs trying to escape her too tight top, like he was actually glad to see me. I shrugged. 

 

"Thought I'd come see what all the fuss was about," I replied with as big a shit eating grin I could manage, putting on a show. 

"Wow, Toews right? Can I have your autograph?" Some guy with his two front teeth missing shoved his sweat soaked jersey at me. I nodded and smiled and pressed the jersey up against his back to sign down his number. 

"How come you didn't play?" he asked me. 

"Because he sucks," Pat laughed before I got a chance to answer. 

"Well, technically Kaner's still on injured reserve," I corrected him and caught myself beginning to narrow my eyes at him. I put my happy go lucky mask back on and handed the guy his pen back."During the season we're obligated...some rule about no pick-up games, y'know, insurance or whatever," I added, doing my best to sound like a dumb jock just following the rules. I understood the rules and lived them to the letter. It was my teammate sitting there with a handful of hockey cards in one hand and a jiffy marker in the other that insisted on colouring outside the lines all of the time. Want some help with those Buzz?" I asked, grabbing a handful of cards and reaching for one of the sharpies on the bench. 

"Great, thanks man," he grinned and punched my shoulder hard enough I wanted to wince but I didn't. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. It would be like letting your little brother know he could beat you at something. It was much better to suck it up and deal with the pain. "You shoulda played, it was a gas," he added, handing one of the guys' kids a card. The kid looked at him with huge, wide eyes; like he was someone amazing. I wanted to tell the kid's dad that there were way better role models in the room than either one of us but I kept my mouth shut and smiled. 

"Well I hope you're gonna play better than that when the season starts." It was mean. It was meant to be and he laughed it off just like I knew he would. 

"I'll show you up," he replied smugly. I nodded like that was the answer I was looking for. I signed a few more autographs, letting him relax before I went for the jugular. 

"So you think that girl...what's her name? Do you think that's a good idea, the distraction? I mean, isn't that the kind of thing that gets you in all the trouble?" I kept my head down. I could feel him frowning at me. He hated this, when I got all big brother knows best on him. 

"Fuck, jealous much?" I fucked up my signature, ending up writing most of it on my leg. I hadn't expected him to cut so close to the mark. He's not usually that astute. 

"Just worried about you man, that's all." It was partly true but I couldn't look the guy in the face and say it.

"Yeah well..., maybe it's good, y'know, just one chick. Who'd have guessed y'know?" I had to give him that and nodding, I handed him the rest of the stack. 

"Yeah but...how long's that gonna last?" I smiled down at him as I got to my feet and he grinned right back up at me. 

"Yeah well...I guess we'll see huh? Wanna put some money on it?" I was opening my mouth to agree, because, well, I'd already put a bet on that in my head but the room got suddenly quiet around us and then Pat's grin faded at the edges. 

"I'll take that bet." I knew the voice instantly. I didn't need the colour fade out of his cheeks to know she'd just walked into the room. I didn't look back. I kept my gaze focused on Pat's even as his rose to meet hers, his mouth twitching. He didn't know what to do. 

"Are you sure you wanna do that?" I asked her, not him but anyone else in the room, including Kaner could be forgiven for thinking I was talking to him as my gaze remained on him. 

"I'm nothing if not loyal," she said quietly but firmly and then she walked right by me and put herself on his lap, her arms twined around his neck but her eyes...those fucking jade orbs of hers' were all for me. "Got a fifty on ya baby?" she purred, letting one of those hands run down his bare chest. I felt my pulse double.

"In my jeans probably yeah," he laughed, the fucking moron actually laughed. Of course his hand was on her ass so I guess he had at least one reason to smile. 

"Why don't you give me that fifty and I'll take one from Mr. Know it All here and I'll hold onto those and let's just see which one of you gives in first hmm?" she purred like a big contented cat and, while she stared right at me, planted a playful kiss on his sweaty cheek. I ground my teeth together. I was hating him right at that moment and her too...just a little. 

"Wait...what does he have to do?" Kaner asked, predictably. 

"Oh he has to do something muuuuch, much harder baby," she smiled up at me as she held her hand out towards me. "He has to be celibate for as long as you're faithful to me." Our gazes met and I knew she knew she was wounding me. Kitty cat can scratch and bite. 

"Oh fuck, well you may as well give him the pot right now. I've roomed with the fucker, he hardly ever even wacks off in the shower," Kaner sighed and tipped her off his lap. 

"Is that right?" she looked up at me from beneath her eyelashes and smiled. "That's too bad," she added softly, a poisonous smile tugging at the corners of her full lips, "maybe he's just never had anything to wack off to," and as she took the fifty from my hand she went up on tip toe and whispered in my ear, "like thinking about all the places you want to mark me and knowing he's doing it instead."

I nearly lost my balance as all the blood in my body rushed suddenly south. Ninety minutes ago she'd glared at me. Now she was baiting me. My head was swimming. 

I practically ran after her into the corridor where the cops and firefighters kids, wives, girlfriends and families were milling around, not to mention a few members of the press. Normally that would have been enough to make me think twice, but not at that moment. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I grabbed her wrist and swung her around to face me. She stared defiantly up at me but her eyes were glistening with tears I could tell she was doing her damndest not to let fall. 

"You think that just because I'm some uneducated beer wench from Buffalo that you can just crook your finger and I'll come running...," she began and then shook her head and clamped her mouth shut. 

"No," I hissed menacingly at her, "actually I was kind of picturing you crawling." Her eyes got wide and I knew, like I'd always had a feeling with her, that was exactly what she wanted. It was why she didn't really mind my clamping down on her wrist like this, or why her breathing hitched as I pressed her up against the concrete wall. 

"You want to play games?" she whispered at me, defiance still in her gaze even as it focused on my mouth like she wanted it on her, wanted me to do things with it to her. 

"Yesss, you have no idea," I replied, blowing out a breath I felt like I'd been holding since the moment I'd set eyes on her. 

"I will come to you, I'll do whatever you want me to if...," she pressed the palm of her free hand on my sternum. It felt like it left a brand in the shape of her hand. "If he cheats on me but you can't encourage him. You can't put those...sluts in his way. You can't encourage him. You can't...you can't give him ideas. In fact," she added as if it had just occurred to her to prick my skin with pins and pour molten hot wax into the wound, "you have to be his friend. You have to help him to be better. Do you hear me?" Her gaze had warmed, gone as molten as the wax I imagined her now pouring over my skin. I shook my head.

"Why? Why can't you just come with me now?" I asked, breathless with the need to have her, here, up against this wall, now, in front of everyone. 

"Because I owe him that much and so do you," she whispered. If I thought her dare, her wicked little plan had been designed to taunt me, it was nothing compared to being made his keeper.

"Damn it!" I slammed my fist into the wall right beside her head. She shut her eyes but barely flinched.

"No one gives him a chance. I sure as hell didn't and from what I've seen you work pretty fucking hard at undermining him every chance you get. He's been good to me. I will not throw that back in his face. Not just for something...," her eyes opened and for a long moment she stared straight ahead and then, slowly, she raised her gaze to meet mine and I knew...I knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her. "Not for something that will just burn up in no time." I clenched my teeth together and fought the overwhelming urge to take her mouth, to force her to kiss me. 

"He will fail...with or without anyone's help," I promised her. She shrugged one shoulder and the corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile that I felt right down to my nuts. 

"Then you can have me, however you want me," she whispered and for one, fleeting moment I could see the promise of release in her gaze and then she ducked under my arm and fled like a fox pursued by a pack of dogs, ducking in and out of the crowd until she disappeared from view. 

I leaned my head against the cool concrete wall and cursed under my breath but that couldn't cool my jets; nor did grabbing a stick from the wrack and breaking it over my knee. The only thing that was going to quench this fire was her, beneath me, begging me for more.