Erik tapped Shea’s beer. “Great honor tonight, bro, you are the best defenseman out there. The Norris Trophy was all yours.”

Shea smiled as he nodded. “I have a great team, but thank you, you know that means a lot to me.”

“I know, that’s why I said it. I need brownie points when it comes to your wife.”

Shea laughed. “Ah, my Elli. I love her, but I don’t agree with this probation shit she has you on.”

Erik nodded. “Neither do I. Hopefully it will all go away in a month or so.”

“Let’s hope so,” Shea agreed, nodding his head. “So how is married life treating you?”

Erik shrugged his shoulders. “It’s different. It’s good that I have you, Jakob, and Cooper as examples to follow.”

Shea laughed. “More brownie points?”

He laughed as he nodded. “Hell yeah, I’m on probation, for f**k sakes!”

Both men shared a good long laugh before tapping their beer bottles together again and then downing them with one long swallow. When Shea finished his beer, he announced he was heading up to the room, which was no surprise. Erik wasn’t sure how many times he heard Shea say something about Elli, but he was pretty sure if he heard anything else about her, he was going to scream. He didn’t understand how men could love women so unconditionally without more of a guarantee. What if she left? Then what would he do?

He had watched it happen to his father almost every other month and he’d be damned if he was going to let it happen to him. That was one of the things he didn’t understand with the way he had been feeling lately about Piper. He knew what could happen to a man when he loved a woman too much, so why was he considering it?

Phillip dropped down beside him with a goofy grin on his face, shoving another beer at Erik.

“I’m going to be leaving soon with these three fine ladies,” he said, giving a nod to the three brunettes who sat in front of them.

Erik was shocked. “All three?”

“Yes, I have to make up for the fact that you aren’t in the game anymore.”

Erik laughed. “You’re insane. What will the third one do?”

“I don’t know. Cup my balls? Suck her tits? Shit, I don’t know. We’ll work it out, don’t you worry.”

“Believe me, I am not worried about your sex life.”

“Good, you should be worried about yours,” Phillip pointed out.

“Ah, you know mine is nonexistent. Even though I wish it wasn’t. God, Piper is so hot,” Erik groaned.

“She sure is. You got lucky in the wife pool there, dude.”

“Have you ever had sex with a pregnant woman?”

“Ew, f**k no!” Phillip said with a disgusted look. “But I think it is different when it is with the baby momma. You know, you made that kid, so it’s okay if you poke it in the face.”

Erik couldn’t believe Phillip had just said that. Instead of laughing like he wanted, he told Phillip, “I think I’m obsessed with having sex with pregnant women.”

“What?” Phillip asked, confusion all over his face.

“I never ever thought of having sex with a pregnant woman before, but now it’s all I think about. Then again, when I look at her, I don’t see her pregnant. I see her hot, and smoking, and man, I want to bury myself inside her.”

“If I was married to her,” Phillip said, “I would never leave her pu**y alone. God, she is so hot. I don’t know why you are here; you need to be upstairs, trying to get some.”

Okay, that bothered Erik a little, but he would ignore it. Piper wasn’t his real wife.

“She doesn’t want me like that.”

“Well, shit, dude, how long is it until you leave?”

“End of September.”

Phillip thought for a moment. “Okay, so she has the baby, then give her about six months to adjust and then she’ll be up to dating again, right?”

Erik looked over at Phillip and glared as he suspiciously asked, “Why?”

“ ’Cause I’m gonna come a-callin’. I would make a great husband and I could be a stepdad, that won’t be a problem, plus we are best friends, so no big deal,” Phillip said with the biggest grin on his face, like his plan was the best idea since freezing water to play hockey on it.

“Are you f**king kidding me?” Erik asked. His hands were shaking with anger while he swore he saw red.

“What? It’s a good plan.”

“It’s a horrible plan. She is my baby’s mother. She is off-limits to everyone,” Erik spat out.

Phillip laughed. “Oh, no. She is fair game once you leave.”

Erik’s face was on fire. “No, she’s not. Are you trying to piss me off?”

“No, I’m telling you the truth, ass**le. But whatever, you think what you want to think while I go f**k these three beautiful ladies,” he said, standing up.

“I hope your dick goes limp,” Erik spat out, standing up, too.

Phillip laughed. “At least I get to try, while you are what? Watching a movie?”

“Asshole! If I wanted to get f**ked, I would.”

“Sure,” Phillip said with a grin as he turned to the ladies. “Ladies, your man is ready to go.”

Erik watched as Phillip left. His body burned with anger and he felt a little dizzy. He was drunk, and that’s probably why he wanted to rip his best friend’s head off and stuff it up his ass. How dare he say those things about Piper! She wouldn’t want him or anyone else! She would raise their kid, be a good mom; she’s not going to want another man! What the hell was a man going to give her that Erik wouldn’t give her if she needed it?! He’d show her! The only man she needed to have sex with was him!