No one had ever spoken to her like that.

Breathless, she held his gaze. “We aren’t?”

“Fuck, no. I’m thirty-two, I don’t have time for that. If I’m talking to you, being a complete and utter dork, showing who I really am, it’s because I see something in you. Something extraordinary. Something I haven’t seen in a very long time.”

Blinking twice, she looked down and sucked in a deep breath. “No clue what to say to that.”

“Don’t say anything. Just look at me, show me those dimples, and tell me to have a good game.”

Looking up, she gave him what he wanted, her grin so big she even felt her dimples cutting into her skin. When he smiled back, his eyes bright, she said, “Have a great game. Maybe text me afterward?”

“That was the plan,” he said simply and her heart fluttered. “I was going to try to score you a goal too.”

“I thought you were scoring one for Angie.”

He scoffed. “Do you know who I am? I’m the leading scoring defenseman of the league.”

She bubbled with laughter. “You are not!”

“Of the Assassins?”

“Nope,” she said simply and he laughed.

“Okay, I’m not. But maybe tonight, I will be. I feel I got some good luck from our virtual hug,” he said confidently with the cutest grin ever. It actually made her heart skip a beat. Like a freaking teenager’s. What was this dude doing to her? He was making her go soft is what he was doing.

“Well, either way, I’ll be watching.”

He feigned worry. “Shit. I better play good then, huh?”

“You always do.”

He eyed her, his lips curving. “Someone has been stalking me?”

“Just a bit.”

“Good. I like that.”

“I bet you do, weirdo.”

“Ha, you’re the one who likes me,” he accused and she looked away, laughing.

Looking back at the screen, she pressed her lips together. “Who said that?”

“I did, now don’t ruin my dreams. I gotta go score two goals, gotta get my head into the game,” he said, and she sputtered with laughter but didn’t let it out fully.

“Fine, you go be awesome.”

“That’s the plan, Stan. I’ll text you later.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” he said slowly. “Bye.”

“Bye,” she said as her heart went crazy in her chest before she hit end.

And when her phone went blank, she missed him.

Oh boy, she was in trouble.

Benji wasn’t one to go out, but when the Assassins landed in Wisconsin, most of the guys wanted to go down to the hotel bar and Benji agreed. He wasn’t sure why—maybe it was because Lucy was already asleep and he couldn’t text her, or maybe he just didn’t want to be alone in his room. But as he sat around with most of the guys as they cut up and razzed each other, he suddenly wished he hadn’t stayed locked up so much before.

These guys were actually really funny.

“I am not kidding, Phillipe is the next all-star goalie. He’s almost two and the kid can block anything. I try! I shoot at him all the time,” Tate Odder¸ their goalie, said, all seriousness in his eyes. “Audrey, she believes too.”

Lucas Brooks laughed but nodded. “No shit, I watch the kid too. He’s amazing for being so little. Well, young, I mean. The kid is a mini-giant.”

Everyone laughed at that as Tate nodded. “True! Aiden and Asher are always trying to score on him. They cannot!”

“Of course they can’t. They take after their dad,” Erik Titov joked as Phillip Anderson laughed from his gut.

“Yeah, isn’t it time for you to retire yet, Brooks?”

Lucas glared, leaning on the table. “I can outskate, outshoot, and whoop all your asses. Shut it and don’t start with me, Anderson. I’ll call your little son-in-law to take you out when we get to LA.”

Phillip scoffed. “I’m not scared of that little shit. No offense, Sinclair.”

Jayden laughed. “Hey, he is a little shit,” he joked. “But don’t act like you don’t love the dude. We all know you do.”

The look on Phillip’s face said otherwise as Erik teased, “Isn’t Claire pregnant yet?”

“The fuck? I will kill you!” Phillip said, reaching across the table for Erik, and everyone just laughed. It was apparently an ongoing joke about Claire, Phillip’s niece, who was basically his daughter. They’d had one rough start, but the girl, who was married to Sinclair’s brother, Jude, was doing well for herself. Phillip was really proud of her, minus her husband choice. Apparently, Jude was annoying. Surprising, with how awesome Jayden was.

“My mom is begging for a new grandbaby already. And since I know Bay and I aren’t getting pregnant, I feel sorry for her ’cause I don’t think they’re gonna come through for her either,” Jayden said and Phillip’s eyes narrowed.

“They don’t need any kids. They are kids.”

Everyone nodded but Jayden. He just smiled. “You just don’t want to be a grandpa.”

“Of course, I don’t. I just became a father for the second time. Third, if you count Claire, which I do.”

Jordie laughed as Karson leaned against the table, a grin on his face. “Speaking of new fathers, got some news.”

“You’re pregnant?” Vaughn asked. “I thought you were getting fat.”