Hockey Holidays Read online

  Stacie’s expression held mocking disbelief. “You’re not going to get a second chance. You fucked up royally, now you’re paying. And I’m perfectly content to watch from the sidelines while you swing in the wind.”

  “Do you honestly hate me that much?”

  He fought back a grin because, even though she clearly wanted to hate him, they’d actually gotten along pretty well before. He’d admired her take-no-prisoners attitude. Actually, they were a lot alike, but she was Leah’s best friend. And he was the guy who’d dumped her.

  Stacie shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much.”

  “And nothing I can do will fix that?”

  Crossing her arms in front of her, Stacie watched him with a calculating look in her eyes. “So you are trying to crawl back into her bed. Not gonna happen, dude.”

  “What if I admit that I know how badly I fucked up? That I realize she’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I’ll do whatever I need to do to get her back?”

  “I’d say don’t hold your breath. She’s never gonna trust you again. And I don’t blame her.”

  “Then I guess I’ll just have to work on regaining that trust.”

  Stacie’s gaze narrowed. “She’s too good for you.”

  He held his hands up in front of him. “No argument from me.”

  Sighing, Stacie shook her head. “You’re gonna do whatever the hell it is you want anyway.” Her hands went back on her hips. “So why are you talking to me?”

  “Because I know how much you mean to Leah, and if you’re gonna block me at every turn, I’m not gonna have a chance with her.”

  Stacie’s eyes narrowed even more. “So what do you want?”

  “All I’m asking for is a little breathing room. I don’t want to hurt Leah. That was never my intent. But I know I did and I want to make it up to her. Let me show her I can be the guy she needs.”

  Stacie fell silent for so long he wasn’t sure she wasn’t going to turn on her heel and walk out the door. But finally, she took a deep breath and let her hands fall to her sides.

  “So you’re gonna ask her out?”

  “I plan to, yeah. But first I want to make sure she knows I’m not the same guy. That I’ve changed.”

  Her brow arched. “Huh. I guess only time will tell about that.” Another pause. “Fine. You want me to keep my mouth shut, I’ll give you a week. But you hurt her, and I’ll cut your balls off.”

  Huffing out an amused breath, he shook his head. “I’m not planning to, but if I do, I’ll give you the knife.”

  Stacie gave him another one of those looks before she turned and headed for the door. But just before she walked out, she looked over her shoulder at him. “I won’t use a knife, dude. I’ll use your own damn hockey blade.”

  Chapter Three

  Leah glanced again at the studio’s closed door.

  What could they possibly be talking about this long?

  She couldn’t believe Kyle and Stacie would be in the same room for this long without Stacie screaming obscenities at him and Kyle leaving with a limp, clutching his groin.

  Should she go back in there and see what was up? Or would that make things worse?

  Since she honestly had no idea what they could be doing in there for so long, she didn’t know what to do. However, she did have a class starting in three minutes that she should be getting ready for.

  And she was ready. She just really wanted to know what Kyle and Stacie were talking—

  Finally, the door opened, and Stacie walked out, grinning like she hadn’t just spent the last several minutes with her sworn enemy.

  At least Leah didn’t see any blood on her friend. And she could almost convince herself that was a joke.

  As Stacie walked toward the desk, Leah told herself not to ask. Told herself she didn’t care what they’d been talking about.

  But when Stacie smiled and waved as she walked out the door without saying a word, Leah growled under her breath as she turned to look for Kyle.

  Who happened to be only inches away from her.

  “Oh!”

  She lifted her hands to avoid running into him and wound up pressing them against his broad chest.

  Her fingers curled automatically into hard muscle as his hands landed on her shoulders to steady her.

  “Whoa. Sorry. Didn’t realize I was so close.”

  Oh my god.

  It was so not fair that this man still had the ability to make her heart pound like he had the first time he’d kissed her. Not that he was going to get the chance to do that again.

  No way. No how. Nope.

  With his hands on her shoulders, he tilted her upright. Away from him.

  No, no, no. She wanted to be closer.

  Jesus, I’m going crazy.

  “I… Don’t… That’s okay. Just…I need to get to class.”

  Damn him. She wanted to snap at him and smack her hand against his chest and tell him just how much she never wanted to see him again.

  Liar.

  Ugh.

  Instead, she forced a smile, stepped around him, and walked away.

  She didn’t get far when she heard him say, “Hey, Leah.”

  Pausing, she considered ignoring him. He hadn’t raised his voice, but even though music played over the loudspeakers, she heard him clearly.

  With a sigh, she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, hoping she didn’t look as panicked as she felt.

  Because if he asked her out, she was afraid she’d say yes.

  “Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your class. Never found another instructor who was half as good as you.”

  Then he smiled and took her breath away then walked out the door, leaving her staring after him with her mouth hanging open.

  “How’s the plan going?”

  Kyle pushed up his mask and squirted water in his mouth then all over his face and hair. He and Nate had been paired off with the goalie coach all morning, but they’d just finished their last drill. Most of the team had already left the ice, along with the coaches.

  Even though Kyle knew exactly what Nate meant, he wasn’t sure he was in the mood to talk.

  “What plan?”

  “Yeah, what plan? And how come I don’t know anything about it?”

  Derek skated over, snowing Kyle’s skates as he stopped in front of him. Kyle just shook his head.

  “His plan to get back in Leah’s good graces.”

  “Ah. So you’re gonna go there. Well, you got balls, I’ll give you that.” Derek shook his head, a wry grin on his lips. “So what’s the plan? You need help? I mean, of course you need help. You fucked up royally last time. You totally need help.”

  Kyle sucked in a deep breath and wished Derek into a deep, dark hole somewhere. Except he was a damn good player and the team needed him. Kyle couldn’t slash the asshole.

  “You want me to say something to Sophie about inviting Leah to the team party at the bar? Sophie takes classes at the studio sometimes. She knows Leah enough to ask. Jess might, too, come to think of it. That’s Will’s fiancée.”

  And this was why Derek still had his teeth. The guy could make you want to punch him and kiss him at the same damn time.

  “No, I’ll ask her. I’ll just say the invite came from you, though. That okay?”

  Derek’s grin widened. “Whatever I can do to help you out, dude.”

  Which was how Kyle found himself standing at the door of her apartment later that night, holding three pizzas.

  One was her favorite. White pizza with broccoli from the place down the street. She’d been the one to introduce him to Paolo’s, and he’d missed their pizza when he’d left.

  He’d missed her more.

  Hopefully she wasn’t going to shove the pizza in his face and send him back to his apartment. More likely, she wouldn’t even open the door when she saw him through the peephole.

  Trying to breathe normally while he waited, he finally heard movement. He was pretty sure she’d already checked