Delayed Call Read online

Kissing her nose, he pulled her along. “So this was my home. I was in this rink more than I was home. Oh! Come here, I’ll show you where Nathan stood.”

  Taking her hand, he pulled her toward the rink, and she couldn’t stop smiling. He was excited, happy, and after seeing Nathan and his mom’s real burial site earlier that morning, she was glad he was so upbeat. It had been hard watching him clean their little plots, making them pristine as he held back his tears. While he was a hard-ass, he had a lot of emotion in that big ole body of his, and she was truly amazed by him. It was like she saw a different layer of him daily, and she swore she was falling for each one. She couldn’t stop herself if she tried.

  When he pushed open the doors to the rink, she was surprised that the lights were on and the ice was surfaced. Before she could ask why, they stopped in front of a chair. On it, though, there was a sign indicating not to sit on it, that it was saved for Nathan. Her heart ached as she looked up at Vaughn, her eyes clouding with tears. “That is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.”

  “He sat there every day. As long as I was out there, he was sitting or standing. He was my biggest fan.”

  He smiled grimly, and she held on to him, kissing his bicep. “You know you were amazing to him, right?”

  “Yeah, I know,” he said quietly, cupping her face. “Thanks, though.”

  As they stood there, the sounds of the rink and the coolness of the air swirling around them, she wanted to make him smile. She wanted him to be happy. Though, she knew this part of him never would be. Kissing him once more, she leaned her chin on his bicep, which made him look down as she whispered, “Is the spot open?”

  His brows pulled together. “What spot?”

  “The spot for your biggest fan?” Her voice was still a whisper as his lip pulled up at the side. “Or is one of your many whores occupying it right now?”

  “Nope, no whores. But the spot is taken.”

  Her heart stopped. “Oh?”

  “Yeah, by my babe,” he said, tapping her nose. “Only you can wear number forty.”

  “Oh, good, I was worried.”

  “No, I mean, if you’re dating me, then you’re basically my biggest fan.”

  She shot him a dull look. “I was trying to be sweet.”

  He nuzzled her nose and smiled. “I know, but you made fun of my nickname.” She beamed as he kissed her softly before taking her hand. “Come on.”

  “Where?”

  “I want to beat you on my ice.”

  “What the hell!” she said, dropping her hand from his as he laughed.

  Throwing up his hands, he yelled, “Why’d you think I brought you here?”

  “No, I’m saying ‘what the hell’ because you’re insane if you think I’d let that happen.”

  He sent her a challenging grin, and they walked together around the rink and into the bench area. But when she only saw sticks and skates, she turned to him quizzically. “Where is the gear?”

  He waggled his brows at her. “We’re playing strip hockey.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Are you insane?”

  “Nope, and let me explain why,” he said, taking his boots off. “One, we both like each other naked. Two, the place is locked down, no one can get in. Three, it will be quick ’cause you’re going to lose.”

  She glared. “One, it’s fucking cold. I’m gonna freeze my balls off.”

  He hollered out, pointing to her. “I knew you had balls!”

  Laughing, she shook her head. “I’m not playing.”

  “What?” he asked, putting on his skates. “Scared you’ll be naked, and I’d do you on the ice?”

  She scoffed. “Not scared ’cause that will happen, but I’m trying to save your legendary cock. Don’t want you to get frostbite.”

  “Put your skates on, then. I’ll worry about my cock.”

  “But I have to worry about it too, I like it a lot.”

  “Put your skates on, crybaby.”

  “I’m not crying.”

  “Wah, wah, wah, I’m cold, and I’m scared my sexy boyfriend is going to beat me.”

  “You’re not sexy,” she said, toeing out of her shoes. “And you’re not going to beat me.”

  She watched as he went out onto the ice, skating around with the ease only he had. There was something extremely sensual about the way he skated. He took such long strides, his body moving as if it was meant to do nothing but skate. As she tried to tie her skates, she couldn’t help but watch him. Though, when she saw the stick he had gotten her, she smiled. “You brought my stick?’

  He looked over at her, a grin playing on his lips. “Yeah, figured you want it.”

  When she looked back at it, her heart skipped a beat when she saw her name written on it like a professional’s.

  B. Soledad.

  It wasn’t that big of a deal to other people, but to her, it was. She had thought it was her dream to play professionally, but that wasn’t her path. Broadcasting was, and she loved it, but her name on that stick was a sweet gesture from her hunky boyfriend. As she stood on her skates, she reached for her stick. “Aw, you even taped it for me?”

  “Yeah, is it okay?”

  “Yeah, it’s great.”

  “It’s how I do mine.”

  “It’s good,” she said, testing the flex before getting on the ice with him. “Now, tell me the rules.”

  He grinned suggestively. “Every goal, the other person strips.”

  “Post?”

  “Crossbar, but from the blue line—”

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s not fair! You have way more power than me.”

  “Let me finish,” he scolded, and she pursed her lips. “I’m at the blue line, you’re in line with the top of the face-off circle.”

  She looked over at the distance from the circle to the goal and nodded her head. “Okay, I go first.”

  “Why do you go first?”

  “I’m a lady, asshole.”

  “’Cause a lady says asshole.”

  She shot him a grin. “She does—and motherfucker. Lots of motherfuckers come out of ladies’ mouths.”

  He chuckled as she took the puck from beneath his stick and moved it to the circle. Warming up, she wiggled her arms, stretching them as she eyed the post. She dropped into a squat and then touched her toes before Vaughn called out. “Okay, Jenny, let’s go.”

  “What? Why am I Jenny?”

  “He stretches like that.”

  “Oh, it’s effective.”

  “Apparently.”

  “Is he coming tomorrow night?”

  “Yeah, and Wren, Wells, and I think the new guy is Alex? Andrew? Austin? I can’t remember.”

  “Shouldn’t you know that?”

  “Eh, I will tomorrow.”

  “And Jensen likes Wren, right?”

  “Yeah, he’s in love with her.”

  She made a face. “What’s wrong with being in love?”

  “Nothing, but he won’t even talk to her.”

  “Maybe he’s taking his time.”

  “Maybe he’s a pansy ass.”

  But it seemed like more than that. His answer didn’t satisfy her in the least. Leaning on her stick, she met his annoyed gaze as he asked, “Are we going to do this? I want to see your boobs.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Answer me this first. So, you aren’t making fun of the fact that he’s in love, it’s that he won’t tell her.”

  He eyed her. “What are you getting at?”

  She shrugged slightly. “Just making sure your playboy side isn’t popping back into place and you’re not trying to say you won’t love someone.”

  Skating toward her, he pointed his stick at her. “Are you trying to ask if I love you?”

  She balked since that’s exactly what she was doing. “No, but I hope you will one day.” Stopping in front of her, he leaned on his stick so that he was face-to-face with her. She wanted to laugh since his stick was the same height as she was, but her eyes were locked with his as she said, “Ju