Boarded by Love Read online

  We just killed it.

  Now it’s Jude’s turn.

  Chapter 36

  Jude

  Claire is mesmerizing.

  That’s all there is to it.

  There are over nine girls I think on that damn team, and the only one I can watch is her.

  After sneaking out to watch the girls hit the ice, I know that Coach will rip me a new one, but I had to catch a least a little bit of Claire’s dance. When I found that Shane had left too, to watch Amy dance, I figured that Coach will be a little lenient about it since both of us came to watch. We aren’t missing anything yet. Everyone usually just sits with their headphones on their ears, getting ready for the game. Maybe the way I get ready is to watch my baby tear the ice up.

  And once she starts, that’s exactly what she does.

  It’s downright unbelievable the way she moves. The music is hard-hitting and very techno, but she moves to it like it’s a lullaby. I swear this is what she’s meant to do for the rest of her gorgeous life. She’s amazing and I swear she steals the show. I couldn’t be prouder of her than I am right now, especially with the fact that my whole family is watching my girl make the dance floor her bitch.

  As the song ends, she goes into a series of turns and then stops right on point with her hands on her hips and a grin on her succulent mouth. The crowd is deafening, and I find myself cheering along with them. Even Shane is hollering for them and that’s probably how we got caught.

  “What the hell are you two doing? You are supposed to be prepping for the game!” Coach Moss yells.

  “Right, Coach, going now,” Shane says, waddling in his big goalie equipment back to the locker room, but before I follow, I look out just in time to meet Claire’s gaze.

  Her face breaks into a grin as her cheeks warm, and my heart explodes with love for this girl. “Great job, babe!” I yell out.

  She blows me a kiss, and I am two seconds from catching it and tucking it in my girdle, since that is what a pussy does. Since my coach is standing beside me, I wave and turn to head back to the locker room, pride seeping out of my pores for my girl. I can’t wait to get my hands on her so I can tell her and show her how proud of her I am.

  After a very long speech from Coach, we start to file out for warm-ups. As we head down the tunnel, I hear the crowd getting louder, and when we hit the ice, everyone loses it. You could honestly confuse this with an NHL game. The Bullies’ fans are hardcore and I like that. I like that hockey is so important to our college, to our community, especially in a football state like Tennessee.

  Turning in circles, my skates cut into the ice as I dig in, picking up speed to warm up. We’re playing our rivals, Vanderbilt, and we’re ready to whoop some ass. As I make my second pass around, I spot my family, even my dad, sitting, watching as I play. Angie is sitting on Jase’s shoulders, cheering me on, and I smile even though they can’t see me through the cage of my helmet. I can’t wait till I get in the NHL when I can start wearing visors instead of full cages. While I like to protect my pearly whites, I hate how I feel so trapped inside this thing.

  Letting my gaze leave my family, I look around the crowd, finding Phillip and Reese next. He’s watching me, and for some reason that makes me want to play better. He makes me nervous, and I want to be the best in his eyes. Letting out a breath, I turn again and this time I find Ralph with his family. He’s not talking to his wife though; he’s talking to some guy who is holding a clipboard.

  A scout.

  Adrenaline is coursing through me, my palms sweating in my gloves, and I know that I can’t worry about impressing Phillip; I have to impress this scout. He’s my future. He’s Claire and my future. I can’t fuck this up. I have to win, and I have to impress.

  For Claire.

  I want to give her the life she deserves, and the only way I can do that is by being signed by a great team. That’s probably the only way Phillip will ever respect me, and since I want those two things more than I can breathe, I am going to play my heart out every single game I play.

  Rounding around the goal, I take a puck and practice my puck handling as I continue making my circle. When I hit the blue line, I turn and take a shot, getting it right past Shane. He gives me a look that says I got lucky, but I know the truth – I’m the best out here. With a grin on my face, I turn around the goal again, and this time, I find Claire behind the visitor’s bench, her hands on her hips, holding pom-poms. She looks hot as hell in her little Bullies uniform. It may be a little tight, but I’m not complaining at all.

  Seeing her smiling face reiterates how important this game is as well as the rest of my college career. I have to make sure we’re good. I have to give her everything she wants because not only does she deserve it, but I want to do it. I want to treat her like a princess, just like Jayden said.

  When warm-ups are called, I go out to the blue line, lining up with my linemates, including Jayden. As a little girl sings the national anthem, I close my eyes and send a little prayer up to the heavens. I know I’ve got this, and as I line up for the puck drop, my opponent meets my gaze and I ask, “You ready to lose?”

  “Fuck you,” he sneers and I smile.

  When the puck drops, I win it back for my defensemen and head up, waiting for them to pass me the puck. I look back to see Jayden with the puck, deking around a player before shooting it up to me. Hitting my blade, I dig in, going around one player, putting my hip into them as I turn, passing the puck to Martin. Pushing off the jerk, I head to the goal, blocking the goalie from being able to see. He pushes me in the back, but I stand strong, blocking him and waiting for the puck to come my way. Jayden gets the puck and lines up the shot, shooting hard, but a defenseman gets in the way, blocking it with his shin. Luckily though, it lands in front of me, and I quickly backhand it over the goalie’s shoulder and into the back of the net.

  My arms go up as the goalie pushes me away, and I skate toward my team, getting wrapped up in a tight hug as the crowd chants for us. Scoring used to be my ultimate high before being with Claire, and while it doesn’t hold the same feeling that kissing Claire does, it still shakes me to the core. Skating toward the bench, my gaze catches Claire’s and she’s grinning from ear to ear, her arms up in the air, shaking the pom-poms.

  That was for her.

  Hell, everything I do is for her.

  We won.

  Three to zero.

  Just like I knew we would. I had two of the goals, and while I wish I had scored all three, I’m just glad we shut them out. The locker room is jubilant, and we’re ready to win the rest of the season. We will win the championship, and I will go into the draft a winner. That’s my plan, and I hope that every game ends with me off to meet Claire.

  After showering, I head out of the locker room with Jayden to find Claire waiting for me. Her face breaks into a grin, her eyes bright as she pushes off the wall. Like me, she wears Bullies sweats, but still has her makeup and hair done from earlier.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” I say, slinging my arm around her shoulders.

  “Hey, hotshot, great game.”

  I smile. “Thanks, babe. That first goal was for you.”

  “Aw, really?”

  “Yup, really, both of them were.”

  “Ugh, I can’t stand you two,” Jayden says, walking faster and away from us.

  I laugh as her grin grows, her face turning a pretty pink. “I like that a lot, and you’re just jealous, Jayden!”

  He scoffs as he shakes his head, and I smile before meeting her gaze. “You killed it out there, baby.”

  “Thanks, it was a great performance, and seeing you there made it even better.”

  “Good, it was a pleasure watching you,” I say before kissing her temple as we head out into the lobby.

  I see Angie first; she’s running to me, her arms out as she calls, “Ude! Ude!”

  I drop my bag and pick her up, kissing her loudly on the cheek. “Hey, girlie! You like the game?”

  She nods quickly and the