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“Well, that was a shit show.”
Derek sat with his eyes closed and his head against the seat as the bus rumbled away from the Wilkes-Barre arena. The silence had been almost deafening until Dirk Bennett had made that totally accurate statement from the row ahead of him.
They’d lost 5-1 to a team they should’ve beaten easily. Yeah, they’d had three games last week and they’d had to travel this morning...but still. They’d played like shit and a lot of that was his fault. He’d been slow, sloppy and stupid.
So yeah...a shit show.
“Hey, you okay?” Robbie’s voice was barely audible from across the aisle. “You don’t look so g-good.”
He didn’t feel so good either, but he just shook his head, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Fucking Oullette caught me off guard with that last hit. Christ, I played a shitty game.”
“Don’t b-beat yourself up. We all played s-shitty.”
Just not as shitty as him. He’d let the guys down. He’d let himself down.
And yet...
Last night, he’d had the second-best sex of his life and technically he’d been alone. But not really because...Sophie. When was the last time he’d let a girl screw with his head? That’d be never. He knew better. Then again, maybe he didn’t.
Maybe he had more of his mom in him than he wanted to admit.
Fuck, his head hurt just thinking about it. He reached up to his temple and started to rub.
“You sure you’re okay?” Robbie asked.
“I’m fine.”
He hoped. He had a headache that wouldn’t quit after a hard check into the boards that had required a visit to the dark room for concussion protocol early in the first period. The doctor had declared him fit to play but the resulting headache was becoming a grinding ache.
He’d had worse but—
“You need to t-talk to Coach or the trainer.” Robbie wasn’t letting this go. “You’re really pale.”
He snorted out a laugh and finally opened his eyes to glance at Robbie—which made his head throb like a sonuvabitch. “Dude, I’m always pale.”
Robbie didn’t look convinced. “But you d-don’t always look like you’re gonna pass out.”
“Nothing a few hours sleep won’t cure.”
The problem was he’d planned to spend a few of those hours with Sophie. Now, he knew he should go straight to bed when they got home. They had a game Friday and he needed to redeem himself.
But the only thing on his mind all morning had been Sophie. He’d never had this intense a reaction to a woman before and it was fucking with his head. So, yeah, he should go straight home and fall face first into bed and not come up for air until sometime tomorrow. Coach had set practice for tomorrow afternoon to give them time to rest and recover but Derek planned to get up early after a decent night’s sleep and hit the gym before practice.
A few seconds later, his phone pinged.
Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he opened his eyes only wide enough to be able to read the screen. Sophie. Damn it, he wanted to talk to her. Even though his head felt like it was about to split open, he opened the text.
Hey. Saw the game. You okay?
He could almost hear her voice in his head. Amazingly, that didn’t hurt. But yeah, the brightness of the screen felt like a knife to his temples. He typed out a reply he hoped was legible and hit send then tried not to groan out loud
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He wanted to call Sophie and tell her he’d be over as soon as he got back. Wanted to spend the rest of the night making her moan out his name. Wanted to sleep curled around her and wake up the next morning and make love to her again.
How the hell had he gotten so addicted to a woman in the space of a couple of days?
Have you met your mother?
Scowling, he shook his head, which just made it ache more.
Fuck, fuck and fuck.
“D, seriously, you all right?”
He practically had to bite his tongue off not to snap at Robbie. Which would’ve been shitty of him. His friend was worried. The least he could do was not snap his head off for it.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
Derek heard Will’s question, even though he kept his voice low. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his head, he didn’t answer. Robbie said something Derek couldn’t make out.
“Damn it.” Will’s voice was a rough growl. “How bad is your head?”
Beside him, he felt movement as Robbie got up. “I’m getting the trainer.”
Good idea. His head felt like someone had gotten in there with a pickax and was trying to get out through his temples. And now he was nauseous.
Fuck.
Every bump in the road made it worse and he knew if he opened his eyes, he’d puke. But he was squeezing them shut so hard, it added to the pain.
By the time the trainer knelt by his side, he was pretty sure he was gonna throw up. Phil didn’t even bother to ask him any questions.
“Come on,” he said. “I know it’s gonna suck but you need to come in the back with me and lie down. You get a lot of migraines?”
Was that what this was? Holy shit, no wonder his mom grabbed her prescription bottle at the first sign of one.
“No. Never.” He managed to grit out. “Christ, just knock me out.”
He heard Phil’s low chuckle. “Yeah, that’s probably what got you into this state in the first place. Come on. Excedrin and ice packs for you. Then you need to go home and sleep it off.”
Which sucked. Because he really wanted to talk to Sophie.
The walk to the back of the bus was sheer torture but the ice packs on his head and the pills worked to knock back some of the pain but he had to keep his eyes closed because any light at all made ice picks stab his brain.
The last forty-five minutes of the drive was hell but he must have finally managed to fall asleep because one minute they were on the turnpike and the next they were pulling into the parking lot at the arena.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty.” Will kept his voice low. “Can you walk?”
Blinking his eyes open, he groaned at the jolt of pain that swept through his head.
Will huffed out a quiet breath. “I’ll take that as a no. Come on. I’ll help you out. Robbie’ll drive you home.”
Yep, okay, no problem. He didn’t care who took him home as long as he got there.
He heard the trainer say something to Will, heard Will respond then Will was helping him out of the chair and down the aisle of the bus.
He barely opened his eyes, just enough to make sure he didn’t run into anything.
He couldn’t talk, was a little afraid he’d embarrass the hell out of himself and throw up. He’d never felt so fucking horrible in his life.
Somehow he got into Robbie’s SUV, heard Robbie and Will talking about getting him into bed.
“I’ll be fine. Just get me home and I’ll be fine.”
But he grimaced as another ice pick of pain hammered through his temples.
“D, you can barely walk.” Will touched his shoulder. “Just shut the fuck up and let the grownups figure this out.”
His smile was weak but he managed a small one. “Sure, Dad.”
He didn’t know what else they said because he shut his eyes again and leaned his head back against the headrest.
Then Robbie got in the car and slammed the door shut and he had to grit his teeth against the nausea.
“Shit. S-Sorry. Let me know if you need to puke.”
The drive back to their apartment took forever. Or at least it felt like it. He kept his eyes closed the entire time, although he’d felt his phone vibrate several times. Probably Sophie getting back to him. Damn it.
By the time Robbie helped him out of the car and into their apartment, he was ready to pass out.
Since he’d taken a shower after the game, he didn’t need to do anything but strip and fall into bed. But even though he felt better just to lay down, he still felt like his head was about to explode.
The trainer had sent him home with a bottle of whatever he’d given him on the bus but warned him not exceed the dosage. Too bad he’d forgotten what that was and the damn type on the bottle was too fucking small for him to even attempt to read.
He thought about calling Robbie in to help him but Robbie had probably gone straight to bed, too.
Then he swore he heard Sophie’s voice coming from somewhere.
Did migraines make you hallucinate?
Maybe they weren’t so bad after all.
*****
Sophie frowned over Derek’s garbled last text. It was almost unreadable but she got the gist of it.
He was fine but he had a headache.
She’d seen the game tonight, had seen the vicious hit he’d taken from the Wilkes-Barre player. And then she’d watched him being helped off the ice only to return later.
He’d played the rest of the game but even she could tell he’d played like crap. So he probably wanted to be left alone.
But that text worried her. What if he had a concussion? Had he gone to a doctor?
Damn it, she was worried about him and she had no idea what the hell to do about it. Would he think she was being clingy if she called Jess to ask Will how he was feeling?
She set her phone down only to pick it up a few seconds later. Then set it down again.
Shit.
Today had been a screwed-up day. The bar was closed on Sundays and she almost always went to her parents’ for dinner, along with at least one of her sisters. After yesterday, she’d almost called off. She hadn’t spoken to her mom since Saturday morning and she figured by now, her mom had told her dad and... Ugh, lunch was going to be a huge headache.
But she figured it was better to face that problem head-on than let it fester. So she went. And yeah, it was weird. Her mom treated her like she normally did but every now and then Sophie caught her mom looking at her like she wanted to say something. Then her mom would smile and turn away. And Sophie would stifle a sigh.
At least, her dad didn’t seem to know anything or, if he did, he was thankfully ignoring the situation. Whatever. It made for a weird night. Especially since her sister, Helena, was there with her kids. And Helena kept smiling at her, too. But it was more like a smirk.
She’d sighed in relief as she walked back into her apartment in time for the start of the game and had been glued to the TV for the entire thing. Watching it live was much more fun but having the different camera angles allowed her to get a closer look.
And every time they showed that shot of Derek getting hit, she winced.
She’d checked her phone every few minutes after the game, hoping to hear from him. And when she finally had, she’d begun to worry.
Yes, he was probably fine, just tired and didn’t want to talk to anyone, her included.
Still...
With a sigh, she opened a new text.
Hey, I just got a weird text from Derek and now I’m worried about him. Am I being stupid?
It took a few seconds, but Bliss finally got back to her.
Weird how?
Messed up. Like he was drunk but I know he’s not. I’m worried because he hit his head on the wall tonight.
I’ll text Shane. He can check.
You don’t think I’m being clingy?
What? No. You’re concerned. There’s a difference. Sit tight. I’ll get back to you.
She spent the next few minutes pacing the floor. She’d switched over to some Hallmark movie after the game but it wasn’t holding her attention.
And when her phone rang, she forgot about the TV.
“Hey Soph.” Bliss. “Shane said Derek’s got a migraine and is down for the count. Will and Robbie are going to get him back to his apartment and hope he sleeps it off.”
“Oh no. Migraines are the worst. My dad’s had them for years.”
“So you know what to do for them?”
“Yeah. My dad had them a lot when I was younger. Why?”
“Well, the guys think he’ll be fine but, according to Shane, the trainer said something to Robbie about keeping an eye on him for concussion. He checked out okay after the hit but...you know guys. They say they’re fine until they’re not. And then they’re huge babies and need someone to take care of them. So,” Bliss drew the word out to about five syllables, “I’m thinking maybe you want to stay with Derek tonight. Just to keep an eye on him.”
She wanted to agree immediately. Wanted to jump at the chance to take care of him. But she also didn’t want to seem like a stalker after spending one night with him.
“I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t want me there. He didn’t text me back.”
“Probably because he can’t open his eyes. I think you’d be doing him and the guys a favor.”
Which is how she found herself knocking on Derek’s apartment door about an hour and a half later, still trying to tell herself this was a good idea.
When the door opened, she found herself staring up at a young god with short blond hair that stuck out all over the place and tired, electric-blue eyes.
“Hey, you must be S-Sophie.” He reached for her hand and practically dragged her inside. “Thanks for c-coming over. I was k-kinda f-freaking out.”
“Hi. Robbie, right?” She smiled when he nodded. “No problem. Bliss said you guys are probably exhausted after the game. I don’t might helping out. Just point me in Derek’s direction and I’ll make sure he’s okay.”
Robbie’s expression of complete relief made her feel better about being here.
“Straight b-back. Thanks. I’m ready to c-crash but if you n-need anything, just ask.”
“I will. Now go get some sleep. You look like you can use it.”
He saluted her, probably because of the stutter. She had a cousin with a severe lisp who’d learned ways around speaking with gestures. Obviously Robbie had done the same.
Walking to the back of the apartment, Sophie headed for the door Robbie had pointed at and slowly opened it.
It barely made a sound, but she knew from her dad that even the tiniest noise could be painful during a migraine. The room was almost pitch black, but she could just make out the figure on the bed. He must have fallen asleep already. Which was good.
Taking a step forward, her foot hit something soft on the floor and she stooped to pick it up. Pants. She looked down again and saw the rest of his clothes strewn over the floor. Like he’d just dropped them were he stood.
She’d just stooped to pick up the rest when she heard movement.
“Sophie?”
Derek squinted at her, his eyes barely open.
“Yeah, it’s me.” She whispered as she came closer to the bed then knelt on the floor beside him. “How do you feel?”
“Like shit. What’re you doing here?”
“Shane and Will were worried about you. I offered to help. Can I get you an ice pack for your head? And I can run to the store for some Excedrin. They make stuff specifically for migraines.”
The slight smile on his lips made her smile in return, even though he couldn’t see it because his eyes had closed again.
“Trainer gave me pills. On the table. I will love you forever if you get me an icepack.”
Her smile widened, even as her stomach gave a little flutter at his choice of words.
Down, girl. Don’t be an idiot.
Back in the kitchen, she grabbed a flexible gel ice pack out of the freezer, grabbed a water bottle out of the drying rack next to the sink and filled it with water, found the pills on the table, made a stop in the bathroom to get a clean towel to wrap around the ice pack, then took it all back to his room.
She left the light on in the hall and let the door open a sliver so she didn’t have to turn on the light in his bedroom. He looked like he hadn’t moved a muscle since she left.
“You still awake? I’m going to put the icepack on your head, okay?”
He made a tiny motion that looked like a nod so she set the water bottle and the pills on the nightstand and gently moved his hair out of the way so she could put the icepack on his forehead.
If he wasn’t feeling so awful, she’d run her fingers through it because she had a thing for his hair. Those curls were so damn silky.
Instead, she released a little sigh and turned away. But his hand caught hers before she could take a step.
“Stay.”
“I’m not leaving. I’m just going to sit in the living—”
“Sit here.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t want to disturb you.”
“You can’t.”
She fought a short battle with her good sense then kicked off her shoes, took off her coat and slid into the other side of the bed. Since she was wearing yoga pants and a loose, thin sweatshirt without a bra, she was just as comfortable as if she’d been wearing pajamas.
Turning on her side, she watched his face slowly relax. And just before she closed her eyes, she felt his fingers touch hers beneath the covers and wrap around them tightly.
*****
Derek woke around six a.m. and instinctively winced before he realized his head no longer hurt.
Thank fuck.
He still felt like he’d gotten run over by a bus and would need at least a week to recover but he no longer wanted to jamb his fingers in his eyes to stop his head from pounding and that was a good thing.
A soft sigh from the opposite side of the bed reminded him he wasn’t alone. Sophie lay on her side facing him, hair covering most of her face, body curled into a tight knot.
Not how he’d wanted to spend his second night with her but he was damn glad she’d been here.
She’d taken care of him all night, changed the icepack several times, gotten him a couple more pills when he’d woken around two.
Laying back down beside her, he pushed the hair out of her face and traced the curves of her face with his eyes.
So goddamn pretty. And so sweet. She barely knew him and she’d stayed with him all night.
She’s a keeper.
Derek heard his grandfather’s voice in his head, something his Pop had said more times than he could remember about Derek’s grandmother. They had the kind of relationship Derek wanted for himself, the kind he wanted for his mom and his sister. The kind his Nana feared he’d never find because he was never looking.
Maybe he hadn’t had to look. Maybe he’d gotten lucky and she’d fallen into his lap.
Yeah, or maybe she’s a gold digger looking to get out of this little town on the back of a guy who’s gonna be rich and famous someday.
And that was the cynic who lived in Derek’s head and was only allowed out to play occasionally because that bastard was a fucking asshole.
He’d stake his career on the fact that Sophie wasn’t like that. Yeah, he’d met some girls who absolutely were looking for a way out of their small town and thought a professional athlete could get them there. He’d seen those relationship fall apart because they were built on a shaky foundation.
And yeah, maybe growing up dirt poor and always one step away from being on the street had made him more cynical than someone who’d never known what it was like to wonder if you were going to eat dinner that night or have to wait to get to school the next day.
Sophie wasn’t like those girls. Sophie was the kind of girl who wouldn’t want to get involved with an athlete like him because they didn’t have a stable life. They were constantly on the move.
But Sophie had said she wanted to travel. Europe and Japan. Not the states and Canada wherever he managed to get traded to. Because the reality of his job was that he could wake up in Pennsylvania but go to sleep in Idaho.
And why the fuck are you worrying about any of this right now when you could be waking this woman with a kiss?
Dude, creeper much?
Stifling a sigh, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and headed for the bathroom, keeping the noise to a minimum. He didn’t want to wake Sophie or Robbie, who he probably owed big time for contacting Sophie.
He’d just started to crawl back into bed when he heard Sophie make a soft sound.
Turning on his side to face her, he found her eyes open.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” Her lips curved in a smile that made him think about things he shouldn’t be thinking about. At least not now. “How do you feel?”
“A hell of a lot better.” He kept his voice low as he slid down next to her and turned on his side to face her. “Thank you for coming over last night. If you’d left me to Robbie, we’d probably both have headaches and black eyes this morning.”
Her lips curved into an even sweeter smile and now the urge to kiss her made him grit his teeth. Damn it, why the hell was he second-guessing everything with her?
“He looked beat last night, too.”
“Tough game for all of us.”
Her nose crinkled. “Yeah, I saw. That sucked. But you have another game against them later this month and I’m sure you’ll beat them then.”
“So now you’re a hockey fan?”
She gave a look that was a cross between “well, yeah” and “don’t get a big head.”
“Let’s just say I might be more of a fan than I was a few days ago.”
“And does that have anything to do with me?”
“Oh, do you play?”
Her teasing smile finally broke through his restraint and he leaned forward and kissed her. Lips closed, no tongue. Just a straight-up, fit-for-company press of his lips against hers. Of course, the fact that they were in his bed and he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers probably wasn’t the best idea, but he couldn’t help himself.
And when she responded by tilting her head just enough that their lips pressed open and her tongue slipped through and flicked against this upper lip...
He wasn’t that good.
Sliding closer, he wrapped his arms around her waist, intending nothing more than to kiss her. Okay, and maybe press her gorgeous body against his and think about all the things he wanted to do to that body. What he wasn’t planning was to rip off her clothes and lick his way from her throat to her pussy.
Apparently, Sophie had other ideas.
She rolled them until she was on top. Her mouth shifted over his, deepening their kiss until it caught fire and swept away every last thought he had of denying himself her.
His hands slid down her back from her shoulders to her ass, cupping those tight globes and bringing her hips even tighter against his groin. Caught between them, his cock throbbed, happy to have the pressure and begging for more.
Down, boy.
But Sophie didn’t seem to want to stop at kissing. Her hips ground down a little harder and her legs shifted open until her knees fell on either side of his legs.
Fuck. If they were naked, his cock would be pressed against her pussy and he’d be reaching for the condoms in the bedside table. Instead, he moved his hands back to her waist and tried not to devour her. Even though that’s exactly what he wanted to do. And it seemed that’s what she wanted, too.
Her mouth moved against his with an ever-increasing urgency that set fire to his libido. He wanted her to keep going but, if she did, he wouldn’t want to stop.
And even though it was still early, he had practice today and he needed to get up and shovel calories back into his body. Even though the rest of his body wanted her, his stomach wanted food and growled. Loudly.
He felt her lips curve against his a second before she pulled away. She didn’t go far, just far enough to be able to look down at him.
“I guess I should feed you before I jump your bones.”
The need for food warred with the gnawing ache in his gut to bury his cock deep inside her.
So maybe you wanna show her you’re not just after her for sex.
Damn, it sucked to take the high road.
“Do you promise to jump my bones later?”
Putting her hands on his chest, she settled her pussy directly over his hard cock and rocked down onto him, that smile on her face promising so much.
“I don’t know that I can promise that. What if you have a relapse with the migraine? And don’t you have practice today?”
“No practice until this afternoon. Which means I’ve got all morning.”
“Then I guess you can wait a few minutes for breakfast. Because I am hungry and not for food.”
Her unapologetic sex drive hit him like a check into the boards and his fingers tightened on her hips. He opened his mouth to respond but never got a word out because she bent down and kissed him again.
And then she did a hell of a lot more than kiss him.