The crowd roared and Trick raised his stick in triumph, more shocked than anything because it had happened so damn fast. They did a quick celebration, then reset. It felt good to be up by a goal that quickly, but there was a lot of time left to play.
Detroit scored two minutes later, tying the game. Shit.
After fighting it out for another few minutes, they came off the ice for a break, and Litman and Sayers took over. It was hard not to be out there, but these guys were just as good. And when Detroit took the puck down to their end, the Travelers defenders kept them from scoring, even though Trick held his breath the entire time. Fortunately, Litman scored for the Travelers, and they could all breathe again. But going up one goal just wasn't enough.
When he and Drew made their way back onto the ice, he was determined they were going to score again. A little too determined, maybe, because he got called on a cross-checking penalty and had to sit in the box, giving Detroit a power play.
Goddamnit. Stupid move on his part. He'd wanted to play clean, not give Detroit an advantage. He divided his time between watching the clock and his teammates, hoping like hell Detroit didn't score on his penalty.
He knew his guys, knew they could hold them, but Detroit played tough and they spent nearly the entire two minutes playing at the Travelers' end of the ice. When Kozlow shot the puck to the Detroit end with only fifteen seconds left in Trick's penalty, he hoped it was enough.
The last five seconds felt like an eternity, but he was out of the box and back on the ice, and Detroit hadn't scored. He didn't even have time to feel relieved about that, because they were in a battle with the clock. Time was running out on the game, and Detroit was relentless in their attack. But the Travelers' defense was solid, and by the time the puck came back to Trick and Drew, they felt they had this game. They were at the net, battling with Detroit's defenders, and Trick saw an opening. He slid the puck to Drew, who slotted it in behind the left post for another score.
This game was all but over. There was a minute left at the face-off, and Detroit fought hard for it, but time ticked off the clock, and when the buzzer rang, they celebrated hard. They'd fought for this win against a really tough opponent, and the victory was sweet.
In the locker room after the game, they were a few champagne bottles short of a massive celebration. And okay, maybe they were over-celebrating what was only a regular-season win. But they'd gotten a monkey off their backs, and it had meant a lot to them. Now they could move forward with the rest of the season, knowing they were that good.
After media interviews, he showered and got dressed, and he and Drew met Carolina and Stella outside the locker room. That was a first for him, since getting Stella to come down here was like getting her to admit she might actually care about him, which he knew damn well was next to impossible.
Drew turned to him. "So, how about the four of us--"
"Actually, I have plans for you tonight," Carolina said, tugging on his arm. "Not to be rude, but I'm taking my man home for a private celebration."
Stella and Carolina exchanged knowing smiles.
"Can't turn down an invitation like that," Drew said. "Sorry, you two."
Trick's lips curved. "No problem. See you later."
Stella waved. "Bye. Love you both."
He took Stella's arm and guided her down the passageway toward the exit, then flagged down a waiting car. Once inside he turned to her. "Okay, what was that all about?"
"What was what about?"
"You and Carolina."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Clearly she wanted to spend some alone time with her guy to celebrate tonight's victory." She scooted closer to him. "And I think we should do the same. Go to your place, order some takeout?"
He wasn't about to argue with her. Obviously she had something in mind for tonight, something she and Carolina had both cooked up. He was going to play along. "Sounds good to me."
They ended up eating takeout Thai food at his place, and Stella even opted for a beer, though she complained she'd have to work it off later. She'd taken off her boots and he'd kicked off his shoes, the two of them tangling their feet together as they lounged on his sofa.
He stared down at her feet, wondered if they hurt after all those hours she put in. They had to. He knew all the hits he endured took a toll on his body. Hers had to do the same. Different sport, but still, you didn't put that much energy into your job without suffering the consequences. "I don't know. I've seen how hard you work when you dance. Seems to me you burn off a lot of calories."
"Yeah, about that. I'm really sorry about this morning. I was an ass to you when you went to all that trouble to see me dance."
He shrugged and took a long pull of his beer. "No big deal. I freaked you out. I should have let you know in advance that I was going to be coming to the theater."
She leaned against him. "Then I would have been more freaked out knowing you were watching me. It was a nice surprise. Thank you again."
"You're welcome."
She climbed onto his lap, sliding her fingers into his hair. "No, really. Thank you."
He'd had the idea she'd orchestrated this move to be alone with him tonight so the two of them could talk. And he'd been fine with that, because there were things he wanted to say to her--important things he figured they needed to get clear with each other.
But right now it seemed she wanted to touch and be touched, and he sure as hell wasn't going to argue about that. Not when she was moving against his body in a way that made his dick sit up and take notice, her long graceful legs wrapping around his hips and her sex making contact with his quickly hardening cock.
"Got something on your mind?"
"Maybe. Definitely." She pressed in and rubbed her lips against his.
Her mouth was hot, her tongue darting in to flick at his, inflaming his senses, taking his cock to full mast. He lifted against her, needing to be inside her right goddamn now.
He stood, taking her with him, then turned around and deposited her on the sofa, reaching down to undo her jeans. Those tight barriers to what he wanted had to go first. She wriggled out of them as he pulled them over her hips and legs. He tossed them on the nearby chair, and then kneeled on the rug in front of the sofa and slipped his hand over the silk of her underwear. She was already damp. Ready.
So was he, but he pulled the silk aside and flicked her with his tongue.
"Trick."
The way she said his name heightened his arousal, made his cock press against the zipper of his jeans, demanding to be freed.
Ignoring those demands, he spread her legs and speared her with his tongue, flicking the soft bud until her hips rose.
"I could come right now," she said, more to herself than to him, he knew. She was lost and ready, and he intended to take her there.
He rose over her, spread her further, and laid his tongue flat over her clit, knowing that would get her off fast. He wanted fast. He wanted her to lose control, to give it all over to him.
And when she did, crying out his name with her climax, it was the sweetest reward. He licked her everywhere as she shuddered against his mouth with her release. He stayed with her until her trembles subsided.
Then he climbed up her body and took her mouth in a deep kiss meant to convey passion and need and everything he'd bottled up inside during the game today. While he'd shoved his feelings for Stella into the deep, dark recesses of his mind during the game, now they were fully present, and he intended to let her know exactly what he felt. Everything he felt whenever he was with her.
He wasn't going to hold anything back. He never had with her, and that had been the telling difference between her and every other woman he'd ever been with. He fished a condom out of his pocket and pulled away only long enough to undress, then helped Stella with her top and bra.
When she wrapped her fingers oh so delicately around his cock, he stood and watched her stroke him, steeling his resolve to climb on top of her and sink inside her until he
was lost, until he couldn't think anymore. Because watching her small hand around his length, the way she looked at him when she held him in her hands, was a connection he never intended to lose.
And when she let go only long enough to slide off the sofa and get on her knees, giving him a wicked grin over her shoulder, he knew this was the woman for him. She always seemed to know what he wanted, and right now he needed deep, plunging passion, a hard connection with Stella, the kind that would cement her to him.
Maybe they hadn't shared the words yet, but he was in love with her, and he intended to tell her as soon as possible.
Now he'd show her.
He put on the condom and positioned himself behind her, sliding into her slow and easy, feeling every incredible inch until he was embedded deep. Her body surrounded him, squeezing him tight until there was nothing between them.
Then he began to move, easing out slowly, then thrusting deep again.
He didn't say anything, and neither did Stella. He focused on the way her breath caught whenever he plunged deep, and cupped her breasts so he could play with her nipples, feeling them harden under his fingertips. It was just the two of them in tune with each other's bodies, and the emotion swirling through him at the thought of this woman being part of his life.
He tried to push it aside, but Stella meant something to him, and he'd never made love to a woman that was part of his heart before.
He pulled out and drew her to the rug, then reentered her, this time making eye contact with her. She wrapped her legs tightly around him and as he cupped her butt and ground against her, her eyes widened. She reached up and skimmed her fingertips across his jaw.
"What are you doing to me?"
He wanted to say the words, but he was caught up in the emotion, didn't want to spoil the moment by saying something she might not be ready for yet, so he lifted her arm above her head and caught her hand in his, then drove into her, giving her what she needed--what they both needed.
Her breathing quickened, her sex gripping his cock in a stranglehold of spasms.
"Trick, I'm coming."
He bent and kissed her, absorbing her cries as she came. He let go, his orgasm like a lightning bolt of pure adrenaline as it burst from his body, pulse after pulse of pleasure that shattered him until he felt like he couldn't take his next breath.
He finally rolled over onto his back, not sure whose breathing was more ragged--his or Stella's.
"I think you might be trying to kill me," she finally said.
He turned his head to see her staring up at the ceiling.
"You okay?"
She looked over at him and grinned. "Definitely okay. But thirsty."
They cleaned up, then Trick fixed them tall glasses of ice water. Instead of getting dressed, Stella rummaged through his closet, found an old long-sleeved flannel shirt of his, and rolled up the sleeves.
He looked at her as she leaned against his kitchen counter. His shirt hung low on her thighs, showing off her long legs.
"I like you wearing my shirts. I was thinking about buying you some pajamas--the girl kind--to wear here, since we often end up naked, but I think I like this better."
She took a sip of water, then set the glass on the counter and came over to him, lifting up to press a kiss to the column of his throat. "Me, too. Your clothes smell like you."
A rush of possessiveness came over him, and he curled his arm around her waist and tugged her close for a long, deep kiss. When they came up for air, her cheeks were pink.
"Well, that was nice. Ready for round two, then?" she asked.
"Definitely, but first I think we need to talk."
She gave him a wary look. "Uh-oh. Does this mean we're breaking up? Though I suppose to break up we'd have to be a couple, and we're not really that, are we?"
"Aren't we? We've seen each other off and on for a year now, Stella. When I'm with you I don't see anyone else. And frankly . . . I don't want to see anyone else. So maybe it's time we call this what it is--a relationship."
Stella swallowed, hard. She'd meant to broach the subject with Trick tonight, but then she'd chickened out and they'd had sex instead.
Really great, phenomenal sex that had been emotional as well as physical. There had been something in Trick's eyes when he'd had her on the floor, looking at her as he'd moved inside her, something that had tugged at her heart and hit all her hot buttons. She'd tried to dismiss it as just their awesome physical connection, but she'd known deep down it had been more than that.
And now . . .
"You want a relationship."
"Yes. I'm in love with you."
Oh, shit. This she hadn't expected. "You are?"
His lips curved, and she lost herself in that sexy smile of his, the one that always mesmerized her and made her want to throw herself on top of him so he could have his way with her.
"Yeah. And I've never said that to any other woman before you, other than my mom and my sister. And that doesn't really count, does it?"
She laughed. "I guess not. Except to your mother and sister, of course."
Now was the time for her to confess her feelings. She opened her mouth to say the words, but hesitated.
"Trick, I . . ."
Come on, Stella. Man up and do this. You can trust him.
He rubbed her arm. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to say anything."
"I love you." She'd blurted it, and made it sound rushed and empty. She was an awful person.
He laughed. "I said you didn't have to say it back."
She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around him, tilting her head back so he could see the truth in her eyes. "I love you. I really do. I'm just new at this. And a little bit afraid."
"You want to tell me why you're afraid?"
She did want to tell him, but not right now. "Let's just say love didn't work so well for me the first time I tried it."
"You want to tell me about it?"
She did. But for some reason, the words didn't come. "At some point, I will. But not now. That's the past, and it's unpleasant. Right now, I'm happy, so let's not go there."
"Fair enough. I'm going to want to hear that story sometime. But I can guarantee you I'm not going to hurt you. You're my future, Stella."
Her heart swelled with so much love and hope she didn't know what to do with all these feelings. For someone so used to cynicism about love, she wanted to burst with all the emotion welling up inside her.
"I'm going to warn you now that I'm not going to be good at this. But I'm willing to give it my best shot. Because I do love you, Trick."
He kissed the tip of her nose. "We're both new at this. It'll take some time to adjust to it. And I don't want to rush you. We'll take it slow."
"Okay."
"It's enough to know you don't have one foot out the door and you might be comfortable seeing me on a regular basis. The rest we'll handle one day at a time."
That she could live with. But she owed him an explanation for her skittishness about relationships and her trust issues. But tonight wasn't the best night for that. They'd had amazing sex and had declared their love. She could save the big talk for later, right?
Especially since he'd scooped her up into his arms and carried her down the hall toward his bedroom.
"Now, about round two . . ."
She laughed and shoved her nose in his neck, happy to breathe him in.
She was in a relationship. And in love.
She never thought she'd say those two words again. Or believe in them.
But this was Trick, and a whole new beginning.
Chapter Twelve
She had stayed the night, and since she actually had a day off from rehearsal, and Trick didn't have a game, they were going to spend the day together.
Trick was in the shower, and then they were going to go to her place so she could shower and change clothes.
They hadn't talked much last night, but as she got dressed and sipped coffee, she allowed herself to think abou
t planning for the future.
People in love tended to eventually cohabitate. As she stared at the happy Christmas tree in his living room, she pondered the thought of moving in here.
Would he want that? Was that the next step?
She sat on the chair and wondered what it would be like to live with Trick. He traveled a lot during his season. And she worked a lot, especially when she was in performances. If they wanted to see each other at all, it would make sense to live together.
She drew her legs up on the chair, already envisioning a few of her things here. Gifts for each other under the Christmas tree. A few of her favorite knickknacks strewn around.
Not having to freeze to death in her apartment in the winter--a definite bonus.
Sleeping next to Trick at night--she found no flaws in that thought.
Maybe she'd bring it up and test the waters.
She went into the bathroom to grab her socks, and Trick's phone rang.
"Hey, can you get that?" he asked from the shower. "I'm expecting a call from my agent this morning."
"Sure." She pressed the button on his phone. "Hello?"
"Hello. I was calling for Trick."
"This is Trick's phone. This is Stella, his . . ." She fumbled for the word "girlfriend," in the end deciding on, "friend. He's in the shower and wanted me to answer for him. He said he was expecting your call."
"Oh, okay. This is Dave Mincus, his agent. Can you let him know I'm messengering over the paperwork for him to look at?"
"Sure."
"Great. Tell him this trade deal with Detroit is time sensitive, so I need to hear back from him right away."
Trade deal with Detroit? What trade deal with Detroit? Her heart sank. "Okay. Sure."
"Great, thanks."
They hung up and Stella sat on the edge of the bed.
He was working out a trade with Detroit? He'd just told her he loved her, and he wasn't going to tell her he was being traded to Detroit?
Feeling dizzy and just a little sick to her stomach, she gripped the edge of the mattress for support.
It was Vernon all over again. Telling her he loved her, then expecting her to drop everything and move with him, because his career was more important.
The same fear and devastation washed over her, but this time it was so much worse.
She loved him, loved him more than she'd ever loved another man. She'd fought it for so long, but she'd had such joy when she'd given in. She'd fallen heart first into this with Trick, given him her trust, and now he'd pulled the rug right out from under her.