Offside Hearts (Love and Hockey Book 1)

At work a few days later, I’m in the middle of a deep dive into the comment section of the various Denver Aces’ social media accounts.

I generally do this on a weekly basis, as a form of monitoring our comments sections and making sure everything is still family friendly and on the up and up. A few weeks after I started my job, one of our accounts got scammed by a bunch of bots who left endless amounts of suggestive comments with links that would supposedly take people to a website for ‘adult singles in your area.’

I worked with the rest of the marketing team and a freelance software engineer to get the whole thing taken care of, and thankfully it was resolved in just a couple hours. Still, the whole ordeal made me nervous, so now I go out of my way to make sure nothing like that happens again.

Thankfully, today, all of the comments are harmless and innocent. There are a few heart emojis and sweaty-faced emojis on the video I posted of Noah scoring the winning goal at a game last week, but that’s as scandalous as it gets.

As I’m scrolling, I get a notification that someone has commented on the video of Noah and me doing the lift from Dirty Dancing, and I click on it. That video is pretty old now—at least, it’s old in the context of social media. Anything that was posted over a month ago might as well be considered geriatric content, so I’m a little surprised that this video would still be getting regular engagement.

When I pull the video up, I notice that there’s more than just one new comment. There are dozens of people commenting on the video, all of whom seem to be having a discussion with one another in regards to the nature of my relationship with Noah.

I sit up, eyes widening and fingers curling around my phone as I nervously scroll through and read what people are saying.

DenverAcesGirlie22: I think they’re dating. Do you see the way she’s looking at him?

NoahBlakeIsDaddy99: @DenverAcesGirlie22 To be fair… we all look at Noah like that.

HockeyLover_92: Was anyone at the last game? I saw her in the stands, and she was wearing his number. AGAIN! That’s three games in a row by my count.

DenverAcesGirlie22: Does anyone know her name? I want to find her private socials.

Ice-Ice-Baby33: You guys… this feels a little creepy, don’t you think? @HockeyLover_92, I really don’t think you should be stalking this poor woman at all the games… even if she is maybe dating the man of my dreams and that means I sort of want to run her over with a Zamboni.

This last comment takes me aback, and I frown down at the screen, wondering whether I have anything to worry about here. I don’t actually think any of these women would try to run me over with a Zamboni, but if they keep leaving comments like this on the official Denver Aces social media pages, then it won’t be long before a tabloid picks up on these rumors.

What’s even more concerning is that when I click on the name HockeyLover_92 and am directed to the user’s profile, I see that it’s not so much a fan account as it is a gossip account. This woman has video clips from nearly every single Denver Aces game this season, many of which are accompanied by text describing what she thinks she’s seeing.

The last three clips that have been posted are of me, and all of them have a caption that asks the question, Who is this woman, and why is she so obsessed with Noah Blake?

I’m not the only one featured on this profile. There’s a video clip of Reese talking to Callie outside the arena after a game, and underneath it, the woman has written, Is Reese Sutton stepping out on his girlfriend?

In a different clip, I can see Grant walking past a group of kids asking for autographs and not stopping to talk to any of them. Underneath that one, the woman has asked the question, Is Grant Parker a lovable grump, or just a total jerk?

I find myself feeling very defensive, not just because this woman is making assumptions about me and Noah, but because she seems to enjoy going after anyone and everyone on the team. She doesn’t currently have that many followers, but the internet is random and unpredictable. You never know when or how someone is going to go viral. My heart beats hard against my ribs as I realize that this woman could not only expose my relationship with Noah, but also end up putting both our jobs in danger.

Who the fuck does she think she is?

I press my lips together, debating about whether I should do anything—and about what I even could do—but I’m snapped out of my reverie when I get a text from Noah. We have plans tonight, and he’s letting me know what time he’ll be picking me up.

NOAH: Oh, and wear comfortable clothes. Something you can move in.

ME: Where are we going?

Ever since our first official date, we’ve been careful to keep our heads down, spending a lot of time at either his condo or my apartment to make sure that nobody sees us out and about together. As long as we keep being careful like that, we should probably be alright.

This woman, and all the other puck bunnies speculating in the comments section, have no real proof of anything. They’re just bored and overly invested, and they think they’ve found something worth talking about, even though they have no solid evidence. As long as I continue to give them little to go off of, then eventually they’ll move on to a juicier piece of gossip and leave all these rumors behind.

I’m feeling a little less nervous about this whole thing by the time Noah texts me back.

NOAH: It’s a surprise.

My eyebrows shoot up, and I send him several emojis with wide eyes.

ME: I’m both intrigued and nervous.

NOAH: There’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s gonna be fun. Just be ready to get a little sweaty. And to try something new.

ME: Now I’m even more intrigued and even more nervous!

NOAH: Haha, just trust me. You’re going to love it. Okay?

As I grin down at my phone, the stress I was feeling just a few moments ago dissipates. I promise Noah that I trust him and agree to meet him outside my apartment at six p.m. sharp. My day is starting to wind down, so after another hour, I gather my stuff and head home.

After debating for a few minutes, I throw on some athletic pants and a sporty hoodie, then tie my hair back in a ponytail and skip the makeup. If we’re going to be sweating, I don’t want to have mascara running down my face or foundation melting off.

Noah arrives promptly at six, and I run down to meet him.

I was hoping his clothes would give me a hint of where we’re going, but no such luck. He’s wearing a pair of gray sweats, a sweatshirt, and a jacket over it, clearly dressed to move the same way he told me to be.

He gets out and opens the car door for me, giving me a casual kiss before I slide into the passenger seat. I still get butterflies every time our lips touch, but now, the nerves are all gone. I’m no longer questioning my every move, trying to hold back my feelings, or keep my walls up.

I’ve grown a lot more comfortable around him, and I think he feels the same way. Things between us are still electric, and the sex is incredible, but we’ve moved past the stage where it was all new and fresh, and into something deeper and more solid.

In the car, I ask him once again where we’re going, but he keeps it a secret. We drive through the city and arrive at a nondescript looking building with the words Community Center written on the side.

“Uh… okay. Not exactly what I was expecting,” I comment, peering out the window.

His low chuckle fills the car. “I thought I asked you to trust me.”

“I do trust you!” I insist, still studying the building. “I just can’t wait to find out what’s going on.”

He squeezes my knee. “All in good time.”

We get out of the car, and I follow him inside, noticing just how few other vehicles are in the lot as we go. Inside the building, everything is quiet, and an older man wearing a knit cap comes up to greet us. He waves us over to the other side of the lobby and steps behind a counter of sorts, and as I look behind him, I realize there are rows and rows of ice skates on the back wall.

“What size?” the man asks, looking right at me.

“What—what size of skate?” I stammer. The guy nods, and I look at Noah.

“It’s the same as your shoe size,” he tells me. “But I brought you some thick socks just in case you didn’t wear the right ones, so if you want to go up half a size, that might work best.”

I grin, glancing around the space again. “We’re going ice skating?”

“Got it in one, Sunflower.” He shoots me a wink. “We have the rink all to ourselves.”

“Really?” My smile grows even wider, and I give the man my shoe size so he can grab me a pair of skates from the shelf.

“Wow, these look brand new,” I murmur, admiring how smooth the boot is, and how the laces haven’t frayed at all.

“They are new,” Noah states. “I just didn’t know what size you wore, so I got about a dozen pairs or so. That way we could get the perfect fit.”

I gawk at him, then look at the wall of skates. “You bought all of these?”

“No,” the man behind the counter says with a laugh. “Most of these are actual rental skates. Just these ones right behind me are the new skates that Noah bought and had sent over.”

“Still…” I turn back to Noah, giving him a look. “Why would you buy so many instead of just asking me what my size was?”

“I wanted it to be a total surprise,” he says casually, like this is the most normal thing in the world. “Besides, I’m going to donate all the ones that don’t fit you. That way nothing will go to waste. Now come on, let’s lace up.”

Noah walks me over to one of the benches nearby and helps me put on the skates and tie them tight. The metal part of the skate is covered with a colorful piece of plastic, which he tells me not to take off until we’re about to step on the ice. Then he holds his arm out to help me waddle across the room and into the rink. The older man follows us and hands Noah a set of keys at the door to the rink.

“Lock up when you’re done,” he says, clapping Noah on the shoulder. “The lights will all shut off automatically at nine, so make sure you are out of here before then. Sound good?”

“Perfect.” Noah grabs his hand, shaking it firmly. “Thanks, Leroy.”

“Not a problem. I owed you one.” The man smiles at me and leaves.

Once he’s gone, I shoot Noah a look.

“What?” he asks innocently.

“How many people do you have wrapped around your finger in this town?”

He shrugs. “Not that many. He’s just a friend who owed me a favor, that’s all.”

“I’m just curious how many more dates you’re going to take me on where we end up in a completely empty building,” I say with a chuckle. “If I didn’t know you better, I would say this is some real serial killer shit.”

Noah throws his head back, belting out a laugh. Then he loops an arm around my waist and pulls me in for a kiss.

“I just like having you all to myself,” he murmurs against my lips. “Is that a crime?”

I can’t help but smile, because the truth is, I like it too.

Noah releases me after a moment, bending down to help me remove the covers on my blades. I’m starting to feel nervous, and my stomach flutters as I remind Noah that I’ve never done this before.

“I know,” he tells me, squeezing my hand. “Don’t worry. I’m a great teacher.”

He untangles his fingers from mine and steps out onto the ice facing me. Then he skates backward, holding his hands out in front of him. “Your turn. Just step onto the ice carefully and push off the wall over to me.”

“Stop moving!” I demand. “You’re going too far away.”

He laughs and angles his skates so that he comes to a stop about ten feet from the edge of the rink. “Okay. Just keep your feet firmly planted and push off with your hands. This will just be so you get the feeling of what it’s like to glide across the ice.”

I breathe in deeply, then let it out slowly as I put one foot onto the ice, then the next. I wobble a bit and reach out to catch myself on the little wall that borders the rink.

Noah smiles at me encouragingly, and after taking a moment to stabilize myself, I push off the wall and glide toward him with my arms outstretched to either side to keep my balance. I start to lose it just a foot or two from him, but he’s right there to catch me. He holds on to my arms tightly so that I don’t go all the way down.

“That was great!” he exclaims.

“Was it?” I deadpan. “Because I feel about as graceful as a drunk toddler.”

He laughs. “Well, I think you looked great.”

“You always think that.”

“You’ve got me there, Sunflower,” he agrees, his voice dropping low as his gaze roams over me.

The expression on his face is so hungry that my entire body reacts. My nipples, already hard from the cold, tighten even more, and I rest my hands on his lean waist to steady myself.

“Okay,” I breathe. “What next?”

He shakes his head like he’s trying to clear out a million dirty thoughts, then gives my arms a squeeze. “Let’s try it again, only this time, instead of pushing off the wall with your hand, I want you to dig the toe of one of your skates into the ice and use that to push yourself forward. I’ll go over there.”

He lets go of me and skates ten or so feet away, then motions for me to follow him. I’m still a bit nervous, but I’m also determined to show him that I can do this, so I dig the toe of my right skate into the ice and push my weight forward. This time, I move faster and end up half-crashing into Noah. Thankfully, he’s both very strong and very stable on the ice, so he catches me easily, and we both stay upright.

“Awesome,” he says encouragingly. “That was perfect.”

For the next hour or so, Noah continues to show me the ropes, and I do start to improve over time. Eventually, I’m able to move alongside him around the ring without losing my balance at all.

I’m feeling more confident as the night stretches on, but still, I’m overwhelmed with respect when I watch the way Noah skates like that’s what he was born to do. I have a greater appreciation now for how difficult it is, and I can’t help but watch him in awe whenever he takes off and does a lap on his own.

“You really are something to see, you know that?” I say when he comes back around and hooks his arm through mine. “You’re so fucking good at that.”

He grins, the overhead light above the rink glinting off his brown hair. “Thanks. I sort of don’t even think about it anymore. Skating is so much a part of my life, it’s like… second nature. It’s like it’s in my blood, almost.”

“Was it always that way? I mean, did you take to the ice the second you started playing hockey?”

He looks away, and I can tell he’s a little embarrassed when he says, “Yeah. I was pretty much a rockstar since day one.”

I blurt out a laugh. “And humble too.”

“Well, you asked!” He grips my arms and spins us on the ice. “And it’s not like I didn’t practice my ass off too. I just had a strong affinity for skating right from the start.”

“It’s honestly amazing,” I tease, batting my eyelashes at him. “I would’ve thought that huge head of yours would make balancing on skates difficult.”

He snorts, poking me in the side as I jerk to try to avoid him. “Oh, now you’ve started some shit, Sunflower.”

“Have I?” I wriggle away from him, feeling bold enough to try skating backward like he did earlier as I shoot him a wicked grin. “Or is having a big head an advantage in hockey somehow? Do you—?”

Karma for taunting him strikes almost immediately.

My feet start drifting apart, throwing off my balance. As I try to recover, my skates slip out from under me, and suddenly, I’m going down. Noah reaches out in a flash and catches me, but it all happens so quickly that he isn’t able to keep his own footing.

We fall together, and he twists around as we go down so that his body is under mine, softening my landing. I let out a quiet oomph as I collapse on top of him.

“Sorry!” I gasp. “Are you okay?”

Our legs are tangled together, and I start trying to push myself back up, but he hangs on to me, keeping me right where I am. He must not have hit his head or anything when we fell, because there’s no sign of pain on his face. Instead, all the heat I saw in his eyes earlier has returned tenfold, darkening his irises into the cobalt blue of a deep ocean.

“I’m better than okay,” he murmurs roughly. “I’m fucking perfect. Just like this.”

His hands slide down to cup my ass, and he lifts his head to kiss me. I kiss him back, shivering a little. This close to the ice, it feels colder, and it makes me lean into the warmth of his mouth even more.

“You know, you made a lot of improvements tonight,” he tells me. “I think you’ve earned a reward.”

“Oh? What kind of reward?”

He rolls us so that I’m beneath him, cradling the back of my head with one hand. “The kind where I eat you out right here on the ice and make you come all over my face.”

My eyes widen. “But… it’s so cold!”

“All the more reason for me to warm you up.” He tugs off his jacket and slides it beneath my hips. “See? Your ass won’t even get frostbite.”

I blurt out a laugh, even though I’m already getting wet for him. Noah has a way of turning me on with just his words that no one else has ever quite managed, and I have to admit, I’m intrigued by the thought of what it would feel like to have him go down on me right now.

“Well, if you really think I was a good enough student to deserve it…” I trail off suggestively, biting my lower lip.

Noah makes a noise in his throat, reaching for the waistband of my pants. They’re stretchy, which is good, because it makes it easier for him to work them down over my ass and hips. He peels them down to my calves, along with my panties, and the shock of cold air on my cunt makes me gasp.

But the cold is immediately contrasted with Noah’s warm tongue as he buries his face between my legs and starts to devour me.

“Oh my god,” I breathe.

“Good?”

“Yeah. Oh, fuck…” I squirm beneath Noah’s tongue, and he groans hungrily.

Hopefully Leroy won’t realize he forgot something and come back, but that thought is a distant worry as my body tries to process all the different sensations it’s feeling. My breath rises in front of my face in a tiny cloud every time I exhale, and whenever Noah pauses his delicious assault on my clit, a rush of cold air sweeps over my soaked skin. The contrasting temperatures wake up every single nerve in my body, heightening my awareness as Noah clamps his lips around my clit and sucks.

“Oh god, your mouth,” I breathe. “Fuck, Noah, your tongue…”

He’s spent a lot of time with his head between my legs, and there’s never been a time when he couldn’t get me off. He was so patient that first time, helping me work through some of my issues and hang-ups from my relationship with Philip. And ever since that time, it’s like he’s made it his personal mission to learn my body, to figure out all the things I like best.

He’s pulling out every trick in the book right now, stiffening his tongue and fucking me with it, pressing as deep as he can before rolling the flat of his tongue over me in long strokes. My skates are heavy, and my ankles are basically bound together, so I can’t move much. All I can do is lie here and take it.

“I’ll never get tired of this,” he mutters, using his fingers to spread me open. “Can never get enough of you.”

“Uh huh,” I whimper.

The cold is starting to seep through Noah’s jacket beneath me, leaving my ass and back freezing, but now that I’m so close, there’s no way I’m getting up until I come.

As if he can read my thoughts, Noah scoops my ass up off the ice, cradling it in his large hands and holding me up like I’m a feast he intends to glut himself on. He spears his tongue inside me again, and I fall apart for him, shaking and shivering in his hold.

“Oh fuck, Noah! Don’t stop!”

He works me through it, pushing me all the way to the peak of my climax and then over it, and I cry out his name again.

“See why I like having you to myself?” He presses a little kiss to my pussy as the aftershocks finally subside. “If there were a ton of other people here, I couldn’t have done that.” He looks up at me, blowing a stream of warm air on my sensitive clit. “And no one gets to see you like this but me.”

My entire body reacts to that, and I reach down to brush my fingers over the strong line of his jaw. “No one else sees me like this, because no one else makes me feel like this. Only you.”

Pride shines in his eyes, and he sits back and starts to work my pants back up my legs.

Once I’ve got them pulled up over my hips, Noah rises smoothly to his feet and offers me a hand. He pulls me up, and I’m immediately aware of how hard I just came, and how wobbly it’s made my already shaky legs.

“Okay, next lesson,” I mutter, clinging to Noah as he bends down to retrieve his jacket. “Skating post-orgasm. Can you help a girl out?”

His laugh rings out in the wide open space of the rink.

“Don’t worry, Sunflower. I’ve got you.”