Offside Hearts (Love and Hockey Book 1)

Noah and I are lying in bed together as light starts to creep in around the curtains of his bedroom.

My leg is draped over his waist, and he’s running his fingers gently through my hair. We barely slept last night. Even after giving me three leg-shaking orgasms, Noah wasn’t satisfied, and we ended up having sex twice more before the sun came up. Apparently, going public with our relationship is a huge turn on for Noah Blake.

Not that I’m complaining.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Noah asks softly, tipping his head down to study me with those gorgeous blue eyes of his.

“What do you mean?”

“You seemed to drift away for a second,” he says. “Did you fall asleep?”

“No, sorry.” I shake my head. I’m resting in the crook of his arm, and I take a second to breathe in the smell of his naked body tangled up in the sheets. “I was just thinking about what’s going to change now that everyone knows we’re together.”

“Are you nervous?”

“A little,” I admit. “I don’t want it to interfere with my work or have people think that I only got to keep the job because we’re together. But mostly I’m nervous because I know this sort of thing can have an impact on relationships—especially ones as new as ours. I’ve seen those timelines, you know? The ones that some bored writer at a celebrity gossip magazine puts together.”

“I’m not familiar, no.”

I laugh and playfully slap his broad, muscular chest. “Yes you are! You’ve seen them before, I’m sure of it. Anyway, the point is, you see these timelines of a celebrity relationship, and half of them end shortly after the public finds out they’re dating. Because all of a sudden, overnight, they go from being just two people in love to being ‘Hollywood’s hottest new item,’ and the pressure is just too much.”

Noah smirks and pulls me a little closer, his hands skating over my body possessively. “Well, the good news is, I’m not Hollywood famous. Sure, people take pictures of me when I’m out in public sometimes, and I get recognized a lot around Denver, but it’s not like you’re going to have paparazzi camped outside of your apartment trying to get a shot of you topless or whatever.”

I make a face. “Oh my god, I hadn’t even thought about that.”

“First of all,” he reassures me, “it’s not going to happen. And second of all, if some creep did take pictures of you topless, I would hunt him down and destroy all the evidence. And then I’d get the whole team to help me kick his ass.”

I smile and push myself up so that I can kiss him softly on the mouth. “My knight in shining armor.”

“I’ll do anything to keep you safe,” he promises, his tone turning serious. “And I’ll also do anything to protect this relationship. It’s so important to me, Sunflower. You’re so important to me.”

“I know.” Something buoyant expands inside my chest, making me feel like I could float away. “Which is why I’m mostly glad the secret is out. It was getting too hard to sneak around. People will talk about it for a couple weeks, and then they’ll move on to something new, and we can go back to just being two normal people in a relationship. Or, I guess, we’ll go back to being one normal person in a relationship and one hockey superstar who has been voted ‘sexiest man on the ice’ multiple years in a row.”

“Hey, you can’t hold that against me.” Noah raises his hands as if absolving himself of all responsibility. “That list is made by a hockey fan site every year, and I have nothing to do with it. It’s not like I nominate myself.”

I giggle, lying back down in the crook of his shoulder and getting comfortable. It’s still early, and we have some time before we have to leave the warmth and comfort of Noah’s king-sized bed.

“You know,” he says after a moment. “I have an event coming up that my dad invited me to. I thought about blowing it off, but that would just cause a lot of unnecessary drama, so I think I pretty much have to go.”

“What kind of an event?” I ask.

“My brother is getting an award. He’s been named ‘investment banker of the year’ or something. This event is going to be really stuffy and boring and totally different from when I went with you to meet your family. But that being said, now that we’re not trying to keep things under wraps, I thought the night would be a lot more tolerable if you were there with me.”

The idea that we can go out in public without worrying sends a little thrill through me. And even though I know Noah isn’t close with his family, I still like the idea of being able to meet them. It’s another milestone in our relationship, and it feels like it’s about time.

I crane my neck to look up at him, but when Noah sees the smile on my face, he grimaces a little.

“I’m serious, Sunflower,” he warns. “This isn’t going to be the most fun night. I want to make sure you have the right expectations going into it.”

“No, no, I get it,” I say. “I’m just happy that you trust me enough to let me see into that side of your life.” I put on an overly serious expression and add, “But don’t worry. I’m not expecting any fun.”

He grins at that, pulling me in for a kiss, and I can tell he’s glad I agreed to go.

“The event is black tie,” he tells me when we break apart, throwing off the covers and reaching for his pants on the floor next to the bed. “So you’ll have to wear something fancy. I don’t know if you have a dress that will fit the occasion, but either way, you’ll probably need new accessories and stuff, so just take this.”

He retrieves his wallet from his pants pocket and proceeds to pluck one of his platinum credit cards out of it and hand it to me.

“Noah.” My jaw drops, and I balk, not taking the card right away. “I don’t need you to buy me a dress.”

“But I want to buy you a dress. I like spending money on you, Sunflower. I like spoiling you. It’s one of my favorite things in the world.” He takes my hand and presses the card into my palm. “Seriously. Go nuts.”

I curl my fingers around the cold plastic, my stomach fluttering. “Alright… if you insist.”

“I very much do,” he growls against my lips.

He crawls up onto the bed again, but he doesn’t lie beside me. Instead, he moves downward until he’s settled between my legs, and he grips my thighs to spread them wider.

“I have to leave early to meet Coach Dunaway before practice,” he murmurs. “But there’s still time for breakfast. And I’m fucking starving.”

Then he lowers his head, and I close my eyes in bliss as he shows me just how hungry he is.

The following week, the Aces have two away games. I skip the first one, still on my temporary suspension from posting on the team’s social media accounts, but Ted tells me he’d like me to go to the second and get some footage I can send him to post.

I’m only too happy to comply, glad to have an excuse to travel with the team and spend more time with Noah.

His teammates all gave him a bit of shit when the news about our relationship went public, and Coach Dunaway meted out a few minor disciplinary actions, but for the most part, everyone on the team seems supportive of the two of us. Reese is already talking about setting up a double date with him and Sienna, and Theo insists that he picked up vibes between us long before anyone else noticed. I know he’s a bit bummed to lose his best single wing-man at the bar, but Noah quit playing that role a while ago anyway.

The second away game is in Los Angeles, and as I wait in the stands for the game to start, I check our socials, reading through a few comments. Most of the chatter at the moment is about the upcoming game, with fans speculating about whether the Aces will be able to beat the Los Angeles Prowlers, whom they’ve been crushed by multiple times in the past.

Even worse, we’re on the Prowlers’ home turf, which always tends to give the home team a boost in morale and enthusiasm.

The game gets underway, and at first, it seems like maybe the Aces are going to have a fighting chance. But then the center for the Prowlers, Shawn Kaplan, scores two goals before the first period ends, and the mood in the arena starts to shift.

Prowlers fans are going wild, shouting not only in support of their own team, but also hurling insults across the ice toward certain Aces players.

The Aces score one goal during the second period, and I’m the only one in my section of the arena who cheers when they do. The second period ends with the Prowlers up by only one point, but any hope of the Aces making a comeback is dashed as the third period starts.

Another Prowler player scores in the first two minutes, and no matter how hard the Aces play, they can’t seem to keep the puck in their possession for more than ten seconds at a time. It doesn’t help that Shawn Kaplan keeps taunting them, throwing his hands up in the air like he’s looking for a fight every time a player on our team even comes near him.

Seriously, what is his problem?

Not long before the end of the game, Theo snags the puck and barrels down the ice toward the offensive zone. But before he can make a move, Kaplan throws a hip check to steal the puck and takes off toward the other end. The crowd holds their breath as Kaplan weaves through the Aces’ defenders and unleashes a vicious slap shot that zips past Grant’s glove and hits the back of the net.

With less than a minute on the clock, it’s basically all over. As soon as the horn blares, signifying the end of the game, the stands erupt with cheers from the home team fans.

The arena starts to clear out around me as I edit a few video clips on my phone, and once I’ve got several decent posts composed, I forward all of it to Ted so that he can post it to the team’s socials. Then I head into the back, flashing my badge to get past security before waiting for Noah outside the visitors’ locker room. He emerges a few minutes later and grins when he sees me.

“Hey, Sunflower.” He walks over and gives me a kiss, then holds me tight for a second, resting his chin on my head.

“Sorry about the game,” I murmur.

He sighs. “It’s okay. We’ll get ’em next time.”

He runs his hand down my back, and I smile because it’s so nice that we don’t have to sneak around anymore. He cups the side of my face and kisses me again, and when a few of his teammates come out into the hall, we separate, although he keeps his hand on my lower back.

The rest of the team doesn’t seem to be in as good of spirits as Noah, and when Reese suggests that he needs a drink, Theo immediately agrees.

“For real, man.” He runs a hand through his short dark hair. “I need to sit down in a dark, rowdy bar and try to forget all about Shawn Kaplan and that smug fucking face of his.”

“I could go for a beer,” says Sawyer. “I want to check in with Jake’s babysitter first, but I could use a drink. Grant?”

Grant shakes his head and hikes his sport bag higher up on his shoulder. “Nah, I’m good. I’m going to tuck in early tonight.”

Sawyer shoots Noah a half smile and shrugs, amusement glinting in his dark gray eyes. “It was worth a shot.”

Grant ignores this little jab and leads the way as we all head down the hallway toward the arena exit.

As we board the team bus to head back to the hotel, Reese asks, “So, Noah, Margo. You guys coming, or what?”

Noah looks down at me, silently asking me if I’m up for it. Even though I’m anxious to get him alone so I can tear his clothes off, I also know how much he loves hanging out with his team, and I’ve gotten to be friends with the guys too. And honestly, I’m still enjoying the thrill of being able to go out in public with Noah as his girlfriend, so I squeeze his hand and smile.

“Sounds like a blast.”

After regrouping at the hotel, we end up at a local bar not too far from the arena.

Along with Theo, Sawyer, Reese, and Noah, a few of the other Aces players decide to come out. But other than that, most of the people at the bar are Prowlers fans. Thankfully, nobody seems to care that we’re crashing their victory party, and we’re able to snag a table in the back corner after ordering our drinks at the crowded bar.

Sipping on my Manhattan, I listen to Reese give Noah a hard time for keeping his relationship with me a secret while Noah just shakes his head wryly.

“Come on, brother,” he points out. “You and I both know you can’t keep a secret to save your life.”

Reese looks offended. “Yeah, I can.”

“From Sienna? From Callie?”

“You know Sienna doesn’t care about hockey stuff,” Reese says defensively. Then he purses his lips, considering. “And Callie… well, I’d just tell her not to tell anyone else.”

“So you admit you couldn’t keep it a secret from her,” Noah says, raising a triumphant finger.

Reese rolls his eyes, and they continue to banter, giving each other shit the way good friends do.

Privately, I wonder if Reese wishes Sienna was more into ‘hockey stuff,’ or if he’s glad she has no interest in the game. Maybe it’s nice for him to be with someone whom he knows doesn’t just want him because he’s a pro athlete. But at the same time, it’s hard for me to imagine myself dating Noah and not becoming a die-hard Aces fan, even if I wasn’t working for the team.

Theo excuses himself after a while to go get another round of drinks, and I end up telling Zach, Sawyer, and the backup goaltender, Jasper Cross, all about how I accidentally posted that video that outed my relationship with Noah.

“I still can’t believe I didn’t realize it hadn’t stopped the live video,” I admit, shaking my head. “A group of dumb, drunk jocks ran into me, and I dropped my phone.”

“Oh, shit. Speaking of dumb, drunk jocks,” Sawyer murmurs with a raised brow. “Look who just walked in.”

He motions with his glass, and Noah and I turn around to see a group of Prowlers players coming into the bar. They’ve obviously already started drinking, from the way they are moving and how loud they are talking, but that doesn’t surprise me. What does take me aback, however, is that the players are being trailed by a gorgeous woman and an entire camera crew.

“What’s that all about?” I ask.

Noah rolls his eyes. “Shawn Kaplan has a reality television show about his life,” he tells me. “Those cameras go pretty much everywhere he does.”

“Really?” I gape at him. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have every waking moment of my life recorded and then broadcast on national television. I make a mental note to never allow Noah to say yes to a reality television offer, no matter how much money they throw at him.

“Yeah, really.” Reese snorts. “Think The Kardashians, except it’s honestly more boring than that, because Shawn doesn’t even have a wild family or anything. He’s just an asshole. I don’t know why anyone would give a fuck what he does in his free time.”

“You say that like you’ve watched The Kardashians before,” Sawyer notes, elbowing Reese.

“Sienna made me watch it once. Those people are so goddamn insane.”

“Shawn Kaplan is insane too,” Noah adds with a scowl. “Just not in the same way. The only reason people tune in to his show is because they’re waiting to see him start a fight—either on the ice or off it. He’s had more suspensions than almost anyone else in the league.”

I make a face. “Ugh. Sounds like a real charmer. I saw him trying to provoke you guys during the game, and I’m so fucking glad none of you took the bait.”

“I almost did,” Sawyer admits. “The fucker plays dirty. But it wouldn’t have been worth it.”

I go to take a sip of my Manhattan and realize the glass is empty, so I reach for Noah’s drink instead, which he hands me without hesitation. I take a sip and then give it back immediately, wincing at the burn of the whiskey.

He laughs when he sees my face. “Sorry. Let me go get you something you’ll actually like.”

He stands, but before he can disappear into the crowd, shouts rise up from across the room, and he stops in his tracks.

Shit. That’s Theo’s voice.

And he sounds pissed.

“Are you fucking kidding me, man?” Theo yells, and as a few people near our table move out of the way, I realize that he’s facing off with none other than Shawn Kaplan. They’re only about a foot apart from each other, and each of them looks like they’re just seconds away from starting something. The cameraman is standing beside them, recording the entire interaction, while the guy behind him holds a boom mic in the air.

My stomach drops. Fuck.

“You’re a fucking loser, Camden,” Shawn taunts, laughing right in Theo’s face. “Your team sucks. You can barely even fucking skate, and you know what else? Your entire city is trash. Every time I have to go to Denver, I feel like I’m being punished. It’s small, and ugly, and utterly disappointing.”

“You know what else is small, ugly, and utterly disappointing?” Theo bites out. “Your dick.”

A few people in the crowd laugh at this, but one angry Prowlers fan shouts, “Are you gonna let him get away with that, Kaplan?”

“Yeah, kick his fucking ass!” yells someone else.

Theo motions for Shawn to come closer, throwing his arms wide as anger flashes across his face “Bring it on, you ’roided-out moron.”

Noah, who just a moment ago seemed glued to the floor, suddenly breaks into a full sprint and gets between Theo and Shawn before anyone can throw a punch. Sawyer and Jasper don’t hesitate either, and the two of them hold Theo back while Noah puts a hand up to Shawn’s chest and tries to diffuse the situation.

“Hey! Hey!” he says in a hard voice. “Let’s just take a breath.”

Shawn slaps Noah’s hand away and scowls. “Don’t ever touch me again, fuckhead. You hear me?”

Watching this man go for my boyfriend snaps me out of my panicked haze, and I scramble forward to join the action. Not only will getting into a fight make the entire team look bad, but Theo has already gotten in trouble a handful of times for both starting and finishing some nasty brawls on the ice. He can’t afford to go around pissing people off like this.

That said, the real reason I’m willing to jump in front of an oversized, drunk hockey player with anger-management issues is because now he seems focused on taking down Noah.

And I’m not about to let that happen.

Without stopping to think about how each of these men towers over my 5’6” frame, I throw myself into the middle of their little standoff, raising my hands. “Look, why don’t you just leave it on the ice, okay? We’re all here to have a good time, right?”

Shawn gives me a dismissive look. He’s a little shorter than Noah, with a rugged face and a mouth that looks like it’s permanently set in a scowl. His gaze flicks from me to Theo, who’s still being flanked on either side by Sawyer and Jasper. Before Shawn can say anything else to goad Theo, I raise my voice over the murmur of people and music in the bar.

“What about a free round of drinks for everyone?” I call out. “On me!”

I hear a few women across the bar whoop with excitement at that, and I glance at the Prowlers fans around me, trying to get them on my side and distract them from the thrill of a potential fight.

“Come on. That’s what we all came here for, right? So let’s just chill out and have a good time.”

Several people start making their way toward the bar, drawing focus from the altercation between Theo and Shawn, and as their audience drifts away, Shawn seems to lose interest. He shoots Theo a dark look and then shifts his focus back to me. Beside me, I can feel Noah tense, and I have no doubt he’ll deck Shawn if the Prowlers forward says or does anything disparaging toward me.

Please, don’t be that stupid, I silently beg Shawn.

He sucks on his teeth, all cocky attitude and exaggerated swagger. Then he glances right at the camera that’s still trained on him and smiles.

“I would love a drink,” he drawls, as if he’s the one being magnanimous here.

“Great. Anything you want,” I say, keeping my voice carefully neutral. “Just tell the bartender to put it on my tab. Margo Lucas.”

He strides away without responding to that, joining his teammates as they take over two tables on the other side of the bar. I let out a shaky breath, and Noah turns to me, equal parts respect and protectiveness mingling in his expression.

“Jesus, Sunflower,” he mutters. “Don’t ever step into a fight like that again. You never know when punches are gonna start flying, and I swear to fuck, if Shawn had laid a finger on you, I would’ve fucking killed him.”

“I know.” I’m only just now starting to register the adrenaline pumping through my veins, and I give him a shaky nod. “I’ll be careful. I just couldn’t let him hit you.”

A grin breaks out across Noah’s face, although his eyes are still dark.

“My hero.” He tugs me into his arms, planting a firm kiss on my lips. When we separate, he looks down at me, arching a brow. “And you know I’m not letting you pay for all those drinks, right? They’re on me.”

I link my hands behind his back, laughing softly. “I was sort of hoping you’d say that. It would’ve blown my whole travel budget.”

He chuckles. “Well, you already know I like spending money on you. Thanks for giving me an excuse.”

We make our way toward the bar, and Theo, Sawyer, and Jasper trail in our wake. As Noah flags down the bartender to arrange for things to be put on his tab, a willowy woman with chestnut brown hair slips through the crowd and approaches us. She stops in front of Theo, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I just wanted to apologize for Shawn,” she murmurs, glancing over in the direction of his table. “Sometimes the cameras bring out a side of him that…” She trails off, shaking her head. “Anyway, I’m sorry.”

She doesn’t linger, slipping away through the press of bodies around the bar and disappearing into the crowd. Theo stares after her, his brows drawn together over his vibrant green eyes.

“Who was that?” I ask. I saw her come in with the Prowlers, but I have no idea what her connection is to the team.

“Becca Summers.” He’s still staring at the spot where she disappeared. “Shawn’s girlfriend.”

My eyebrows shoot up. I don’t know why I’m surprised to hear that Shawn has a girlfriend, since plenty of assholes with short tempers still manage to find someone willing to date them—especially if they’ve got a reality show and a contract with the NHL. But that woman—Becca—seems too sweet for a guy like him.

Theo shakes his head suddenly, as if clearing it of some thought.

“Whatever,” he mutters. “She can apologize all she wants, but she’s still with that asshole. And I swear to god, next time he tries to start some shit, I’m gonna lay him the fuck out.”

I don’t love the sound of that, but it’s not exactly my role to lecture Theo about getting into fights. So I let it slide for now, accepting the Manhattan Noah hands me and settling in to enjoy the rest of the night.