Page 103 of Ice Queen

“Yeah, baby.” I roll my lips between my teeth. “If you want me there, I’ll be there.”

“I do.”

“Okay then. You’ve got a championship to win.”

His eyes bore into mine. “I’ve already won it.”

His lips are warm as they meet mine. Full of promise. When he pulls away, his eyes stay closed for a few seconds, a satisfied smile on his lips.

“I love you,” I whisper.

And I’m afraid I’ll never be able to stop.

CHAPTER 33

Markus

Stanley Cup Finals Game Five: June 19 - Tampa, Florida

I’ve never been more excited for a game, both because I want to close it out tonight and because Kait will be here. She hasn’t watched a single game, and I give her props because I don’t have that kind of willpower when it comes to her.

She was supposed to come to Vancouver with us for game four, but she had her first in-store book signing at Tattered Pages, someone named L.K., who I’ve learned is one of her favorites. She’d been so excited about it that I told her to stay.

Yeah, I was a bit disappointed knowing we could have closed out the season, and she wouldn’t have been there to see it. But as the hockey Gods have it, we lost the first game of the series, and I wasn’t the least bit mad about it.

Reed slides up next to me on the bench, sock in hand. “You ready?” he asks.

I let out a scoff. “Don’t get soft on me now, Captain.”

He slides his sock over his foot, pulling it over his shin guard. “I’m not getting soft, I’m just asking. You’ve seemed to be doing better. I just want to make sure you’re good.”

I pause for a minute. He’s right. I haven’t had a panic attack on the ice in months. Not since Dr. Williams got me to realize I told Millie to keep the seatbelt on. Not since Kait moved in. Huh.

“I’m good, brother.” I slap my hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. “Ready to bring this home.”

“Yeah,” he laughs, pulling on his other sock. “Let's do that.”

Monroe comes back in from his physical therapy check, hopping from foot to foot. He rolled his ankle in our last game, and Abby wanted to put KT tape on it, just in case.

“I’m unstoppable,” he sings, leaping through the air like a damn ballerina. “I’m a forward with no brakes.”

I ball up the undershirt I had on under my suit and toss it at his head. It hits its intended target with perfect accuracy.

“Hey,” he whines, rubbing the back of his head. “Way to rain on my parade, Sammy.”

He slides in on my other side, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Look what I got.”

He opens his text thread from Lettie, and there’s a picture of Hannah, Lettie, and Kait sitting on the railing of his porch. All in Hawks jerseys, looking over their shoulder at the camera. But it’s the Samuels that’s stretched across Kait’s back that has tears springing to my eyes.

That woman is so mine, and after we win this, I’ll make that clear to the entire world. No more Playboy Press, no more going out. No, it’s her and I from here on out.

The phone disappears, and he chuckles when my lip pushes into a pout. “My dad took it, they’re on their way.”

A thrill races through me at that last part. They’re on their way. My girl is on her way. She’s going to watch me play, she’s going to be here.

My parents and my sister are going to be up in the family box, but Hannah, being the absolute goner for Wilder that she is, bought season tickets for an entire row a few rows up from the back of our bench. The Wilders are always there with her, Monroe’s dad usually joins Lettie and Cam, and now, Kait will be there, too.

I tap his shin with the blade of my stick. “Let’s get moving, then. We’ve got a game to win, and women to impress.”