Protecting Her Heart: Indianapolis Eagles Series Book 4 Page 2

  “Sounds good, Coach. I’ll get all checked in and meet everyone, and be ready to go tomorrow. Thank you again for the opportunity.”

  We wrap up our conversation and I check in with the head equipment manager, Marcus Allen. He shows me to my locker and makes sure I have everything I need, also taking inventory of the equipment I brought with me. He makes sure to get my information for stick preference so that he can be certain we have more on hand, if needed. Each player has their preference on things like that, and it can be vital to our game and how we play.

  After meeting with Marcus, he introduces me to the head trainer, Josh Burre. We discuss how I’m feeling this far into the season, and he takes note of the areas of my body I tell him can be my problem spots. As of today, I’m healthy and not in need of much from him, but it’s important to stay on top of even minor injuries, so they don’t turn into larger ones.

  The guys are all gone from the arena, having had a morning skate today and a game tonight. At this time of the afternoon, I expect they’re all back home, taking game-day naps and prepping for the game.

  Once I finish getting settled in, I make my way back up to the office to get my bags and head to the hotel. I want to get checked in before it’s time to come back here to watch the game. With being a healthy scratch for tonight, I’ll sit in the locker room for the pre-game talks, to help me figure out how this team operates before the game, and then I’ll take my place up in the press box while the guys are on the ice.

  “Get everything done?” Laura asks as I approach her desk, my bags still sitting where I’d left them.

  “I think so. Just need to go get checked in to the hotel so that I have time to unpack some before I need to be back for the game tonight.”

  “I was just about to head out, can I give you a ride over?”

  “If you’re sure. I wouldn’t want you to go out of your way to drop me off. I can always call an Uber.”

  “Nonsense. I have to drive right past the hotel, and even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have offered if it was going to be a problem,” she tells me.

  “Well, then, thank you. I’d appreciate it,” I say, smiling at her.

  I grab my bags as she shoulders her purse and we walk out to the parking lot. I place my bags in her back seat and climb in the front, securing my seatbelt as she does the same.

  “Are you excited to be moving here to Indy?” Laura asks after we’ve pulled out of the parking lot.

  “I am. As much as I liked the Colorado area, something just wasn’t clicking for me. It wasn’t necessarily the team, as I got along great with all my teammates. I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly was wrong, but something was. I could feel it deep down. So, I’m really hopeful that whatever that missing piece is slips into place here.”

  We fill the short ride with some idle chitchat until Laura drops me off. In the short amount of time I’ve been around her, she has me intrigued and I make it my mission to get to know her and see what makes her tick.

  Chapter Two

  Mark

  October

  Present Day

  “Congrats, man,” I tell Murph after he sits down at his locker. “I hear you popped the question last night at dinner.”

  “Thanks, it was a great night,” he says, a smirk filling his face.

  “You guys set a date yet?”

  “Nothing specific, just sometime next summer. Madison doesn’t want to get married during the season.”

  “Sounds good, man,” I tell him, as I lace up my skates and get ready to hit the ice for practice this morning. With the season opener last night and us bringing home the win over Vegas, the excitement for this new season is still pumping through my blood. Coming off last season, where we won our second cup in three seasons, was something else.

  “You make any headway with Laura?” Murph asks as he laces up his own skates.

  “I think so. Up until now, she’s continued to shoot me down since being my date to the black-tie fundraiser last spring. But last night, she did agree to go out on a date with me tonight. So, I’m taking that as a good sign. I guess all the time we’ve spent together as friends the past couple of years has paid off.”

  “Well, good luck, where are you taking her?”

  “Still deciding. Not sure if I should take her somewhere fancy or somewhere quiet.”

  “You can always call or text Mads. She could help you out if you need it,” he suggests.

  “That’s not a bad idea. I might do that if I haven’t decided on anything by the time we’re out of here later.” I stand up and head for the door that leads to the ice, to get my legs warmed up before the official start of practice.

  Coach takes it a little easy on us today. Our next home game is tomorrow night, and then we leave for a five-day, three-game, road trip early next week.

  After we finish up on the ice, we all hit the showers and then congregate in the film room to go over the footage from last night’s game, so that Coach can point out things we need to work on and what we excelled at. I’ve been so focused on hockey that I haven’t thought much about where I should take Laura to dinner tonight, so I do as Murph suggested and send Madison a text.

  Mark: Hey, I need your help.

  * * *

  Madison: What can I help you with?

  * * *

  Mark: Nothing agent/client related. Laura finally agreed to dinner with me, and I’m blanking on where I should take her now. Murph said I should text you, said you might be able to help me.

  * * *

  Madison: Hmmm…. What about Seasons 52? They’re a little more upscale, nice menu selection. They have a good wine/drink menu to accompany the food.

  * * *

  Mark: Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll see if I can reserve us a table for tonight.

  * * *

  Mark: Oh, and congratulations by the way.

  * * *

  Madison: Thank you and good luck! ;) Glad you finally got her to say yes.

  * * *

  Mark: Me too.

  I pull up the restaurant online and quickly submit a reservation for tonight, securing one for seven p.m. Once I have it confirmed, I lock my phone and slip it into the pocket of my hoodie.

  I turn my attention to the film that Coach started and listen in to his commentary on what we did well versus what we need to improve or work on moving forward. My mind keeps wandering to tonight and what’s going to come of this dinner date with Laura.

  Back at my apartment, I make myself a quick late lunch before I relax on the couch and find something to watch on TV to pass the time until I need to get ready for my date with Laura.

  I settle on watching a marathon of Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network channel to pass the time. I’ve always enjoyed cooking in my downtime and like watching these types of shows to get ideas on some new things to try.

  My attention is pulled to the door when I hear it open and my roommates Austin Jones and Johnathan Camps come in. We’ve lived together since I was traded to the team two seasons ago.

  “Hey, man, what’s up?” Austin asks as he plops down on the other end of the couch from me.

  “Not much, just passing the time until my date tonight.”

  “Finally got Laura to say yes?” Johnathan questions as he walks into the living room from the kitchen, a bottle of water in his hand.

  I can’t keep the smile from filling my face at his question. “Yep,” I answer him, popping the P.

  “About damn time,” he replies on a laugh. “Only took you what, two years?”

  “Tell me about it, but slow and steady wins the race.”

  “Where are you taking her?”

  “Seasons 52 for dinner and then who knows,” I state, letting the unknown hang in the air. “Not back here, that’s for sure.” I smirk. “I don’t need you fuckers interfering with anything.”

  That gets both of them laughing at me.

  “Well, good luck tonight. About time you make some progress, maybe get yourself laid,”
Austin ribs me.

  “Where’d you guys take off to after practice?” I ask, ignoring his comment.

  “Went out to lunch with a few of the guys, then I had to stop at the mall to find something to send to my sister for her birthday,” Johnathan states. “Want to play some Xbox?”

  “Sure.” I flip the TV over to the correct input and grab the controllers off the end table next to me, tossing one to each of the guys as the game starts up.

  We talk shit between the three of us as we play, killing an hour or so of the afternoon. I check the time and see that I have about an hour before I need to leave to go pick up Laura, so I bow out of the game and head for the shower.

  I pull into Laura’s driveway and shut off my car, then double-check my reflection. I climb out, and quickly adjust myself before walking up to her door. I’ve been interested in Laura now for a couple of years—since the day I arrived in Indy, but I’ve never been able to get her to agree to go out with me. Besides the team’s charity event, where she agreed to be my date, I’ve never been successful in my pursuit of her.

  She’s been divorced now for over a year, and finally ready to move on from the past, I think. She’s been more outgoing the last few months, and I was excited to see her again when I came back to Indy after going home to Minnesota for the summer.

  I knock on her door, sliding my hands into the pockets of my slacks as I wait for her to answer. I can hear footsteps and moments later, the lock slides before she pulls the door open.

  Laura is standing in front of me, looking more drop-dead sexy than I’ve ever seen her, in a red wrap dress that hugs her curves perfectly. The dress shows off the swell of her breasts and the slimness of her waist, flaring out over her hips. I take a moment to appreciate her before I find my voice. I suck in a breath, willing my dick to stay down, as I can feel all the blood in my body quickly making its way to the appendage between my legs.

  “Hi,” she says, a little shy.

  “Hi, yourself.” I lean down to place a kiss on her cheek. “You’re beautiful,” I tell her, taking a deep breath to calm myself. “Ready to go?”

  “I will be in just a minute. I was just finishing getting ready when you knocked. I need to double-check that I turned off my flat iron and then grab my purse.” She takes a step back, signaling me to come inside. “I’ll just be a minute or two.”

  “Take your time,” I tell her as she walks further into her small house.

  I shut the door behind me and take a look around at what I can see of her house. The open entryway leads right into a small living room. There’s a hallway that has a few doors off of it, and I assume that’s where her bedrooms and bathroom are, as that’s the direction she disappeared. I look at the pictures she has hanging up on the wall, getting glimpses of her growing up and with her brother and parents.

  I smile as I take in all the pictures of her playing hockey growing up. The one that catches my eye the most is her with a group of girls in Minnesota Gopher jerseys.

  Well, I’ll be damned.

  I always dreamed of being a Gopher growing up, but I never played at the college level. I went from the juniors to the AHL and finally up to the NHL after two seasons in the AHL. Ever since I got the call up seven seasons ago, I’ve been playing at the NHL level.

  My first three seasons were split between Columbus and Edmonton before I was traded to Colorado, and then finally the Eagles.

  The season I was traded to the Eagles, they’d been on one hell of a run and we finished out that season winning the cup. The next season, my first full one with the team, we lost in the second round to Chicago, and then last season, we once again brought the cup home.

  Having won the cup two times in three seasons is an amazing feeling and an exciting time to be on this team. The management has done a great job rebuilding this team in the past few years, and I’m honored to be a part of it. I’m finally starting to feel like I’ve found my home in this team, like this is where I really belong.

  “Sorry, that took me so long.” Laura’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.

  “No worries. I didn’t realize you were a Gopher,” I say, pointing to her team picture.

  “Yep, some of the best years of my life,” she replies, a smile on her face.

  “Growing up in the Twin Cities, I always dreamed of being a Gopher.”

  “What stopped you?”

  “My career. I never got to play college hockey.”

  “Ah, that’s right. I forgot that you went straight from juniors into the AHL, and then up to the NHL,” she says as we stop briefly so she can lock the front door before I escort her out to my car.

  We reach my car and I open the passenger door for her, holding it until she’s seated and buckled in. I take those few moments to get my fill of her sexy-as-sin bare legs that are capped off with some fuck-me heels that match her dress.

  “So, where are you taking me tonight?” Laura asks, once I’m in the car and pulling out of her driveway.

  “Seasons 52, does that sound okay to you? I can take you somewhere else if you prefer.”

  “No, that sounds great. I’ve never been there, but have always heard good things about it.”

  We slip into a comfortable silence as I drive to the restaurant. I can feel the nerves start to settle and leave my body the closer to the restaurant we get. Once we arrive, I easily find a parking spot, as a car is just pulling out when we pull up.

  I get out of the car quick enough that I make it around to Laura’s side of the car to open her door for her. I have every intention of pulling out every stop tonight, so I can prove to her I’m a standup guy that she should give a chance to.

  Once Laura is out of the car, I place a hand against her lower back and escort her inside the restaurant.

  “Good evening,” the hostess greets us.

  “Good evening. I have a reservation under Mark Lee, for two at seven.”

  “Thank you for joining us tonight. It will be just a few moments before we can seat you. You’re welcome to have a seat or wait at the bar,” the hostess informs us.

  “Do you want to grab a drink while we wait?” I turn and ask Laura.

  “Sure,” she says, smiling at me. Her smile makes my heart beat faster, and it does something to me that I can’t remember happening in a long time, if ever. I don’t know what it is about this woman that gets to me, but I’ve felt it since the moment I met her. It’s as if I’m drawn to her.

  We make our way into the bar and I flag down the bartender, who takes our drink order. I hand over my credit card when she returns with a beer for me and a glass of wine for Laura. As we wait for her to return with the slip, I take a sip of my beer before turning to watch Laura for a few moments.

  “How was work today?” I finally ask, breaking the silence between us as I set my glass down on the coaster on the bar top.

  “It was good. With the season finally underway, things have settled down for a little bit. Training camp can be a crazy time as the coaching staff and Daniel are determining where guys are going to play. Who’s getting sent to Champaign, who’s going down to the ECHL, and the few that get cut completely. It’s a lot of paperwork when we move guys around, and it keeps me busy.”

  “Glad to hear that. I can only imagine how hectic it can get in the office. It’s crazy enough being one of the players that’s getting moved around.”

  “You guys looked good out there last night,” she says, taking a sip of her wine.

  “It felt good to be back out on the ice. I’m liking the new line pairings that Coach has us in right now, and I hope he keeps us the way we are for a while. I think it’s going to work well for us.”

  “I’m sure he will until he feels like something isn’t working.”

  “Mark, party of two,” I hear the hostess call out. We grab our drinks and I step back, allowing Laura to walk in front of me as we make our way over to the hostess. This not only allows me to take her in as she walks in front of me, but gives me the opportunity to tou
ch her, placing my hand on her lower back as we walk to our table. I take every chance I can get to touch her as I feel this pull to her. I’m already craving the feeling of her skin against mine, and this is only our first date.

  “Your server will be with you shortly, the small menu has our specials for tonight.”

  The hostess leaves us to look over our menus while we wait for our server, taking our time to decide what we want.

  “What are you thinking?” I ask, as I continue to read over what they have.

  “It all sounds so good, I don’t know how I’m going to decide!” she says.

  I laugh at her excitement over the menu. “That it does. We can always order a few things and share them, if you’d like,” I offer.

  “Mhmmm…that’s an idea,” she says, lowering her menu and smiling at me. Her smile fills her face and lights up her eyes. It also does something to me. Knowing that I helped put that look there has me feeling something I haven’t felt toward a woman in a long time. It makes me want her all that much more, and makes me want to continue putting that look on her face.

  “Good evening, and welcome to Seasons 52. I’m Jeff, and I’ll be your server this evening. Do either of you have any questions about anything on the menu and did you get a chance to look over our specials for the evening?” he asks, setting a basket of warm rolls on the table.

  “Thank you,” Laura murmurs as she reaches for a roll and the butter.

  “I think we’re considering sharing a few dishes as we can’t make up our minds on what we want tonight,” I tell him.