Protecting Her Heart: Indianapolis Eagles Series Book 4 Read online

  He motions between the two of us. “I’ve crushed on you since that first day I arrived here in Indy and I’ve waited for you all this time. So, whatever it is that you’re ready for, I’m all in. You’re in charge here and I’ll follow your lead. If my intentions haven’t been clear before, I’m here to make them clear now. I like you, Laura, and I hope that once you trust my intentions and you trust me enough to tell me why that asshole of an ex-husband of yours left you feeling like you’re not worthy of a man’s love, I will do everything in my power to show you how full of shit he is, and show you just how lovable you are. Show you just how good we can be together.”

  “Why, Mark, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” I ask, my melancholy mood quickly being replaced by the excitement of a new beginning with this amazing man. His words are like a balm to my fractured soul. I didn’t think a man like him existed in this world, but in this moment, I’m sure glad he does and that he might just be meant for me.

  “That’s exactly what I’m asking,” he replies, kissing my cheek. The smoldering look on his face has my panties wet and my core throbbing. I rub my thighs together to try and help with the desire pooling between my legs.

  “Yes,” I whisper, before kissing him hard against his lips.

  We finish our breakfast, Mark insisting on paying when our server drops the bill off at our table. I figure it’s not worth fighting him on it right now. I know he’s just trying to be chivalrous, and I’ll allow it for a little while, but he’ll have to understand I’m a grown, professional woman who can provide for herself and can pay my own way occasionally. I also don’t want him to feel like I expect him to pay the way for everything we do.

  “What did you want to do today?” Mark asks as we buckle up and pull out of the diner parking lot. With no games until they go on their upcoming road trip, the guys actually have today and tomorrow off to recuperate.

  “I didn’t have much on my agenda for the day. Laundry and grocery shopping were the only two things on my weekend agenda.”

  “Let’s swing by my place so I can change clothes,” Mark says, pointing down to his slacks and button-up shirt he put back on from last night. “I can also pack an overnight bag, so I don’t have to go back until Monday.”

  I bite my lip and love the idea of spending the next two days with Mark. Having him immerse himself in my life should scare me, but for some reason, it just feels right, like he belongs right here next to me.

  “Okay. You’re sure you won’t get sick of me before then?” I ask, trying to joke about it, but secretly wanting to know the answer.

  We stop at a red light and Mark turns toward me as much as he can from the driver’s seat. “I’m not going to get sick of being with you, Laura. I’ll treasure every moment I get with you,” he says, cupping my cheek and sliding his thumb across my bottom lip. He kisses me quickly before the light flips to green.

  “You live with a few of the other guys on the team, correct?” I ask as we pull into a larger condominium complex.

  “Yep, Jonzie and JC. I moved in with them as soon as I moved to town, and I’ve just never moved out.”

  “I can only imagine what it would be like to live with those two guys.” I chuckle.

  “They aren’t that bad, actually. We play a shit ton of video games. And we all chip in to have a cleaning service, as three bachelors can be kinda messy. We also have an understanding that no one-night stands are to be brought back to the condo. We don’t need random chicks knowing where we live, and the walls in our place aren’t that thick. I don’t need to hear my roommates getting it on with some random chick every few nights.”

  “So, just as I suspected. A normal bachelor pad?”

  “I guess that’s a fair assumption,” he confirms.

  We get out of his car and he escorts me into a lobby, then into a waiting elevator. When we reach the tenth floor, we walk down the hall until we reach his door. He quickly pulls out his keys, unlocking the door and ushering me inside.

  I take in my surroundings. A very masculine condo, where large leather couches fill the living room and are arranged so all have a direct view of the very large television on the wall. He wasn’t joking when he said they played a lot of video games. I think they have every game system available sitting on an entertainment center under the TV, with different controllers laying around on the end tables and coffee table in the middle of the living room.

  To my left is the kitchen, which is pretty standard looking for a rental unit. Past the kitchen, on either side of the living room, I can see two hallways that I’m guessing lead to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

  The condo is quiet, I’m not sure if we’re here by ourselves or if the other guys are just still asleep. It’s almost 11:30, but I wouldn’t put it past these guys to still be in bed.

  “Come with me,” Mark says from behind me as he moves my hair from my neck, dropping a kiss against my skin.

  I follow Mark as he heads down the hall off the right side of the living room. There are three doors down this way. The first is the bathroom, and the other two are closed, so I just follow him as we enter the one on the left. He closes the door behind me and flips on the light, and I get my first glimpse at his personal space.

  It’s actually a very orderly and clean room. His bed is made, with everything picked up and put away. He’s got a TV hanging on the wall, perfectly positioned so he can watch it from bed. An end table on the left side of his bed holds a lamp and the remote for the TV. There are two doors along one wall. I can see into one, realizing he’s got his own bathroom off his room, and I assume the other door is his closet.

  Mark wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me against him as he backs us up until my legs hit his bed. He kisses me as I fall down on the bed behind me, pulling away once I’m all the way back.

  “I like the look of this,” he muses.

  “Like what?” I innocently ask.

  “You, on my bed. The only thing that would make it better was if you were naked.”

  “Tsk, tsk. I thought no girls were allowed here for that kind of thing,” I tease him.

  “No one-night stands are allowed, and you are the furthest thing from a one-night stand.”

  I smile up at him at his words and lean up to kiss him again.

  Mark kisses me back, but just as quickly as it starts, he pulls back.

  “If I don’t stop kissing you, then we’re never going to get out of here. So, I’m going to get changed and my bag packed so we can leave.”

  “Sounds good, anything I can help with?” I offer.

  “Nope,” Mark tells me, popping the P. “Just sit your little ass right there, looking cute, and I’ll get everything I need packed in just a couple minutes.”

  “Okay.” I shift on the bed and prop one of his pillows behind my back against the headboard, pulling out my phone while I wait.

  Laura: Hey! How’s it going? Make any wedding plans yet?

  * * *

  Madison: We’ve narrowed down the date and have a short list of locations. What’s up with you? Any more dates with Mark? Richard said he’s been happy at practice.

  * * *

  Laura: Keep me posted on wedding stuff and let me know if I can help with anything! And yes, things are great with Mark. ;) We’re official now.

  * * *

  Madison: Get it girl! We’ll need to have a girls’ night soon!

  * * *

  Laura: Yes! Maybe while the guys are on the road?

  * * *

  Madison: Yes!

  “Ready?” Mark asks, his bag in hand as he waits for me to stand up and follow him out of his room.

  “More than ready.”

  Chapter Six

  Mark

  The past few days with Laura have been perfect. We spent plenty of time together in bed, getting to know each other not only sexually, but also talking. She hasn’t completely opened up yet about what went wrong in her marriage, but I think she’s close to being ready to talk about it with
me.

  I’m back at the rink today for practice. We’ve got our first road trip of the season starting tomorrow and we’ll be gone for five days, playing three games in that timespan, in just as many cities. We play Washington, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia on this road trip, all teams that will be gunning to take down the defending champs on their home ice early in the season.

  Coach runs us through a full practice after we had the weekend off to rest and recuperate after starting the season winning our first two games.

  “Hit the showers and then we’ll meet in the video room,” Coach says before dismissing us.

  I’m standing in the back of the pack as we’d all been huddled around the bench, listening to Coach’s spiel on what he expects of us on this road trip, what he was impressed with from our first two games, and what he wants us to improve on. Nothing he says should come as a surprise to anyone on the ice.

  “How was your weekend?” Brian asks as we make it back to the locker room. “Didn’t hear from you at all, what’s up with that?”

  I can’t hide the smile from my face at his question and fuck, I might actually be blushing thinking back on my weekend.

  “I was busy with Laura.”

  “Fuck, son!” He slaps my back. “I take it from that shit-eating grin on your face that she finally gave in to you and you got laid this weekend,” he says excitedly, his hand attempting to squeeze my shoulder through my gear.

  “Attention, everyone!” Brian bellows as soon as we’re in the locker room. “We can all congratulate this guy on finally getting laid this weekend!”

  “Shut the fuck up,” I growl at him, as the rest of my teammates start hooting and hollering. “I don’t need you blabbing that around. No need to bring more attention to the fact that I’m sleeping with the boss’s daughter. I don’t need him trading my ass.”

  I pull off my gear and toss it in my stall. My good mood I’d started this day with—after waking up next to Laura and then sliding down between her legs, rousing her with my tongue against her clit—quickly leaves my body after Brian’s little outburst.

  I strip from the rest of my gear, wrapping a towel around my naked body, and grab my shower bag. The hot water hits my skin and I feel myself relax under the spray. I know Brian didn’t mean anything by what he did, but fuck, if it didn’t make my blood boil. I know Mr. Erickson wasn’t in the locker room, but damn, I don’t need that kind of shit getting back to him, or even Laura. I’m sure she’d understand somewhat that guys will be guys, and they all know that I’ve been pining after her for so long. I just hope none of them make any offhanded comments to her; now that they all know we’re together, that would make her feel uncomfortable. What Laura and I do behind closed doors isn’t any one of these fuckers’ business, and I intend to keep it that way going forward.

  I finish up in the shower and wrap my towel back around my waist as I walk back to my locker. I quickly towel off and dress in a team-issued T-shirt and athletic pants, and shove my feet into a pair of flip flops.

  “Hey, man, I’m sorry about that earlier,” Brian tells me as he finishes getting ready next to me. “I wasn’t thinking about Mr. Erickson and things getting back to him. It won’t happen again.”

  “Thanks, man, I appreciate it. I just don’t want Laura to feel weird around anyone or think that we’re talking about her in here. She deserves the same privacy as anyone else’s wife or girlfriend does, and with her job with the team, it puts her in a weird position if everyone is discussing our relationship behind her back,” I tell him, having accepted his apology in earnest.

  “I get it. I’d be pissed if guys were in here talking about Kinley.”

  Brian and I both head out, grabbing a Gatorade from the cart the trainers have here in the locker room for us. We walk down the hall and into the video room, both taking a seat as the rest of the team files into the room over the next ten or so minutes.

  Coach has us watching video from our first two games, showing us what he mentioned on the ice that we need to work on, as well as what we were doing correct. After that, we watch video from all three teams we’ll be playing on this first road trip, looking at the line combinations we’ll need to be aware of, and what they might try and trip us up with.

  Coach wraps up the video session and sends us on our way. I need to get in some time in the weight room, so I head back into the locker room to change my shoes before I hit the weights.

  “How are you feeling?” Josh Burre, our head trainer, asks as I finish another rep on the bench press.

  “Good, man. Strong, healthy, and ready for a good season,” I tell him honestly. “All the conditioning this offseason paid off, and I’m feeling better than I have in as long as I can remember.”

  “That’s good to hear. Do you need anything stretched out or worked on?”

  “I don’t think so. Like I said, I’m feeling pretty good.”

  “All right, well, you tell me if that changes. Oh, by the way, I’ve got a new workout regimen I’ve put together for some of the other guys. If you want me to run through it with you sometime soon, just let me know.”

  “Yeah, that’d be great.”

  “I’ll email you a copy of everything, so you can look it over, and then we can run through it together once we’re back from the road trip.”

  “Sounds good. I’m done here for today. I need to hit the showers again, and then go check in with Laura.”

  “How’s that going?” he asks, a smirk on his lips.

  “Great. Better than I could have planned. The wait was worth it.”

  “That’s great, man. Happy for you.”

  “How are things with you and Jackie?” I ask, wiping my sweaty face with a towel.

  “Eh, we broke up just before camp started. She couldn’t handle my schedule.”

  “Sorry to hear that, buddy.”

  “I’m over it. We just weren’t meant to be,” he muses, not looking sad about his breakup at all.

  “Anyone new on the horizon?”

  “Nope. I’m good with being single for a while. If the right woman comes along, I won’t pass her up, but I’m also not out chasing tail every night, either.”

  “I hear you on that.”

  “Hey, Josh, you in here, man?” Johnathan calls into the weight room.

  “Yep, what do you need, JC?”

  “Do you have time to work on stretching me out?” JC asks him, walking up to the two of us.

  “Yep, let’s head to the treatment room,” he says as they both head that way, leaving me to make my way to the locker room.

  “We’d absolutely be willing to help with anything we can,” I hear Laura’s voice tell someone as I walk into the team’s office.

  “You can email me the details and we’ll help arrange everything. We’ll help cover the travel cost, as well as the hotel and incidentals for the entire family. I can arrange for the child to have time on the ice with the team during a practice, as well as box seats for a game. We’ll provide custom jerseys for everyone. If the child or his family would like to participate in the ceremonial puck drop for the game, we can also have that arranged,” she says as I approach her desk. “Thank you for reaching out to us. We’re always willing to fulfill any child’s last wish with your organization.”

  Oh shit, I figured it was some kind of charity donation she was talking about on the phone, but from the sounds of it, it appears to be a sick child’s wish to come see us play. The severity of that hits me hard. What a thing to have to deal with as a parent, and how humbling it is as a player, to be a little kid’s last wish.

  “Hey,” I say, as she hangs up her phone.

  “Hey, yourself. How was practice?”

  “Great. Coach is happy so far with our performance. Hey, was that call about a sick kid that wants to come see us play?”

  “Yeah,” Laura says, sighing. “That was a representative from the Make-A-Wish foundation. They have a little boy that was just approved to have his wish granted, and his dream was al
ways to become an NHL player, specifically for the Eagles. So, we’re going to fly him and his family here, pay for their hotel, food, et cetera. Bring him in for a practice, full tour, probably even sign him to a one-day contract. Give him the whole experience. Make him really feel like he’s part of the Eagles organization.”

  “Will you let me know what I can do to help?” I ask, my heart going out to this boy and his family.

  “Absolutely. She actually mentioned that you were one of his top favorite players and one of the three he listed as wanting to meet. Little does he know, he’ll get to meet the entire team.”

  “Really?” I ask, flabbergasted. I know I have fans, but to be one of this little boy’s top three players is humbling.

  “Yes, you, Brian, and Scott are the three he requested to meet.”

  “I’m honored and, like I said, anything I can do, you let me know,” I tell her, before changing the subject. “How’s your day been?”

  “Good.” She gives me a saucy smile.

  “Dinner tonight?” I ask, hopeful to spend the night with her before I leave in the morning.

  “Yes,” she quickly answers.

  “What time will you be done here today?”

  “An hour or so. I just need to work on some of the logistics for this visit, as it will be happening here pretty quickly.”

  “I’m going to run home, then. Text me when you’re leaving, and I’ll meet you at your place. Then we can decide what we want to do for the evening.”

  “Sounds good. And you should bring your bag with you,” she says, winking at me.