If You Want Me (The Toronto Terror Series)

Aurora glances at the clock on the nightstand and pats my chest. “Ooh, you should probably get dressed. My dad will be here soon.” Tonight could be the final game of the season, and if the universe is on our side, we’ll bring home the cup.

She grins when I level her with a glare. “You were parading around in your panties.”

“I was still deciding what to wear tonight.”

“You were being a brat.”

“But you’re relaxed, aren’t you?”

“I am definitely relaxed,” I agree and start to sit up.

She leans in and puckers her lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, even when you’re a brat.” I steal one last kiss. “Especially when you’re a brat.” I roll off the bed and hop to my feet.

She shifts onto her side and props her cheek on her fist. “That was incredibly graceful.”

I look at the clock on my way to the bathroom. “We’re cutting it close.”

“You’re cutting it close. I have an hour,” she calls out.

“You can’t be naked when your dad comes knocking.”

“Point taken.” She log-rolls off the bed and holds up her hand as I toss her a warm, damp washcloth. She wipes between her legs and tosses it into the laundry hamper beside her dresser.

The top four drawers are filled with her clothes. Now, whenever Tristan is home and Rix is at his place, Aurora stays here. I’m not pushing for her to move in yet. She still has a few months before the sublet expires, but she’s spending more nights in my bed than hers these days.

I quickly put on my suit while Aurora pulls on a pair of jeans, a Terror T-shirt with Hollis’s Girl and my number on the back, and her dad’s jersey over the top. There’s a knock at the door as we finish getting dressed. Roman has stopped letting himself in out of fear that he’ll see something he doesn’t want to.

He’s getting used to me and Aurora being a couple. Nothing has changed in some ways, and in others, everything has. Openly showing her affection in public has been an adjustment, but a welcome one. She’s mine and I’m hers, and I refuse to hide those feelings from anyone, especially not Roman. And while our friendship has changed, we both have the same first priority now, and that’s Aurora.

We meet Roman at the door together.

“Hey.” Aurora wraps her arms around him, then leans back and fixes his tie. “You look great. Feeling good about tonight?”

“Ready to shut out New York.” His gaze shifts to me. “How about you?”

“Solid. Ready to get on the ice.” I’ve played every game this series, and I’ve felt strong. I’m not where I was at the beginning of the season, but I have the entire off season to get there again.

The three of us get into the elevator. Aurora kisses Roman on the cheek as we approach the twelfth floor. “I love you. Good luck tonight, Dado.”

He gives her a quick hug. “I love you, too, kiddo.”

I reach for her just as she turns to me. It’s like that more and more these days. We’re in sync. I snake an arm around her waist, and she wraps hers around my neck. It’s automatic, and for a second, I forget everything but her.

“You’ve got this.” She kisses the side of my neck and leans back so I can see her beautiful face. “I love you.”

I cup her cheek in my palm. “I love you, too. I’ll be looking for you out there tonight.”

“I’ll be cheering for you.”

I brush my lips over hers. The elevator doors slide open, and I grudgingly release her. She steps into the hall and blows us both another kiss. “Kick their ass tonight.”

Roman laughs, and she winks as the doors slide closed.

“You all right?” I ask once it’s the two of us.

He leans against the wall and crosses his arms. “You know, I worried I wouldn’t be able to handle seeing you and my daughter together.”

I nod. I get that it isn’t easy, but she needs to know I put her first every time. “I know it’s a transition, but I’d rather you be pissed at me than deny her affection.”

“That’s exactly how it should be.” A hint of a smile tips the corner of his mouth. “She’s happy with you. Happier than I’ve ever seen her. I’m not saying this is easy to get used to, but the way you love her makes the awkwardness worth it. I just want her to be content and loved, and that’s what I see when she’s with you.”

“I’d do anything for her,” I admit.

“I know.”

The elevator doors open, and we step out into the warm May afternoon. The playoffs have been intense, and this could be a historic night for us. We take Tristan’s SUV to the arena, and when we arrive, the energy in the locker room is electric. Everyone is buzzing with nerves and excitement. And that goes with us onto the ice.

When it’s time for the game, the girls are all behind the bench tonight. Ashish ends up on the Jumbotron when he blows his wife a kiss. Shilpa catches it and brings her fingers to her lips. Earlier in the season, I would have razzed him for that, but tonight I can appreciate their commitment to each other. This isn’t an easy life, and Shilpa is a rock star.

Tristan scans the row for Rix and taps his fist over his heart. Rix makes a heart with both her hands and when the camera pans away, she drops it to her crotch.

Dallas laughs.

Flip glances behind us. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Tristan and I say at the same time.

Flip gives the girls a thumbs-up, and Tally’s face turns red as the cameras return to their row.

Aurora and I do what we always do when she’s at games these days: at the same time, we mouth the words I love you and make the corresponding hand gestures. Is it cheesy as fuck? Absolutely. But it makes her smile every time. The crowd has gotten wise to this, and pictures of us have ended up on the hockey sites recently. It used to bother me when that happened with Scarlet, but it feels different with Aurora. There’s no agenda; we’re not on display. And Aurora’s grown up in the hockey world, so she’s used to it. That makes it easier to roll with.

Stiles and Madden start the game strong, scoring a goal in the first two minutes. But Bowman ties it up at the end of the first period. Grace scores another goal for New York at the beginning of the second period, and then we’re fighting to tie it back up through the end of the second period. It’s an intense game, with New York working to drag this out to all seven games. But at the beginning of the third period, Madden scores, tying it up again. Everyone is playing hard, and Grace is using it to his advantage. With six minutes left in the game, Stiles takes a hit. It doesn’t look like it should take him out of the game, but he’s favoring his right leg. And we’re set up for a face off at New York’s net, putting us in an ideal position.

There’s a back and forth with the refs, and Stiles skates back to the bench, shaking his head.

“You all right, man?” I ask as I pass him.

He lifts his chin, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. “Get that goal, man.”

I take my place at right wing, and the puck drops. There’s a scramble for control, and Madden flips it to me. I skate behind the crease and pass it back, getting into position. We’re back and forth, keeping the puck away from New York, looking for weak spots in their defense. Madden takes the shot on net, but it bounces off the post. The roar of excitement becomes a sigh of disappointment.

But New York’s defense misses the opportunity to reclaim control, and Madden snags the pass. Defense is already in position, though, blocking his shot on net. He passes to me as I move in, ready to take the shot. New York’s goalie adjusts his position, and at the last second, I scoop the puck and flip it up. It sails over his pads and hits the back of the net.

Toronto loses their fucking minds, and I find myself smashed into Madden and Palaniappa.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

We try to compose ourselves pretty quickly. We still have four and a half minutes of play left. We’re in the lead, but anything could happen.

New York scrambles to get back in the game, but Grace makes a stupid move during the next shift with Stiles and gets called for tripping. The two-minute penalty attached to that makes it impossible for New York to score the goal they so desperately need to stay in the series.

We win the game 3-2, and the Cup is ours. It’s one hell of an end to my comeback season.

The locker room is buzzing after the game, and Tristan claps me on the back, his grin wide. “Dude. You made history.”

I shake my head, but I can’t stop smiling. “That should have been your goal.”

“Who knows what would have happened if I’d been out there instead of you? That could have been any of us. You fought for this, man. I know it; you know it. Celebrate the fuck out of it.”

An hour later, we step through the doors of the Watering Hole. Roman is at my side. I don’t make it three feet inside before I’m tackle-hugged by Aurora. Her entire body winds around mine. “That was amazing! You were amazing!” She mashes our mouths together. “I’ve already had two glasses of champagne, so I can’t be responsible for the things that come out of my mouth tonight.”

“Maybe censor them in front of me,” Roman says.

“Oh fu—” She untangles herself from around me. “Sorry, Dado.” She dances over and hugs him. “You were amazing, too.”

He pats her on the back. “Thanks, kiddo.”

She edges between us and links her arms with ours.

In that moment, I realize it doesn’t matter what comes next, whether I decide to play next season or hang up my skates and go a different direction. I’ve done the things I wanted to in this career. Hit all the high notes. This is the win of all wins. And it’s that much sweeter because I get to celebrate it with the people who matter the most—my best friend and the love of my life.

Aurora is it for me.

My person.

And she’s worth every risk.