ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Bad Boys of Sports: A Complete Collection (Alpha Male, Football, Hockey Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Sports Romance) by Mallory Hart
Authors: Mallory Hart
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making her jump. This time, she realized it was none other than Rich Henry, skating away backward while giving her a smile through his bloodied lip. He gave her a small wave too before turning around and getting right back into the game. Janie exhaled as she waved back. She hadn’t realized that she’d been holding her breath. She couldn’t help the excitement she felt now that she’d seen those beautiful eyes again, and she smiled nervously. She put a hand over her heart to try to still its spiked pace.
“Hello, earth to Janie?” Chris said next to her, attempting to hand her a cup of beer.
“Oh! Chris, I didn’t realize you were back.” She took the cup sheepishly.
“Yeah, you were completely lost in the game. I guess there was some excitement while I was gone.”
“You could say that.”
At that moment, Rich scored a goal, and the audience erupted. Everyone around them was standing and cheering, and Janie was shouting along with them.
“SCORE!”
“NICE JOB, RICH!”
“FOLLOW IT UP!”
“YOU’RE THE MAN, RICH!” Janie screamed along with the crowd and gave the guys behind her high fives before sitting back down. She was all hoots and laughs as she sat back down in her seat. Maybe there was something to this hockey thing after all, she thought.
After the game was over, Janie realized she’d left Barracuda beer mug souvenir at her seat, and she filed back into the arena to retrieve it. She was relieved to find it still there–she wanted a memento of the evening. It really was special sitting at the glass seats; it was no wonder Chris couldn’t stop gushing about it. It could turn out to be one of those rare moments in life that may never come again. She’d have to thank Rich for his generosity.
Perhaps the opportunity to thank him had come sooner than she’d thought, as she eyed a man in a number twenty-two Barracuda jersey skating over to her. Her heart beat faster in anticipation as she watched his powerful and yet graceful strides on the ice.
“Janie,” said Rich as he reached her. “I was afraid you’d already gone.”
“Rich!” Janie said, beaming. “I came back for my cup. Sorry, I didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye. I just thought you’d be busy celebrating your victory with your team. By the way, that winning goal you made was INSANE.”
She watched as he ran his hand through his wet hair–a gesture intended for modesty but coming across as incredibly sexy instead. She exhaled a silent breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
“It was a close game, and I got lucky. So, what did you think? Did you have fun?”
“Did I have fun? It was incredible , Rich! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had no idea it could get that bloody. Is your lip okay, by the way?”
“What this? It’s nothing,” he said as he touched his busted lip. Janie’s eyes lingered on his lips for a beat longer than she should have, and her eyes shot up to his while painting a friendly smile on her face.
“Listen, are you busy tonight? The team is having a little celebratory thing at Sky Bar, the rooftop lounge of the hotel down the street. Would you care to join us?”
“Will the entire Barracuda team be there? Chris will flip out if he got a chance to meet them…and you!”
“Chris?”
“Yes, my date. He’s probably waiting for me outside.”
“Your…date?”
“Yeah, I’ll introduce you at the bar. He’s a huge fan.”
Rich put on a tight smile. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you there, then.”
***
At the bar, Janie sat alone at a booth near the back. Her so-called date Chris had left her alone all night, too busy trying to spark conversations with the Barracuda players without much success. He had been particularly intent on speaking to Rich, who was polite enough at first when Janie introduced them but seemed to have grown increasingly impatient with him. Janie couldn’t blame him–Chris’s antics were grating on her nerves just as much the
“Hello, earth to Janie?” Chris said next to her, attempting to hand her a cup of beer.
“Oh! Chris, I didn’t realize you were back.” She took the cup sheepishly.
“Yeah, you were completely lost in the game. I guess there was some excitement while I was gone.”
“You could say that.”
At that moment, Rich scored a goal, and the audience erupted. Everyone around them was standing and cheering, and Janie was shouting along with them.
“SCORE!”
“NICE JOB, RICH!”
“FOLLOW IT UP!”
“YOU’RE THE MAN, RICH!” Janie screamed along with the crowd and gave the guys behind her high fives before sitting back down. She was all hoots and laughs as she sat back down in her seat. Maybe there was something to this hockey thing after all, she thought.
After the game was over, Janie realized she’d left Barracuda beer mug souvenir at her seat, and she filed back into the arena to retrieve it. She was relieved to find it still there–she wanted a memento of the evening. It really was special sitting at the glass seats; it was no wonder Chris couldn’t stop gushing about it. It could turn out to be one of those rare moments in life that may never come again. She’d have to thank Rich for his generosity.
Perhaps the opportunity to thank him had come sooner than she’d thought, as she eyed a man in a number twenty-two Barracuda jersey skating over to her. Her heart beat faster in anticipation as she watched his powerful and yet graceful strides on the ice.
“Janie,” said Rich as he reached her. “I was afraid you’d already gone.”
“Rich!” Janie said, beaming. “I came back for my cup. Sorry, I didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye. I just thought you’d be busy celebrating your victory with your team. By the way, that winning goal you made was INSANE.”
She watched as he ran his hand through his wet hair–a gesture intended for modesty but coming across as incredibly sexy instead. She exhaled a silent breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
“It was a close game, and I got lucky. So, what did you think? Did you have fun?”
“Did I have fun? It was incredible , Rich! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had no idea it could get that bloody. Is your lip okay, by the way?”
“What this? It’s nothing,” he said as he touched his busted lip. Janie’s eyes lingered on his lips for a beat longer than she should have, and her eyes shot up to his while painting a friendly smile on her face.
“Listen, are you busy tonight? The team is having a little celebratory thing at Sky Bar, the rooftop lounge of the hotel down the street. Would you care to join us?”
“Will the entire Barracuda team be there? Chris will flip out if he got a chance to meet them…and you!”
“Chris?”
“Yes, my date. He’s probably waiting for me outside.”
“Your…date?”
“Yeah, I’ll introduce you at the bar. He’s a huge fan.”
Rich put on a tight smile. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you there, then.”
***
At the bar, Janie sat alone at a booth near the back. Her so-called date Chris had left her alone all night, too busy trying to spark conversations with the Barracuda players without much success. He had been particularly intent on speaking to Rich, who was polite enough at first when Janie introduced them but seemed to have grown increasingly impatient with him. Janie couldn’t blame him–Chris’s antics were grating on her nerves just as much the
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