Gloves Off: a marriage of convenience hockey romance (Vancouver Storm Book 4)

On Saturday, I wake to Alexei setting a coffee on my bedside table. I squint at him in the morning light, wearing a dark green T-shirt and those athletic joggers he looks so good in.

“Drink your coffee, lionhead. We’ve got a busy day.”

“You’re wearing too many clothes.”

His eyes darken, trailing over me in bed, before he lets out an impatient sigh.

“I can’t. I have too much to do and if we start something, we’ll still be up here when people start knocking on the front door. Besides, you’ve got a massage in an hour.” He starts making the bed.

God, I love it when he’s bossy like this. “Hi, can you not make the bed while I’m still in it?” I’m laughing. “Also, what are you talking about?”

“I booked it for you at the place Jordan said you liked. You’ve got a whole morning of things to go to.” He squints, thinking. “Japanese head something?”

I gasp, sitting up higher. “A Japanese head spa?”

“Yeah. That.”

“Oh my god.” I’ve totally wanted to try that. Apparently it makes your hair all soft and glossy. “Wait. I can’t leave. I was going to help.”

“I told you I’d take care of everything.” He glares at the neckline of my camisole—one of the items he bought. “You’re too distracting, Georgia. Especially wearing that thing.”

“Lick the rock,” we all chant that evening while Alexei glowers, hands on his hips in defiance.

Everyone’s here—Rory, Hazel, Darcy, Hayden, Jamie, Pippa, Luca, a few of the other players. Even Jordan, an introvert who prefers spending her nights off alone, showed up.

“I’m not licking the fucking⁠—”

“Lick the rock,” we keep chanting. “Lick the rock.”

Our eyes meet and I give him a look like, well? and he rolls his eyes with exasperation, but he looks like he wants to smile.

“We’ve all licked it,” I tell him while our friends grin. “It’s your turn. It’s bad luck. A witch will put a curse on you if you don’t.”

“Fine,” he snaps before bending down and touching his tongue to the tip of the crystal.

Everyone hollers, clapping and laughing, filling the home with joyful noise. Luca snaps a picture.

“Happy?” Alexei demands, coming over to me and pulling me against him as we head to the dining room to eat.

I bury my face into his neck, smiling. “Extremely.”

“The food’s incredible, Volkov.” Hayden lifts his beer to my husband as we all sit in the dining room.

It’s the first time I’ve seen it used since I moved in. Around the table, our guests chorus praise for the Italian dinner Alexei made us—caprese salad, steamed clams and mussels in tomato sauce, some kind of kale caesar salad that tastes like heaven, and a seafood pasta with squid ink.

My husband clears his throat, nods once. “It’s good to finally have everyone over.”

He reaches for one of the bottles of wine he brought out from the cellar and refills my glass. I don’t know whether my face is warm because I can’t remember how many times he’s refilled the glass, or because it’s actually nice, having our friends over and⁠—

Our friends? This is suspiciously couple-y.

“Where did you learn to cook like this?” I ask quietly, because as his wife, I should probably already know this. “And don’t say you helped out at home. Teenagers don’t cook like this.”

His mouth tilts. “Italy.”

I stare at him.

“I have a place there,” he explains.

I continue to stare at him. “But what about hockey?”

There’s that mouth tilt again. “We have something called an offseason, Hellfire, and it has a gym. The caretaker used to own a restaurant in town. She likes to teach me recipes.”

I’m struck with an intense need to know more. To see this for myself. “It’s kind of annoying, how good you are at everything you put your mind to.”

“I could say the same about you.” His eyes meet mine. “I like having people over to our home.”

Our home?

My heart flips. Don’t even start, I scold myself. This isn’t our home. It’s his home, and when we divorce, I’ll find an apartment near the arena, or maybe Jordan and I will move in together again.

Disappointment pangs in my chest at the idea of moving out, and not just because I love the morning light in the front room or the way the forest air smells so fresh or the quiet serenity of the mountains.

I’m going to miss Alexei.

My stomach twists into a tight knot. What was the one thing I wasn’t supposed to do? Get attached. We even said it in our vows.

When this is all over, I won’t miss you.

And now I’ve gone and gotten feelings over the whole thing.

Alexei’s in the middle of a conversation with Luca and Rory, but like he can sense my worries, he reaches out and takes my hand, pulling it into his lap, lightly playing with my fingers while the guys talk about some trade Ward was trying to make. At his light, warm touch, my worries dampen, the jagged edges turning dull and harmless.

Maybe this could work.

As quickly as the thought appears, I strike it, blinking in shock. Maybe this could work? What this? We’re getting along, but that doesn’t mean this is an actual marriage.

Some guy cooks and cuddles with me and I lose my head over him. It’s like I’ve learned nothing after Liam. I’m not cut out for this kind of thing. When I fall for someone, I lose my head over them. I make bad decisions. I dissolve into their life. Their career.

I give them everything, and I’m left with nothing.

“All right, ladies.” Rory leans back and folds his arms behind his head. “When you’re finished cleaning, we’ll come inspect your work.”

Hazel tries to punch him in the stomach but he catches her fist, laughing, pulling her into a hug.

He presses a kiss to the top of her head while she tries to fight him off, both of them smiling. “We’ll clean. You all hang out. You, too, Alexei. You can get the good gossip to pass on to us later.”

“I’ll go with you.” He stands. “Otherwise you’ll put everything back in the wrong place.”

“I will stay,” Luca says. “I need to keep Jordan company.”

She smirks. “Get lost, dork.”

Luca grins at her, handsome and cheeky. Alexei gives him a light push toward the kitchen, making him laugh. He’s already a heartthrob at twenty-two. My soccer girls are obsessed with him. In about five years, he’ll be deadly.

While the guys head to the kitchen, the women move to the front room, draping over couches and taking seats on the floor, complaining about how full we are.

“Alexei and Luca are so cute together,” Pippa says.

We can hear the guys in the kitchen, cleaning up and talking and horsing around.

“Don’t throw that,” Alexei orders, and I smile.

“I know. They’ve got this big brother, little brother thing going.” I think about the game the other week. “Alexei’s proud of him, I think. Ward did a good thing, pairing them together.”

At the mention of Ward’s name, Jordan stiffens.

“Speaking of gossip,” Hazel says to Darcy, “how about that press conference last night?”

“Oh my god.” Darcy rolls her eyes.

I frown. “What happened?”

“They were hounding Ward about his dating life.” Darcy shakes her head. “So unprofessional.”

“You know those reporters.” Hazel smirks. “They want a good story, and Ward’s dating life is interesting. It helps that he’s hot.”

“He was so embarrassed,” Darcy says in a low voice. “I think the media attention is really getting to him.”noveldrama

“Is he seeing anyone?” Pippa asks.

“Why?” Hazel asks with a teasing smile. “You interested?”

Pippa laughs, a little embarrassed. “No, but he is handsome.”

Jordan gets up to leave the room.

I catch her hand. “You okay?”

“Yep. Just going to get the bunnies.”

She heads upstairs. I had put them in my room during dinner so they weren’t begging at the table like starved wildlings.

Something isn’t right, but Jordan’s so hard to read sometimes. I’ve learned not to try to pry her open until she’s ready, though.

“I don’t think he’s dating anyone,” Darcy says with a shrug. “I don’t think he has time. If he’s not coaching or on the road, he’s with Bea.”

Pippa plays with the stem of her wineglass. “What kind of woman do you think he’d go for?”

“Someone his total opposite, I’m sure,” I say without thinking. “It always happens like that.”

Their gazes swing to me.

“Right.” Hazel’s mouth curves into a knowing smile. “You and Alexei are looking very comfortable together tonight.”

The way she says it, the sharp, inquisitive way she’s looking at me, it’s like she knows. My eyes narrow. Does she?

“Why wouldn’t we? We’re in love.” My face heats.

“Cut it out. We know something’s going on.” She gestures between herself and Pippa.

“You know . . . what?” I prompt, holding my expression neutral despite a hammering heart.

“I don’t know the details but we know it’s fake. Or,” she smirks, “it was fake.”

And here I thought we’d done a good job at faking it. My gaze swings to Darcy and she gives me a subtle shake of her head.

“Darcy didn’t say anything,” Pippa adds, “but now we really know.” Her smile softens. “You can trust us. We won’t tell anyone.”

“It’s how Rory and I got together,” Hazel adds with a wry look.

I think back to the beginning of last season, when I didn’t know Hazel as well. Realization dawns on me and I stare at her, starting to smile. “It was weird how you didn’t like him, and then the next week, you were dating.”

“I was trying to get back at Connor.”

Her ex who had just been traded to the Storm. Right. He was my patient and I couldn’t stand him. One of those condescending, know-it-all types who thinks every woman has a thing for him. Gross.

Darcy and I meet eyes. “You can trust them,” she says.

“I know.” I give them the rundown on the agreement. “We didn’t say anything because we didn’t want anyone getting in trouble. What tipped you off?”

“At first,” Hazel surveys me, “I thought this is just how you are in relationships. Reserved, not good at PDA, private.” She shakes her head, smiling. “You’re acting different now, though. I think you might not be acting at all.”

My heart lurches, exposed and uncertain.

Thankfully, Jordan returns to the living room with a bunny under each arm.

I gesture at the Hartley sisters. “They know about the agreement.”

“Good.” Her mouth tips, eyes sparkling. “Because I noticed something in your room.” She buries her face into Stefan’s fur. Those two have always loved each other. “A lack of something.”

Oh god. I’m not ready to talk about this with her. I should have retrieved the bunnies myself.

“What?” Darcy asks, and my mouth starts to pull into a wince.

“There’s no bed in there.” Jordan studies me. She knows. She so knows. “Isn’t that weird, Georgia, that there’s no bed in your room? Are you sleeping on the floor?”

My face is going red. She knows I’m not sleeping on the floor.

“No, I’m not sleeping on the floor.” I stare at her, giving her my shut the fuck up eyes.

“Are you sleeping on the chair?” she wonders aloud with an innocent expression.

“No.” I’m going to kill her, and yet I’m smiling. “I’m not sleeping on the chair.”

Darcy sucks in an excited breath, clutching her hands together, eyes lit up bright and sparkly.

“Are you sleeping on the⁠—”

“I’m sleeping in Alexei’s bed. Happy?”

“Yes,” Darcy bursts out, bouncing up and down. “Very.”

“I’m a sleepwalker.” I can’t make eye contact with anyone. “It’s for my own safety.”

Silence, before they all burst out laughing.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Hazel asks.

“I’m serious,” I sputter, face burning hotter than the sun. “And it was his idea. Pippa, you believe me, right?” I gesture at the younger Hartley sister. “You’re the nice one.”

“Hey,” Hazel says, but she’s smiling.

“I thought I was the nice one,” Darcy says, pretending to pout.

“You and Pippa tie for being the nice ones, but I already know you don’t believe me.” I look to Pippa. “But you believe me, right, Pips?”

She presses her lips together, giving me a wincing, sympathetic look. “No.”

Hazel and Jordan smile at each other. Hazel starts walking around the room with her arms out like a zombie.

“Alexei,” she moans in a low voice like she’s possessed, and we’re all shaking with laughter. “Take your pants off so we can make a baby.”

Pippa chokes on her wine. Darcy is horizontal on the floor, shaking with laughter, and Jordan just smiles.

I’m helpless with laughter. “I’m a sleepwalker, not Frankenstein’s monster.”

“And what are you doing in this bed you share?” Jordan is enjoying this too much. “Just sleeping?”

“Who are you, my mother?” I sound so defensive. Even she’d want to know.

She shrugs, smiling. “He’s touching you a lot.”

“At every opportunity,” Pippa adds, also smiling.

“He really likes your hair,” Darcy adds. “He always stares at it. And the shoes.”

“Right.” Hazel nods. “He’s obsessed with her shoes.”

Jordan arches a dark eyebrow. “He held your hand tonight. He licked the rock for you.”

“Okay—”

“So are you hooking up yet, or what?” Hazel prompts. “Give us the details we actually want.”

“This is private!”

Darcy gives me a surprised look. “Since when are you such a prude?”

My jaw drops, but I start laughing. “I’ve turned you into a monster. Okay, fine. We’ve messed around.”

They exchange knowing looks.

“Stop that.” I cover Darcy’s eyes. “Stop exchanging looks.”

She laughs, swatting me away.

“Is it good?” Hazel asks.

“Yes,” I blurt out.

“How good?” Darcy prompts.

“Like, brain-melting.” Shit. Why did I say that? Now, when this is all over and I’m bummed, they’re going to know why.

“The best you’ve ever had?” Jordan wears a knowing smile.

“Yes.” I guess I’m saying everything in my head now. “The best I’ve ever had.”

A low throat-clearing sound makes us freeze.