Pucking Strong: An MM Workplace Hockey Romance (Jacksonville Rays Book 4)

Stepping into the closet, fresh from my shower, I sigh. On the valet hook, Teddy has set out a cherry-red T-shirt and a pair of matching tracksuit bottoms. On the shelf, there’s what looks suspiciously like a googly-eyed crab hat and a pair of matching, mitten-like claws.

Exiting the closet with all haste, I hold the top of my towel in place with one hand as I march through the apartment. I find Teddy and Karolina in her bathroom. She’s balancing on her good leg at the mirror while he stands behind, styling a red wig on her head with a curling iron. She’s chatting in an animated mix of English and Swedish that has him laughing.

“I’m not wearing a costume,” I declare.

He catches my reflection in the mirror, eyes narrowing. Slowly, he sets the curling iron aside. Kissing the top of Karro’s wig, he leaves her at the counter. “Hold still a minute, honey bun.”

“Morbror, look! We have shells for my hair,” she calls in Swedish, holding up a pair of colorful starfish.

“Very pretty,” I call back.

Teddy comes out of the bathroom, his gaze taking me in from the wet hair on my head to my bare toes. He stops right in front of me, his hands on his hips. “You have something to say?”

Why do I feel like I’ve already lost this argument? I dare to hold my ground. “I’m not wearing a costume.”

It looks like he’s already wearing his costume. It’s a T-shirt with yellow and blue stripes and a pair of matching blue shorts. Behind him, Karolina stands at the counter dressed as a red-haired mermaid. It’s not hard for me to put the pieces of this tableau together. But I will not go before the whole of the sports world dressed as Sebastian the Crab.

“I’ll still go,” I quickly add. “I want to go.”

He crosses his arms, waiting.

I groan. “Teddy, come on.”

He raises a brow, still waiting.

Perhaps he’ll allow a compromise. It’s worth a try. “Fine, but I’m not wearing the hat.”

He glances around the room. “Who do you actually think you’re talking to right now?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I stifle another groan. “Teddy …”

“No, because I’m confused. What part of this seems open to negotiation?”

I stand here, utterly defeated.

He knows it too. Smiling, he steps forward and wraps his hand around the top of my towel. Reeling me in, he presses a soft kiss to my lips. My hands can’t help but reach for him. Leaning closer, he makes a hungry sound low in his throat that sharpens all my senses. “You know I can’t resist you in a towel,” he whispers, his tone full of heat. “So, here’s my compromise: Be a good little crab for me, and later tonight, I’ll suck on your balls until you scream. Deal?”

Fuck.

My husband really doesn’t know how to play fair.

“Hey, Karlsson!” Langley waves me down. “Whoa, fun costume, guys.”

I wave back.

He’s dressed in a medieval-looking costume, with a short red cape and a red hat. Behind him, Tess wanders closer, walking hand in hand with their daughter, Emma.

Ah, Sleeping Beauty. I see it now. Tess is the witch, Maleficent, complete with horns and a walking staff. Emma drops her hand and comes running up in a pink Aurora dress. “Wow, Lina!”

The girls talk excitedly as Karro shows her all the decorative pieces of her costume. Teddy went all out for this, covering Karro’s wheelchair to make it look like a rock in the ocean. Karro is perched on the chair in her mermaid costume, red hair flowing down her back. It’s charming.

And, yes, I’m in my full crab costume. Dressed as Flounder, Teddy pushes the chair while I fumble at passing out candy with these damn mitten claws.

We’re at the Rays’ annual Boo-tacular Trunk-or-Treat event. Poppy and her team have been hosting it for years. Each year, they pick a community to support, and the whole team comes out to the parking lot of the practice center. We invite members of that community and do a mix of trunk-or-treating and food banking. The kids go home with candy, and their parents get a month’s worth of groceries.

“Smile, everyone!” A photographer holds up a camera, and Tess and Langley step in to either side of us, posing for a picture.

“Have you seen the new baby?” asks Tess.

“What new baby?” I reply.

“Poppy’s new baby.”

Next to me, Teddy stiffens. “Oh god, they’re here?”

“Yeah. She said they’re not staying long though,” Tess replies. “But you know Poppy. She can’t resist micromanaging an event, even with a newborn.”

Two weeks have already passed since we drove Novy to the hospital. NHL players don’t get anything resembling paternity leave, but he’s been a ghost when he’s not at practice or on the ice. I know they had another little girl, but I haven’t heard her name yet.

Teddy looks around, eyes wide. “Ohmygod.” He grabs my arm. “Babe, they’re right over there.”

Langley follows his gaze, clearly confused. “What’s up?”

“He thinks Novy still hates him,” I tease.

“Shut up. You didn’t see the look of haunted betrayal in his eyes.”

I pat his arm. “Why don’t you be a good little guppy and go say hello.”

“Are you kidding? Flounder is a total coward.”

Grinning ear to ear, Tess shouts, waving them over. “Poppy! Girl, hey!”

“Seriously,” Teddy hisses at her. “That staff better be able to do actual magic, you witch!”

Tess just laughs.

With a wave from Poppy, the St. James-Novikov-Morrow clan comes wandering our way. I try to make sense of their group costume. The families always come dressed in theme. Somewhere, the Prices are here dressed as all the characters from the board game Candy Land. It’s one of Karolina’s favorite games, so I recognized them on sight. Rachel is dressed as the kindly old Gramma Nutt. Caleb is the Peppermint Prince, Ilmari is King Candy, and Jake is strutting around, swirling the ends of a red velvet cape as Lord Licorice. Their boys are dressed as the Candy Land kids. I spy Caleb and Jake down the row of open car trunks, waiting in line to help their boys into the bounce house.

“Hey, Poppy,” Tess says again. “Girl, you look great.”

Poppy huffs out a breath, shifting her hold on the newborn bundled in her arms. She’s dressed as a witch in a lacy black dress with a black pointy hat. “I don’t know how much fun we have left in us today.”

Novy looks relaxed as he gives me a nod. I let him take one good swing at me when he first came back to work after the baby’s birth. Since then, he’s been cordial. Next to me, Teddy is vibrating with nerves.

“What are you supposed to be?” I say.

Novy’s wearing a black cowboy hat and a black suit with a grey vest and a red ascot. “I’m Doc Holliday,” he says, spreading his arms wide. “You know, from Tombstone?” He narrows his eyes at Poppy. “Only someone wouldn’t let me bring the shotgun. The costume kind of falls apart without it.”

She huffs. “This is a children’s trunk-or-treat event. The toy shotgun will be staying in the car.”

I glance between them. “What does the cowboy have to do with a witch?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Poppy relies.

“But I thought we all had to come in theme?”

Hanging back, trapped in conversation with some fans, Morrow is dressed as Spider-Man without the mask. Their son darts around in a ninja costume while their daughter stands over by Emma and Karro dressed as what looks like a cat wearing an astronaut helmet.

Poppy just huffs. “I live in a house with six chefs, Henrik, honey. Not a line cook in sight. So, the only theme here is chaos. I at least tried to match with Gracie when she said she wanted to be a cat. I thought, ‘Right, I’ll be a witch.’ But then she informed us she wanted to be a ‘space cat’ right as we were all headed out the door. It was all we could do to fashion her that helmet to stave off a complete meltdown.”

“Well, you look great,” Tess assures her.

“Yeah, I love a little chaos,” says Langley.

“Only adds to the fun,” echoes Tess. “Plus, this way everyone is happy and wearing what they want.”

“Hear, hear,” I mutter, flexing my hands in these itchy crab mittens.

“So, uhh … what’s the baby’s name?” asks Teddy, finally breaking his silence.

Novy crosses his arms, glaring at him. “Tell the traitor nothing.”

Poppy sighs. “Lukas, honey, you have to forgive Teddy. He was acting on my orders. If you need to be mad at someone, be mad at me.”

“I can’t be mad at you. You birthed my baby.”noveldrama

She flashes him a dazzling smile. “She’s a good one, isn’t she?”

He softens, his shoulders relaxing. “She’s perfect.”

“Okay, so show her off to your friend Teddy and bury this hatchet, while I go to the ladies’ room.” She shuffles the baby into his arms as Novy mutters a grunt of protest. Then she sweeps off to collect Grace. “Space Kitty, let’s go. Potty break!”

“We gotta go too,” says Tess, giving my anxious husband a pat on the shoulder. “But y’all have fun with this.”

“Tess, come on,” he pleads.

“Let’s go, Aurora,” she calls to her daughter. “We’ve got pumpkins to carve!”

In the Langleys’ absence, Novy and Teddy stare each other down. Nov sways slightly to soothe his fussing baby. Slowly, Teddy holds out his arms. “So, uhh … can I hold her—”

“No,” he growls.

“Oh, come on, man. This is total bullshit. I only did what your partners thought was best. Morrow told me not to give you the keys too. And it all worked out. Look.” He gestures at the baby. “She’s perfect, right? And you didn’t even miss a thing. So, you have to forgive me already.”

“I don’t have to do anything.”

Teddy flaps his arms. “Well, so what then? What do you want from me? What’ll it take, huh? Name your freaking price.”

Novy’s eyes flash with interest. “Seriously?”

“Yes! What, do you want your suit back?”

“I—” Novy’s mouth snaps shut as his eyes narrow. “Wait, you still have that?”

Teddy shrugs. “Maybe.”

“Then, yes, asshole. I want that back.”

“Fine. What else?”

He smirks as he considers. “Oh, I think you know what I want.”

Teddy points a finger at him. “Only within reason. Don’t be a greedy fuck.”

Now, Novy smiles, and I feel the need to inch in closer to Teddy’s side. “What do you think is fair, Doc?”

Teddy considers. “Ten minutes?”

“Try an hour. Every week. For the rest of the season.”

“You know what? Maybe I’m fine with you being mad at me.” Crossing his arms, Teddy glares at the baby. “Maybe I don’t even want to know her name.”

Novy gasps, pulling back, as Morrow finally steps in behind him, one hand on his shoulder. “Hey, guys. Ted, Karlsson.” He smirks at the stupid crab claw mittens on my hands. “Whoa, nice costume there, bud.” Sensing the mood, he glances between Novy and Teddy. “Wait, what’s happening right now?”

Teddy holds Novy’s stare. “Your partner is setting the terms for his forgiveness. In this moment, I’m forgetting why I’m even sorry.”

“What are you negotiating?” I ask.

“My time,” Teddy replies, still staring Novy down.

I glance between them. “Your time?”

“Yeah, he wants another massage. That’s the price of his forgiveness.”

Heat prickles the back of my neck. The thought of Teddy putting his hands on one of my teammates for any length of time has me itching to jerk these stupid crab mittens off and punch something. Which is completely irrational, because that’s his job. And he’s good at it. The guys all praise him for how skilled he is as a physical therapist.

But it’s been six years since he’s massaged me. Back then, I wouldn’t have considered what it feels like to have his hands on me as anything other than providing therapeutic pain relief. Now? His every touch sets a fire under my skin. I’ve never felt this way before. What once held no interest for me now feels like all I can think about. The possessive part of me doesn’t like the idea of his hands on anyone but me.

I have to get over this.

All the same, I inch closer, trying to make it look casual when I put my arm around his waist, my mitten-clad hand resting on his hip.

“Fine,” he says at Novy. “I will give you three one-hour massages, redeemable at a time of your choosing. But I get full forgiveness for driving you to the hospital. And I get to hold her,” he adds, nodding to the baby.

Now Morrow is the one narrowing his eyes. “Do I get a say in this?”

“No,” Teddy and Novy say at the same time.

Interesting. Perhaps Morrow and I have a little possessive jealousy in common? As if reading my mind, he just gives me a subtle shake of his head, his jaw clenched tight.

Teddy reaches out his hand. “Are we agreed?”

Grinning, Novy shifts the baby to one arm and holds out his hand to shake.

Teddy squeezes tight, pulling Novy in closer. “But you make any creepy noises, I am duct-taping your mouth shut. Nonnegotiable.”

Novy tips his head back on a laugh. “Come on, Doc. Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Groaning, Teddy drops his hand. “Shut up and let me hold the baby.”

Novy shifts the baby over to Teddy’s arms, and Teddy lights up like a candle. He’s gentle, cooing at her. “Well, isn’t she just the prettiest thing? Babe, look.”

Leaning in, my hand still braced on his hip, I glance over his shoulder at the newborn. Her face is scrunched in a frown as Teddy sways with her. She’s wearing an outfit dotted with jack-o’-lanterns and black cats.

“What’s her name?” Teddy asks.

“Fiona Lane Morrow,” says Novy. “We’ve all been calling her Fi.”

Teddy coos over her some more. “Hi, Miss FiFi.” He glances up. “What’s the Lane from?”

“My grandmother,” Morrow replies, his arm around Novy’s shoulder. All his jealousy from a moment ago has evaporated as he looks lovingly at his daughter.

Teddy hands the baby back over to Novy. “She looks just like her sister.”

Novy is gentle for such a giant, cradling her close. His eyes practically glow as he looks down at her too. “She’s our angel.”

Leaning in, Morrow kisses his cheek. “You two make beautiful babies.”

Nodding once at me, Novy turns to Teddy. “I’m cashing in my first massage next week. Be ready.”

Teddy salutes him, giving Morrow a wave as they turn and head off in search of Poppy. Clapping his hands together, Teddy calls out to Karro. “Okay, Miss Ariel, I think it’s time we all go get our faces painted to look like fairy unicorns!”

“Yes! Then pumpkins!”

“Then more candy,” he teases.

“Yay!”

Teddy takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. “Come on, Sebastian.” Leaning in, he speaks so only I can hear him. “You’re being such a good crab for me.”

His words ping inside my brain like a loose puck hitting the walls. He did promise a reward for my good behavior. Stuffing all my irrational jealousy inside one of the many mental compartments my husband is so fond of, I follow wherever he leads.