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

I watch Alexei take the hit. I watch his shoulder dislocate. Even through his pads, his shoulder’s not supposed to move like that.

Nausea and pain roll through me, like it’s my shoulder getting dislocated, and without realizing it, I’m pushing through the people to get to the medical room.

One of the trainers steps in my path. “Dr. Greene, maybe we should have the other team’s doctor look at this one⁠—”

“That’s my husband,” I bite out with an intensity I’ve never felt before, heart pounding, ready to claw this guy’s face off if I have to. I think I’m yelling. “Back the fuck up and get out of my way.”

He steps away with his palms in the air. “Jesus.”

Another trainer helps Alexei into the medical room, and my heart beats so hard I think it might give out. His eyebrow is bleeding from where he hit the boards.

“On the table, Jason,” I direct them.

“I’m okay,” Alexei murmurs to me. “It’s not too bad.”

I don’t answer. He’s not okay. It is bad. He could have bent or broken the steel plate holding his collarbones together. He could have gotten another concussion. He’s already going to have to play through the healing process. These guys can’t afford to take the time off that they need, not until the offseason.

My hands shake as I go through my bag. He’s going to need painkillers to get ahead of the swelling and pain.

“Dr. Greene.” Tate appears in the doorway. The period must be over. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.” I need to be in focus mode and put my emotions aside, like I don’t care about this guy. I can’t, though. I take a deep breath in through my nose and let it out slowly.

“Can you please have the other team’s doctor supervise?” I ask Tate. “It’s a conflict of interest for me. And I’m going to need help putting his shoulder back in.”

He returns a moment later with Dr. Cheung, a woman about my age. Together, we get Alexei’s jersey and pads off, ignoring him when he grumbles about having those pads for over a decade.

“The player’s been ejected from the game,” Tate says at the door.

“Good,” I bite out, too aggressive to fool anyone. “Send him to me so I can make sure he’s done for the season.”

Beneath me, Alexei makes a noise that sounds like a stifled laugh.

Our eyes meet, and his pained amusement fades at whatever he sees on my face. I look away, fast.

Once we have Alexei’s shoulder back in place and his arm is in a sling, I check him for a concussion. I check again, just to be safe, and then again, once more.

And then I have Dr. Cheung check him. I feel a little pulse of gratitude that she doesn’t say anything about my overzealous care. When she’s done, I thank her. She gives me a quick smile and heads out.

“Thanks, Doc,” Tate says at the door as she leaves. “Dr. Greene, can I support in any way?”

I shake my head. “Just going to stitch his face up.”

“I’ll let you work.” He leaves, closing the door behind him, and now we’re alone.

The hand from his good arm comes to my hip. “Now do you want to make out?”

Against my will, I start to smile. I hate that he makes me laugh when I’m feeling like this. “I’m trying not to mess up your ugly face more than it already is. Stop talking.”

He grins, but his lip is split, and he winces with pain. My eyes prick and I look away, blinking.

“You were like a snarling dog.”

I cough out a laugh. “Don’t call me a dog, Alexei.”

“How about a demon, then?” His mouth tips up. “I liked it, you losing it over me.”

“I didn’t lose it.”

I finish his brow, applying a bandage, before I move to his lip. I can’t look him in the eyes. If I do, he’ll see. He’ll know.

“Hey.” He runs his hand up to my neck to cup my jaw. “I’m okay.”

“I know.”

Worry threads through his gaze. “Because you’re looking at me like you don’t.”

I nod, looking down at my hands. Not shaking anymore, so that’s good. “I don’t like watching you get hurt.”

He studies me, starting to frown like he realizes it, too.

This is why we can’t be married for real. Even if it’s nice. Even if it’s better than I thought it could be. I can’t watch him get hurt, and I can’t ask him to give up his career, not when it’s everything to him.

“This is what you want to watch?” I ask him in the hotel room later as he hit ‘play’ on the TV’s streaming service. “You know what this is, right?”

In the bed, with an ice pack tucked under his sling, he looks at me with glittering eyes. I can tell he’s trying not to smile because his lip hurts. “Yes.”

“This show is for teenagers.”

God, every time I look at him, I replay the hit from tonight and feel sick all over again.

“I thought you said it was just about teenagers.”

The Vampire Diaries opening credits play.

“Okay.” He’s going to be bored or asleep after five minutes. “If this is what you want.”

“It is. You know what else I want?”

“What?” Where’s the acetaminophen? I search through my bag.

“To play doctor.”noveldrama

With my back to him, I smile. “You need to rest.”

“I’ll make you a deal.”

“The last time you wanted to make me a deal, I ended up married.”

“Put on one of the things I bought you and I’ll do whatever you say.”

That, I can do. I search through my bag to find the lacy forest green romper, but pause when my fingers brush soft cotton. The softest, well-worn T-shirt.

I turn to him, holding it with a quizzical look.

“For me?” I ask, delight blooming throughout my body.

“If you want it.”

“You won’t miss it?” With my back to him, I undress and pull it over my head. His scent surrounds me, and I almost forget all the horrible stuff that happened tonight at the game. When I turn, Alexei stares at me with a heated expression. “Alexei?”

“Hmm?”

I start to smile. “I asked if you’ll miss it.”

He exhales a heavy breath, dark eyes all over me, looking tortured. “Not when you look like that in it.”

My stomach dips as I head over to the bed. The front of his boxers is already stretched out by his erection.

“I almost feel bad for you,” I gesture at his erection, “but after today, you deserve it.”

I slip into bed beside him, sitting against the pillows on his good side. Slowly, wincing, he leans down and presses a kiss to my temple.

“Thanks for taking care of me, sweetheart.”

We watch each other for a long moment.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

I nod.

“You sure?”

I nod again.

“Because you seem like you’re not okay.”

My throat aches at the memory of tonight. “I didn’t like seeing you get hurt.”

“I don’t like seeing you upset over me getting hurt.”

My heart wrenches, and I don’t answer.

He searches my eyes. “I’m not ready to retire.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

The longest silence of my life. We both know it now. The reason this can’t be real.

Disappointment pulses through me, cold and heavy.

He sighs with frustration. “Come here.”

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I am resting. Come here,” he says again, and I shift over.

Our lips meet and his kiss is soft, sweet, and searching. Loving. Another crack forms in my heart. I reach up and run my hands through his hair, and his eyelids droop halfway.

We watch the rest of the episode, and when it ends, neither of us moves as the next episode cues up.

“We’re away for most of December,” he says in a low voice, not looking at me.

I know. I’ve been thinking about it more and more. The Storm have a few long away-game stretches throughout the season. He’ll be gone for almost three weeks.

When we made the agreement, I remember looking at the calendar and thinking our time apart would be a reprieve. I couldn’t wait for December so I could get rid of the horrible Alexei Volkov for a few weeks.

Now I’m dreading it.

“The bunnies are really going to miss you.”

He’s quiet for a beat. “I’m going to miss the bunnies, too. I’m going to think about them every day, Hellfire.”