The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3)(35)

Speech. Speech. Speech.

He grinned out at everyone, and instantly the room grew quiet. Everyone, including me, waited with bated breath for what he would say.

His accent was strong, but his voice was clear. “Everyone who knows me knows that I was against marriage. When I met Charlie at Krista’s office, she was the only woman who didn’t care that I was a hockey player. She gave me shit almost every time I saw her, and I usually deserved it.”

The crowd laughed.

“But one day, she seemed different to me. And that was the start of the end. I resisted how I felt, but I couldn’t stay away. And she accepted me and the fact that marriage was not something I wanted.”

The crowd fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

“But in the end, I was the one who wanted to marry. I wanted to learn to be the husband Charlie deserves. And I needed to make her mine. And, lucky for me, she said yes.”

Everyone roared.

“Thank you for celebrating with us. It means the world to both of us.”

It was all lies, but some irrational part of me wanted it to be the truth. How different would my life be if this was my fairy tale?

He ducked down and planted another hot kiss on my mouth. I couldn’t stop my moan, and he lifted his head, his eyes dark with lust.

“Jesus,” he breathed.

After that, we moved through the party as one. Mica constantly had his arms around me, holding me tight. Sometimes he stood behind me, sometimes he tucked me under his arm and I snuggled against him, but we were always touching. The more beer he drank, the more affectionate he became. Pushing my hair off my face, dropping hot, quick kisses on my mouth. When we sat to talk to someone, he pulled me onto his lap and cradled me in his arms.

It felt like the slowest, most intense foreplay of my life. I smiled and pretended to listen, and somehow, I took part in most conversations, but all I was aware of was how he was touching me and where his hands were. And I was beginning to live for his kisses.

They say you should never believe your own hype, but I was falling under his spell, and just like everyone else in the room, I was believing his actions as truth. It felt too real, too intense, to be anything but.





*



The party roared on, and I needed a break. I slipped away to use the washrooms across the lobby. I needed to clear my head and find some balance.

I stood in front of the vanity mirror and took in my flushed face and lips that looked bee-stung from Mica’s kisses.

His kisses are not real. Tonight is pretend.

A voice spoke from behind me. “So, you think you’re something special.”

I lifted my eyes to see a tall, gorgeous redhead who wore a bright green jumpsuit. “Are you talking to me?”

She moved forward to stand beside me. “You may have married Mica, but three days ago, his hard cock was in my mouth. And trust me, he’ll be back. Our chemistry was explosive.”

Her words felt like knives on my skin, slicing me.

A tiny, blonde chick moved between us and faced Mica’s ex. “You need to take your trashy mouth and your even trashier jumpsuit out of here before I kick your ass.”

I seriously doubted that the tiny pixie could kick anyone’s ass, but the redhead didn’t share my sentiments. She threw one more dirty look my way before tossing her head and disappearing.

The blonde chick turned to me, eyeing me critically. “You okay?”

She looked familiar. I vaguely remembered her coming in to help interview PAs with Ryan Parker. “Are you Zoey?”

“I am.”

“You look different.”

“I changed my hair. It used to be black.”

“You’re with Ryan Parker.”

She smiled an impish smile at me. “Mica is one of our best friends.”

Mica had best friends. People I never knew. Again, I was reminded that I knew next to nothing about my husband.

She checked to make sure the room was empty before she added, “Mica told me everything.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Everything?”

“I can’t believe what you’re doing for Mica. You’re really helping him. Don’t let the angry puck bunnies sink their claws into you. Women have been trying to tie down Mica since the day I met him, and no one can believe you did the impossible. They are just jealous.”

“If they knew the truth, they wouldn’t have anything to be jealous of.”

She smiled a cute smile that made her look adorable. “I’ve never seen Mica act like he’s acting tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

“The guy hates PDA.”

I frowned. “No, he doesn’t. He told me he’s an affectionate guy.”

She snorted. “Yeah, right.”

I thought about what he told me. “He told me that everyone would expect him to be demonstrative.”

She giggled. “That’s what he told you?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head, amused. “I don’t know how he acts when he’s alone, but in public, he was extremely private about that kind of stuff. I saw him hold hands, but it was usually against his will.”

This conversation wasn’t making any sense. The guy had told me he liked to display affection. And he had proved that tonight. He hadn’t let go of me or stopped touching me for the last three hours.