Defending Dani Read online

  “He’s soooo hot,” her best friend, Sara Chandler, nudged her. “I can’t believe you got Sergei Petrov to come play with us!”

  “He owed me after being such a jerk the other day,” Dani muttered.

  “That right there is the guy you need to punch your V-card!” Sara giggled.

  “Shh!” Dani’s cheeks reddened and she looked around quickly to make sure no one had heard. The last thing she needed was to advertise the fact that she was an almost-twenty-three-year-old virgin.

  “Don’t worry, no one can hear me.” Sara shook her head, her brown eyes sparkling. “Look, you said you just want it gone, so he’s perfect. Really hot, so it’ll be fun to make out and stuff. A lot older, so experienced enough to make it bearable even though the first time is probably gonna suck no matter what. And, for the icing on the cake, he’s still a wreck over his dead wife, so he’s not going to get hung up on you or get clingy. Exactly what you need.”

  Dani gave her friend a look. “At this point, I might as well go to the doctor and have my cherry surgically removed.”

  “Oh, stop!” Sara laughed. “That’s not nearly as fun.”

  “You just said the first time is gonna suck no matter what—how is that fun?”

  “It might not be awful, but I don’t know anyone who said it didn’t hurt. Besides, that’s not the point… Sergei Petrov is the point. I mean, holy shit, look at him move.”

  Dani had to concede the point; he was beautiful both on and off the ice. Unlike his quirky older brother who had a crooked smile and a bump on his nose, Sergei was magazine cover material. Deep-set, wide blue eyes, a strong chin with a cleft in it, light blond hair that was usually swept back off his forehead, and cheekbones for miles. Not to mention the body of a god. He was an inch or so shorter than Toli, but more muscular, with broad shoulders and thick thighs from spending his life skating. She couldn’t see it now, but when she’d seen him in jeans yesterday, his backside looked good enough to want to take a bite of and—

  “Snap out of it!” Sara nudged her again. “Let’s go.”

  Together, they swung their legs over the boards and onto the ice. Dani skated to the face-off circle while Sara moved off to the right. Out of the corner of her eye, Dani saw Sergei move to a defensive position to her left, close to the blue line. Sara was set up to cover Sergei, which made Dani snicker since her friend appeared somewhat starstruck. His record was impressive on paper but even more so in person. He was good-looking, talented and strong—what more could you want from a guy who played hockey?

  Dani won the opening face-off easily, passing the puck to the defenseman behind her. She followed the play, taking the pass back to her and scoring the first goal of the day. A small smile played on her lips as she watched the surprise register on Sergei’s face; he obviously hadn’t been expecting her to come out ready to play, but that was one of the things she was known for. As soon as she had the chance, she’d show him what else she’d come to be known for on the ice.

  4

  Sergei had watched video of Dani, but she was even better now that he was watching her in person. The way she handled a quick release—the motion of shooting immediately after stickhandling—was as good as anyone he’d ever played with, at any level. Even some NHL players took a little longer to get set up to take a shot, but Dani’s reflex was like lightning, sending it off as though the stick was part of her. It had been so incredible to watch up close; she’d scored three goals before he caught the satisfied little smirk she sent in his direction.

  “What’s the matter, big guy?” she taunted as she skated past him. “Afraid to show me what you’ve got?”

  He arched a brow. “Ask and you shall receive, sweetheart.”

  She won the next face-off, as she’d done since the beginning of the game, but this time he was on top of her, stealing the puck and taking it back in the other direction. He passed it to Kincaid, who shot wide, sending the puck almost directly onto Dani’s stick.

  Rookie, Sergei thought with annoyance. He followed the play, keeping an eye on Dani, still intrigued with how fluid her movements were. She was getting close to another scoring opportunity, and this time he would show her how they handled things in the big leagues. She was attempting to fake around him, on her side of the ice, stickhandling forehand to backhand, leaning and looking towards the middle. He’d seen her do it the last time she’d scored and it was a pretty crafty maneuver, but this time he was ready.

  When she suddenly ducked back towards the boards to go in the opposite direction she’d been looking, he was expecting it. He slid one skate out to block the puck from going around him, kicked it to his stick and took possession. In a move he made almost daily in the NHL, he accelerated, breezing past Dani’s much slower teammates, placing the puck almost delicately in the net. As his teammates surrounded him with a group hug and high fives, he caught her look of surprise, but opted to keep his head down. The time wasn’t right to let her know he was on to her; he’d let her sweat it a little first.

  Dani didn’t seem to take it to heart, winning the face-off on her next shift and keeping the puck in play. Both goalies were getting a workout, blocking more shots than they let in, but it quickly became apparent this was the Dani-and-Sergei show. They were the stars, the most powerful players on the ice, and she was going to give him a run for his money. He thought it was hot as hell, but he’d let her get comfortable before showing her up again. She was far too confident for someone who was going to be going up against the best in the world in a few months.

  She scored again, flashing him another smile that made him shake his head. Okay, it was time.

  When she tried to fake him out again, leaning and looking in the opposite direction of where she planned to go, he didn’t wait and simply reversed direction. She had to come to almost a complete stop to keep from colliding with him, and he stole the puck, taking it down the ice before passing it back to Kincaid without a backward glance.

  Sergei nearly laughed at the look on Dani’s face as she realized he’d purposely foiled her signature move not once, but twice. And this time she was pissed. She’d asked for this, though. He’d planned to keep things mellow, let the amateurs have some fun with him, but she’d brought her A game and the moment she’d asked him to test her skills, he’d been ready and willing. She hadn’t expected him to be able to read her, and he didn’t know whether to be cocky or humble about it. Taking into consideration the relationship of their brothers, he figured maybe a happy medium was the best move, but he couldn’t resist a little wink as he skated past her on his way back to the bench.

  * * *

  Dani wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or punch him. What the hell had just happened? How had Sergei known what she was going to do like that? Her brother had taught her that move—faking out her opponents—and it had earned her a full athletic scholarship and helped her team win two Frozen Four championships. Sergei had gotten around her twice, which was as impressive as it was infuriating, and now she was lost as to what to do next. Losing to him was not an option.

  “Damn, he’s really good,” Sara panted, sinking down next to her.

  “Fucker,” Dani mumbled.

  “Oh, don’t be like that. I rarely get to see anyone play better than you.”

  Dani gave her a dirty look.

  “Hey, you make me look bad every time we get on the ice together, so now you know how it feels.”

  Dani frowned. “You feel bad when we play together?”

  “Not anymore, but I did in college. Dani, you’re so good—if you weren’t my best friend I’d hate you.”

  “Is that a compliment?” Dani wrinkled her nose.

  “Of course it is!” Sara got up to get on the ice again, and Dani followed, skating to the face-off circle.

  “Next time,” a deep voice spoke softly in her ear, “go in the direction you’re looking. No one will expect it. Change it up every play. It’ll keep them guessing.”

  She turned to respond, but Sergei
was heading back to the bench, his back turned as if he hadn’t just spoken to her.

  He had a point, though. Changing her approach would be the smart thing to do, and while she hated that it had come from him, he was right. This was why he was one of the top players in the world. She didn’t have to like him, but she would be foolish not to respect or listen to him. Especially if it helped her team win in the Olympics.

  * * *

  An hour later, Dani tried to shake off the frustration of losing 7-6. Sergei had scored five of the other team’s seven goals, and she’d scored five of the six on her team, but his last goal had been just before the final buzzer. It stung a little, and she huffed back to the locker room before anyone had a chance to talk to her. It was silly to be mad; the whole reason she was here was to stay in shape until September. Sergei making her do better wasn’t a bad thing. If only it were someone else. Anyone else. Something about him made her frustrated, angry…excited. Why did he have to be so good-looking?

  “Great game!” Sara gushed, sliding onto the bench next to her.

  Dani cut her eyes to her. “We lost.”

  “Yeah, but it was tied right down to the wire. I mean, I was on the ice with Sergei Petrov! That’s the closest I’ll ever get to professional hockey.”

  “You and me both,” Dani groused.

  “Are you mad?”

  “Frustrated,” Dani said. “He makes me want to hit something.”

  “’Cause he’s hot and you want him.”

  Dani gave a half-hearted chuckle. “I do not want him. He’s an arrogant ass.”

  “Who gave you a run for your money.”

  “He plays seven days a week with the cream of the crop in hockey—of course he did! I’m playing three days a week with minor league, college, and retired players. There’s a big difference.”

  Sara met her friend’s eyes. “And he knows that. I’m sure he didn’t make that last goal just to piss you off.”

  “After the way he behaved yesterday, I wouldn’t put it past him.” Dani got up and started changing her clothes.

  * * *

  She took her time cooling down, changing into shorts and a T-shirt and packing up her equipment. She’d hoped Sergei would be gone by the time she was ready to go, but she wasn’t that lucky. He was leaning up against the wall, talking with Kincaid and a few of the other guys.

  “Great game today, Dani!” Kincaid called out. “It was awesome testing my skills against Petrov.”

  She nodded. “It was a good workout. Thanks for coming, Sergei.” She high-fived a few of her friends and kept walking.

  “Danielle! Wait up.” Sergei was coming after her and she managed to keep herself from sighing.

  “You need a ride?” she asked politely, pausing to let him catch up.

  He shook his head. “No, I took Tessa’s SUV.”

  “Okay.” She started walking again.

  “Danielle—”

  “It’s Dani,” she called over her shoulder. “Only my parents call me Danielle.”

  “Would you stop walking?” he demanded gruffly.

  She stopped and turned, narrowing her eyes. “I have to get home. I have homework to finish.”

  “Homework?” He looked confused.

  “I’m getting my master’s degree,” she said. “I have one final paper due in two weeks and I have a job, plus helping Tessa and Tiff with the kids.”

  “Wow, congratulations on the master’s,” he said. “You only graduated last year, right?”

  “Yes, but I started my freshman year with a semester’s worth of classes through AP credits and still took a full course load. I was able to start my master’s in the spring of my senior year, as well as classes last summer, and since I chose the non-thesis option, all I have left is this paper and an oral exam my professor offered to do via Skype.”

  “You’re busy,” he said quietly, his deep blue eyes meeting hers.

  “I am.” She tried not to stare back because there was something intoxicating about him. “Thanks for playing with us today and for the tips, but I have to get going.”

  “Yeah, sure. I, uh, Kincaid asked if I wanted to play Tuesday… Is that okay with you?”

  She hesitated a moment but nodded. “Absolutely. It’s good having someone who can challenge me out there.”

  “We’re good then?”

  “We’re good.”

  “See you Tuesday.”

  Something unfamiliar fluttered in her stomach but she pushed away what could only be described as excitement and tried to think about finishing her paper. His blue eyes and broad shoulders were absolutely not what she needed to think about.

  * * *

  Sitting in bed late that night, Sergei was thinking about Danielle instead of watching the show on TV. She likes to be called Dani, he reminded himself. She was everything he usually avoided in women, but she was all he’d thought about today. With Toli and the Sidewinders out of town for a road trip, he’d kept busy helping Tessa with the kids and playing with Niko, but now that everyone was in bed and the house was quiet, his thoughts drifted to the tall, athletic blonde with the piercing green eyes. He’d seen her at games a few times in the past, but he’d been married then and he’d never looked at other women. Not even beautiful ones who played hockey as well as any man he’d ever known. She needed a little coaching, but her natural skills were excellent.

  Mindlessly switching the channels, he stared at the TV without really seeing anything. He’d watched so much TV in the year and a half since Tatiana had died he’d practically memorized some of the more common shows. At times, the loneliness had been almost more than he could bear. Those were the nights he dug into a bottle of bourbon until the pain eased and was able to rest. Luckily, his devotion to his son and the game of hockey kept him from doing that too often, but there had been days off that had nearly driven him out of his mind. Loneliness and grief were a terrible combination, and he’d wallowed in it for a while. Too long, probably, but he still couldn’t completely wrap his head around the fact that Tatiana was gone. Dead. Shot right in front of him. The worst day of his life. The end of everything as he’d known it.

  He’d been trying to get past this stage, the one where he wasn’t an emotional wreck anymore, but he hadn’t really started living again, either. There had been a handful of one-night stands—he was only human—but he made sure to keep away from women who might get attached. The thought of dating scared the shit out of him so he’d done everything in his power to avoid it. Especially in Alaska, where all the attractive women looked like they were still in high school. At thirty-three, he had one ex-wife and one late wife, so if he was looking, it would be someone his own age, who might have an ex or at least some life experience. A twenty-year-old puck bunny didn’t sound like any fun at all outside the bedroom.

  There was a certain green-eyed hockey player who made parts of him that had been mostly dormant come alive every time he thought about her, though, and that needed to stop. Something about her fiery spirit made him want to know more. She was beautiful, athletic, and from what he’d heard, extremely intelligent. She would be the perfect woman for him to dip his toe back into the dating waters with. Except dating wasn’t the same as having a one-night stand and he didn’t want to date. Besides, she didn’t seem to like him very much, which would be problematic if he wanted to date her. Which he didn’t. In fact, everything about hooking up with Dani was terrible in theory.

  First, she was too young. He was more than a decade older than her. He’d already turned thirty-three and she wouldn’t be twenty-three until late summer. A girl her age was almost definitely looking for a husband, and he wasn’t husband material. Not again. Twice was enough for him. Maybe he’d be willing to stay faithful to one woman at some point, have a long-term girlfriend, but he’d given up on forever. Especially with Niko in the mix. He wasn’t comfortable bringing into the boy’s life a woman whom he could potentially lose again. It was a little dramatic to think that way, but he wasn’t willin
g to expose his son to that kind of pain. Niko wouldn’t remember losing his biological mother, but he’d remember losing anyone who moved into that role now. Which brought him to the second reason getting involved with Dani would be a bad idea.

  She wasn’t just young in age, she was inexperienced in life. She wasn’t even completely out of college and didn’t know what she wanted to do. Though there was nothing wrong with that—not everyone needed to know their life plan at twenty-three—he’d been through too much in the last couple of years to get close to someone who could change her mind at a moment’s notice. He and Niko needed stability. There were times it pained him to think that way because it made him feel like an old man, but his emotions were real. He didn’t want another woman who was focused on change, finding herself, possibly even experimenting with different careers. She wasn’t sure about the Olympics, and Toli had mentioned she was also considering staying in school to get her Ph.D. It sounded exhausting to him. He’d already been through it with both Maria and Tatiana; when the time came to get involved again, it would be with someone who’d be willing to focus on him and Niko. There was no room in his life for a smart, sassy young woman who’d ultimately leave him and a boring little family in Anchorage behind.

  That didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends, did it? The thought came and went quickly and he shook his head. He had a major hard-on for this girl and the only way to get her out of his system would be to sleep with her. Except that would be a huge mistake for him and wholly unfair to her. Maybe it was time for another one-nighter with a stranger, someone to scratch his proverbial itch and make it easier to ignore the stirring in his groin every time he was in the same room as Danielle Cloutier.