BLAZE: Enemies to Lovers College Hockey Romance by Eddie Cleveland (ebook reader macos .txt) 📕

because he leads Gucci out to his Escalade to see if they can pack it tighter.

I’m finished with my granola and yogurt dip and so is Prissy. “Here, I’ll throw them out.” I take the trash from her and walk it over. Going home isn’t as big of a journey for me. It’s basically a half hour drive out of the city. I grew up in this town, and I’d like to die in it.

Like Logan.

The thought busts into my mind, and I frown. I’ve been thinking about him less lately. Well, not less, but differently. I used to only think about the void he left in my life. In my heart. I walk back over to Prissy. Her smile is like a lifeline that pulls me from the choppy waters splashing over my face. The void is still there, and it still hurts, but I spend time thinking about Logan’s death differently now. Most of the time, I find myself wishing he could see me now. I think he’d be proud of how my life is turning out. Who knows, maybe he can.

“Donuts!” The front door flings open and Kaylee walks inside singing her announcement.

Player is right behind her, carrying a big box of Dunkin’ Donuts. They bring them over and put them on the counter once they get their winter coats and boots off.

“Fuck yeah.” I move in, grabbing my absolute favorite. Chocolate iced. Cream filled.

Prissy gets one. Even Hattie does, apparently forgetting her own breakfast rules.

“Did I just see donuts go by?” Griz barges in the front door.

He and Gucci race to get their boots off to see who can get into the kitchen first. Griz beats him to the box by a fraction of a second and scoops up two.

“Here’s to enjoying the off-season.” Kaylee holds up a donut with sprinkles like she’s giving a toast.

“Oh, I will,” Canuck answers like she was talking just to him.

“Come on, you can’t leave me with lemon and blueberry, and you get both types of strawberry,” Gucci complains.

“Watch me.” Griz walks away with his score.

“I’m going to get off-season fat.” Canuck slaps his hands on his stomach and arches his back, trying to show off the gut he doesn’t have. “Camille always makes me a tourtière when I come back.” He looks like he might drool all over himself.

“What’s that?” Griz talks around the entire donut he shoved in his face.

Gucci eats his blueberry-filled one like it’s a punishment.

“It’s a big old French Canadian meat pie, but it melts in your mouth. It’s so good.” Canuck explains.

Griz looks over at Gucci and sighs. He takes the lemon donut from his hand and replaces it with the last strawberry donut.

Gucci nods at him, and they both eat the last two powdered donuts in silence.

“Sounds good. You should eat it with those gravy cheese fries you love so much,” Player suggests.

“Poutine and tourtière? Stop! I can only get so turned on.” Canuck laughs. Fuck, I do too. We all do. The guy is a fucking clown.

“You should bring us one when we come back next year. I wanna try one.” Griz never stops thinking about his stomach. He’s already thinking about how to feed it next year.

“Yeah, I want to give that a try too,” Rookie pitches in.

“Add it to your list,” Canuck fires back. Rookie looks down when we have a chuckle at his expense. Prissy nudges me, and I stop.

“Can you guys believe next year’s our last one?” Kaylee, looks at Player.

There’s no laughter now. It’s more like the kind of silence you’d hear at a wedding. Or a funeral.

“Not for me,” Rookie interrupts our silence with the obvious.

“No man, you’re just getting started. I remember when we were there,” Player muses. “Fuck, I remember the first time I met you,” he says to Blaze. “I remember thinking you were a dick, but then I saw you play. I was like, ‘strap some skates on some cocks, because I didn’t know dicks could play that good.’”

That cracks everyone back up. I smirk back at him. “So nothing has really changed then, huh?”

“No, it has.” Player gets serious and looks me in the eyes. “You’re better now.”

“At what part? Hockey? Or about being a dick?”

“Both.”

Well, fuck. If all these eyes weren’t watching us, I’d probably give the guy a hug right now. Instead, I give him a nod. He gives me one back and it’s our unspoken understanding. We’re good again.

Canuck has to be the one to interrupt, of course. “Fuck, I’d tell those guys to get a room, but we all know how that worked out with you two.” He nods at me and Prissy. “I don’t think you’d appreciate the competition.” He looks over to Kaylee.

The girls laugh, and the room goes back to normal. Canuck is good at that.

I thought I lost my only brother when we buried Logan. Turns out, I had four more waiting for me. Five if you include Rookie. And, I do.

Being on the right track feels a lot better than I thought it could. Maybe it has something to do with it guiding my train to Prissy’s tunnel so often. Maybe it’s because I love her.

Completely.

Sliding my arm around Prissy’s shoulders, I pull her into me. I wrap my other arm around her, rocking her slightly. Just holding her. I’m clearing my mind and letting myself enjoy the moment.

Am I a reformed man? Yeah, I am. Does that mean I’m going to behave? Abso-fucking-lutely not. I love making her blush too much. Both in the day and all night. I love it so much I don’t have any fucking plans to stop. Ever.

Also by E. Cleveland

COLLEGE HOCKEY ROMANCE SERIES

Player | Gucci | Griz | Blaze

FAIRY TALE SEAL SERIES

Once Upon A Time | The Beauty’s Beast | Tinderella

Riding Lil Red Hard

MILITARY ROMANCE SERIES

Gone Wild | Love on the Run | Fall to Pieces

Only in Dreams | The Devil’s Temptation

Save 60% with the complete boxset:

Military Romance Collection

FIREFIGHTER