Twin Babies for my Pucking Defenders (Chicago Icebreakers #2)

6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Jade

The next morning, I wake up to the soft hum of my alarm. Shadow’s tiny paws are clambering all over me, reminding me that I’m not alone in bed anymore. I stretch slowly and let out a yawn as I reach over to turn off the alarm, and Shadow barks, demanding attention.

“All right, all right, I’m up,” I mutter, scooping him up and pressing a kiss to his little head. I slide out of bed and head straight to the kitchen, still half-asleep, but focused on getting him fed.

“Let’s get you some breakfast, little man.” I grab the bag of food Chase left me and fill up his bowl. Shadow practically dives into it, munching away happily.

While he’s busy eating, I make a beeline for the shower, letting the hot water wake me up properly. Today’s a big day— my first official day as the PT for the Chicago Icebreakers. I’m trying not to overthink it, but who am I kidding? My nerves are already in overdrive.

After my shower, I quickly go through my skincare routine, then head to my closet to figure out what the hell a PT actually wears. I settle on a pair of sleek black leggings, a fitted team polo shirt and my most comfortable sneakers. I tie my hair up into a neat ponytail, giving myself one last look in the mirror.

“All right, Jade, you’ve got this,” I tell my reflection, trying to psych myself up.

Shadow’s already at my feet when I walk back into the kitchen, like he knows I’m getting ready to leave. “I know, buddy, but you’ll be in good hands today,” I promise him as I scoop him up and place him in the carrier Chase gave me. He growls a little in protest, but I ignore it, grabbing my bag and heading out the door.

The drive to Elite Paws is quick, and before I know it, I’m standing at the reception desk with Shadow in his carrier. Vivian, the receptionist, looks up with a warm smile when she sees me.

“Morning, Jade! And who do we have here?” she asks, peeking into the carrier.

“This is Shadow. I’m dropping him off for the day. I’ll be back to get him later,” I say, handing her the carrier.

She coos at him, and I can already tell he’s going to be spoiled rotten. “He’s in good hands, don’t worry. See you later, Jade!”

I wave goodbye and head back to my car, my nerves kicking in again as I drive to the arena. The reality of my new job is starting to hit me, but I force myself to stay focused. I’ve worked hard for this. It’s time to prove I belong here.

When I arrive at the arena, I’m met by the team lawyer in the front office. The guy looks like he’s all business, no bullshit, and I’m not sure if that makes me more nervous or more determined. He hands me a thick stack of papers.

“Jade, welcome aboard. These are the official documents. Go ahead and sign where indicated,” he says, handing me a pen.

I take a deep breath and start signing. Each stroke of the pen feels like sealing my fate, but in a good way. This is what I’ve wanted, after all. When I’m done, I hand the papers back to him.

“Congratulations. You’re now officially part of the team,” he says with a curt nod. “Coach Nate will be showing you around. He’s expecting you.”

“Thank you,” I say, managing a small smile before heading out to find Coach Nate.

He’s waiting for me just outside the office, hands in his pockets, looking like he’s been up since dawn. “Morning, Jade,” he says, that deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. God, he’s even hotter in the daylight.

“Morning, Coach,” I reply, trying to keep my cool.

He gives me a quick smile, then starts walking. “Let’s get you acquainted with everything. We’ll start with the offices, then I’ll show you the arena and your workspace.”

I follow him as he leads me through the maze of hallways, pointing out different offices, the break room and where the guys hang out before and after practice. Everything is sleek, professional and exactly what you’d expect from a top-tier hockey team.

When we reach the arena, it’s empty, but the sheer size of it is enough to make me pause. Nate notices and stops, giving me a moment to take it all in.

“Pretty impressive, isn’t it?” he says, his voice echoing slightly in the vast space.

“Yeah,” I breathe out, feeling a bit overwhelmed. “It’s incredible.”

He nods, then gestures for me to follow him again. “Let’s get to your office. That’s where you’ll be spending most of your time.”

My office is small but cozy, with a desk, a computer and a massage table for when I’m working on the players. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s mine and that’s what matters.

“Here we are,” Coach Nate says, lingering at the door. “You’re expected to attend every game, by the way. Can’t miss a single one.”

“Got it,” I say, taking it all in.

He hesitates for a moment, like he wants to say something else, but then he just nods. “All right, I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, Coach,” I say, watching as he finally leaves. The second the door clicks shut, I let out a long breath. Holy shit, this is real.

I can’t help it—I start twirling around the room, too damn excited to contain it. Grabbing my phone, I video call Millie. It rings a few times before she picks up, her face filling the screen.

“Jade! How’s it going?” she asks, her voice filled with excitement.

“Millie, you have to see this!” I flip the camera around, showing her my new office. “This is where I’ll be working!”

“Oh my God, Jade, it’s perfect! I’m so happy for you!” she squeals, making me laugh.

“I know, right? I can’t believe this is real,” I say, grinning from ear to ear.

“You deserve this, babe. You’re going to kick ass,” she says, her smile practically radiating through the screen.

“Thanks, Millie. I’ll call you later with all the details,” I say before hanging up.

Once I’m alone again, I settle down at my desk and start going through the guidelines, familiarizing myself with the players’ profiles and past injuries. There’s a lot to learn and I want to make sure I’m prepared. I’m just starting to get into it when there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in!” I call out, expecting it to be Nate or maybe one of the players. But when the door swings open, I nearly drop my tablet.

It’s Carter. And he’s wearing a Chicago Icebreakers jersey.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I mutter under my breath, completely taken aback.

Carter smirks, stepping into my office like he owns the place. “I knew I’d seen you somewhere. Thought I was going crazy for a minute there.”

I close the tablet and stand up, crossing my arms. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He raises an eyebrow, clearly enjoying my confusion. “I’m the bruiser for the Chicago Icebreakers.

“You’re—what?” I blink, trying to wrap my head around this. “I’m the new PT.”

“Perfect.” His grin widens. “Guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

I open my mouth to reply, but the words get stuck in my throat. My brain is short-circuiting, trying to process the fact that Carter—the guy I’d just slept with—is now a member of the team I’m supposed to be professionally caring for.

He steps closer and I can feel the heat radiating off him. “I, uh… I slept with this girl the other night. She scratched me up pretty good,” he says, lifting his shirt to show me the marks. “Think you can take a look?”

My eyes trail over the red lines across his torso, and I swallow hard, trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism. But it’s fucking impossible with him standing so close, his scent wrapping around me, his voice low and teasing.

“Carter, this is supposed to be a professional environment,” I say, but my voice lacks any real conviction.

“Then let’s be professional about it,” he murmurs, his hand reaching out to cup my chin, tilting my head up so I have no choice but to look into those damn blue eyes. “But I can’t stop thinking about you.”

My heart is racing, and I hate that he has this effect on me, but I can’t deny the chemistry between us. It’s like a live wire, sparking in the air between us and when his lips brush against mine, it’s like something snaps inside me.

Before I can stop myself, I’m kissing him back, hard and desperate. His hands are on my hips, pulling me against him as his mouth devours mine. It’s intense, hot and I’m losing all sense of reason.

We stumble back, hitting the edge of the massage table, and Carter’s fingers slide under the waistband of my leggings, finding the heat between my legs with a confidence that leaves me breathless. He doesn’t waste any time, his fingers slipping inside me, and I bite down on my lip to stifle the moan that threatens to escape.

“Fuck, Jade,” Carter’s voice is low, almost a growl, as his fingers work me over. My mind is a jumbled mess, torn between wanting to push him away and pull him closer. I’m supposed to be professional, but right now, professionalism is the last thing on my mind.

“Carter,” I gasp, my hands gripping his shoulders as he continues his relentless assault. I can feel the tension building, coiling tight in my stomach, and all I can think about is how fucking good it feels, how much I want this, want him.

“Let go, láska ,” he murmurs against my ear, his breath hot on my skin. “Just let go.”

And I do. The orgasm crashes over me, my legs trembling as I cling to him, biting down on my lip to keep from crying out. My whole body is shaking, the intensity of it leaving me reeling. I have to press my hand against my mouth, stifling the moans that threaten to spill out, not wanting anyone outside to hear.

Carter pulls his fingers out, and I collapse against him, panting, my mind still spinning. For a moment, all I can do is breathe, trying to pull myself together. But even as I start to come down from the high, the reality of what just happened hits me like a ton of bricks.

I push away from him, my face flushed, my heart still racing. “This…this can’t happen again,” I say, trying to sound firm, but my voice wavers. “We can’t do this, Carter. It’s… it’s too complicated.”

He studies me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a slow nod, he steps back, giving me the space I need to catch my breath.

“All right, Jade,” he says, his tone surprisingly soft. “We’ll keep it professional from now on.”

I nod, though I’m not sure if I believe either of us. The tension between us is still there, simmering just beneath the surface, and I know it’s only a matter of time before it boils over again. But for now, I need to focus on my job—on being the best damn PT this team has ever seen.

Carter gives me one last look, his eyes lingering on mine before he turns and heads for the door. “See you around, Jade.”

And just like that, he’s gone, leaving me standing there, still reeling from what just happened. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but my legs are still shaky and my mind is a chaotic mess.

I glance around the office, the reality of the situation crashing over me once more. This is my job now, my life, and I can’t let anything—or anyone—jeopardize that. No matter how much I might want him, Carter is off-limits.

But even as I tell myself that, I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t over—not by a long shot.

With a sigh, I shake my head and try to refocus. I’ve got a lot of work to do and I need to be on top of my game. I sit back down at my desk, opening the files I was working on before Carter walked in and force myself to concentrate. But the memory of his touch lingers, making it hard to focus on anything else.

This is going to be a long season.