Power Play: A Second Chance Hockey Romance (Sinners on the Ice)
Power Play: A Second Chance Hockey Romance: Chapter 25

Now, October

“Hey, Clay.” I wave with a smile when he opens his front door. He’s in black shorts and a white tee, his eyes dancing between Maya and me.

“Hi, Layla,” he finally says. Then he crouches in front of Maya, a lopsided grin on his face. “Hey, Princess.”

“Hi, Clay,” she murmurs, hesitant. But the moment he stretches out his arms, she rushes to him and winds her little hands around his neck. He scoops her up, hugging her gently, his eyes locked on mine.

I wasn’t sure how he’d react when we showed up. Sure, he invited me over yesterday, but I didn’t reply to his last text. And I definitely didn’t ask for his address or what time he’d be home from practice. I got all that from Ava, just because I wanted to surprise him.

And because I didn’t want to give myself a chance to change my mind.

“I hope it’s okay we came unannounced.”

“Of course.” Clay smiles broadly, looking down at Maya. “I’m happy you two are here. Come on in.”

Warmth swims inside me, fueling my whole body with tenderness. He steps aside, letting me into the house and closing the door as I stop in the hallway. When he turns to me, I lift the bag I’m holding. “I brought some food.”

“A woman after my own heart,” he murmurs, slowly lowering Maya to her feet. My cheeks feel hot as I trap my bottom lip between my teeth. “Do you want to eat now? It’s almost dinnertime. Or do you want a house tour first?”

“House tour!” Maya squeals excitedly, making Clay and me burst into laughter.

“Then so be it.” He extends his hand to her, and she takes it, wrapping her little fingers around his. Then he reaches for the bag and takes it from me. “Let’s put it in the kitchen, and then we can start our tour.”

I purposefully brush my fingers against his knuckles before taking a tiny step back. “Sounds great,” I tell him. The butterflies in my stomach put a smile on my face and make me feel like I’m levitating with how they flutter their wings.

Coming here was the best idea ever.

It’s been two hours since Maya and I got to Clay’s house, and honestly? I have no idea why I didn’t do it sooner. Everything about this place is like him: full of light, positive energy, and lots of smiles and laughter. Clay radiates warmth, drawing me to him as if he’s some kind of magnet. I can’t convince myself to stay away from him. If anything, right now, all I’m trying to do is not steal him away from my daughter.

Maya is the center of his attention…and it heals my bruised heart.

“Yeah, press here,” Clay instructs her as she sits between his legs on the couch. She holds a controller, his hands covering hers, guiding her where to press. “See? Skye jumps if you do that.”

“Yeah.” Maya nods, her ponytail bouncing up and down. The tip of her tongue peeks out the corner of her mouth, she’s so concentrated on the game. Her left eye is covered with an eye patch—which, may I add, she let Clay put on without even the tiniest resistance. Though maybe it’s because he put on the black eye patch we brought him. These two exist in a universe only they know, and I feel a little bit left out.

I check the time, noticing a missed call from Drake. With a deep exhale, I stand up from the couch. Clay glances at me.

“I need to make a call,” I tell him. “You have ten more minutes. She gets twenty minutes of screen time a day.”

“Of course.” He nods. “Don’t worry, I got this.”

I flash him a smile and walk out of the living room, heading to the backyard. With my phone pressed to my ear, I listen to it ring. I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to tell Drake because all my lies will be discovered if he starts asking Maya questions about what she’s been up to.

“Hey, Layla.”

“Hey. Sorry I missed your call. How are you?” I step into the backyard and close the door behind me.

“It’s fine. And I’m fine too,” Drake says, his voice calm and soothing. I shouldn’t hide the truth from him, but I don’t think I’m ready for that conversation yet. “I brought over cupcakes for Maya. Angie brought them from the shop, but you weren’t home.”

“Yeah, um, I forgot to tell you…a girl from Maya’s preschool had a birthday party, so we’re there.”

“Oh, that’s awesome. Are you on your way home? It’s almost nine.”

“Yeah, we’re leaving in twenty minutes.” I laugh curtly. God, I sound so fake. “Maya has school tomorrow.”

“Okay. Drive safe. See you tomorrow at the game?”

“Of course. We’d never miss a chance to see you play.”

“Thank you.” I hear the smile in his voice. “And I left the cupcakes in the fridge. I hope it’s okay that I let myself in.”

“Absolutely.” I fall quiet, not wanting to lie to him more than I already have. “Gotta go, Drake.”

“Night, Layla. Tell Maya I said hi.”

After I hang up, I hold the phone close to my chest and stand unmoving. This whole situation starts grating on my nerves. I hate lying to Drake. Hate hiding the truth from him. But the reality is, I’ve been doing it for years…since Clay and I reconnected at Ava and Colt’s wedding.

At the time, I figured it was no more than sex…but it’s always been so much more than that considering all the feelings involved. All the promises.

This is going to bite me in the ass so fucking hard when everyone replaces out.

I shake my head, trying to get rid of all my troubling thoughts. It was so good before I saw Drake’s call; I should focus on that.

Returning to the living room, I no longer hear the sounds of the Paw Patrol game that Clay bought for Maya—it’s Justin Bieber’s “Baby” blasting at a very high volume instead. What the hell is going on?

I step inside and freeze on the spot. My lips involuntarily stretch into a wide grin. I’m having heart palpitations from the sight in front of me. Clay and Maya are dancing in the middle of the room, yelling the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Maya’s hands are in the air as she tries to do some moves she recently saw on a kids’ dancing video. I press my palm to my mouth, my eyes filling with tears. I’m so fucking happy, I could cry.

Clay notices me first, the bright smile stretching over his lips making him even more handsome than usual. “Come here, Mama. Dance with us.”

Maya hears him say that, sees me by the door, and zips over to me with a squeal. She takes my hand and drags me over. I start singing, swaying my hips to the rhythm as I follow her. Maya drops my hand and climbs onto the couch, jumping and laughing. Clay grins at me. When I’m close enough, he catches my arm and pulls me into him.

He wraps his strong arms around me and guides me into a deep dip. My hair cascades down, laughter spilling out of my mouth. I hold on to him, and our eyes stay locked; I lose myself in the moment and in him. It feels like pure magic, something right out of the fairy tales I read to Maya. Clay pulls me up, singing along the whole time.

Taking my hand, he spins me, leading me into a twirl. A long-forgotten sense of joy, of jubilant happiness, overwhelms me as I effortlessly follow his lead. Everything is light and full as if these years apart and the mistakes I made never even happened.

Maya jumps from the couch as Clay stops twirling me.

“I want that too.” She stops in front of Clay, hands in the air, waiting for him to pick her up.

Clay winks at me, then lets go of my hand. He lifts Maya and starts dancing with her, twirling her around. The song ends and instantly restarts. He probably put it on repeat. I slump down on the couch, watching these two have the time of their lives. My heart is so full of love, it’s almost painful.

He’s so good to her.

He’s going to be the best dad in the world one day.

The second this thought settles in, my smile slowly dissipates. He’s going to be the best dad in the world one day…just not to Maya.

Trying to pretend that I’m fine takes titanic effort. I chew on my bottom lip, still faking a smile. Maya doesn’t suspect anything when she climbs on the couch beside me. Her hair is in total disarray, her ponytail ruined. Her cheeks are red, and there’s a happy smile on her lips.

“Did you have fun, sweetheart?” I ask, draping my hand over her shoulders.

“I did. Clay the best.”

“He sure is,” I confirm, catching his gaze on me. “Thank you so much for today, Clay. It was wonderful.”

“You’re very welcome. I had the best day ever with you two.”

“Yeah…” I trail off, not knowing what to say. “We should probably get going. Maya has school tomorrow, and I have orders I need to finish.”

His smile drops. “I thought you were going to stay.” He slips his hands into his pockets, shifting uncomfortably.

“Well…I brought some stuff with us in case. I just didn’t want to freak you out with all the bags and clothes.” I shoot him a look; his lips instantly stretch into a big, radiant smile. “It’s in the car.”

“Then you’re staying. I have a spare room for Maya and…you.”

Heat crawls up my neck. The pause in his words makes my clit throb. I clear my throat. “But we need to put this little lady to bed as soon as possible. She’s already up way past her bedtime.”

“Sure.” Clay nods and bends down to Maya so their eyes are level. “Will you help me make up a room for you and your mommy?”

“Yes!” She jumps to her feet and wraps her fingers around Clay’s.

“Then I guess I better go get our stuff from the car,” I mumble, standing up from the couch.

“Great idea.” He turns around and heads toward the hallway with Maya following him in bouncy steps. I watch them for a minute, then shake my head and go to the front door.

If I want to have a moment with Clay, I better hurry up.

“Is she asleep?” Clay asks when I step into his bedroom. He sits on his bed, his back resting against the headboard. His muscular chest draws my attention—so do his black briefs—but I choose to focus on his face. It’s less tempting.

“Uh-huh.” I nod. “I think she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. She had a lot of fun today, thanks to you, and I did too. I’m very grateful, Clay.”

“You and Maya saved me from another Groundhog Day, when all I do is play games and watch TV. I should be the one thanking you.” He puts his phone down. “Come here.”

Suddenly, I feel self-conscious. This nightie is loose, reaching my knees and covering my thick thighs. I considered bringing a different set of PJs, with black leggings and a long tee, and since worries are now swarming inside my head, I think I should’ve chosen those. They would hide my body better.

“Maya doesn’t really sleep well in new places. I don’t want her to wake up and get scared that I’m not with her,” I mutter quietly.

“Come here,” Clay repeats. His voice has an authoritative tone. “I’m not asking you to stay with me all night. Just for now.”

With a deep breath, I drag my feet to his bed and stop at the foot of it. Clay smirks. “Come closer, Layla. I don’t bite.”

I do as he tells me, my eyes slipping to the nightstand, where the lamp is turned on. “Can I turn that off?”

“Why?”

“Can I turn it off?” I ask again.

Clay shakes his head but reaches for his nightstand and turns off the light. “Better?”

Without saying anything, I climb onto his bed beside him. Our shoulders brush, sending a thrill of excitement down my spine as I rest my back against the headboard.

“Will you be at the game tomorrow?” Clay’s voice is low, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah. I already told you. We always go to home games. The only time we miss them is when we’re sick.”

“Will you wear my jersey?”

“I can’t.” I shake my head. Not yet, I want to say, but I keep those words to myself.

“Drake doesn’t know you’re here?”

“No.”

“Okay.” There’s something in his voice that makes my heart squeeze. It’s the hurt and pain that I continue to cause him.

I don’t deserve him…I shouldn’t be here.

I start to stand up, but he grabs my hand. “Stay.”

“It’s pretty late, and I need to take Maya to school in the morning and get home before Drake wakes up and notices my car is gone.”

He releases my hand, and it feels like a gust of icy wind surrounds me. It goes right through my body, giving me chills. I’m ruining everything. Again.

“Night, Clay.” I drop my lips to his cheek, kissing him.

“Night, Layla.”

I walk out of the room, feeling his gaze on me. In his guest bedroom, I slip under the blankets and wrap myself around Maya. My eyes are full of unshed tears, and I do nothing to stop them from spilling.

The worst thing I could’ve done today is agree to stay.