He shook his head and her heart fell. He was rejecting her? "No, I can't. Because after two weeks of us talking and getting to know each other, I'll come to where you're living. I'll knock on the door, and when you answer it, I'll be holding a single rose and I'll tell you how beautiful you look. Then I'll drive you to dinner and a movie, or dancing, or whatever you want. I'll then take you back to my house for a long night of you know what," he said, waggling his brows and making her giggle, "and then, I'll kiss you goodnight. But I will not meet you somewhere, Lucy. You are way too special for that, and we aren't fuck buddies."

No one had ever spoken to her like that.

Breathless, she held his gaze. "We aren't?"

"Fuck, no. I'm thirty-two, I don't have time for that. If I'm talking to you, being a complete and utter dork, showing who I really am, it's because I see something in you. Something extraordinary. Something I haven't seen in a very long time."

Blinking twice, she looked down and sucked in a deep breath. "No clue what to say to that."

"Don't say anything. Just look at me, show me those dimples, and tell me to have a good game."

Looking up, she gave him what he wanted, her grin so big she even felt her dimples cutting into her skin. When he smiled back, his eyes bright, she said, "Have a great game. Maybe text me afterward?"

"That was the plan," he said simply and her heart fluttered. "I was going to try to score you a goal too."

"I thought you were scoring one for Angie."

He scoffed. "Do you know who I am? I'm the leading scoring defenseman of the league."

She bubbled with laughter. "You are not!"

"Of the Assassins?"

"Nope," she said simply and he laughed.

"Okay, I'm not. But maybe tonight, I will be. I feel I got some good luck from our virtual hug," he said confidently with the cutest grin ever. It actually made her heart skip a beat. Like a freaking teenager's. What was this dude doing to her? He was making her go soft is what he was doing.

"Well, either way, I'll be watching."

He feigned worry. "Shit. I better play good then, huh?"

"You always do."

He eyed her, his lips curving. "Someone has been stalking me?"

"Just a bit."

"Good. I like that."

"I bet you do, weirdo."

"Ha, you're the one who likes me," he accused and she looked away, laughing.

Looking back at the screen, she pressed her lips together. "Who said that?"

"I did, now don't ruin my dreams. I gotta go score two goals, gotta get my head into the game," he said, and she sputtered with laughter but didn't let it out fully.

"Fine, you go be awesome."

"That's the plan, Stan. I'll text you later."

"Okay."

"Okay," he said slowly. "Bye."

"Bye," she said as her heart went crazy in her chest before she hit end.

And when her phone went blank, she missed him.

Oh boy, she was in trouble.

Benji wasn't one to go out, but when the Assassins landed in Wisconsin, most of the guys wanted to go down to the hotel bar and Benji agreed. He wasn't sure why-maybe it was because Lucy was already asleep and he couldn't text her, or maybe he just didn't want to be alone in his room. But as he sat around with most of the guys as they cut up and razzed each other, he suddenly wished he hadn't stayed locked up so much before.

These guys were actually really funny.

"I am not kidding, Phillipe is the next all-star goalie. He's almost two and the kid can block anything. I try! I shoot at him all the time," Tate Odder their goalie, said, all seriousness in his eyes. "Audrey, she believes too."

Lucas Brooks laughed but nodded. "No shit, I watch the kid too. He's amazing for being so little. Well, young, I mean. The kid is a mini-giant."

Everyone laughed at that as Tate nodded. "True! Aiden and Asher are always trying to score on him. They cannot!"

"Of course they can't. They take after their dad," Erik Titov joked as Phillip Anderson laughed from his gut.

"Yeah, isn't it time for you to retire yet, Brooks?"

Lucas glared, leaning on the table. "I can outskate, outshoot, and whoop all your asses. Shut it and don't start with me, Anderson. I'll call your little son-in-law to take you out when we get to LA."

Phillip scoffed. "I'm not scared of that little shit. No offense, Sinclair."

Jayden laughed. "Hey, he is a little shit," he joked. "But don't act like you don't love the dude. We all know you do."

The look on Phillip's face said otherwise as Erik teased, "Isn't Claire pregnant yet?"

"The fuck? I will kill you!" Phillip said, reaching across the table for Erik, and everyone just laughed. It was apparently an ongoing joke about Claire, Phillip's niece, who was basically his daughter. They'd had one rough start, but the girl, who was married to Sinclair's brother, Jude, was doing well for herself. Phillip was really proud of her, minus her husband choice. Apparently, Jude was annoying. Surprising, with how awesome Jayden was.

"My mom is begging for a new grandbaby already. And since I know Bay and I aren't getting pregnant, I feel sorry for her 'cause I don't think they're gonna come through for her either," Jayden said and Phillip's eyes narrowed.

"They don't need any kids. They are kids."

Everyone nodded but Jayden. He just smiled. "You just don't want to be a grandpa."

"Of course, I don't. I just became a father for the second time. Third, if you count Claire, which I do."

Jordie laughed as Karson leaned against the table, a grin on his face. "Speaking of new fathers, got some news."

"You're pregnant?" Vaughn asked. "I thought you were getting fat."

Everyone horselaughed as Karson glared. "I am not."

"Eh, your ass is getting bigger," Phillip decided, but Karson just rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, we just found out that Lacey's pregnant, asshole."

That started a round of cheers from the veterans around the table, while the rookies all looked as if life was ending. Benji, though, he was happy for his friend. Lacey, his wife, had some trouble with postpartum depression after she had their first daughter, Mena. But she had been doing great from what Karson had said. A new baby was awesome, and while Benji was a little jealous of his friend, he slapped him on the back. "Congratulations!"

Karson grinned. "We are excited. Nervous, because of all the issues after Mena was born, but at least, this time, we know what to do."

"She'll be fine. Lacey is the strongest chick I know. Don't tell your sister I said that," Jordie laughed and Karson grinned. But Jordie was right, Lacey was one strong chick. With beating cancer and then living her dreams by making lingerie for breast cancer survivors, Benji wasn't the only one that looked up to her. But Kacey, Jordie's wife and Karson's sister...that woman was scary strong. She kicked their asses as the Assassins' strengthening coach and owned her own gym, one that Benji had no desire to go into. She'd made Benji cry at least twice. So, yeah, he gave her a wide berth when it came to fitness.

"Yeah," Karson agreed, and then he sent Lucas a grin. "Heard Fallon is going for baby number five, trying to tie with the Adlers."

Lucas's face went white. "Who the hell told you that?"

"Heard it through the grapevine," Karson laughed and everyone snickered at Lucas's alarmed expression.

"Dude, no. I'm getting my shit cut. I can't do any more. Have you met Emery? That baby is her mother made over. And I'm sorry, I love my wife, I do, but she's insane. I can't do her pregnant again. She's so damn hangry."

Tate laughed. "It's probably 'cause Aiden took all the awesome genes."

Lucas let out a long breath. "That kid. I'm gonna strangle him. He has a girlfriend. A fucking girlfriend. Do you all remember what your first girlfriend was like at sixteen?"

The guys snickered as Benji grinned. He had done a whole lot of nasty things at sixteen, which made him cringe for his buddy.

"Do you know what it's like to have the sex talk with your kid? Oh no, because I'm the only one here with a teenager."

That got him a round of old guy cracks that he did not appreciate, but Benji thought it was funny. "Man, it's not right without Adler not being here," Tate said and everyone nodded. It was weird. He had been the most adult out of all of them and had such a big presence.

"Yeah, he was our old man. Now we have to settle for Brooks," Vaughn said sadly and Lucas glared.

"Fuck off. But yeah, it does suck without him."

"Yeah, someone should tell him to come back," Karson said with a nod.

"He's happy," Benji said, leaning on the table. "He loves coaching the girls' hockey team, and he's really good at it. I heard he's got a stacked team for the boys."

"Oh, yeah, especially with how good Owen and Evan are," Jordie said with a nod, speaking of Shea's boys. "Who's all going to the games this weekend?"

The ones closest to Shea raised their hands as Benji said, "I'll be there for the girls, but I'm not sure about the boys."

"Yeah, me too. I think Lacey has a doctor's appointment that day," Karson said, and Jordie looked over at his brother-in-law.

"Need us to watch Mena?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

That was one of the biggest things that Benji loved about the Assassins. Everyone was family. No matter if there was blood involved, though most of it was blood, since everyone was married to someone's sister. Or someone's niece was married to someone's brother. That always made Benji laugh. The Phillip/Jude feud was just hilarious. But other than that, the team was one big family, and Benji appreciated that. He needed that, but he wanted what they all had. He was too old to be like the rookies, fucking around and partying. Plus, he didn't drink. But sometimes he didn't fit in with the older guys because he wasn't married and didn't have children. Which was another reason he stayed in his room a lot. He just felt left out, but as he sat there, joking with his friends, talking about their families, he was actually upset he hadn't allowed himself to enjoy this before.

When Jordie took him by his shoulder, shaking him, Benji laughed. "Dude, it's good having you here!"

Benji grinned as a lot of the other guys nodded in agreement. He had gotten so used to not putting himself in a position where his sobriety could be tested that he had become a recluse. But to his surprise, as his friends drank and hung out, he didn't even care to drink. His glass of pop was good for him. He watched Jordie, worried about his friend, but Jordie was good too. Being with Kacey and having Ella really woke that dude up.

Benji was jealous of that.

Meeting Jordie's gaze, he shrugged. "I don't know why I didn't come down sooner."

"'Cause you're a loner," Vaughn laughed and everyone joined in.

"Leave him alone. I don't blame him for liking Game of Thrones more than us," Jordie added and Benji laughed.

"I don't know, I think he's acting different," Karson said and Lucas nodded.

"Yeah, something is up. I just can't decide what it could be."

Lucy.

It was all Lucy.

Or at least, he thought so. He had never felt happier in the last twelve years than he did now. When he wasn't playing or practicing, he and Lucy were texting or FaceTiming. She was adorable and funny, and he could tell she was hesitant. But, he knew she was slowly getting comfortable with him. She had been so stressed lately, and he hated that. He wanted to fix it, but she wouldn't let him. She was independent, and that was one of the things he liked so much about her.

She didn't need anyone.

But the fact that she wanted him somehow meant more.

"Wait, are you dating someone? You getting laid, bro?" Vaughn razzed as he came up behind Benji, shaking him by his shoulders as everyone cut up. "Did our little boy finally lose his virginity?"

That rewarded him with a round of guffaws since everyone knew Benji wasn't really good with the ladies. Well, he used to not be good with the ladies. Now, he was good. Real good-with one lady. But before, being on a team with thirty guys, it was unheard of that one of them wasn't getting laid. And of course, all of them had advice. It ranged from hiring a hooker to sleeping with one of their relatives. Everyone had a single sister or cousin or mother. The last always made him cringe. But Benji didn't have to worry about that anymore. He was talking to the queen of women and it felt good. Real fucking good. Still, though, the guilt was there, but he was trying to get over that. He had to get over that. Or it could have the potential to ruin a damn good thing.

And that couldn't happen.

No. Lucy and Angie were special, and he refused to hurt them.

He couldn't.

"Aw, look, our little boy is blushing," someone said. He thought it was Vaughn, and he just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, shut it," he laughed, but they didn't, razzing him to the extreme. But Benji just laughed them off.

He enjoyed it.

He felt like one of them.

It was well past his bedtime, but he was still downstairs with the boys when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Surprised and a little confused, he pulled his phone out to see it was from Lucy. A little grin sat on his lips as he hit her message.

Lucy: You awake?

Benji: Yes, surprisingly. I'm down at the bar with the guys. Hanging out.

Lucy: Oh. Well, call me in the morning.