Romance On Thin Ice

Zane hated himself for making love to Meg like he had on the couch. He'd just been so upset by her suggestion that they be nothing more than friends with benefits that he hadn't known what else to do. He'd used her idea to take her like he wanted to, some primitive part of his mind telling him that he was staking his claim.

Now, in the dim pre-dawn light of her bedroom, he watched her sleeping and asked himself why he hadn't just refused. He'd wanted to tell her that he wanted all of her or nothing but he'd stopped himself, knowing that that for sure would kill any relationship between them, friends or otherwise.

In the end, he'd decided that this way, he was getting all of her. It was perhaps a little more convoluted than that and his tangled emotions told him it wasn't the way he wanted things to be. For now, he would take it. He would be with her how she wanted it, as a friend and part-time lover and in the meantime, he would figure out a way to convince her that he loved her.

Stifling a sigh, he moved from the bed and gathered his clothes. He didn't want to leave her but he knew that when she woke in the morning, she'd be disconcerted with his presence, to say the least. It was also a Monday and she needed to get ready for school without him hovering and making things difficult.

So he took his stuff back to his room and flopped onto his bed. After a few minutes, he picked up his cell and checked his schedule for the next week or so. He was home for another week and then off to Boston, Toronto and St. Louis. Not exactly a smooth road trip but short, nonetheless.

He had no way of knowing how Meg would be this week. She might ignore him or pretend nothing had happened. He allowed himself a grim smile and his groin stirred as he thought about using his 'privileges' to stay close to her at night, even if she wanted to ignore what was happening between them during the day.

Zane closed his eyes and ordered his mind to more mundane topics so he could get his body under control. He was just starting to doze when he heard the faint tinkle of Meg's alarm clock. A second later, it was off and then in another minute, the water in her bathroom started. Zane rolled over with a groan and buried his face in the pillow.

I will not think of her naked in the shower, he told himself. I will not think of the water running over her perfect breasts and the soap bubbles tickling her skin.

Of course, he grew hard and didn't know how he'd make it through another day without seducing her every chance her got.

Lucky for him, the week was busy. There were practices in between the games on Wednesday and Friday and a few team functions that he was obligated to attend. With all that going on, he didn't have much of an opportunity to spend time alone with Meg. Either he was out later than she was, or vice versa.

They didn't avoid each other on purpose and when they did see one another, they laughed and talked like nothing had changed. In the back of Zane's mind, he knew it was how Meg wanted things for now but it grated on his nerves to smile and act like he didn't get hard at the mere sight of her. At the same time, he didn't want her to think he only wanted her sexually. He loved everything about her, he always had, long before he'd ever seen her as a woman.

In the locker room, things were still tense between him and Mike. Neither of them said anything but they both knew things weren't right. Adam never brought it up either and Zane knew Adam was avoiding the topic of Meg altogether. Zane was grateful to his friend for not probing but he was feeling the urge to talk to someone about it. He pushed it off for a couple days, telling himself that guys weren't like chicks. They didn't need to analyze every little nuance of a relationship.

Then at practice on Friday before the game, Zane couldn't hold it in any longer. He asked Adam if he wanted to get something to eat for lunch after practice. Adam looked surprised but nodded in agreement.

"So what's up, Z?"

Zane gave Adam an innocent stare that made the other man snort with laughter. They were seated at a local pizza parlor and they'd just ordered their shared pizza.

"What makes you think something's up?"

Adam rolled his eyes and leaned his elbows on the table. "Please. You've hardly spoken to me since the weekend."

"I can't just want to have a slice with my buddy?" Zane hoped he sounded casual but knew he'd failed when he saw the knowing look on Adam's face. He heaved a sigh and rubbed his face with one hand. "All right, fine. I needed to talk to someone."

"If this is about Mike hitting on Meg, you need to deal with it and move on, Z."

Zane's eyes snapped back to Adam's face and narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Look, I like Meg, I think she's great. And maybe you two are meant to be together or whatever. But if not, you need to let it go and be a proper teammate to Mike."

Zane had to tamp down the urge to spit in rage even though he knew what Adam said was perfectly logical.

"We can't have this tension between you guys. We have a real shot at making it this year and no one wants to give it up because you're acting jealous." Adam paused and raised an eyebrow at Zane. "Even if you do have some reason to be jealous."

Zane pressed his lips together and nodded.

"Well?" Adam prompted.

"Well, what?"

"Do you have a reason to be jealous? All this time I assumed you and Meg were just friends and she could date whoever she wanted, Mike included. But if there's something going on-"

"There is," Zane blurted and flushed at Adam's answering chuckle. "I mean, there wasn't before this weekend."

"But there is now?"

Zane nodded and avoided Adam's pointed look by guzzling his iced tea.

"Why don't you look happy about it? I've seen the two of you together." Adam grimaced. "At the risk of sounding like a chick, you do seem to be made for each other."

Zane's lips twitched and he almost smiled. "It's not that simple."

"It never is." Adam waited until Zane caved.

He glossed over the details but managed to tell Adam about what had happened after their Saturday practice.

"Really? It was her idea?"

Zane nodded.

"Why didn't you tell her that you wanted more?"

"Because it would have just freaked her out and she'd have said no. That would have ruined everything between us."

"How do you know? Maybe she just wanted to hear you say it first."

"Say what first?" Zane was being childish but he didn't want to face the fact that he might have been wrong in agreeing so quickly to Meg's terms.

"I'm not going to be the one to tell you, man." Adam chuckled and sat back, waving his hands in front of him. "No way, no how. We're definitely not chicks."

Zane met his gaze and started to laugh. It felt good and he didn't feel as torn up inside. Adam was right, even though he hadn't come right out and said it. Zane let it go for now. He dug into the pizza and forgot for the moment about his troubles with Meg. He even vowed to himself to make things right with Mike when they all arrived at the Prudential Center for the game later.

Nothing would be easy but Zane had never been one to back down from a challenge. And he was still willing to be patient for Meg.

Meg felt sick to her stomach as she watched the poor showing from the Devils on TV Friday night. She'd turned down dinner with Nikki and some other women from the school that night, deciding to go home and watch the game instead. She felt guilty for missing his game on Wednesday and even though he hadn't said anything when she'd confessed that she'd missed it, she knew it had bothered him.

Tonight the Devils were facing a Western Conference team - the Edmonton Oilers - and they'd started out well. The team captain had scored off an assist from Mike and they'd had plenty of power play opportunities. Then something had happened in between the first and second periods and now, as they started the third period, they trailed the Oilers by two.

"Come on, guys," Meg muttered as she clutched her blanket close to her chest.

No one could hear her, least of all Zane, who didn't seem to have shown up for the game at all. He was playing with a distracted air, missing passes and making almost no shots. Meg ached for him and wished with all her heart that she had nothing to do with it.

At last the game ended. No points for Zane and a loss for the entire team. They'd managed to score once in the third but in the end, it hadn't been enough. Meg shut off the TV and went to bed. She was tired from the whole week and watching the game had drained her more than she'd expected.

She was asleep a minute after her head hit the pillow and she didn't wake up until she felt the bed dip beside her. She jerked awake with a start and almost screamed until she heard Zane's familiar chuckle in her ear.

"Goddamnit, Z. You scared the life out of me!"

Again, his warm chuckle brushed across her ear and she shivered. Zane's body moved closer and she felt his hands pushing away the long shirt she had on. She opened her mouth to protest when his cold hands brushed her skin but his mouth found hers in the dark and she was helpless to do anything.

Zane must have sensed her acquiescence and whisked the shirt off over her head. She spread her legs when he pressed his knee between them and he kissed her senseless as he rose above her.

"God, I need you, Meg."

Meg shivered at his unexpected words and jumped at the first contact of his body against her core. She was afraid for a moment that he would take her then, before she was really ready but he shifted and she felt his fingers plying her. She moaned and lifted her hips to meet the play of his hand.

His mouth clamped onto her neck and he sucked as he drew out her arousal almost to completion, then he backed off. Meg made a frustrated noise and thrust her hips up, desperate for him to finish. Then he surged into her, silencing her cry of surprise with a deep kiss. She drank him in as she felt him moving inside her, thrusting with deliberate care.

It wasn't until she arched under him that his pace increased. She moaned into his mouth as he began to lose control and cried out when his fingers clamped hard on her hips. He pumped his body a few more times before giving a deep groan and shuddering over her. As he rolled off her, Meg felt her body still humming from what he'd done and bit her lip when he absently stroked her bare stomach.

"I'm sorry, Meg."

His apology was soft and Meg blinked back sudden tears. "For what?"

He let out a breath and rolled onto his side to look at her. She turned her head and could just see the outline of his face. "For that. I had such a terrible game and I just wanted to feel something besides the loss."

Meg closed her eyes and swallowed around the lump in her throat. So that was it, that was why she felt so used: because she had been.

"I'll make it up to you."

A light laugh escaped her and she shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Zane. This is what we agreed to."

Silence greeted her words and she bit her bottom lip to keep from taking it back. It wasn't all right but she didn't know what else to say.

Zane shifted beside her and she looked over to see him sitting up on the edge of the bed. "I didn't agree to use you this way."

"Where are you going?"

"To bed. I didn't think you'd want me to stay."

There was hurt in his tone, something Meg couldn't figure out. Wasn't she the one who should be hurt right now?

"Good night, Meg."

She opened her mouth to stop him but no words came out. His shadow moved across her room and he left her with a snap of the door.

Meg lay back on her bed and let out a shuddering breath. When had everything gone so wrong? They'd been fine all week, when they'd seen each other, laughing and talking like they always had. They hadn't repeated the events of the previous weekend since they'd both been so busy but Meg hadn't thought their next time would have been like this.

Tears blurred her vision again and she wiped them away with an angry motion. Blowing out another frustrated breath, she rolled over and tried to sleep.

Their road trip through Boston, Toronto and St. Louis did not go well. They lost two of the games and barely squeaked into a shootout for the third, which they also lost. Gaining one point out of a possible six was about as much fun as a massage from a cheese grater. They could do better. Zane knew he could do better and he wanted to do better.

He told himself that individual points didn't matter but he also knew that he was expected to produce results for the team. He'd been held scoreless for the entire first game against the Bruins and then again in the third against St. Louis. Since getting back to practice in their home arena, Zane still couldn't find the back of the net. Sure, it was just practice but if he couldn't even handle it in a scrimmage game, what would he do when they faced off against another team?

He told himself that it had nothing to do with Meg and the distance that had sprung up between them before he'd left on this last road trip. They hadn't had a chance to talk since he'd come home and he was only home for a couple more nights anyway. He wanted to talk to her and reassure her that he didn't feel any different about her but he didn't know how. Every time he thought about what he wanted to say, all that wanted to come out was 'I love you.' She might accept it, she might even say it back - they had been saying those words to each other for years, after all - but Zane was most afraid that she'd deny him.

In the few months since she'd moved to New Jersey, Zane had felt his heart get so wrapped up in her, that he didn't know how he'd function if she ever left. He had no idea if she felt the same sort of attachment, platonic or not, and the worst part was being unable to talk about it. They'd always been able to talk about everything.

Zane faced his teammates in the arena and tried to push it out of his mind. The coach instructed their next drill and Zane shot off with his linemates when the whistle blew. For the next hour, he devoted himself to practice.

After, in the locker room as he dressed, he caught Mike's eye and gave his teammate a tentative smile. Mike's dark eyebrows rose but he smiled as well. Zane nodded his head to one side and Mike met him near the door.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, man," Zane started, feeling awkward.

"Have you?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry about what happened with Meg at practice that day."

Mike stared at him and laughed. "Oh, come on, you're not still stewing about that, are you?" He cuffed Zane on the shoulder and led the way out of the locker room. "It's in the past, Z."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not. I knew you'd pull your head out of your ass and put the moves on Meg eventually and then you'd talk to me again."

Zane gaped. "Does everyone know?"

"Know what? That you've wanted her ever since she moved here?" Mike shrugged as they started to walk down the hall. "Sure. It was pretty obvious."

Zane shook his head. Considering that he hadn't even known what he felt until a few weeks ago, it was amazing to him that his friends seemed to have guessed before him.

"Well, in any case, I'm sorry for acting like such a jackass, Mike."

"Come on, Z. Let's just get you scoring some goals and you'll forget all about it."

Zane nodded. He did need to score some goals. If one thing in his life started to go right, maybe the rest would follow.

Well, he could hope.

Zane got home after the game on Monday night and crawled into bed completely exhausted. The Capitals were an intense team led by one of the hardest hitting players in the league. Zane didn't like to admit that another player intimidated him but tonight, Oborotenski had intimidated. He groaned and covered his face with a pillow, determined not to think about it. He'd managed to get two points and even though neither were outright goals, he still felt good about it. The Devils had won the game in the end and that's what mattered.

He was just dozing off when he heard his bedroom door open. Rolling over, he saw the silhouette of Meg as she approached his bed.

"Meg? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She slipped between the covers with him and snuggled up close to his side.

Zane got over his surprise in a hurry and put his arms around her. After that grueling game, he could use a little downtime with Meg wrapped around him. He stroked his hands down her naked back and smiled into her hair when she shivered.

"What are you doing here?"

She leaned back to look into his eyes. "I wanted to congratulate you on the win." She put a hand behind his head and drew him down for a kiss. He let her pull him close and enjoyed the way she swept her tongue into his mouth. Then she fell back against the pillows with a sigh and smiled at him. "Congratulations."

Zane laughed and rolled over her. He lowered his head and brushed her lips with his in a light kiss. "You didn't have to get out of your warm bed to do that."

She shrugged as she ran her palms from his shoulders down his chest. "I wanted to. The game got me all fired up."

"Fired up?"

"Oh yeah. All that hitting and the crowd was insane tonight. It was a great game, Z."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

If that's what had brought her to his bed for the very first time, he wasn't going to argue. Zane dropped his head to kiss her chin and down the side of her throat. She let out a contented sigh and arched so he could have more space. He obliged, his tongue sliding along her skin.

God, she tasted just like she smelled, all fresh and clean and feminine. He could do nothing but inhale her for hours. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck and she shivered.

"Cold?" He looked into her face and grinned when he saw her biting her lower lip.

She shook her head and gave him a weak smile.

"Are you sure? Because I could probably warm you up." Zane stroked his hands down her sides, biting back a groan when he didn't even feel the presence of underwear on her body.

"I'm not cold," she whispered.

"Too bad. I can be very creative when it comes to warming up."

He shifted and pressed her hip to the bed with one hand. He traced light circles over her stomach, fascinated with the jumping pulse he saw there and the way goosebumps rose all over her skin.

"Zane..."

He glanced back to her face and could have let out a primitive growl at the way she was already twisting beneath his touch.

"You're sure you're not cold?" He slid his hand over the top of her thigh and grinned at the way she tried to follow his touch. "That's really too bad."

"Zane, please!"

"I mean, I can't really help you if you're already warm enough." He continued to tease her, stroking the insides of her thighs and stopping just short of the very center of her. He wanted to touch her, wanted to find out just how 'fired up' she was but he was having too much fun playing with her.

After another minute of taunting strokes and near misses, Zane felt her hands clench on his arms. Her body was trembling all over and her breath was coming in quick pants.

"I'm c-cold, Zane."

He stopped touching her and stared at her face. She met his look and he was gratified to see her desire even with the shadows lining her features. Her bottom lip was trembling and her fingers on his arms were shaking.

"You want me to warm you up?" It didn't surprise Zane when his voice came out raspy.

She nodded, her eyes never leaving his face.

So he slipped a hand between her legs and cupped her, letting his groan of appreciation out when he felt how slick she was. He stroked her a few times before the erection he was sporting gave a painful throb. With another groan, Zane rolled away and shoved his boxers off. When he rolled back over Meg, she held her arms open and lifted her mouth to his.

They kissed, tongues tangling and lips sliding together. Meg scratched his shoulders and bucked her hips up against his. Zane pressed her down into the bed, fighting for control. He didn't want to just plunge into her like last time. He wanted to savor every moment but Meg's little noises and writhing body were making it hard for him.

"Zane, please..."

Her moaning plea was too much.

Zane brought his thigh up under hers, spreading her open for him and then he broke from their kiss to look down at her. She met his gaze and slid her hand down his chest and stomach. He reached for her wrist to stop her but she was too quick. Her fingers wrapped around him and he almost choked on his next breath.

She stroked him, her palm hot on his skin and still he couldn't look away from her dark eyes. She held him captive and the smile playing around her lips made him want to kiss her. But while she had hold of him below, he didn't want to move. It was a sweet dilemma and he'd happily stay in this very position for hours if she let him.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, she was lifting her hips and guiding the head of his cock towards her opening. Zane groaned and brushed her hand out of the way. He held himself still just inside her and gave her a wicked grin when she started to breath harder.

"Still cold?"

She narrowed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "Yes. I'm freezing."

Zane sank into her with a joyful laugh. God, he loved this feeling, this sensation of being enveloped and accepted. Meg wrapped her arms around his shoulders and arched under him, drawing him even deeper inside. Zane turned his head to kiss her and she met his lips with an eager passion that stunned him. Then he propped himself over her on his elbows and brushed the hair back from her face when he kissed her again.

She moaned into his lips when he moved his hips against hers and he felt her hands slip over his shoulders to cup his butt. She urged him forward, begging silently for him to go deeper, to move faster.

But Zane remained in control. He was over that first burst of sensation that came with their joining and now he was ready to make her crazy.

He broke away from their kiss and trailed his lips and tongue down her neck. He moved his hands to cup her breasts and lifted his head to watch the swift rise and fall of her chest. She wasn't looking at him. Her head was pressed back into the pillows and she was biting her lip as he continued to move so slow inside her.

Stroking her full breasts, he teased his way closer to the tips. Another helpless moan fell from her lips and Zane lowered his head. He traced the outline of her nipple with just the tip of his tongue. She arched under him, pressing her body to his and he parted his lips to suck the entire peak into his mouth.

Meg scratched at his shoulders again and Zane growled against her body. She stilled at the sound and he felt her body trembling as she fought to catch her breath. All the while, Zane kept his pace the same and he knew it was driving her insane. She moaned and clawed at him, arching and bucking in turns.

Zane lifted his head to watch her face as he increased the speed of his thrusts. She caught her breath and her mouth opened on a silent cry. He drove deep with one stroke and then gave her a few shallow strokes. Her fingers clenched on his shoulders and then fell from his body. She scrabbled for purchase on his bed sheets and Zane grinned.

Mission accomplished.

Now he could give in to his raging desires. He buried his face in her neck and reached down to hook an arm under her knee. He drew her leg up alongside him and angled his hips for a deeper thrust. She cried out and shuddered and Zane opened his mouth on her neck to lick her. He pushed again, going deeper and he nipped her skin when he did it again.

"Oh God, Zane!"

Her cry was accompanied by the wild pulsing of her body and Zane crowed in triumph. He knew he could make her crazy, he knew he could make her feel what he was feeling.

He dropped her leg and started to move faster. He couldn't control himself any longer, not with her body clamping down around him and draining all his will power. He pumped hard and fast, planting wet, open-mouthed kisses to her throat, chin and mouth. She kissed him back, her arms coming back to circle his shoulders and they rode the high together for what felt like hours.

At last, Zane lay himself alongside her and tucked her against his body. She made a move as if to get up but Zane grumbled in his post-coital haze and a breathless giggle came out of her.

"You're not going to let me go?"

Never. Never, ever going to let you go.

"Sleep," was all he said out loud.

Meg tensed at first and then relaxed. Zane let his breath out, not having realized until then how afraid he was that she would leave him. He wanted to sleep with her, through the night, just once. Even if she wasn't ready to admit that what they shared, and what they'd just done, that wasn't just friends with benefits.

Meg felt more than a little guilty when she snuck from Zane's bed before he woke up the following morning. Her body was still warm from his touch and all they'd done the previous night. After falling asleep the first time, he'd woken her sometime during the night and made love to her again. She shivered as she recalled the sensation of waking up to his questing fingers and the erection pressing into her backside.

She crept across to her bedroom and rubbed her face as she tried to reorient herself. It was a few minutes before her alarm was set to go off and it really was a miracle that she'd woken up anywhere close to it. After waiting up for Zane after the game and then waking up in the middle of the night, she was exhausted.

It's going to be a long day at school.

She pushed the thought from her mind and gathered her clothes for the day. As she climbed into the shower, another stab of guilt pinched her. Between her week, with school and the last hockey game before the Thanksgiving weekend, and Zane's full schedule of practices and games, they probably wouldn't see each other before she flew home to Minnesota.

Her parents had surprised her by sending a plane ticket so she could fly home for the holiday weekend. She was grateful but her first thought had been of leaving Zane alone. Of course, he wouldn't be entirely alone. He'd mentioned a while ago that the team captain liked to invite all the guys on the team who didn't have family nearby over for Thanksgiving and they had games all weekend anyway.

Still, this would have been the first holiday they'd have spent together and she felt guilty for sneaking into his bed last night instead of telling him the truth.

Maybe I could call him from work tomorrow, she thought as she rinsed her hair out.

Later at school, she was still worrying about what his reaction would be. She was distracted in class and Nikki asked her what was bothering her when they had lunch.

"Nothing's wrong."

Nikki gave her a pointed look and leaned forward. "I think I know you well enough by now to know that look on your face."

Meg gave a nervous laugh. "What look?"

"That look." Nikki pointed and grinned. "Like you've just realized something and you don't know how to let yourself believe it."

Meg's heart skipped several beats and she caught her breath. Nikki lifted her eyebrows and Meg could feel the heat wash over her face as she considered her friend's words.

Was that it? She was feeling guilty because she knew deep down that this thing between her and Zane was more than what she'd made it out to be?

She shook her head and picked at the straw sticking out of her juice box. "I don't know, Nikki. I don't even think I know my own name most days."

Nikki laughed and patted her arm in comfort. "Don't worry. You're a smart lady. I'm sure you'll figure it out." She leaned forward again and glanced around before speaking in a lower tone. "Just don't wait too long or you might miss out."

Meg narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Miss out on what, exactly?"

"Do you really need me to tell you?"

Meg held her gaze for a moment before caving. "God, you're right. I'm so pathetic!" She dropped her face in her hands with a melodramatic moan.

Nikki laughed again and moved closer to give Meg a hug. "You're not pathetic. I told you before that I have never even come close to your situation before. I think you're doing remarkably well, considering."

"Considering what?" Meg lifted her head.

"Considering that Zane Pritchard is one fine piece of a-"

"OK!" Meg threw a hand up to stop her friend. "I get it. You don't need to say anything else."

Nikki's eyes danced and she gave Meg another squeeze before sitting back. Their conversation picked up again and they discussed their plans for the holiday. Meg was looking forward to going back to Minnesota, in spite of her worries over Zane's reaction. She missed her family and knew they were excited to hear all about her new job and living with Zane.

All too soon, Meg found herself frantically flying around the house as she gathered what she needed before Nikki drove her to the airport. Her flight left late on Wednesday night and she hadn't even had a chance to check in on the hockey game before she threw the last of her clothes in a bag.

The doorbell rang just as she was carrying her bag downstairs. She hurried over and flung it open to a smiling Nikki.

"Come in, come in. I'm not quite ready." Meg darted away. "I just need to find my heavy winter jacket and then we can go!"

"Relax! We have plenty of time to make it to the airport." Nikki stepped inside and shut the door behind her.

Meg hurried into the front hall, hauling her jacket on over her arms and threw Nikki a harried smile. "Almost ready."

"Relax, girl." Nikki laughed and stepped out of the way as Meg stumbled while putting on her boots.

"All right. I think I'm done." Meg straightened and glanced around one more time. Then she picked up her bag, grabbed her purse, and double-checked for her wallet and the plane ticket. "Let's go!"

They chatted on the drive to the airport and Meg had almost managed to push Zane out of her mind when Nikki brought him up.

"Can I ask why Zane isn't driving you to the airport?"

"He's playing tonight."

"Oh, that's right." Nikki shook her head. "I'm no good with schedules. Well, did you guys say good-bye last night then?"

Meg averted her face to hide her blush but Nikki caught her.

"Meg, please tell me you said good-bye to him."

Meg bit her lip and turned guilty eyes back on Nikki, who gaped at her.

"Oh Meg! You didn't even tell him you were leaving, did you?"

"I didn't get a chance to." Meg twisted her hands in her lap. "We've both been so busy for the last couple weeks and every time we have seen each other, we've...uh, we haven't been talking."

Nikki burst out laughing. "Right. I don't need details on that. I can't believe you're just running away."

"I'm not running away."

"Whatever you want to call it. He's going to be pissed that you just took off with no notice."

Meg groaned. "I know, I know. I'll call him when I get in later."

Nikki shook her head. "I won't say anything else about it then."

Meg was grateful for that. For the remainder of the ride to the airport, she couldn't get her mind off Zane. She thanked Nikki and hugged her good-bye at her terminal then hurried off to catch her flight.

The whole time, she tried to tell herself that she wasn't running away.

And even if I was, I have to go home on Sunday. It's not like I'm leaving the country.

It didn't do any good. As she boarded the plane, Meg knew she was making a mistake. But like everything else that had been happening lately, she felt like she was being swept away by something beyond her control.

The second Zane stepped into his house following the game, he knew something was wrong. It was quiet, which wasn't unusual, but it was a different sort of quiet. He stood in the entrance for a minute, just listening and then shook his head at his own dramatics. He shrugged out of his jacket and locked the door before heading upstairs to sleep.

It had been a brutal game and he wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Meg and sleep. He went to his bedroom, his mind replaying the worst highlights from the game. He recalled the crushing hit he'd taken early in the second period and cringed at his lack of scoring opportunities following that. Not that he'd been a scoring whiz in the first period either.

With a sigh, Zane stripped out of his clothes and tossed them in the corner before heading back across the hall. Meg's door was open and he frowned as he stepped inside. The room was dark, so he couldn't see anything until his eyes adjusted to the dim light coming in from the street light. That was when he saw her bed was empty.

Damn.

He wondered if she'd gone out with Nikki. Maybe to a bar to watch the game. He smiled and then climbed into her bed anyway. It smelled like her and he pressed his face to the pillows before making himself comfortable. His last thought before drifting off was to wonder how Meg would react to come home and find him in her bed.

He'd never know.

The following morning, Zane woke up feeling chilled. Reaching out, he hauled the blankets over his body and let out a deep breath. Then he recalled where he was and smiled before stretching an arm out to grab Meg. When he encountered nothing but empty bed, he opened his eyes.

What the hell...?

He sat up and looked around. The bedroom door was still ajar and there was no discarded clothing or any sign that Meg had come home. Throwing back the covers, Zane got up and checked his bedroom, where he threw on some sweats and a t-shirt. Then he walked downstairs to look around.

Still no sign of Meg.

"O...K..." He stood in the empty kitchen and looked around. That was when he spotted the note attached to the front of the fridge.

'Z, sorry I didn't tell you earlier but I just didn't get a chance to talk to you -- it's been such a busy week! My mom and dad surprised me with a plane ticket home for Thanksgiving. My return flight is on Sunday afternoon. Hope your games go well, I'll be watching! M.'

Zane stared at the note in his hand and clenched his jaw. Then he crumpled the piece of paper and chucked it across the room before stalking back upstairs.

She just left? Without a word, she just up and left the entire state?

OK, he'd known things weren't perfect but he didn't think that warranted running away to Minnesota. It pissed him off more and more the longer he thought about it. She'd left on a night when she knew he wouldn't be home and hadn't even bothered to call him. Sure, if the tickets were a surprise from her parents, she wouldn't have had a say in when the flight left, but she could have at least called.

Zane went into his room and changed. He had practice this morning and a game the following night. The captain and his wife had invited several of the single players over for Thanksgiving dinner that night, since so many of them didn't have family nearby. Zane had been ready to tell him no, thank you, and he would have spent the night with Meg, finally telling her how he felt about her.

Now, he wanted to go to practice and stay away from his empty house and the reminder that she obviously didn't care as much about him.

"I'm so glad to hear that your job is going so well, Meg."

Meg smiled at her mother, Joanna, as they stood next to each other in the kitchen. It was Thursday night and Meg was helping her mother with dinner. The house echoed with the sounds of the football game and Meg's father's cries. Mother and daughter exchanged a knowing look just as Meg's younger sister walked into the kitchen.

"Mom, can you make Dad shut off the TV?"

"Wendy, you know you could just ask him." Joanna turned to her younger daughter with a smile.

Wendy rolled her eyes and pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. "I would if I thought he'd listen. You know what he's like when football is on."

"Do I ever." Their mother's exaggerated weariness had the sisters exchanging knowing looks. "You girls have no idea what I went through in our early years. You're lucky to be alive-"

"-Because Dad spent so much time watching football-" Meg interrupted.

"-He almost forgot to come to bed at night," Wendy finished.

Their mother gave them both a narrow look that made them laugh. Joanna curled up the towel in her hands and snapped it in Meg's direction. The younger woman shrieked and darted out of reach while Wendy looked on, still laughing.

"Just you wait, child." Joanna wagged a finger at Meg and tossed the towel back over her shoulder. "Your turn will come when Zane is too busy with his hockey to pay you much mind."

It was on the tip of Meg's tongue to say that Zane had never deliberately ignored her in favor of hockey but then her mother's words sank in. A fiery blush stole over her cheeks and she looked away.

"Whoa, Meg, you look a little shellshocked." Wendy tilted her head to one side as she gazed at her sister.

"Do I?" Meg touched her cheek as her mother's words echoed in her head.

"Holy shit!"

Joanna whirled around. "Wendy! Watch your language! You're not too old for me to take a wooden spoon to your backside."

Wendy ignored her mother and gaped at Meg who scowled in return. "You're freaking out over Zane!"

Now Joanna's attention turned to her elder daughter. "Zane? Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened!"

"Liar!" Wendy pointed one finger at her sister.

"Wendy, shush!" Joanna took a step towards Meg. "Sweetheart, did you and Zane have a fight?"

Meg's jaw dropped. "What? No! I mean, we did, sort of, but it's not what you think."

Joanna reached out and patted Meg on the shoulder. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'm sure whatever it is, you guys can work it out. I mean, you've been together this long, what's one little fight?"

Now both Wendy and Meg looked amazed. Joanna glanced back and forth between her daughters. "What?"

"Mom, you know Meg and Zane aren't actually together, right?"

Meg opened her mouth to say that wasn't true but stopped herself just in time. Not that it mattered. Wendy caught the expression on her face and hooted with laughter as she slapped her thigh.

"You guys are together?! That's fantastic."

"I don't understand." Joanna held up her hands to stop Wendy from carrying on. "You just said you had a fight?"

"Mom, really. Keep up!" Wendy rolled her eyes.

"Don't sass me, child."

"Wendy, take it easy." Meg sighed and moved around to sit across from her sister. "Mom, Zane and I have never dated."

Joanna frowned. "But you're living together."

That made Meg smile at last. "We live together, yes, but only because the place I found in Newark fell through. I told you about that."

"I remember." Joanna frowned and Meg recalled the way her mother had ranted over the phone when she'd explained about the scam. Joanna had been ready to call the FBI and demand that they investigate. "I remember what happened but I also thought Zane came to his senses and invited you to live with him because you two have been in love for years."

"Wh-what?"

Wendy started to laugh at Meg's expression. "Mom, they've never been together. They were always just friends."

Now it was Joanna's turn to roll her eyes. "I am aware of that, dear. That doesn't mean they can't also be in love." She faced Meg and laid a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Sweetheart, do you mean to tell me that you didn't know?"

Know that I'm in love with Zane? Hell, no. Meg shook her head, unable to speak the words out loud.

"Oh, Meg." Wendy shook her head and reached across to pat her sister's hand. "You must have been the only one who couldn't see it."​