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#Chapter 06 He's mesmerizing
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 07 Doesn't he want his jacket back?
“I don’t know,” I said as I turned the card around in my hands. “I’m going to have to think about it.”Barnett merely stared at me, so I kept rambling.“I’m not as confident about sharing and social media as Lily is. Besides, I’m just some newly divorced fat girl. Who’s going to want to watch me work out?”“First of all, you are not fat. Second of all, you never know about the whole social media thing. I bet there are all sorts of people who will want to watch you.”I cringed, thinking for a second about the kinds of perverts Barnett might be thinking about. Peter immediately came to mind. I almost gagged at the thought of him watching my ass while I stretched.Barnett rolled his eyes and chuckled.“I don’t mean that kind of person,” he said. “I mean people like you—divorced, looking to get healthy, a little more down on themselves than they should be.”He tried to meet my eyes, but I refused to return his gaze.“You know,” he continued, “the ones with the hot girls inside just waitin
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 08 I need to become sexy
I took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”Holding my phone out from me at arm’s length, I clicked the camera icon and plastered my best fake smile onto my face.“Hi, everyone,” I said, mentally cringing at the sound of my own voice. “My name is Anna Leonard, and this is my first day working out at Stand Up. I’m super excited to get started on some cardio here on the treadmill after I get in some stretching.”I paused, unsure of what to say next. Then I remembered what Barnett had said the night he had given me the V.I.P. card.“Look, I’m going to be honest here. I’m not some supermodel or fitness guru. I’m just an ordinary fat girl looking to get her hot self back after a particularly bad breakup.”Tears welled at the corners of my eyes. I brushed them away with the knuckle of my index finger.“If you’re like me and just want a little inspiration for your own journey back to your best self, I welcome you to like this video, leave a comment, and follow my transformation over the next
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 09 It all belongs to him
I should have seen this coming. Of course one of the hottest—one of the handsomest—internet celebrities would want one of the hottest stylists. Not just by reputation, but physically as well. I wouldn’t have even come here if Lily hadn’t gone through all this trouble to get me an interview. She was my friend, after all. I couldn’t let her effort go to waste. But there had to be a reason why Lily had gone through all that effort. It couldn’t just be because she was my best friend. That certainly wasn’t the reason why she had me style her hair and makeup every time she went to a party. Then it hit me. “You’re friends with Lily, right?” I asked. Arthur rolled his eyes. “Yes, that’s why I agreed to this charade in the first place.” “You’ve been to parties with her, then?” “Of course.” “And what do you think of her hair and makeup?” His Cupid’s bow lips quirked into a little smile. “They’re always utter perfect
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 10 Fantasies of a Married Billionaire
Arthur was elated to see me the next day. It made me suspicious. “Well, Anna, you really did it,” he said it with a brilliant white grin. “Mona Williams of Good Morning, Mona loved my new look, especially the pompadour.” He ran his fingers through his hair. I wanted to smack him for messing with it, but I was too excited about the news to care. “You’re kidding, right?” I just couldn’t believe that a look I had styled had been mentioned on a nationally syndicated TV show. “No, I’m not. You did wonderfully, little fan girl. And I can’t wait to see what you have in mind for me today.” I couldn’t stop smiling. It was hard to believe that I had wasted eight years running a household for someone like Bob when I could have been using my talents to make something of myself. I sobered a bit. According to the oncologist, I only had about six months remaining to right that wrong. But I would value every moment of my existence that I had lef
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 11 If It’s Not One Thing
We had just finished moving everything important—and dry—out of the apartment. I still wasn’t sure what to do with them, but maybe Barnett knew of a storage unit nearby with an opening.I was about to ask him just that when Barnett opened his mouth.“So, Anna, about the night that Lily…introduced us,” he said.Heat rose into my cheeks. God, I knew what this was about.“You acted like you didn’t know me.”Yup, here it goes, I thought. He’s going to ask if I really didn’t remember that he was my hockey coach.“Did you really not recog—”A pounding at the door startled us both.I looked at the clock. It was nearly 9:30. Who would be visiting at this hour?“Let me just see who that is,” I told Barnett as I squeezed by him. I tried to avoid touching him, but the heat between us nearly undid my composure.When I opened the door, my landlord stood on the other side. A portly man with oversized glasses and a tendency to vape, I hadn’t dealt with Mr. Smith much outside of signing the lease. Th
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 12 If You Can’t Take the Heat
“I’ll teach you.” I couldn’t find the words to object. Honestly, I didn’t want to, either. “Okay. So, how do I start?” I said instead. He motioned to the padded block at one end of the machine. “Sit here.” I obeyed. “Put your feet here.” I put my feet where he indicated and strapped them in. Barnett bent over me and checked the straps on my feet. My heart fluttered at the smell of his sweat and the feel of his arms as they wrapped around me. This felt just like when Barnett coached me in hockey, except somehow more…intimate. “Good. Nice and tight.” Like the back support belt, I said in my mind. “Now, I want you to grab this.” He leaned over me and handed me what looked like a pole on an elastic string. “And we’re going to turn this on to keep track of your progress.” Again, he leaned over me to press some buttons on the monitor by my feet. I tried to pay attention to
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 13 Get Out of the Kitchen
“You mean…you knew?” “You think?” “I…well…” I was a bit distracted. I would never admit that out loud. By your words…your actions… “Did you think I wasn’t observant enough to see the camera set up right there?” I blushed even though Barnett couldn’t see me. His tone during the workout had been its usual forceful one, but something about how he had conducted himself, about what he said, how close he was to me when he said it—it was too much for me even now. “Well?” I shook my head, realizing I had lost myself in my thoughts. “No, I guess…I don’t know what I thought. I’m sorry.” “Don’t worry about it. Just remember that other people might not be as cool about it as I am. Okay?” “Okay.” “And in the future, I don’t mind being in your videos, any time you need me.” “Okay,” I said, a bit surprised. “I am your trainer, after all.”•* * That night, I dreamt of a memory from
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 14 The Tangled Web We Weave
I had no idea what was going on, nor did I want to know. I had too many problems of my own at the moment to want to be dragged into anyone else’s, so I decided to leave as quickly as possible. It wasn’t worth the few bucks I’d save on gas to wait for Barnett’s ride.I took a couple steps toward my car, determined to leave Barnett to handle his own marital problems, when I felt his arm wrap around my waist. He pulled me close to him. “Julia, this is my new girlfriend, Anna,” Barnett said, sticking his chin out proudly. My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. I couldn’t even enjoy being so close to Barnett with the shock I was in. Tears welled at the edges of Julia’s eyes. Her cheeks turned bright red, and the color crept up the back of her neck to her ears. “How dare you!” she screamed. “You cannot treat me this way. I planned to give up my modeling career so we could start a family, and you found someone else?” “Oh, no,” I said. “I—”
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Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 80: The Hat Trick
9 years later… I sat down in the first row, my coffee cup balanced in my hands. The rink was cold, and I was bundled up in a sweater and a winter coat. Beside me, Lily sat with my daughter on her lap. Winnie was just three years old, and she was already asleep on Lily’s shoulder, the hood of her pink parka pulled up over her head. The sight of them together warmed my heart.“Damn, she’s getting heavy,” Lily said.I smiled. “I know. They grow up fast.”She nodded. Lily didn’t have kids, and I didn’t think she ever wanted to. She was happy being Cool Aunt Lily, and I thought that was amazing. She still traveled all over the world, bringing exotic gifts back for her niece and nephews.“She asks about you all the time now,” I said. “She calls you ‘wi-wy.’”“Adorbs.” Lily hugged her closer. “We’re going to be besties when she’s older.”“For sure.”“Scratch that. We’re already besties.”The first period was about to start, and I sat up straighter. Both teams were on their benches. I could
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 79: Journey's End
“I’m the father,” he repeated.I nodded. “That’s why I was trying to find you. I wanted to tell you, but after what Julia said, I thought you never wanted to see me again. If not for Lily, I would have continued to think that. Still, I’m sorry you’re only finding out now.”A sad look crossed his face, and he put his head in his hands. “God, I’m sorry.”I stood up and walked around the desk. His muscles tensed, but he didn’t look up as I ran my hands over his shoulders. “You’re here now,” I said.“I should’ve been with you the whole time.”He swiveled around in his chair and hugged me, his face resting lightly against my stomach. I ran a hand through his soft blond hair. “I’m so sorry,” he said. He looked up at me and gave me a wide smile. My heart skipped a beat. “I’m really happy, Anna.”“You are?”“You have no idea.” He still hadn’t let go of me, but I didn’t want him to. I never wanted him to. If I could have stayed in his arms forever, I would have.“I’m happy too,” I said, tears
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 78: The Father
Barnett gestured for me to sit down, and I took one of the plush armchairs across from his desk.“Can I get you anything?” he asked. “Water or something?”I shook my head. “No, I’m alright.”He nodded and sat down in his leather chair. “Either Lily is clairvoyant, or she convinced you to come here,” he said after a moment of awkward silence.“She’s adamant that we talk.”He just nodded again.Another long stretch of silence ensued as I searched for something to say.“You look great,” he said. I wasn’t used to this awkwardness between us. It seemed to squeeze at my throat, preventing the words from rising. So much time had passed, and he felt both familiar to me and completely a stranger.“I heard about your father,” I answered, ignoring his compliment completely. That felt like dangerous territory. “I’m sorry he was sick. Is he doing better now?”“He is,” he said. “It was tough going for a while, but he’s doing a lot better now. Good enough to kick me out, anyway.”“He sounds like a c
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 77: Lovers Meeting
“Barnett, open up!” Lily called.Barnett sighed and got out of bed. It was still early in the morning, early enough that he wanted to yell at her through the door and tell her to go away. He hardly slept as it was. The last thing he needed was an early morning wake-up call.He pulled on his robe and stomped over to the door.“Barnett!” she called again.He yanked open the door and scowled down at her. “Do you know what time it is?”She smirked and shoved past him into his apartment. At least she had two coffee cups with her. She handed him one and he took a sip. It was still hot, and it burned his tongue.“It’s a beautiful day,” she said.“Is it?”He sank down onto his couch and pulled his robe tighter around him. Lily didn’t sit down, she just started pacing back and forth in front of him. He was much too tired to deal with all her energy. Lily wasn’t much of a morning person either, but today she was clearly on something.“Did you sleep at all last night?”“Like a baby,” she said, h
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 76: Setting Things Straight
I’d been home for nearly a month, and people were still talking about my ‘relationship’ with Arthur. It was really starting to drive me crazy. To the point where I knew I’d have to set the story straight if I ever wanted the rumors and speculation to stop.The nursery was mostly finished now, and the rest of the rooms were looking better, too. I had my office set up with a desk and some of my filming equipment. I planned to use it mostly for behind-the-scenes stuff, but it would work if I needed to film a quick video like I did now.I decided to just film a sit-down video. I’d been filming my vlogs at the gym in my building, and while that was going well, I’d avoided addressing everything with Arthur.I knew people were still talking about it because the comments on my videos were mostly about our relationship. People wanted to know why we weren’t traveling together more. If we were going to get married. What we planned to name the babies.Everyone seemed convinced that they were his,
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 75: The Nursery
I wiped my hand across my cheek, realizing at the last second that I had blue paint on my fingers. I rushed over to the bathroom and laughed when I caught sight of myself in the mirror. There was pale blue paint smeared across my cheek, dotted across my white t-shirt. There was even a bit of paint at the ends of my hair that I would probably have to cut off.Deciding to decorate the nursery myself might have been a bad idea, but I couldn’t deny I was having a lot of fun. As much as I was making a mess, it felt meaningful to do it myself. To pour all my love and hope into that one little room.The cribs were arriving in a couple of days, and I already have a tall, white dresser to put in there for all the baby clothes. I bought a changing table from a lady online and it was already up and waiting in my new office. There were still quite a few things I needed before the babies were born, but I was finally on track.After arriving home, I decided that the first thing I needed to do was f
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 74: Unhealthy Obsessions
He couldn’t stop looking at the pictures. He knew he needed to, but Barnett couldn’t turn away. They were all over the internet. Everywhere he went, the photos and videos of them taunted him. They were holding hands on a sailboat. Sitting together on a rock, their faces red from their hike. Having dinner beneath the stars in some far-off place with just trees and mountains for miles, looking far more intimate than Barnett would have liked.One headline caught his eye as he scrolled, and he sucked in a breath.PREGNANT FITNESS INFLUENCER ANNA LEONARD TRAVELS WITH FAMOUS BOYFRIEND ARTHUR STARDUSTHe finally forced himself to put down his phone. Agonizing over it wasn’t helping him. Anna was happy without him. He just had to accept that somehow and move on, even if it seemed like an impossible thing to do. She was clearly in love with Arthur.Just as he placed his phone down on his desk, it rang.He picked it up without checking the Caller ID, half-convinced it was Anna calling. That he’
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 73: Miscommunications
Lily found Barnett at his apartment. She had to knock a few times before he finally came to the door, a slight scowl on his face.“So, you’re back,” she said.He stepped aside to let her in. She closed the apartment door behind her and trailed him into the room. “How was Egypt?”“It was fine. Saw the pyramids.” He looked interested, but she wasn’t there to talk about Egypt. “Have you been online recently?”
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 72: Anna’s Letter
I stopped in front of the mirror and pulled up my shirt. A few months of filming later, and I was really starting to show. I kept having to buy new clothes as my size changed. Those jeans I worked so hard to fit into didn’t even make it past my thighs now.I dropped my shirt and looked over my outfit. I had on a pair of workout leggings, sneakers, and a form-fitting pullover that showed off my protruding belly. Arthur and I were hiking today for our segment. My hair was up in a high ponytail, and I had some natural makeup on. Without it, I had dark circles under my eyes from all the early morning shoots.
