OFF LIMITS

CHAPTER TWELVE - Mack the Insomniac

MACK

First away games with the Grizzlies, here I go.

I feel more confident that after that good night's sleep I had with Kat a couple of days ago, I'll be able to perform better on the ice this time.

I walk up the stairs of the charter, and when I get to the aisle, I see Kat staring at everything in the plane with awe all over her face. She's wearing sweatpants, a fitted long-sleeve shirt, and those Ugg slippers all girls love so much. She looks so beautiful and cozy it has me wishing I could sit next to her during the flight.

An elbow to my ribs takes my attention off Kat and into Hudson, who's shaking his head at me. "Eyes on the puck, not on the pretty girl, remember?"

"There's no puck right now, Cole," I complain, and when I look back at the aisle, Kat isn't there anymore.

"It's more of a metaphor, you know?" Hudson shrugs and heads over to one of the empty seats.

For the few away games I got to play this season while still in New York, I always dreaded coming onto the charter because I knew I would be sitting alone and feeling like a High School outcast. I'm glad that here I not only have Rhett but now Cole, too, and I've also been getting along well with the other guys. Except for that time I yelled at them for looking at Kat, of course.

Not one of my finest moments, I'll admit.

"Are you sitting with Hudson?" Rhett's voice comes from behind me, and I turn around to find him there with his grumpy face.

"Are you jealous I have another friend, Myers?" I tease him, and his lips turn up a fraction. I love cracking Myers.

"I couldn't care less if you sit with me or not. I just want to know so I figure out whom I am going to sit with," he says, walking past me. He chooses a couple of seats on the other side of the aisle, where Kat is sitting alone, looking out the window. Maybe I should sit with Hudson so I don't spend the whole flight staring at Kat.

Nah. I'm not ditching Rhett. I can't contain myself from staring at Kat for a five-hour flight. I got this.

I sink to the seat next to Rhett and watch as the rest of the guys make their way to their seats. When Fuller spots Kat sitting alone, he quickens his strides and gets to her row faster than he should.

"Hey, are you sitting alone?" He leans on the seat in front of hers and puts his pretty boy charm on. My blood boils.

"Yeah. My dad is sitting with the other coaches, so he told me to sit wherever I wanted," she speaks stoically as she always does when those walls of hers are up. After she responds to Fuller's question, she goes back to looking out the window, completely ignoring him.

That's my girl.

"I can keep you company during the flight if you want," he says, leaning over, making me turn green with jealousy. She's not engaging with him, but I don't want any of these idiots near her anyway.

"Move along, Fuller. She's not interested." Hudson claps Fuller on the back and then pushes him forward so he can keep walking down the aisle.

Cole winks at me and then takes a seat next to Kat. "I'll sit here so none of these horny idiots bother you if it's okay with you."

Kat peers at me from her seat, and I grin at her. I trust Hudson, he's not going to make a move on my girl, he's just making sure I don't throw another jealous fit when one of the guys inevitably tries to hit on Kat in front of me.