Taking Shots (Assassins) (34 page)

“
Well, good. I really hate to get my ass kicked when I try to kick my
6’3”, 230lbs star captain’s ass, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t look good.” Everyone laughed at that, and with that breaking the tension, the rest of the morning went great, that was until Elli had to go to the bathroom. She left the guys at the table after shooting her dad and uncle a look. Nothing was said as all three men leaned back in their chair, looking each other over.

“
So here’s the deal, Adler,” Bryan finally said, leaning onto the table, Michael sat back in his chair, shaking his head. “You’re too good of a hockey player for me to ruin your career so I’ll just break your pretty little face if you hurt my niece. I should just go ahead and do it because you weren’t even man enough to come and tell me you were datin’ her.”

“
He didn’t know about you, Bryan. Eleanor didn’t tell him.”

Bryan shook his head, “That girl.” Shea sat up straighter, looking Bryan in the eyes.

“
If I would have known about you, Bryan, I would have come to you. Yeah, my track record with women isn’t the best, but I have always been honest and straight forward with you on anything you ask me.”

“
You have, that’s why when I came in and saw your damn mug I was pissed as hell. I just don’t understand how Elli even met you. I am pretty good at keeping her away-” It was like a light bulb went off in his head and then he smiled, “The team shoot.”

“
I saw her and I can honestly say that I couldn’t breathe,” Shea said, laying his heart out for the two men to see, “I am in love with her, no, I haven’t told her but I will tell you two. You guys have nothing to worry about. I don’t want to hurt her.”

Both men thought it over as Shea looked at the bathroom. Where the hell was Elli?

“
You might not want to hurt her, Shea, and I believe you on that son, but that girl is emotional and insecure as hell. She’s got some issues and I want nothing more than for my baby to be happy, but I’m just worried,” Michael said, shaking his head. “Her mother and siblings have messed her up bad, and that son of a bitch Justin didn’t help, either.”

“
I’m not going to hurt her,” Shea said as he looked Michael in the eye, “I can’t, because if she left me, I don’t know what I would do.”

Michael and Bryan laughed, as they both leaned back in the chairs, going on two of the legs. It was so country in the classy place that Shea was worried they might get kicked out.

“
Damn, he’s got it bad,” Michael muttered. Bryan smiled over at Michael, smacking his arm.

“
Can you blame him? It's our Eleanor, she’s captivating.”

Captivating, what a great way to describe her.

“
Harper! I have to go, Shea is out with my daddy and Papa. I gotta go!” Elli yelled as she washed her hands, Harper had called while she was using the bathroom.

“
Tell me what happened!”

“
My family did what they always do, and then Shea yelled at me all the way home for keeping things from him-”

“
I thought you told him about everything!”

“
No, I didn’t tell him shit!”

“
Then all that you brought on yourself.”

“
I know!”

“
Okay, so keep on.”

God, she drove Elli crazy. “Then he dropped me off and drove off, basically breaking up with me-”

“
Oh no!”

“
I’m with him now, Harper. I mean you know it works out.”

“
I know, but still, your heart must have hurt when he left.”

The tears came hot and fast to her eyes, but thankfully didn’t fall, “It did, but it was my fault. He came back about half an hour later. I showed him the house, he didn’t think I was a crazy stalker fan and then…we had crazy monkey sex all night!”

“
SAY WHAT!?”

“
Yes! Now I must go! He’s out there with my Papa, Harp, Papa.”

“
Ahh, you better call with details later!”

“
I will, bye.” Elli hung her phone up and headed out towards the table. Things were going well, nothing too bad. Except for her Papa showing up, that was unexpected and totally her daddy’s fault, but Shea was handling it well. Elli headed to the table just as everyone started standing; they all turned when she reached the table. Shea reached for her jacket, holding it out for her.

“
We’re leaving?”

“
Yes, Ellibug, we have meetings this afternoon. Shea said something about a dinner with his sister.”

“
Yeah,” Elli nodded before wrapping her arms around her daddy’s waist. “Thanks for brunch.”

“
Oh, baby, anything for you,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. She released him, hugging her Papa hard.

“
Wanna go to one of the away games with me darlin’? Maybe the one in Florida, spend some time on the beach?”

“
Sure, let me know the date and I’ll work something out if I have an event.”

“
Which you will, like always,” Bryan said with a grin as he kissed her cheek, “I don’t think I scared him too bad,” he whispered in her ear as he hugged her tightly.

“
Hopefully not,” she said as he shook hands with Shea. They all walked out together and waited for their cars from valet in silence. Elli shivered since it was started to get crazy cold. Gotta love Tennessee weather; last week it was 80 and this week it is 60. Shea wrapped his arms around her from behind, hugging her close to him. She smiled at the feel of his hard body against her soft one. When she saw her daddy and Papa watching them, she became nervous but hell they might want to get used to it, Shea wasn’t going anywhere, she hoped.

After leaving the club, they drove back to Elli’s house, were they gathered up her bag and Adler, before jumping in separate cars and driving back to Nashville. Shea had complained about her driving, but when he left, how was she supposed to get home? She wanted to see him off at the airport and she needed a car to get home. He agreed but was not happy about it.

When they got to his condo, she put her things in his room, as he stayed in the kitchen setting up Adler’s bowls. It was so cute how much he cared for Adler. He was just as excited about having Adler at the house as Adler probably was about a sleep over somewhere else.

“
Baby, we need to go get him a dog bed, we forgot his at the house.” Elli rolled her eyes as she came out of the room.

“
Shea, he can sleep on the floor for a night.”

“
No, I want him to feel at home, we’ll run to Pet Smart real quick, he can go with us.” Adler looked up at Shea lovingly, and Elli again rolled her eyes.

“
Whatever, what time do we need to be at your sister’s?” she asked as she grabbed the leash and hooked Adler up. He started running in circles from excitement making her laugh as Shea chuckled.

“
Six. We have time to run out and then come back and relax, maybe-” He pulled her to him, and she grinned up at him, “Maybe I can seduce you?” He wiggled his eyes brows at her, causing her burst out in a fit of giggles.

“
Shea Adler!” she pushed him away and started for the door, when she reached the door she looked behind her and he was grinning at her. “We’ll see.”

“
Oh, will we now?”

“
Maybe.”

After a trip to Pet Smart, Shea, Elli, and Adler walked out with over two hundred dollars in stuff that Shea insisted on paying for. Elli shook her head as she watched Shea load everything into the car. New bed, leash, collar, bowls, a dog car seat, a 40lb bag of the best food in the store, toys, toys, and more toys, oh and some bones and treats.

“
Shea, you over spent on a dog that doesn’t even live with you.”

“
Hey, Adler is my bud, so if I want to spend money on him, I will. Plus, when you need to stay at the condo while I’m gone, Adler can come.”

“
You’re ridiculous.”

“
And you like me.”

“
I do,” she said with a huff as went to put Adler in his new car seat. She had been wanting one for him, but never got around to getting one. She was jealous that Shea was the one to buy it for Adler and not her. The dog already adored him! Anytime he was around, Elli didn’t even matter, damn traitor dog!

After loading everything up and going through the Taco Bell drive thru, they headed back to the condo, where Shea unloaded everything and played with Adler, leaving Elli to watch on the couch. After about thirty minutes of watching them play catch, Elli cleared her throat.

“
What happen to playing with me?” she asked, Shea laughed while petting Adler’s head.

“
Awe, is your mommy jealous?” he asked Adler. Adler let out a bark, and Shea nuzzled against Adler’s head, before crawling over to Elli, putting his head in her lap as he laid on the couch. She moved her fingers through his hair, as he looked up at her, smiling. “I love your dog.”

“
I know, he loves you, too.” They sat for a moment watching Adler run back and forth bringing all his toys into the kitchen where his bed was. “Was my Papa and Daddy real bad when I went to the bathroom?”

Shea shook his head, “Not really. Bryan threatened to break my pretty face, but other than that nothing too bad.”

“
He’s just overly protective of me, he never had kids.”

“
I know, that’s why I’m not letting it bother me.”

“
It means a lot to me that you went today and last night.” He looked up at her, cupping her cheek.

“
Elli, don’t you get that you mean a lot to me?” She shrugged her shoulders, and he dropped his hand into his lap, he looked at her for a moment, and then asked “Do I mean a lot to you?”

“
Of course, you do.”

“
You never say I do, and like I’m bursting with feelings for you, I feel like a damn girl.” Elli smiled, “I just need to know if you feel what I feel.”

“
I do, Shea, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be freaking out about you leaving, or hello, I had sex with you.”

He smiled as he gave her a very naughty look, “Yes you did, and for the first time ever I don’t want to leave for the road trip.”

“
Really?” she asked with a small sad smile.

“
Yeah, I wish I could take you with me.”

“
I wish that, too,” she took a deep breath trying to keep the tears at bay, “I’m gonna miss you so much.”

He cupped her face again, looking deep in her eyes, “Not as much as I’m gonna miss you,” he then brought her down for a sweet kiss that curled her toes.

Elli was gonna miss Shea something stupid and in a way she didn’t know how she was going to handle it.

For the first time ever, Shea was doing dishes by hand. He hated doing them that way, and wondered why Grace didn’t just use the damn dishwasher, but it was her house, who was he to tell her how to wash her dishes, but then again,

“
You need to use your dishwasher,” he complained as he handed her a plate for her to dry.

“
You hush,” Grace said with a grin as she looked out the windows where the kids were running around the yard with Elli. James was in his office on a conference call while Shea and Grace did dishes. “She’s so good with kids.”

“
She is.”

“
Everything okay with you guys?”

“
Yeah, we had sex last night.”

After making a face, she tried to smile but it didn’t work and Shea just laughed, “Sorry, but hearing about you having sex is still gross to me.”

“
Stop being a baby,” he teased as he handed her another plate, “she went on birth control.”

“
Wonderful,” she said sarcastically with another disgusted face.

“
I’ve never done it without a condom.”

With that statement Grace dropped the plate she was holding, “I mean really, Shea! Ew!”

“
What?”

“
I don’t want to know about your penis!”

“
Shut up, I can’t talk to anyone else about this, so you’re the lucky contestant on ‘Shea is going to have sex without protection and its freaking him out’ show.”

“
Oh my god, you named the show?”

“
Shut up, what if I blow in a minute after getting in her.”

“
Oh, God please, go talk to James.”

“
No! He’ll laugh at me!”

“
So you want to make me gag! Come on, Shea, I don’t care what you do in bed.”

“
I’m worried, though, dad always told me ‘Don’t be a fool, cover your tool’ so I have.”

Grace just look at Shea with nothing but disgust all over her face, “Are you kidding me right now? Come on, please.”

“
No, really Grace, I’m really worried about this.”

“
So talk to Elli about it! Not me!”

“
Fine, you’re no damn help.”

“
You should have known that when you started this damn conversation!” She spat back as she picked up a plate and started drying. Shea just shook his head, damn woman was no help.

They continued on the dishes in silence, with the occasional scream from the kids or Elli outside, Shea looked over at Grace, “She’s rich.”

“
Who?”

“
Elli.”

“
Really?”

“
Yeah, like wicked rich.”