Dante: Colorado Crush Hockey Series, #3

By Susan Rossini

Dante

I'm the captain of a professional hockey team with crazy endorsements and the League's best and hardest slapshot, but I never forgot the girl who held my heart. Sadie. Unfortunately, tragedy struck and I had to leave her behind to raise my little sister and make my mark in the League. I've tried to find her but she's nowhere and I do mean nowhere.

Now I'm working hard and playing hard, teaching the kids attending the Fun4Summer Youth Hockey camp. There's one little guy who is a natural and we're working together like a team. That is, until his mom comes in. I bet by now you've guessed who she is. Sadie. MY Sadie. Did you guess something else?

Yep. This little guy is my son. My son!

Am I angry? Yes.

Am I gonna get over it? You bet your a$$ I am.

I want a family. MY family. And I'll pull out all the stops to get my way.

Dante is the third book in the Colorado Crush hockey romance series. This second chance, secret baby romance is filled with steam, zero cheating, and dad jokes that will make you smile (or at the very least, groan).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Rossini
• Release date: May 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201534028

Book preview

About the Book

Dante

I’m the captain of a professional hockey team with crazy endorsements and the league’s best and hardest slapshot, but I never forgot the girl who held my heart. Sadie. Unfortunately, tragedy struck and I had to leave her behind to raise my little sister and make my mark in the NHL. I’ve tried to find her but she’s nowhere and I do mean nowhere.

Now I’m working hard and playing hard, teaching the kids attending the Fun4Summer Youth Hockey camp. There’s one little guy who is a natural and we’re working together like a team. I always look forward to being with him. That is, until his mom comes in and turns my world upside down. I bet you can guess who she turns out to be. Yep, Sadie. MY Sadie. Did you guess something else?

Yep. This little guy is my son. My son!

Am I angry? Yes.

Am I gonna get over it? You bet your ass I am.

I want a family. MY family. And I’ll pull out all the stops to get my way.

Dante is the third book in the Colorado Crush hockey romance series. This second chance, secret baby romance is filled with steam, zero cheating, and dad jokes that will make you smile (or at the very least, groan).

Title

Copyright

About the Book

Chapter 1—Dante

Chapter 2—Sadie

Chapter 3— Dante

Chapter 4—Sadie

Chapter 5— Dante

Chapter 6—Sadie

Chapter 7— Dante

Chapter 8—Sadie

Chapter 9— Dante

Chapter 10—Sadie

Chapter 11— Dante

Chapter 12—Sadie

Chapter 13— Dante

Chapter 14—Sadie 

Chapter 15— Dante

Chapter 16—Sadie

Chapter 17— Dante

Chapter 18—Sadie

Chapter 19— Dante

Chapter 20—Sadie

Chapter 21— Dante

Chapter 22—Sadie

Chapter 23— Dante

Chapter 24—Sadie

Chapter 25— Dante

Chapter 26—Sadie

Chapter 27—Dante

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Editor/Author Chat (A tease for Anton, book 3 of the Colorado Crush series)

Books by Susan Rossini

Let’s Connect: Get updates on new releases, email...

Chapter 1—Dante

Seven years ago...

How does the moon cut its hair?

How?

Eclipse it.

That’s the worst, Sadie giggled, and pressed herself deeper into Dante’s body. She cocked her head at him as they spooned on the worn couch in the living room of his college studio apartment. I thought we’re supposed to be napping before your game tonight?

Who says we’re not resting? Dante smoothed a lock of her golden hair from her forehead and glided his knuckles across her cheek before planting a kiss in that same spot. A joke here, some shenanigans there.

To emphasize the ‘shenanigans,’ Dante ground his cock against the backside of his girlfriend of two years. He then peppered the slim column of her neck with light kisses, relishing in the contrast between her pale skin and the darkness of his own olive tones.

He curled his arm around Sadie’s narrow waist, loving that her shirt slipped north and he could touch her skin. He then flipped her so her back rested against the faded leather of the couch, the color of whiskey, allowing him to plant himself between her legs.

This definitely constitutes as shenanigans. An impish grin touched Sadie’s full lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She dropped her legs wider. Dante thanked the clothing gods for the Gumby-colored scrubs she wore during her hospital internship. The loose material allowed her to accommodate his purposeful thrusts against her core.

Yes, ma’am. Dante rested his weight on his elbows and forearms and cupped her face before kissing her deeply. Their tongues tangled in sync with his hips grinding against her perfect center.

Dante couldn’t get enough of this woman. Although having sex was a pre-game-no-no for most, being with Sadie energized him to a point he could soar to the stars without rocket fuel, or even a rocket for that matter.

The tug on his hair at the base of his neck and the moan escaping her mouth proved to be the telltale sign Sadie was equally ready to join him in finding pleasure with reckless abandon.

Sleep was overrated.

DANTE HUNCHED OVER and braced his hockey stick on his thighs covered in navy-colored breezers trimmed in the patented Michigan-maize color. He awaited his opponent to enter the circle for the faceoff.

Dante and his team of Wolverines were up by a goal with only twenty seconds left in the game. Ohio State pulled their goalie, so it was six-on-five hockey for the final ticks of the clock. Their conference rivals were desperate to tie the game before the final horn sounded.

Dante’s only mission: to win the faceoff so his teammate could clear the zone and work to seal their victory.

He focused on the red dot under a layer of ice in anticipation of the referee dropping the puck. Dante firmed the grip on his hockey stick. He drove the blade of his twig to the ice as the puck dropped from the ref’s hold.  

Dante gained control of the puck just as he expected to do and sailed the puck to Tanner ‘Smitty’ Smith, positioned just outside of the faceoff circle. He whisked the puck out of the zone, and defenseman Zack ‘Zee’ Campbell instantly gave chase to the frozen disc. He wreaked havoc on the Buckeye forward trying desperately to gain control of the puck to make one more run in the o-zone.

Zee’s relentless hunt allowed the clock to wind down to zero, thus sealing the victory for Michigan. The win also kept Dante’s team atop the Big Ten conference early in the season. There was a lot of hockey to be played, but Dante preferred to live in the top spot rather than having to chase the leader.

He liked to be in control.

Of everything.  

Dante joined his teammates in congratulating their goalie who remained between the pipes of the net once the final horn sounded. The team then saluted the fans for their unwavering and passionate support with a quick glide around the middle of the rink. Dante held his hockey stick high in the air in tribute. With accolades offered, Dante skated toward the exit and off the ice.

Just before leaving the rink, he looked up thirteen rows away from the ice behind the bench, as he did every home game, and spied Sadie. She was bundled up in a bluish-green colored coat that perfectly matched her eyes, a grin stretched from ear to ear as she jumped up and down in celebration of the victory.

Dante maintained eye contact with his girlfriend, and touched his jersey over his chest with his index finger just like he did after every game, home or away. It was their ritual, a reminder about where Sadie lived—in his heart.

He was on top of the world.

Chapter 2—Sadie

Sadie felt like an idiot waiting for Dante outside of the locker room for the Michigan hockey team to make their exit.

In no way did she represent a typical girlfriend of a hockey player, let alone the most talented, most popular hockey player on the team. Hell, the most admired athlete on campus for that matter, and that said something with the popularity of Michigan’s football team.

She wasn’t glammed-out like the other girlfriends in their Lululemon leggings paired with perfectly cropped tops that offered a perfect peek of their perfectly tanned midriffs. And their makeup... ugh. The foundation or bronzer or whatever made them look like effortless beauties was lost on Sadie.

She considered herself lucky if the swipe of mascara she glided across her pale lashes didn’t end up in dark swooshes beneath her eyes due to her lack of sleep because of her heavy class load, internship and work study gig at the library.

Instead of glamming before the game, Sadie found herself finishing her intern shift at the university’s hospital with just a few minutes to spare to throw on a pair of clearance-rack jeans and a sweater (thank you, Old Navy) stashed in her breakroom locker. She barely had time to make it to the arena before faceoff to see her boyfriend and team captain play.

Sadie didn’t begrudge the gorgeous girls who stood at the ready to welcome their boyfriends after the game. Honestly, she wished she possessed an ounce of their confidence, their panache. Sometimes those feelings of doubt that she didn’t measure up crept in, but then they’d fade with the sheer craziness of her schedule.

She curled herself deeper into her pretty peacoat that matched her eyes. She was thankful she’d scored the coat at a secondhand store, as it would come in handy for the brutal Michigan winters. Sadie was toasty warm as she waited for Dante to finish his post-game media interviews and shower.

Dante. She couldn’t believe their whirlwind romance continued to burn so hot after two years. Who would have guessed the day Dante sat by her in an open seat in their freshman Biology class that she would become closer to him than any person in the world?

Sadie could only nod when the Adonis-like muscled man wearing cargo shorts and a soft-looking black t-shirt asked if he could sit in the vacant seat next to hers in the cavernous lecture hall. Her heart pounded so violently, she thought it might burst from her chest.

Biology 101, indeed.

That wildly beating heart scenario was replicated over and over throughout their time spent together on campus.

No, Sadie didn’t look the part of a typical sports-type girlfriend, and Dante seemed to appreciate that fact the most, she reminded herself. He frequently said he could be himself around her. Not the coveted Hobey Baker award winner for being the best player in all of college hockey his sophomore year at the university. Not the ideal son his parents were counting on to provide for the future financial stability of his family.

Incredible pressure sat heavily on Dante’s wide shoulders. Sadie was grateful she could provide him a respite from the demands of his family and his moniker of Campus King.

Spying the other co-eds awaiting their boyfriends, Sadie liked the fact that she wasn’t from the same mold as the other girls, or the demanding people in Dante’s life. No, Sadie’s path was uniquely her own, but for some reason she more than clicked with Dante.

Not many college kids could boast that their mom was a drug addict who succumbed to her addiction, and that she had no clue as to the identity of her father. Nor did Sadie want to learn the identity of the Y chromosome responsible for her life for fear he was even more messed up than her mom.

Sadie prided herself on the fact that grit swam through her veins. She worked every day to claw closer to her dream of earning her degree and becoming an emergency room nurse.    

Dante played a huge part in offering her stability, even though their busy lives pulled them in many different directions. They both juggled hectic schedules but found ways to carve out time to spend together with no pressure or expectations. It somehow worked.

They worked.

Sadie pressed her hands deeper into the silky pockets of her jacket thinking she should have brought her microbiology book to squeeze in a bit of studying in these rare, empty minutes of her calendar.

Thoughts of studying and schedules floated out of her mind the instant Dante exited the heavy, metal doors that housed the Wolverine locker room. The brilliant smile Dante offered must have mirrored her own. She could feel her eyes crinkle at the corners as her grin grew broader at the sight of him.

As Dante strode his way to greet her, Sadie gave a silent thanks that the coach required the players to wear a suit to the rink on gameday. Although Dante ditched the tie, it didn’t take away from the cloud-white shirt with the top two buttons undone, exposing a generous vee of his gorgeous olive-colored skin. The charcoal color of the slim fit suit hugged every one of his uber sexy muscles from the rounded balls of his shoulders down to his thick, muscular thighs and other, interesting parts in between.

Smile intact, Dante approached her in a few powerful strides. Once they stood toe-to-toe, he dropped his duffel bag covered in a giant navy ‘M’ logo for the school and grasped her in his arms. He lifted Sadie several inches off the ground.

Hello, sweetness, Dante purred, then dipped his head to capture her lips in a soul-deep kiss.

Sadie cupped his cheeks and kissed him back with equal amounts of fervor, hoping to relay her feelings of desire and the deep connection she felt for him.

At the touch of his lips against hers, tingles zoomed across her skin and a tumbling tummy joined the party. The emotional connection was an entirely different animal, and she felt those consuming and sometimes confusing feelings strengthening with each day that passed.

Some may call it puppy love or first love syndrome, but Sadie knew it was much more. Afterall, she’d seen more in her youth than most had even read about as an adult. Sadie knew what was real.

And this ‘thing’ she had with Dante was as real as it got.

Sadie eventually broke free from their kiss and wiggled her way out of his embrace. She felt like she was floating. Was it gravity or the feelings Dante sparked inside her? Either way, she felt like a kite dancing along in a springtime sky and the imagery made her smile. In an effort to remind herself she was indeed standing on firm ground and not adrift on some love-filled cloud, she touched her fingertips over his heart in homage to his gametime tradition. Hi yourself. You had a great game. As usual.

Dante grabbed her hand from his chest and kissed her fingertips. Still holding her hand, he bent down to pick up his duffel bag before they made their way to leave the arena.  

I wasn’t sure you were going to make it tonight because of your hospital shift. How’d that go, by the way?

Sadie lit up at being able to share elements of her internship where she received exposure to all aspects of becoming an ER nurse. Wonderful, as usual. I learned a lot. A little boy was brought in this afternoon. He stuffed a surprising amount of Goldfish crackers up his nose. It was impressive.

"I take it everything turned out, or came out, well?"

Ha-ha. Yeah, the mom was mortified and scared, but he’s going to be just fine.

Glad the little guy’s okay, Dante said, and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Hey, thanks again for coming to the game. I always play better when you’re in the arena.

That’s not true. Seems to me you’ve actually scored more goals on the road than at home.

You keeping up with my stats, sweetness? 

"What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t know the latest news about college hockey’s top player and numero uno NHL prospect? Dante raised an eyebrow at her. Okay, you were the cover story on today’s Michigan Daily newspaper and I read it during break in the lunchroom, but you can bet your bum that I planned to study more about your epic season later."

Before Dante, she couldn’t tell the difference between a hockey puck and a piece of coal. She’d come a long way and could discern between offense and defense, but still had a ways to go.  

Don’t ever change, he chuckled. "And for the record... I could give a lick about how much you know about my stats, let alone the game. One of the best parts of being with you is not having to deal with hockey ‘round the clock.’"

Speaking of hockey, do you have to be with the team tonight?

Dante pushed open a side door of the arena and ushered Sadie through the opening, the chilled air of an early fall night washed over her. The guys are going to Brewskis for drinks and food. Are you up for a round or would you rather go back to your dorm or my place?

Sadie mentally perused her schedule for the next day. Her shift at the library didn’t start until nine followed by a lab at noon. Yeah, I can go out for a bit. Besides, how could I deny your fans the chance to toast their fearless leader?

Dante narrowed his eyes, his thick brows pinched together, and the melted chocolate brown of his irises seemed to sparkle under the overhead lights in the parking lot.

Hmmm. Let’s have a drink and head back to my place. And just so you know, you’re the only one whose glass I want to clink.

Dante nudged her shoulder as they continued to walk through the lot toward his car holding hands.

Life was good.  

LONG BEFORE LAST CALL at the bar, they returned to Dante’s studio apartment near campus.

Fortunately, his scholarship covered the rent, and the proximity to campus was a boon. Sadie loved hanging out with Dante at his place because it offered them their own secluded paradise where they could both decompress and detach from the demands of their pressure-filled worlds.  

Freshly showered, Sadie donned her favorite navy-colored Michigan hoodie from his drawer. The material swished against her thighs as she climbed onto his bed and under the grey comforter. She snuggled in and waited for Dante to hang his suit inside a narrow closet that also served as a divider to the living room area of the studio.

Sadie admired his athletic body honed to perfection through years of intense training. The tanned skin that covered his muscles bunched and rippled across his back and practically glowed in the dim light of the bedside lamp.

The golden skin of his Italian descent paired perfectly with his nearly jet-black hair. Although he kept his hair short in a stylish form, one of Sadie’s favorite past times was to run her fingers through the short strands as he laid in her lap while they binged shows when their schedules allowed. She especially loved to sweep away that errant lock of hair that always dropped down onto his forehead.  

His beauty took her breath away—yes, he was beautiful—courtesy of his Mediterranean roots. His kindness and attentiveness that were part of his core constantly reminded Sadie that she’d won the boyfriend jackpot.

Sadie never dreamed she’d be in this moment, earning her college degree and dating such an amazing man when just a few years prior she’d been plunked into the foster care system with the passing of her mom.

Although Sadie didn’t know what her future held — she could never count on it from her past — so she relished this moment. The fact that she was safe, on her way to her goal, and could let her eyes roam Dante’s perfect body offered Sadie a reminder to count her lucky stars that she lived in this moment.

What? Dante asked as he made his way to the bed.

What?

"Why