Chapter 1

“Welcome home!” Natalie exclaimed, in her thick British accent.

I half smiled. This isn’t my home. This is just a place that I have been forced to move to for work. Home, for me, is located in the northern part of British Columbia, Canada. Where there are tall mountains and enormous forests. Where, if you don’t own a truck you’re considered an outlaw, and you know the four seasons by heart. Pre-winter, winter, still winter and construction. Where, when you’re young you can’t wait to get out of that place but you always come back because you miss it so damn much.

My home is Prince George, not Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

“Oi! Taxi!” Nat yells, running a head of me in her Gucci stilettos. I sigh, shaking my head and follow slowly behind my agent. I pull down my Ray bands to block out the bright sunlight as I step out of the airport.

“Tanya! Over here!” I turn my gaze towards Nat’s voice to see her waving frantically. When she saw that she had caught my attention she turned to the cab driver and started to ramble off our addresses to him.

“I will make sure you get at least one full week off before they demand you to work again.” Nat says to me as she scrolls through the scheduler on her iPhone.

“That would be wonderful!” I reply sinking into the worn out leather seat. I let out a loud yawn. I always hate the travel part of traveling. I could never sleep on planes.

We cruise through the busy streets of Pittsburg. I started recognizing some of the areas of the city as we got closer to my house. We eventually stop at a pair of massive black, iron gates that open up the driveway to the big, white, beach like home.

I smile and climb out of the cab as the driver unloads my stuff. Natalie leans out of the window.

“Get some sleep girl. You deserve it.”

“Yeah thanks Natie, you too. Thanks for everything.”

“You’re more than welcome.” She smiled.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Sounds good” she says before disappearing back into the gab to answer her cell. I smile and turn to pay the cab driver.

“You know, your phone number and a date would be payment enough.”

I blink at the short, beer gutted, balding cab driver as he sends me a wink and a “trying to be seductive” smirk. I give him a tight smile.

“I have a boyfriend. You wouldn’t want him finding out about what you just said to me. Plus you are just drooling over this house and my ass.” I slapped a 50 in his hand, picked up my stuff and walked up to the gates. As I punched in the code and waited for the gates to open I looked back and stifled my laughter. The cab driver looked like he had been clubbed over the head with a 2x4.

When I reached the front door I quickly texted Natalie.

“Heads up on cabbie. Don’t bother tipping him I gave him a 50.”

I put my phone away and pulled my keys out of my Dolche & Gabbana purse. I swung open the oak doors and placed my stuff on the floor.

“I can’t wait to shower.” I mumble to myself as I haul my stuff up the stairs to my room. Dropping my stuff by my bed I quickly grab the remote on my nightstand and hit a button. I watched as my room fills with sunlight as the blinds roll up to revealing the floor length windows that line the back wall.

“Shower” I mumble again walking into my big bathroom. I quickly turn on the hot water and shed my clothes. I hop in an instantly relax under the hot water.

--------------------------------------------------------------

“Mmm hot water never felt so good” I sighed as I made my way to the kitchen.

“Hmm” I contemplated as I stared into an almost empty fridge. “Of course he wouldn’t buy any food.” I laughed shaking my head as I headed into the living room.

“I should-“

“YOU’RE HOME!”

I jumped and turned around just in time to be tackled backwards onto the leather couch.

“Tu m’as manqué belle!”

I laugh until I am suddenly being attacked by a thousand kisses to my cheek.

“Oh god! No… no don’t! Stop it! Ugh… gross!” I squirm trying to free myself from being kissed to death.

“Ma chérie, you missed me too.”

“Kristopher Allen Letang! Do you even know how awkward this is right now?!”

“What do you mean?” he smiles against my cheek before continuing to kiss it.

“Whoa French boy!” I manage to get my hands under his chest and shove him upwards. He smiles wickedly down at me and I give him a playful glare.

“Tang, look how we are positioned.”

Kris raises and eyebrow and looks down, then a mischevious grin appears on his face.

I’m lying on my back with one leg over the armrest of the couch and the other on the floor. Kris is lying right in between my legs.

“ I see you missed me more than I thought. Well don’t worry mon modéle, I will please you.” He whispers huskily into my ear.

“Fuck! Letang, get off of me!” In one fluid motion I flip him off of me and onto the floor.

Kris starts laughing as I scramble off of the couch.

“God damnit Tanger. I am not a puck fuck, you know that and if you don’t I will cheerfully beat you until you get the picture.”

Still laughing, Kris hauls himself off of the floor.

“You are no puck fuck, ma chérie. Somebody would have to be an idiot to think that. Besides, you are much more beautiful than all of those bunnies.”

I smile at him. “ Why thank-you Kris. I’m glad you aren't a idiot on that particular subject. As for anything else… well it’s a good thing you are good looking, and good at hockey.”

“So you do think I’m good looking?” Kris raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t go getting a big head, and that goes for both of them.”

Kris starts laughing, along with multiple voices behind me. I spin around to see three very good looking hockey players in the kitchen. I recognize them as Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy, and Marc-Andre Fleury.

“Oh, I didn’t know we had company.” I laugh lightly.

“Well, we didn’t know Tanger had a roommate, let alone a female one.” Jordan winks at me and I blush slightly.

“I’ve just been keeping her safe from you pigs, that’s all.” Kris said, wrapping his strong arms around me and kissing my forehead.

“Thanks buddy.” I say, wrapping my arms around him.

“We are not pigs thank-you very much.” Tyler scoffed at Kris.

“Aren’t you two just the cutest couple though.” Jordan smirked, looking at us wrapped around each other.

“Oh, we’re not together.” I reply with a laugh letting go of Kris.

“No, we just have amazingly, hot sex.” Kris smirked and smacks my ass.

“Shhh!” I put my finger over his lips. “That’s supposed to be a secret!” I wink at him.

“Right.” Kris laughed.

I headed into the kitchen where Jordan, Marc, and Tyler were.

“Whoa…” Jordan said as I walked by him. I turn to look at him, confused, and expecting some lame pick up line or something like that.

“What?” I questioned, placing a hand on my hip.

“You’re… so tall.” Jordan said sheepishly.

I let out a laugh. “Really? I had no idea!”

Jordan blushed. “ I mean, like I’m not used to not having to look down at a girl.”

“Staalsy is used to the small puck fucks he brings home.” Kris said punching Jordan’s shoulder. Jordan shot him a glare.

I raised an eyebrow. “ I guess that doesn’t really surprise me. It would be easier for you if girls were around your waist level.”

Jordan gave me a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“You know, so they don’t have to be on their knees as much.” I shrugged and opened the fridge.

“Ohhhh” Tyler, Kris and Marc said, all of them bursting into laughter.

I smirked as I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. I turned back to Jordan who had no amusement in his features.

“I was just joking man…”

Jordan’s face became bright. “That was awesome.” He laughed raising his hand for a high five. Laughing, I smacked his hand with mine.

“How tall are you?” Marc questioned.

“6’0. Well, like 6’0 and a half but just stick with 6’0 so we don’t make it all complicated. But usually my height varies throughout the day on what shoes I am wearing.”

“Wow.” Tyler said.

“Max Talbot is in the house!” came a shout from down the hall.

We all turned to see Evgeni Malkin walking into the kitchen shaking his head who was followed closely by Max Talbot. Max was strutting around like he had just won the lottery. Both of them froze when they saw me.

“Who is this belle femme?” Max questioned looking at me curiously with his eyebrow raised.

“Tanya.” I smiled at him. I laughed and turned to Jordan. “Sorry for beaking you with out introducing myself first. That was rude.”

Jordan laughed. “It’s quite alright.”

“May I ask a question?” Max said to me.

“From what I’ve heard this is a free country so ask away.” I replied and Max smiled.

“Why are you in Tanger’s house. He never has girls this pretty in his house.”

“Shut the fuck up Talbot.” Kris snapped at Max. I blushed as Max laughed.

“I’m Kris’ roommate.”

“Whoa… Whoa… Seriously?” Max laughed. “Tanger how did you get so lucky.”

Kris shrugged. “ I can just pick em.” He shot me a smile.

“Well gorgeous if you get bored of this house, I have plenty of room in mine. It’s lonely. Just so you know, there is only one comfortable bed.” Max winked at me and I laughed.

“I will keep that in mind.”

The front door opened and we all turned to see who the newcomer was. I became transfixed staring into a pair of beautiful, hazel eyes.