The Hockey Captain Accidental Baby

Chapter One Alessia's POV The hotel was almost silent by the time my phone started ringing. I was standing in the service hallway with a bag of dirty towels in my hands, staring at the clock on the wall and wishing my shift would end soon. My feet hurt, my back ached, and all I wanted was to go home and check on my brother. I looked at the screen. Unknown number. I already knew who it was. My stomach tightened as I answered. “Hello?” “Alessia?” I swallowed. “Yes.” “This is the third time we are calling you about the money.” “I know. Please, just give me a little more time.” “We have given you enough time.” “I promise I will pay. I just need a few more days.” There was a cold silence on the other end before the man's voice became harder. “You have until tomorrow.” My heart dropped. “Tomorrow? Please, I can't get that kind of money by tomorrow.” “That is not our problem.” “Please,” I begged, lowering my voice when I heard footsteps approaching. “My brother is trying to sort everything out. We will pay you. I just need more time.” “You have until tomorrow, Alessia. If you don't pay, we will come to the house ourselves.” My fingers tightened around the phone. “Please don't do that.” “We will take whatever we find. Furniture, appliances, anything that can cover the debt. And if your brother tries to stop us, that will be his problem.” “No.” My voice broke. “Please. Don't come to the house.” “Then find the money.” The call ended. I stood there staring at my phone. For a few seconds, I couldn't move. They were really going to come. They were going to take the little we had left. I pressed my palm against my forehead and tried to breathe. Where was I supposed to find that kind of money overnight? I had already borrowed from everyone I could think of. I had taken extra shifts. I had skipped meals. I had stopped buying anything that wasn't necessary. And still, it wasn't enough. My brother was the only family I had left. I couldn't let them take him. I looked down the empty hallway and whispered to myself, “I can't go to my father.” The thought alone made my chest hurt. “And I can't go to my stepmother either.” They wouldn't help us. They had already made it clear years ago that my brother and I were no longer their problem. Going back to them would only make things worse. I wiped my eyes quickly when I heard someone approaching. I didn't want anyone to see me crying. I picked up the bag of towels again and started walking toward the rooms. That was when I saw him. A man was leaning against the wall at the end of the hallway. At first, I thought he was going to fall. He was tall, dressed in an expensive black suit, but his tie was loose and his shirt was partly undone. His hair was messy, and he looked completely different from the photographs I had seen online. Then I recognized him. Roman Blackwood. The hockey captain. He was staying at the hotel with his team. I had seen his face on television more times than I could count. I knew exactly who he was. Roman Blackwood, the captain of one of the biggest hockey teams in the country. Hockey had once been my whole life too, before circumstances forced me to walk away from the sport I loved. He pushed himself away from the wall and took a step. Then another, he nearly stumbled. “Mr. Blackwood?” He looked at me. His eyes were unfocused.m“Are you okay?” He didn't answer, he tried to walk again, but his shoulder hit the wall. I quickly dropped the bag and moved toward him. “What is your room number ?” He stared at me as though the question was difficult to understand. “Room…” “Yes. Your room.” He muttered something I couldn't hear. I sighed. “Come on. I'll help you.” I put his arm around my shoulders, he was heavier than I expected. The smell of alcohol was strong enough to make me turn my face away.“Can you walk?” “I can walk.” He immediately stumbled. I caught him.n“You're doing a very good job of proving that.” He gave a quiet laugh, I somehow managed to get him to his room. When I opened the door, he was already tired. I helped him inside, and he dropped onto the edge of the bed, covering his face with both hands. For a moment, he was quiet. Then he looked at me. “Help me.” I stared at him. “What?” He reached for me. Before I could understand what he was doing, his hand settled against my chest, just above the neckline of my uniform. I froze, my breath caught in my throat. His eyes moved over me, and suddenly I understood what he meant. He wasn't asking me to help him get to bed. He was asking for something else. I quickly stepped backward and caught his wrist.m“I can't help you.” His eyes remained on me, heavy with alcohol and exhaustion. “Please.” His voice sounded different now, less arrogant, almost broken. I should have left. I knew I should. But then my phone vibrated in my pocket. I didn't need to check the message. I already knew who it was. The lender. My brother's face entered my mind, followed by the empty refrigerator at home, the broken fan, and the warning I had just received. Tomorrow, I had until tomorrow, I looked around Roman's room again. Everything around him was expensive. The watch on the table, the designer shoes beside the bed, the clothes hanging carelessly over the chair. Then I looked at him. Roman Blackwood had money. More money than I could ever imagine having. My eyes dropped to his hand, then returned to his face. “If I help you,” I said slowly, “will you give me enough money to solve my problem?” He blinked..“What?” “I need money.” A small laugh escaped him..“How much?” I told him the amount. He stared at me for a few seconds. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his bank card. “Take it.” I didn't move. “Are you serious?” He held the card toward me. “Take it. The PIN is 2012.” I stared at the card for another second before finally taking it from his hand. The moment my fingers closed around it, Roman pulled me toward him, his lips crashed against mine before I had time to think. I froze for half a second, shocked by how sudden it was, before my eyes slipped shut. His hand moved to my waist, holding me against him as the kiss deepened, and every thought in my head seemed to disappear for a moment. I knew why I was here, I knew what I had agreed to. This wasn't romance, and it wasn't love. It was a desperate exchange between two strangers, one who needed money and another who wanted something I was willing to give.