12.

We arrive at the Seidenberg's residence with me clinging on the hem of my denim jacket. I'm nervous, again!

I mean, this is not the meet-the-parents kinda thing and I already met Rebecca and Dennis before but it's just my anxiety who swallows every little self-esteem I have on my system.

Mat didn't bother to knock or ring on the doorbell when we reach the house porch and then I just remembered he lived here before and he texted Rebecca that we're already on our way earlier.

"We're here!" Mat shouted and few seconds later three kids coming out from nowhere run towards him and gave him a hug.

Mat greeted each of them patting them on the head and he even messes the hair of a little boy.

"I miss playing Ice Pro with you Mat!" The little boy said.

"Me too." Mat responded smiling.

"Braker still sucks!" Said the little girl who I supposed, the oldest.

"Who is she Mat?" The boys asked looking at me and the rest of the kids finally noticed me standing behind Mat.

"Is she your girlfriend?" The other girl asked biting her nails trying to hide a smile.

Mat chuckled looking at me. Well, this is awkward for everyone involved. These are kids but hearing them asking if I am Mat's girlfriend is kind of uncomfortable.

I mean, I want to be his girlfriend. But I still do want to make things slow between us. It's hard to work out a relationship since he's constantly away, means, we barely have time to work on that.

Plus, we just clear things up between us yesterday so we still have long way to go. If we wanted to do this, of course.

"This is Jade." He introduces. "Jade this is little Braker, my buddy-buddy. That's Noah the second child and that's Cory the first born."

I said my hello and waved at them. The kids are pretty friendly and of course I can really sense that they are teasing Mat by the way the three of them smiles at him.

"Where are your parents?" Mat asked.

"They're on the kitchen preparing." Cory answered. "Come on, they are waiting for you."

Then the three of them run away heading to where their parents are and Noah even shouted that Mat have brought a girlfriend which sends me and Mat to laugh.

He gave me a quick chaste kiss on the lips right before following the kids. I may be nervous on the way here, but there's something from Mat's touch that sends me into the limbo of calmness.

We reached the kitchen being greeted by Rebecca and Dennis with a hug. While Dennis and Mat did their handshakes only two of them knows.

"I'm so glad you came." Rebecca said leading me to sit next to her on the breakfast bar while the two boys went outside heading to the outdoor kitchen. "Mat told me you have a rough day."

I awkwardly smile because I still do feel kind of shy around her. "Oh not that much, I'm just kinda get stressed out handling emails during my day-off. But I'm already fine, especially when Mat told me we're having an early dinner with you guys. I'm food motivated, by the way."

Rebecca chuckled. "Oh that's perfect because I made extra dishes for you."

And that earned a surprise from me, because I'm absolutely flattered with that statement.

"Mat didn't mention any girls before. We have seen him brought dates before but you're kind of different from all of them." Rebecca spilled. "I'm sorry. We're kinda nosy and curious when it comes to that kids lovelife."

I snorted. "He never brought girls with him here before?"

"Only once. But he told me it didn't work out. That was a long time ago."

Weird as it sounds but I did tried to stalk Mat and searched about his lovelife on the internet before when I was still sulking about him, and all of the cites are saying that he's private when it comes to his lovelife.

He's barely even spotted having dates, except for Pauline of course, they have been photographed together by paparazzi numerous times, probably because she's a model. I even read an article that Pauline Bowen is his rumored girlfriend.

Then an occasional photo of me and him from the Islanders dinner few weeks ago, but not everyone knows who I am. So my life is pretty the same, thank god I'm way too busy to care about social media or else.

"Need a hand?" I asked Rebecca as I saw her chop some potatos.

"Sure." She said. "Here you chop this." And she gave me the knife as she wonders around the kitchen preparing other food.

"Mat is pretty close with your kids, huh?" I started.

Rebecca told me before that Mat was living with them during his beginnings at the NHL, just so he can have someone who will guide him to stay focus and help him lookout for himself.

They became his second parents.

"He is." Rebecca replied. "He became like their big brother when he was here, he's pretty good with the kids. How did you guys met by the way?"

"We're actually roommates." I said.

"Yeah, he mentioned that. You live with the Lee's too?"

I nodded.

"Ander's wife and I are cousins. I was unfortunately got kicked out from my apartment so I moved in with them temporarily while I'm still looking for my own place."

"Have you found one already?" She asks while chopping some onions and garlic.

"Not yet. I want to stick around actually until Tori give birth." I replied. "She's constantly alone in the house and I kind of feel worried about that."

"Oh I absolutely know how that feels." She said with sympathy. "When I was still pregnant with Braker, I totally ask for my mom to live with me while Dennis was on the road since my last pregnancy was so delicate that requires me for bed rest. I'm surprised your cousin didn't planned on hitting the road with Anders, I did that before when I was pregnant with Cory."

I put the knife down after I'm done cutting it all. "Well, Anders is pretty protective and strict. He doesn't even want Tori to travel to New Jersey the other day to watch their game."

"Oh that's normal." She replied while I hand her the potatos. "Newbie father's are kinda like that."

And she busied herself around the kitchen as we chat about my job, how I got kicked out from my apartment and about her kids who just suddenly reappeared in the kitchen from outside.

Thank god she didn't roast me into throwing questions about me and Mat or else I'd totally freak out or something.

After she placed the food on the oven, we joined the guys outside. Dennis is already cooking the steaks on the grill while Mat is busy hanging out with the kids on one of the couches in there.

I sat on the adjacent couch sipping champagne that Rebecca handed me earlier. Surprisingly, little Noah went to me bringing a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Hi, can you help me with this?" She asked letting me see her paper. She's doing something like a collage of chameleon using yellow and purple colored papers. "Oh this is quite good Noah, what can I help?"

"I want this to be more colorful." She explained. "Your boyfriend doesn't want to help me."

The word boyfriend got me and Mat's attention and we stared on each other dumbfounded. I felt strange with that but I chose to brush it away.

"He only helps Braker and not me." Noah added.

"What? I'm helping you out." Mat responded.

"No. You did not. You said Braker's giraffe is cooler."

"I didn't said that." Mat said in a soft tone. "Okay then, let me help you now." He said and walked towards us but I stopped him right away.

"No no. I'll help her." I said placing the champagne on the small table beside me. "Let's finish that up Noah."

And the little girl gathered all her things to the little couch and joined me to start fixing her little collage.

"Kids, I told you we'll do your school work later." Dennis chimed in.

"We'll do it now Dad while Mat and Jade are still here to help us." Noah answered as she pastes the colored papers I already started cutting.

"I'm sorry. They kinda love to bother people with their school work sometimes." Rebecca apologized.

"Oh no, it's fine." I replied. "It's nice to get surrounded with kids once in a while."

"Can I join in?" Cory asked shyly.

"Oh yeah sure Cory." I said immediately giving her a space. "Let's beat those boys!"

"Oh so this is a competition now?" Mat asked grinning at me.

"You tell me." I replied grinning back.

"Alright." He said clapping his hands. "Let's beat them Braker!"

We spend the next thirty minutes doing the kid's collages, we did pretty well actually and I told the kids that it's a tie. Both Braker and Noah are champions, and both of them took it pretty well too.

I may not always being surrounded with kids but this is what Tori's mom keep on telling us before when she was still alive, that as sisters we should never compete on each other. But instead, be there to help and be happy of each other's successes.

Mat joined me on the couch when the kids started comparing and showing their works on the other couch. "You're pretty well around kids." He commented.

"And so are you." I replied tapping his legs.

I am not gonna lie, seeing Mat hang around with kids made my heart melt. I always have a thing with guys who knows how to handle kids and Mat definitely fits the bar. I seriously wanted to kiss him right now, but it's absolutely inappropriate with all the kids around plus Dennis and Rebecca too.

But then, Mat solved those desires when he gave me a wet smack on my jaw that sends billion jolts of electricity down my body.

I looked on him and I can see his burning eyes sensing that he wanted more but he knows where we are at the moment.

Just like me, he's been dying to control his urges too.

I gave him a quick kiss on the lip right before standing up and walk towards Rebecca to help her set up the table. My body is still hot and bothered by that but I need to distance myself from Mat or else the both of us will be distracted than ever the whole dinner.

-

On the drive home on his car, Mat did not hesitate on getting physical with me. His free hands rubbing my thighs and occasionally stops to shift the gear and rests it back again on mine.

He kisses me hard on stop signs never wanting to stop. We are all but silent all throughout the drive but we both know what is up.

When we reach home, we didn't make it inside. Instead, we devour each other on his car. Kissing like there's no tomorrow.

He drags me towards him letting me seat on his lap as he kisses me hungrily while putting his hands under my shirt.

"They might caught us." I said in between kisses as I start moving on top of him.

He kisses me and pushes himself on me only followed by him cursing in the air. "Get in the backseat."

I'm a bit nervous but at the same time I want to feel him around my body. I quickly dive into the backseat waiting for him to join me.

My back hit the car sit as he covers his body on mine, kissing me slowly this time while moving on top of me. We are fully clothed but I can still feel how erotic this was, I laced my hands on his neck pushing him to mine as I met his body.

My down south aches everytime his fly hits it. I didn't expected a loud moan came out from my mouth when he squeezed my butt which immediately stopped by Mats wild kisses.

I pushed myself on him feeling the pleasure send shocks around my body as I moan on his neck.

Mat started cursing releasing a loud groan hitting his climax and passed out on top of me. We both lied there catching our breathe.

I can't believe I just hooked up with Mat Barzal, who happens to be my roommate.

But no.

Everything that is happening right now seems so unbelievable.

When both of us catched our breathes Mat looked me straight on the eye and we both chuckled and finally went out of the car.

He kissed me passionately again when we reach my room and greeted each other good night right before going to our respective beds.

I want to wake up next to him, I want him to ask me for that but I know he's been giving the both of us time.

And I personally asked him to take it slow, so I admire him for respecting that.

When I finally laid on my bed after shower. I couldn't help but laugh at myself.

Dry humping boys at the backseat now huh, Jade?

Screw me!