Page 118 of Puck Love

“It’s why I haven’t called you. Coach came in and interrupted our Skype sexing. I panicked. My phone took a dive, and I spent the next twenty minutes trying not to puke as I pulled it out of some other guy’s piss. I think there was a bit of jizz on it, too.” My eyes widen in horror. “That was mine.” He frowns. “Ithink.”

I press a hand to my mouth to cover my laughter. It’s not funny, but I can’t help laughing all the same. “And here I thought you were just freaked out that you’d accidently proposed tome.”

“You heard that,eh?”

“Yup.”

“I didn’t mean to . . . well, it just kindof—”

“Slippedout?”

“I mean, not that I wouldn’t want to,someday.”

“Relax, Van. It’s too soon for us to getmarried.”

“Isit?”

“Yes. It is. Let’s just see where we wind up at the end of this tour and your season, okay? We don’t have to rush intoanything.”

“I don’t wanna lose you, Stella, and I don’t want anyone else. The bunnies don’t matter. The money, the girls—I don’t care about any of it. I’ve done that too long, and now I found something real. I’m hanging ontoit.”

I smile and lean up on my tiptoes to kiss him. He shoves me backward into my dressing table. Makeup and hair tools go flying, and he lifts me onto the counter and wedges himself between my legs. He kisses me stupid, and for once I’m glad he’s ruining my lipstick, because at least it’s not my mascara. He slides his hand up my dress and dips inside my panties. I throw my headback.

“Am Iforgiven?”

“Van,” I say, as he trails kisses down my neck and across the cleavage spilling out of the top of my skin-tightdress.

“Please forgive me. I’m gonna make you come so hard,baby.”

“Van,wait.”

“No. I missed you too fucking much. I’m not waiting forshit.”

“I have a meet-and-greet,” I blurt out, wanting to get lost in his touch, his kiss, in the feel of him inside me, but knowing I can’t rightnow.

“What?”

“I have to go meet myfans.”

“Are you kidding me?” He searches my gaze, breathless and panting. “It can’t wait? I just got my hands onyou.”

“There are sick kids in that group.” I know, if anything, that this is what will get him in the feels. I did a little research into him while I was whiling away the hours on the tour bus. He has a soft spot for sick and under-privileged kids. Maybe it has something to do with growing up with Emmett, or maybe it’s just the way he’s wired, but either way, my words have the desired effect. He straightens, cups my cheek, and with a dejected expression, he says, “Go. You can’t keep sick kidswaiting.”

“You’ll stay,right?”

“I have to be back in Calgary by two p.m tomorrow, or I get fined.” He nods. “And possibly thrown off the team. Eli’s covering for me. Told the coach I got food poisoning, and I’m catching a later flight because I don’t want to make the whole teamsick.”

“Okay,” I say with a nod. “Well, I’ll missyou.”

Van frowns. “That’s it? You’re not going to beg me to stay withyou?”

“No. That wouldn’t be fair.” I shrug and fight hard to keep tears from pricking my eyes. “I know you don’t care about the money, but you’ve got to get your head in thegame.”

He smiles. “I think I will marry you after all.” I roll my eyes. “How long will your meet-and-greettake?”

“An hour, sometimes two if we’reswamped.”

“I can waitthen.”