Page 22

twenty-one

“H ey, beautiful. It’s time to wake up.”

His husky tone has me burying my face deeper into the pillow. He chuckles, squeezing me tighter.

“I know. I have to get to the rink, though,” he whispers against my ear.

My eyes flutter open, only it’s not him I see. It’s his roommate’s back as he plays his game on his side of the room.

Kellan shifts from behind me, kissing the side of my neck. I soak in the warmth of him at my back.

I wasn’t planning to stay the night last night, but once we laid down, I was a goner. I’m glad I did, though.

“I wish we could do something about that morning wood you have,” I whisper to him as I turn over in his arms.

He smirks. “I could sneak you into the shower with me.”

I glance back over my shoulder to see his roommate not paying us a lick of attention. “Let’s do it.”

He cups my chin, turning my face back toward him. “Are you being serious?”

I bite my lower lip and nod.

It’s been hard for us to find time alone. With me sharing a room with Peyton and him sharing as well, we have nowhere to go to have some alone time.

That’s got to change next year.

“Yes.”

He jumps out of the bed, pulling me up with him. Grabbing his shower caddy and two towels, he leads me out of the room. When he gets to the bathroom, he pokes his head in before pulling me inside. He claims a stall in the far back corner, setting his stuff in the cubby outside. Then he turns the water on and starts undressing.

I swear I’m drooling as I watch him peel off his T-shirt, showcasing his very fit physique. The man sure knows how to take good care of himself. I wonder if he would let me lick chocolate off of him. It would be an interesting experience.

“You getting in with your clothes on?” His voice startles me from my thoughts.

I blush but start to undress. He takes my clothes from me, hiding them under the towels before he pulls me into the shower, shutting the curtain behind us.

“You have to be very quiet. Anyone can come in at any time, and girls aren’t allowed in here,” he tells me.

That should change my mind, but it doesn’t. If anything, the threat of getting caught has me burning hotter for Kellan.

“Guess you’ll have to do your best to make me scream then, won’t you, hotshot?”

I see the challenge flash behind his eyes. I smirk at it. I loved our first time. It was sweet and proved to me that he feels very strongly for me. He hasn’t said the L-word yet, but I know it’s there. Just like it sits inside of me as well.

I don’t want that right now, though. I want dirty, feral Kellan. The man he can be when he is passionate. I’ve seen it on the ice. Now I want to see what that man can do to my body.

He pushes me back against the shower wall, making me hiss at the coolness of it. He doesn’t stop, though. His lips fall on mine, silencing the last bit of sound as he begins to kiss me like his life depends on it.

My leg comes up to circle his hip, grinding against his hard cock. He presses in closer to me, giving me the friction I needed.

I moan against his mouth, but he smothers the sound. After several minutes of grinding, he stops, pulling back.

“Turn around, hands on the wall,” he demands.

My body practically jumps to do his bidding. I hear the curtain move, making my core clench at the thought that someone might be out there.

After a moment, I hear the telltale sign that he is opening a condom. Then he is at my back, his cock running through my wetness.

“So ready for me,” he mumbles, kissing the side of my face. Then his hand comes up, covering my mouth. “Can’t have you letting the whole dorm know whose cock you love. Gotta keep that good girl reputation intact,” he whispers, sliding his cock inside my pussy.

I moan, pushing back against him. His free hand slides between me and the wall, rolling my nipple between his fingers as he sets a slow, steady pace.

“Such a dirty girl. You didn’t hesitate to come in here with me. You love being dirty for me, don’t you, beautiful?”

I can’t respond to him. All I can do is pant against his hand.

I hear the main door open and the sound of soft footsteps on the tile. I clench against him.

“There’s someone in here with us. You want them to hear you?”

I let out a little squeak, biting down on his hand. He hisses but starts fucking me harder. I’m sure the person can hear us, but after a few minutes, a toilet flushes before the door opens and closes again.

My toes curl as my orgasm rips through me.

“Fuck, so fucking tight. You’re strangling me,” Kellan grunts into my ear.

Two thrusts later, I feel him jerking inside of me, the movement causing me to moan as I feel my core clench against him.

He drops his hand from my mouth, wrapping his arms around me to hug me to his body as he kisses the side of my face.

We stay like that a moment, each breathing heavily. When he finally pulls back, he gently pushes me under the water. Then he methodically washes every part of me. Once we are done, he dries me just as gently and caringly as he washed me.

We don’t speak again until we are dressed and ready to head back to his room.

“I’ll drop this inside, then drive you home.”

I nod. “Okay.”

I wait for him outside his door as he drops his shower caddy and grabs his hockey bag. Then he takes my hand, leading me down the hall.

I can’t help but feel like I’m floating in the clouds as he walks with me to his truck. I don’t know how I ever thought I could give him up. He’s become the single most important person in my life.

After he helps me in the truck and drops his bag into the bed of the truck, he climbs into the driver’s side, once again taking my hand.

“Are you ready for the game?” I ask him.

He looks over at me for a moment, smiling. “I am. I feel like my life is back on track. The talk with Grace helped ease some tension off of me that I didn’t realize I was carrying. Then I have you here keeping me on my toes. Seriously, you’re the main reason I smile.” He pulls my hand to his lips, kissing it.

“You’re exaggerating.”

“Not even a little bit. Before you, my days were dark and gloomy. Now all I see is blue skies. It’s like that song that talks about seeing clearly after the storms pass. That’s you. You help me see the sky.”

I blink away the emotion filling me. Sometimes I hate that I feel things so deeply. It makes me react to every little thing. Like the man I love telling me that I’m so important in his world.

He pulls up to my dorm a moment later, putting the car in park. Then he looks over at me.

“Cora, I know you don’t see yourself like I see you. You’re confident, sassy as hell, sexier than anyone has the right to be, caring with the biggest heart that this world has ever seen, and forgiving even when most people wouldn’t blame you for holding a grudge. You helped your mom keep things going when Clay left to come here. I know you still call her to check in on her. I’d bet you refuse the money she tries to send you too. You are the single best person I have ever met in my life. I knew the moment I met you that you were something special. I didn’t realize what you would come to mean to me.”

My cheeks are heated as I ask him, “What do I mean to you, Kellan?”

He cups my cheek, tsking his tongue.

“Don’t you know, beautiful? I love you more than words could ever express. They will be writing poetry about the way I feel about you, but they will never get it right. My body is filled with so much love for you that there are times I feel like I can’t breathe unless you are by my side. I know one thing for certain in this life, and it’s the way I will always feel about you. I will love you until my dying breath. There’s no option not to. You’re it for me.”

The tears are falling now. He’s wiping them away as quickly as they fall. I suck in a breath. Then another. After several more, I finally collect myself. Kellan is patient through the entire ordeal, even though I know he is going to be late to practice.

“I love you, hotshot. I have for a while now.”

He smiles, nodding, “I know. You knew I loved you too. This thing between us? It doesn’t need any words. It’s part of why we work so well. You know how I feel and what I want to say before I even say it. Just like one look from you from across the room, and I know what you need.”

He’s right. It’s been that way for a while. I feel so in tune with him that if he were to take a step, I would match it every single time without looking.

Leaning over the center console, I press my lips to his. He kisses me back passionately. I’m ready to climb into his lap when his phone dings.

He ignores it, but I don’t. I pull back, pecking him one last time.

“You’re late,” I whisper.

He nods, smirking at me. “You’re worth it.”

* * *

It’s a home game. The arena is going nuts.

So far we have the best record this season. Even with the struggles, we are on track to make it to the championships.

This year is shaping up to be the best year yet. The chemistry between us on the ice is better than it has ever been.

I’m getting ready by my locker when Clay comes in. I stiffen, not sure if he knows I took Grace home yesterday.

He doesn’t stop at his locker, instead heading right toward me.

Right, so he knows. I wonder if he’s about to punch me. My hands grow sweaty as my heart starts to go haywire.

I’m not ready to lose the camaraderie that I’ve gained with the guys. I have to accept it, though. Whatever Clay says, I will take it with my head held high.

“Hey, man.” Clay stops beside me, patting my shoulder.

“Hey. What’s going on?” I ask, my teeth clenching.

“I owe you. Thanks for getting Grace home safely. She’s everything to me, so I’m glad you were able to swoop in and save her when I couldn’t,” he tells me.

So he doesn’t want to beat my face in. Cool.

“You would have been there had she called. Besides, Cora was supposed to get her. I only grabbed her when she couldn’t.” I shrug as if it’s no big deal.

“I see you, Kellan.” He keeps his tone low. “You didn’t have to go, but you did. You cleared the air with her and repaired something in her that I could never touch. Thank you.”

I nod. “I needed it too.”

“I know, bro.”

“Are we done with the pillow talk? Jesus, you two are pansies. How are you even captain?” Hendricks calls out.

Clay’s eyes tighten as he turns toward the guy. “Keep your lip up and you’ll be sitting out of the game. I wonder how many scouts would want to know about your shitty attitude. You do know they talk to the captains of the team too, don’t you? Not just the coach,” Clay calls out.

That has Hendricks sobering and turning back to his locker.

“Douchebag,” I mutter.

“You’re telling me. I got rid of one only to replace him with another,” he jokes, nudging me.

“I’m still here though,” I tell him.

“Yes, but the douchebag isn’t. Let’s go win this game. For our girls.”

He walks away from me, going to his own locker to get ready.

For our girls. I like the sound of that.

“Good to see you and Cap made up,” Wyatt says, sitting down on the bench to wrap his hands.

“Yeah, I didn’t realize how much it affected my game to be at odds with him.”

“Your emotions always affect your game. Even if you think you can leave them at the door, it never happens. It’s not human nature.” He stands, walking away after dropping that little tidbit.

“Come on, guys, time to get on the ice,” Brett calls.

He’s taken to being the coach’s assistant this season. I thought I would hate it at the beginning of the year, but now I can see how well he does at it.

He would be a good leader.

I think I’ll vote for him to be captain next year.

Heading out to the ice, we start to warm up. I spot the girls, blowing a kiss to Cora like I have taken to doing at all my games now.

She smiles, pretending to catch it and hold it to her chest.

I’m blessed to have her.

As warm-ups end, Coach calls us to the bench to have a last-minute pep talk. I notice Hendricks is absent, making me wonder what happened to him. It’s not until I’m getting onto the ice with Beckett that I find out.

“Hendricks got pulled. Coach heard what he said to you and Clay. He’s off the team.”

I’m shocked, but I try not to show it.

Holy shit. In the grand scheme of things, what he said wasn’t bad. Thank God he never heard half the shit that I thought last year. I could have been gone just as quickly.

“Fuck,” I mutter.

“That could have been you. Glad you got your shit together, Coop. I like you,” he says as if he read my mind. Beckett pats my shoulder. “Now go win the faceoff. No pressure or anything.”

He has me laughing as I skate up to the circle. Then I wait. One heartbeat. Then another.

The puck drops, and I’m on the move. I pass it easily toward Beckett. He has it, passing it down to Clay.

I skate like my life depends on it, pushing to get down ice.

Clay sees me, passing the puck back my way.

The opening is clear, so I take it. I slap the shot right at the net.

Their goalie tries his best to block it, but it skates by him by less than an inch, flying into the back of the net.

Thirty seconds into the game, and I’ve scored the first goal.

All the guys surround me, congratulating me. I hear my name over the speakers along with Clay’s for the assist.

I turn, pointing at Cora, and mouth, for you .

It’s true.

All of this progress I’ve made has been for her. If you had asked me two months ago if I would be cool with the guys again and playing at the top of my game, I would have called you a liar. I felt so hopeless. Like I was stuck in a rut that I would never get out of.

Until she came along and rescued me.

The rest of the game flies by in a blur. For the first time this season, we win without letting them score a single goal. It’s the best we have ever played. Wyatt protected the net like his life depended on it, and we got a shutout.

Everyone can feel the difference in the air. We aren’t the team struggling to get along or work together anymore.

We found our harmony.

As we celebrate in the locker room, all I can think about is getting out to my girl. I shower quickly, laughing when Clay is racing me out of the locker room.

Right outside, we find them. Grace, Peyton, and Cora are waiting for us as they laugh with one another.

Without hesitation, I drop my bag, walking right up to Cora to cup her cheeks. Then I kiss her like it’s the last thing I will ever do.

When I finally pull back, she smiles up at me. “Good game, hotshot.”

“I love you.” The words fall out of my lips before I kiss her again.

I can’t stop.

This is the woman I will spend the rest of my life with.