Page 62 of Desperate Pucker (Denver Bashers #6)

Maddy

Iblink at him, speechless at what he just said. “You love me?”

He nods. “I am so fucking in love with you.”

My heart feels like it’s exploding in my chest. I let a wobbly smile break free.

He cradles my face in his hands and kisses me, slow and soft and teasing.

It feels like fireworks are going off in my chest. Ryker loves me.

His mouth slants up in a sexy half-smile. “You look a little surprised there, princess.”

“I thought for sure you’d freak out. I mean, we’ve only been officially a couple for a month.”

“So?”

“So a lot of people would think that’s too soon to fall in love.”

“Maybe it is too soon. Maybe it isn’t. Does it matter? If we both feel the same way, nothing else matters.”

The certainty of his tone and his words makes my tummy do a somersault. He’s right.

I kiss him again.

“I can’t believe you love me,” I murmur

He smiles against my mouth. “Is it so hard to believe?”

“A little. You hated me when we first met.”

The low rumble of his chuckle vibrates against my mouth.

“Haven’t you figured it out, princess? I have a thing for feisty women who aren’t afraid to bust my balls.”

I chuckle, feeling lighter and happier than I have in a long, long time.

“You told me you loved me in your sleep,” I say. “I tried not to get my hopes up, though. I didn’t think it meant anything.”

His hold on me tightens as he drags his mouth along the hinge of my jaw. “I held back from telling you that I love you because I didn’t want to freak you out. I guess my unconscious mind had other plans.”

He cradles my face in his hands. Heat and emotion flash in his bourbon eyes.

“I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love again,” he says. “But then you came along. This ball-busting, stubborn hardass who was also the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”

I bite back a smile.

“I was a goner, Maddy. From the second I met you, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get you out of my head.”

He presses a soft kiss to my mouth. “Slowly, you let your walls down. You let me in. You let me take care of you when you were sick. You let me cook for you. You let yourself be soft around me.” He kisses my forehead. “You let me love you.”

His voice is a soft rasp that sends goosebumps all over my skin.

“Say it again,” he whispers.

“I love you, Ryker.”

He lets out a low hum. He sounds so content, so happy.

“I love that you’re this tough and gruff hockey player who’s actually a big softie.”

His lips stretch into a smile against my skin.

“I love how protective you are. How you went out of your way to take care of me, even when you didn’t like me.”

“Oh, I liked you, princess. I just didn’t have the guts to tell you.” He leans back and looks at me.

“I love that you shattered all my walls,” I say. “I love that you’re patient with me. That you support me and stand up for me.”

“Always.” Intensity flashes in his gaze.

I kiss him until we’re both breathless. When we break apart, I’m dizzy, aching to have him right this instant.

“I need you, Ryker. Now. Please.”

Heat flickers in his gaze. He takes me by the hand and leads me down the stairs, all the way to the training room with the massage tables.

He flips on the lights, closes the door behind us, then locks it. He leads me to one of the padded tables and sits down, then pulls me on top of him.

I straddle his lap. “Is this okay? I’m not hurting your knee?”

He shakes his head and pulls me to his mouth. We make out until we’re both panting and clawing at each other’s clothes.

He pulls off my Bashers jersey and bra. I take off the Bashers hat he’s wearing, then slide his shirt over his head.

He leans back against the table and pushes off the gray sweatpants he’s wearing. I pull them all the way off, and his cock springs free.

Already my pussy’s aching to have him inside of me.

I slide off my jeans, then straddle him again, hovering over the head of his cock, which is glistening with precum.

He sits up and runs his thumb along my slit.

“Fuck, baby. Look at how wet you are.”

I hold his gaze. “It’s all for you, Ryker. It’s always for you.”

That heat in his eyes turns into a bonfire. He grabs my hips and thrusts up into me.

We both cry out. My entire body is trembling at just how good he feels, stretching me out, making me feel so full and complete.

Slowly, I ride him. I plant my palms on his shoulders to steady myself.

He lowers his mouth to my nipple, teasing it softly with his tongue.

I gasp as the pleasure swirls through my entire body. I feel it everywhere, in every cell of my body. Just like every other time we’ve been together, it’s utter ecstasy. But this time, it feels even more intense knowing that Ryker loves me, just like I love him.

Emotion hikes up my chest and throat. Everything feels tight.

He reaches his hand between my legs and gently teases my clit again. Softly, he sinks his teeth into the side of my breast. Something inside me breaks. My head falls back, and I start to tremble. His cock and hand and mouth have me in a chokehold. I’m so, so close to coming.

He grabs my chin and makes me look at him.

“Eyes on me, princess,” he growls. His voice is so rough and raw and commanding that it shoves me right to the edge.

“I wanna see the look in those beautiful eyes when you come. I wanna see you unravel. I wanna see just how much you love me.”

“So much, Ryker,” I sob. “So, so much.”

He kisses me roughly. “I love you so much too, princess. Now come for me. Right fucking now.”

At his rough command, I fall apart. It’s an explosion of pleasure and intensity through my entire body. I’m trembling and screaming, dragging my nails across his skin.

Underneath me, he tenses. He grunts out my name between rough kisses. One hand is digging into the fleshy part of my hips while the other attends to my clit, making sure I get every drop of pleasure from this orgasm.

I fall against him, and he grips his arms around me tight. I bury my face in his shoulder, and he nuzzles my neck. Together we stay like that, wrapped in each other, our bodies hot, our hearts hammering in our chests.

“That was…wow,” I manage to say after a few minutes.

“Yeah. Wow.”

We both chuckle. I climb off him, and he leans over to the end of the table and grabs a towel. As he cleans me up, I run my fingers through his hair. “Are you okay?”

“I just made love to my girlfriend. I’m more than okay.”

“No, I mean…Are you okay after the game?”

He’s quiet for a second, then he nods.

I cup his stubbled cheek in my hand. “I’m so proud of you. You fought hard.”

“It was a tough loss, but I’m ready to move on. I’m ready for the next game.”

“I have a feeling you’re going to kick ass.”

The corner of his mouth hooks up. “Is that so?”

“Absolutely, one thousand percent.”

A low chuckle falls from his lips. He kisses me.

“I’ll be there, wearing your jersey, cheering you on.”

He wraps his arms around me. “That’s all I want, Maddy. None of this matters if you’re not there with me.”

My heart feels like it’s on the verge of bursting.

“Without you, I wouldn’t be able to play in the finals. You trained me. You helped get me here. I owe everything to you. And I want to share every moment of it with you.”

I kiss him, overwhelmed by just how much I love and adore this man.

“Love you,” I whisper against his lips.

“Love you right back, princess.”