Page 13

Thirteen

Wolf

The past twelve hours have been the best twelve hours of my life, without a doubt. The high of making Emily mine is better and more intense than getting drafted, scoring my first professional goal, or winning a playoff series.

My entire world has re-oriented itself around her. My sweet, tiny angel, sleeping in my arms. She slept curled against me all night, right where she belongs. This isn’t just my bed anymore. It’s our bed. Because everything I have is hers.

Not that we don’t have obstacles ahead of us.

I can see light streaming in around the closed curtains, and I carefully reach for my phone. I don’t want to wake Emily up. I already did that once last night with my mouth on her pussy, licking and kissing her until she came with a soft sigh. I’d pulled her pliant little body back into my arms and fallen asleep with the taste of her on my tongue. Now, she deserves to rest. Especially because I fully intend to carry her into the shower once she’s awake so I can fuck her against the tiled wall after tormenting her with that showerhead she loves so much.

I’m achingly hard at the thought of getting inside her again.

With one arm still around my girl, I fire off a quick text to my agent with my free hand.

Might need a trade to Winnipeg.

Maybe she’ll get invited to stay in Toronto and dance here. But if she doesn’t, then I need to find a way to be with her in Winnipeg. I’m not doing a long distance thing with her. It’d kill me. I need to be with her, as much as physically possible. I’m already dreading the short two-game road trip I have to leave for in a few days.

If she moves to Toronto, I could convert one of the bedrooms in this penthouse into a home dance studio for her. We could redecorate, make my place into our place. I’d let her do whatever she wanted. If she told me she wanted frilly pink curtains and a giant flower mural on the wall, I’d hand over my credit card and tell her to go nuts. I don’t care, as long as it makes her happy. As long as she’s in my arms and in my bed and in my life. By my side.

My phone starts buzzing, and I answer it without looking, assuming it’s going to be my agent asking why the hell I want to get traded to Winnipeg.

“Hey, Kevin,” I say, my voice rusty with sleep.

“So sorry to disturb you, Mr. Hartley. It’s Winston down at the front desk.”

I scrub a hand over my face. “Oh. Sorry, Winston. What’s up?” I wrack my brain, trying to remember if I have a delivery coming.

“There’s a gentleman here to see you, sir. He…says it’s urgent.” I can hear the tension in Winston’s clipped voice, and I carefully slip my arm free from Emily. It doesn’t matter, though. She’s already stirring, stretching her lithe little body and rubbing a hand over her eyes. I’m momentarily distracted by the sight of her unfurling in my bed, and Winston clears his throat, reminding me he’s on the line.

I shoot Emily a grin. “Who is it?”

“A Mr. Michael David, sir.”

Oh, shit.

Mike’s here.

What the fuck is Mike doing here?

Winston lowers his voice, and I can picture him turning away from Mike, covering the phone’s mouthpiece with his hand. “He seems quite upset. I can send him on his way.”

My blood runs cold. Shit. This can’t be good. I knew we were going to have to face this sooner or later. I was just hoping for later.

Emily’s sprawled out on the bed beside me, smiling up at me like an angel. She’s naked, and gorgeous, her red hair spilling over the pillow.

Fuck.

“Send him up,” I say, accepting that shit’s about to go down. With a sigh, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed.

Emily sits up, a frown pulling at her pretty face. “Wolf? What’s going on?”

I end the call and set my phone down on the bedside table. I shove a hand through my hair, tugging on the ends, mentally preparing myself for what’s about to happen. “Get dressed, little one. Your brother is on his way up.”

Her pretty green eyes go wide, panic etched into her features. “Mike? What’s he doing here? Does he know…?” She trails off, the sheet twisted between her delicate fingers.

I grab a pair of sweats and tug them on, then do the same with a T-shirt. I shake my head grimly. “I don’t know. But he’s here and he’s apparently pissed.”

Emily leaps out of bed, but before she can run to get some clothes, I snag her wrist and pull her against me. I feel some of the tension leave her body almost immediately. Cradling her head, I look into her eyes.

“Whatever happens, it doesn’t change this, okay? Mike can be mad. He can hit me, scream at me, whatever he needs to do, but he can’t keep me away from you. Nothing will keep me away from you. You’re mine, and I’m never letting you go. You understand? This might be ugly, but nothing changes between us.”

She nods shakily, and I can see the fear, the panic in her eyes. So I kiss her, soft and gentle, trying to reassure her.

She nods and then snuggles into me, and for a moment, I just hold her, letting her soak up any comfort I’m able to offer. It feels too soon when she pulls away, but we both know the clock is ticking.

“I’ll go get dressed.” She picks up her clothes from last night off the floor and then heads for her room. I don’t have the luxury of enjoying watching her move, completely naked, in broad daylight. I don’t have time to fully appreciate her creamy skin covered in freckles, her sleek muscles, the redness on her neck from my beard. She’s a work of art, my girl.

Emily disappears into her room just as a pounding sounds on my door.

“Open this fucking door right now, Wolf!” Mike’s voice is furious, echoing in the hallway as he shouts.

Emily comes racing out of her room, wearing an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of leggings. Her hair is still a wild tumble around her shoulders, her eyes wide. She’s even paler than usual, her fingers curled into the cuffs of her sweatshirt.

Mike knocks again, hard enough to rattle the door in its frame, and I know it’s time to face the music. I take a deep breath and then pull open the door before Mike can beat it down.

The door’s not even all the way open before a fist slams into my face, sending pain exploding across my jaw. Emily screams as I stagger back half a step, my ears ringing from the blow. Mike always did have a hell of a right hook. I just never expected him to use it on me.

“You fucking asshole!” he yells, shoving past me into the penthouse. He kicks the door shut behind him. “I fucking trusted you, you sick son of a bitch!”

“Mike, stop!” Emily shouts, her voice shaking.

His gaze swings from me to her, and his expression shifts, softening slightly, but the anger is still there. Tears are spilling down her cheeks now, and I might never forgive him for making my girl cry. He can punch me as much as he wants. He can call me every name in the book. But making Emily cry is over the line.

“Mike, I can explain,” I say, but he cuts me off.

“Shut the fuck up, Hartley. I don’t want to hear your bullshit explanation. She’s been here less than a week and you just couldn’t help yourself, could you? You fucking bastard. You promised me you’d keep your hands off my baby sister. And what do you do? You fucking maul her in a bar for the entire world to see.”

I frown slightly, not entirely sure what he’s talking about.

“No one mauled me,” says Emily, a touch of defensiveness in her tone.

Mike rolls his eyes. “I saw the pictures and video online. Some hockey gossip site posted photos of you two making out in a bar last night. Getting into a car together. There’s no room for misunderstanding. You were all over each other.” He swings his attention back to me, anger pulling at his features again. “How could you? She’s my baby sister, Wolf. She’s nine-fucking-teen!”

I open my mouth, but no words come out. I don’t know how to explain something as consuming as what I feel for Emily. I don’t know how to make him understand that Emily is my everything. That I’m madly in love with her. We’ve known each other for such a short time that it’ll seem completely unbelievable.

But I know that I have to try.

My mouth is dry. My palms are sweaty. My heart is going a million miles an hour. My jaw fucking hurts from where Mike decked me. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I don’t want to fight with Mike. I don’t want to lose him as a friend. But if push comes to shove, I’ll choose Emily. It’s not even a question.

I hope he doesn’t make me choose.

“Mike,” I say, holding out my hand in a placating gesture. “Calm down. Let’s talk about this like adults. I never set out to lie to you or break your trust. That was never the plan here.”

“So what was the plan? Seduce my baby sister and then send her on her way?”

I shake my head, my ears ringing. “No. There was no plan. I just happened to fall in love with her.”

Mike scoffs. “Shut the fuck up. She’s been here for less than a week.”

“I know. Doesn’t change the fact that I’m in love with Emily.” I glance over at her, and I can see her heart shining out at me through those pretty emerald eyes.

“She’s a kid, Wolf! She’s barely out of high school. She’s not even twenty!” His voice gets louder and wilder with each sentence, and I breathe through it, trying to let his anger roll off me. If he goads me into a fight, we’ll do irreparable damage. I don’t want that to happen.

“I’m not a kid, Mike,” Emily says calmly, stepping between us. Her voice is quiet, but steady. “I’m an adult who can make my own choices. And I choose to be in a relationship with Wolf.”

“No. No fucking way.” Mike crosses his arms and shakes his head. “You’re my baby sister, and clearly you’ve lost your mind.”

It’s my turn to put myself between Mike and Emily, because the way he’s talking to her has my protective instincts rising to the surface. “Don’t talk to her like that,” I warn. My voice is quiet, but there’s a deliberate edge to it that tells him I’m not fucking around here.

Mike decides to be an idiot and shove me. Hard. I absorb most of the impact, but I have to take a half step back. Emily gasps. “Or what, tough guy? You gonna actually hit me back? Or are you only tough when you’re being paid for it?”

I clench my fists, his words goading me. Tension radiates through my body, and I want to hit him so fucking bad. But I know that nothing here gets fixed if I do. So, I force air into my lungs, force my fists to unclench and take a step back, shaking my head. I might be a hired goon on the ice, but that doesn’t mean I can’t control myself.

“I’m not gonna hit you, Mike. Although it might make for a good story during your toast at our wedding.”

A sound bubbles out of Emily at that, half laughter, half scream, all joy.

Mike’s face goes slack. “Your wedding ?”

I shrug. “I haven’t asked her yet, but yeah. That’s where this is headed. That’s how serious I am about your sister. I love her. I wanna marry her. I want a life and a future with her. This isn’t me taking advantage. I started falling for her the moment we met, and I don’t think I’m ever gonna stop. She’s it for me, man. She’s everything. And we’re gonna be together, with or without your blessing. I’d rather do it with because you’re my friend and I want you in my life, too. But if it’s without, so be it.” I shake my head, rubbing my hand across my aching jaw. “Did you seriously catch a red-eye from Winnipeg to come punch me in the face?”

“Damn straight. That’s my sister we’re talking about.”

“Your sister is right here and doesn’t appreciate you talking about her like she’s not in the room,” Emily says drily, stepping between us again. I watch as she squares her shoulders and meets her brother’s eyes. “I love him, Mike. I know it sounds crazy. I’m aware that there’s an age gap between us. But ever since I’ve arrived, Wolf has been nothing but kind to me. There was no seduction. I want to be with him as much as he wants to be with me. It might not make sense to you, but it makes perfect sense to us.”

I can’t tear my eyes away from Emily. My heart feels too big for my chest, swollen with love and pride and hope for the future. She’s so brave, my girl. So fiercely determined. So dedicated to her passion. So soft and gentle and sweet.

Mike’s head jerks back like he’s been slapped, his mouth open. He stares at his sister for several moments before blinking slowly.

“This is…a lot. To wrap my head around,” he finally says after a lengthy silence.

“This obviously isn’t how we wanted you to find out,” says Emily.

“I just…I don’t understand,” he says slowly, shaking his head. “You’re so young, Em. How can you be sure? You’ve never even dated before and now…” He drags a hand through his hair.

Emily just shrugs, glancing over at me. I send her a reassuring smile. “Just because I haven’t dated doesn’t mean I don’t know real feelings when I experience them. And my feelings for Wolf are real. And strong. He makes me feel safe and cared for. He treats me like I’m a precious thing. When I’m with him, I just know.” She looks over at me, her eyes bright. “I know I’ve found my person.”

I slide an arm around her waist, pulling her to me. I need to touch her. To feel her next to me. Mike’s eyes darken, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Mike, listen. Like she said, this isn’t how we wanted you to find out. You’re shocked, and I get that. But I love your sister. I’d do anything for her. Hell, I texted my agent this morning about looking into a trade to Winnipeg.”

Emily gasps, looking up at me. “You did?”

I nod. “If staying here in Toronto doesn’t work out for you, then I’ll find a way to be with you in Winnipeg. I’ll always find a way to be with you, Em.”

She curls into me, her small body nestled against mine, and I look at Mike. I can see him softening a bit.

“You have my word that I’d never do anything to hurt Emily. She’s my whole world now. You know me, Mike. Look at me. Am I a bad guy?”

Mike looks at me, and then immediately looks away, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I’ve known worse,” he grudgingly admits.

A silence hangs between us, Emily still cuddled against me. Mike scrubs a hand over his face. Honestly, he looks like shit after probably spending all night fuming on a red eye flight. I can tell he’s trying to process everything, so I don’t say anything, letting the silence stretch between us.

“I can’t pretend I’m okay with this,” he says after a long moment, and my heart sinks down into my stomach. I’m going to lose my closest friend over this, and that sucks. “It’s a lot to process. But…” He heaves a sigh, and hope flickers back to life inside me. “I don’t want to lose either of you from my life.” He looks at me, fully meeting my gaze. “You’re one of my closest friends, Wolf, and you have been for over a decade. And Em…” He looks at his sister, his gaze softening. “You’re my baby sister. Of course I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. I want you to have whatever your heart desires.”

“Wolf makes me feel happy and safe,” Emily says softly, her fingers curling into my T-shirt. “He’s who I want to be with.”

Mike lets out the longest sigh I’ve ever heard in my life. “Okay. Okay. I don’t get it. But I can work on…trying to be supportive.” He makes a face like the words taste bad. Then his eyes lock on mine. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

Okay, I guess we’re not mincing words here.

“If I hurt her, I’ll deserve it,” I say, holding Emily tighter.

Mike’s gaze bounces between the two of us, and then he rubs a hand over his face again. “Okay.” He nods. “Okay.”

“Do you want to stay here? Or are you headed back?” I ask. “I have a game tomorrow night, I could get you tickets.”

He looks at me warily, and I can tell he’s warring with himself over what to say. “Uh. I don’t think I should stay here. With…” He gestures vaguely to me and Emily. “I can get a hotel. But…yeah. I’ll stay for a few days. Come to the game.”

I grin, relief making my muscles feel weak. “Good. You want some breakfast? There’s a great place around the corner. Best omelet you’ve ever had. My treat, even though you did just punch me in the face.”

“Yeah.” The corner of his mouth kicks up. “Okay. Let’s have breakfast.”