Page 25

It’s incredibly hard to take a pre-game nap when someone keeps interrupting me.

First it was Daws calling to ask about some odd recipe he wanted to try to make for Cassie when he gets home. I know I cook the most out of the guys, but I’m not Gordon Ramsey for fuck’s sake. Look that shit up on the Internet, and leave me out of it.

Then my mother called to ask for more money. We got in a shouting match, and I blocked her number. I haven’t spoken to her since before the birthday olives incident, and I have zero desire to deal with her again. She only wants to keep me around because I send her money, and I’m done with that now.

And now someone is knocking at my door.

“Isn’t there a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door?” I grumble as I throw open the door, then stare in shock as Becca giggles at me.

“There is a sign, but I figured you didn’t want me hanging in the hallway,” she says breathily. I don’t waste a second before dragging her into my room and burying my face in her hair.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice muffled. God, I can’t get close enough to her. Pressing her against the nearest wall, I crowd against her body, and love feeling her arms wind tightly around my back.

“I couldn’t wait until tomorrow. I needed to see you,” she mumbles.

“I’m so fucking glad you’re here.” God, I needed this. The last thirty-six hours have been so full of nerves and anxiety that I wasn’t sure how I’d make it until tomorrow. I was already thinking of asking Coach if I could take a red-eye flight back to Denver right after the game. I hate our flight schedule. It’s something our previous coach implemented, and I don’t know why Coach Davenport hasn’t changed it. So many teams do night flights, but the Wolves have always flown early in the morning. Finishing the game here, and then having to go back to a hotel instead of flying home? Ridiculous, especially when looking at gaining time zones as we fly west.

“How did you know what room I was in?” I ask, my voice a quiet murmur against her hair.

“A friend of a friend,” she replies, and I chuckle.

“Oh yeah? Any friend that I might know?”

She lifts her head to look at me, and I get lost in her beautiful green eyes. God, she brings me such peace. “I asked our sports director to contact your coach. That’s how I got the room number.”

“That tracks,” I respond, pulling her back into my embrace and resting my head on top of hers as she burrows into my arms. “Coach was probably thrilled. He knows I’ve been struggling. I missed you so much it hurt.”

“I missed you too, Jacob,” Becca says softly, and I squeeze her harder, breathing her in.

“How are you even here? You didn’t hint at this last night when we talked, or when I texted you this morning.”

“I didn’t know until this morning. When I got your text … I knew I needed to be here. I had to see you,” she says shyly. I lift my head to look at her face, and find a pink hue coloring her cheeks.

I see her cheek, slightly puffy and red. I gently cup her face before saying, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, darlin’. Was that all he did?”

She shakes her head, and my eyes narrow. “He punched me in the stomach, but then Thunder bit his balls.”

“What?” I exclaim with a loud exhale. “The happiest dog on the planet bit your brother?”

“He saw a threat, I guess,” she says with a shrug. “It’s okay now. My brother got arrested, and I’m okay.”

I drag my fingers along her hairline, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. This wonderful woman has been dragged through the gauntlet, and she’s here trying to calm me down. “I think I’m gonna buy the biggest dog chew I can find for my buddy Thunder. He deserves one hell of a treat for protecting you while I was gone.”

Her eyebrows raise as she looks at me with surprise. “Have you been researching dog treats?”

I nod. “I know rawhide isn’t good for them, so I Googled what kinds of things I can give him. Also what human foods he can’t have.”

“I love that you did that, Jacob,” she says shyly before changing the subject. “Did I interrupt anything important? Naptime perhaps?”

“I was trying to nap,” I admit. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“I don’t want to screw with your game day preparations. I can be quiet.”

My eyes dip to her mouth, and I’m suddenly not even remotely tired. Her lips part enough to make my dirty thoughts take flight. “Not thinking about sleep, darlin’.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, oh. Think I can give you at least a couple O’s instead,” I say huskily as my hands slide down to grip her ass. I lift her, reveling in how she automatically wraps her legs around my hips.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to have a workout so close to a game,” she says with a giggle that turns into a moan as my lips find her collarbone.

“You’re here,” I murmur, dragging my tongue up her neck and into her waiting mouth. Spearmint flavor explodes on my tongue, and I groan as she bites down gently. “Trust me, Spitfire. This is gonna be the best game of my season just because I’ll be performing for you.”

I take a few steps toward the bed, laying her down gently, before climbing over her. I take in her delicate features, noting how her green eyes sparkle. She says, “I didn’t come here for this, Jacob. I just needed to be with you.”

“I know,” I reply, cupping her cheek, and delighting in how she leans into my touch. “I know your heart, Becca. And I’m so fucking happy you’re here. But I think you do need this, just as much as I do. Please let me make love to you. I know there’s nothing better in the world than being connected to you this way.”

“Jacob,” she whispers as a tear slips from the corner of her eye. I gently wipe it away, then lean down to kiss her, but her words stop me in my tracks. “I love you.”

Time stops.

I think I can hear traffic ten stories below, and I definitely hear the unmistakable cackle of Gabe across the hall. My heart pounds so severely I wonder if Becca can feel it.

“Say that again,” I rasp, emotion clogging my throat.

Becca smiles softly, cupping my face in both hands. “I love you. I think I’ve been in love with you for much longer than I realized. No one has ever supported me the way you do, or been as patient as you. You bring me peace. You’ve become my home, and I’m so thankful I ran into you months ago because I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for you. You meet me where I am, no matter the circumstances.”

“Thank fuck,” I blurt out. “You can’t take it back now, darlin’. You’re mine, and I’m not ever letting you go.”

“Promise?” she replies cheekily. A wide grin spreads across my face as I stand up, pulling her to sit up. Lunging toward my suitcase, I grab the cowboy hat I’ve worn on this trip, and place it on her head.

Becca inhales sharply as her hands reach up to touch the brim.

“With every breath I take,” I answer. “You remember the significance of a woman wearing a man’s cowboy hat?

She nods shakily. “I do.”

“I’ve never allowed a woman to wear mine. Never wanted a woman to wear it. This is the first, and the last, time I’m giving my hat to someone. You’re it for me, Spitfire,” I tell her quietly, before taking her lips in a drugging kiss. “Now let me love you, baby.”

“By all means, have your way with me.”

Yes, ma’am.

I press off Becca, standing to rip off my shirt. I yank down my shorts and boxers, then grab her hand to pull her up. I make quick work of her clothes, finding it hard to focus as Becca touches every piece of my skin she can reach. Once she’s naked, I push her back onto the mattress before climbing on top of her. Our kisses are chaotic and maddening. Full of lust and laughter. Filling my heart with more love than I could ever imagine. We roll until Becca is atop, her body stretched out on mine perfectly.

When Becca sits up, her knees on either side of me, I raise a brow at her. “You got some plans, Mrs. Mitchell?”

She beams at the name as she nods. “I do. And I can’t have you overexerting yourself. I need my husband to perform well on the ice tonight.”

“Fuck I love it when you call me your husband,” I groan.

Becca grabs my cock, positioning it at her entrance before slowly sinking down. “Do you like it better when I call you my husband, or when I call you mine?”

Fuck. “The latter, actually.”

Becca surprises the hell out of me when she bends over to grab my cowboy hat, placing it gently on her head. She then leans down so her mouth is next to my ear and whispers, “Mine.”

Jesus. I’m two seconds away from coming, and my wife hasn’t even moved yet.

My wife.

I hope that never gets old.

Becca begins a tortuously slow pace as my hands stroke across her soft skin. Eyes closed with her head thrown back, she is exquisite as she rides me. Her pussy flutters around me the closer she gets to her orgasm, and I’m fighting tooth and nail not to come myself. I want her to come while I watch, and then I want her to come again, but with me.

“You’re so fucking beautiful like this,” I grate out. “You’re glowing.”

“I thought only pregnant women were supposed to glow,” she pants, and fuck me, but the thought of her pregnant with my baby is so hot I almost lose my load right there.

“Fuck,” I hiss.

Becca’s eyes open, and she studies me. “What? You should share your thoughts, Jacob.”

Oh, she wants me to share? Alright.

I flick the hat off her head, then grab her by the waist, flipping us. The move keeps her legs wrapped around me. “You want to know what I’m thinking?”

“Yes. Always.”

Leaning down, I kiss her hard, then whisper against her lips, “I’m thinking about you. Pregnant. Glowing. You riding me while our child grows inside your belly. Watching how it changes your body. It makes me wonder how sensitive your tits will be, and if I’ll be able to get you off by just playing with them. Sucking on them. Owning you.”

“Holy hell, Jacob,” Becca sucks in rapidly, her eyes so blown out with lust I can barely see any of the iris. I feel her pussy tightening, and I slip a hand in between our bodies to find her clit. Pushing down, I witness Becca’s eyes roll back as she comes. As much as I try to fight it, I follow her over the cliff.

After cleaning us up, I drag Becca under the sheets.

“Was that just the sex talking? Or were you really talking about babies?” she asks quietly. I look down to find her chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

“I guess I was really talking about babies. We haven’t really had that conversation yet. Do you want kids?” I ask.

“If you’d have asked me six months ago, I would have said no. Growing up the way that I did, I was fearful of bringing another person into life. I worried I wouldn’t be a good mother, that I didn’t have the right skill set for it. But then I met you,” she smiles, “and you had an equally shitty upbringing. Yet you don’t have the same outlook. You see the world differently, and you’ve shown me how patient you can be. You’re going to be an amazing dad, Jacob. And that gives me hope that maybe, someday, I’ll be a good mom.”

“I think you aren’t giving yourself enough credit, Becs. I see how you are with Thunder. He’s basically your first baby. Just because you have a shitty family doesn’t mean you’re destined to be a bad parent. We’ve had the best examples for what not to do. Now we get to parent the way we wanted our parents to be. That’s a pretty nice set of circumstances if you ask me.”

“Can I be honest with you?” she asks.

“Always.”

“I don’t think I could handle being pregnant, or having a baby, with your schedule. I couldn’t wait twenty-four more hours to see you. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be with a baby.”

“I figure I only have a year or two left before I retire,” I confess, telling her something I’ve barely said out loud to myself. I’ve only spoken to Coach about my contract, but I’m glad to be bringing this up to my wife now. Her input is critical for my plans, because she’s my family. We’re a team now. “I’m tired. My body isn’t recovering like it did in my twenties. And while I will always love this sport, I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether a baby comes this year, or five years from now, don’t worry about me. I know my future is you. I just want us.”

“My biological clock isn’t necessarily ticking,” she says with a laugh, “but a baby will happen before five years are up. I don’t want to wait that long.”

“Okay, darlin’,” I reply with a chuckle. “You’re the baker. You make the decision about when we start trying.”

Becca bursts into laughter. “The baker?”

“It would be a bun in the oven, so that makes you the baker.”

“What are you then?”

“A distributor? Supplier? I provide the necessary ingredient.”

“The distributor. Has a nice ring to it,” she says with a snicker. “But I think you’re actually the baker, and I’m the oven.”

“I think I’ll go with baker, because calling me the distributor means I either sound like an insurance company, or a weird vigilante who doles out penances for crimes that slide past authorities.”

Becca’s loud cackles blur the sound of my alarm going off. “Damn. I’ve got thirty minutes until I need to be on the team bus.”

She frowns. “Gosh, that went by faster than I thought it would. When will you be back tonight?”

I nudge her chin with my thumb. “I was hoping you’d come to the game.”

“Really?” she asks as a beautiful smile breaks across her face.

“Yeah, baby. You haven’t seen me skate yet. I’d like you to come.”

She nods enthusiastically, and I’m so fucking happy I shout with glee. “Jacob! Everyone probably heard that!”

“Good,” I mumble as I cover her body with mine and nuzzle her neck. “Then everyone knows you’re spoken for.”

Three hours later, I’m on the ice, my eyes on my wife instead of the puck, and I couldn’t care less.

“Jax! Get the fuck off the ice if you aren’t gonna do your fucking job!” Coach bellows at me. I skate toward the bench, massive smile on my face. He stops me before I step off the ice, his eyes narrowing. “I take it everything worked out with your wife? Did she find you okay?”

Using my stick, I point to Becca. She’s right behind our bench, exactly where I want her to be. “Sure did. You could have warned me she was coming, you know.”

“Yeah, I could have, but I bet you enjoyed the surprise.” Coach turns to see her, but she doesn’t notice him. Her eyes are solely focused on me. “Tell her to wait at the visitor’s locker room. I didn’t have enough time to chat with her when I met her in Cleveland, and I left you two in your own little bubble on the way back to Denver.”

“I’ll make sure she’s there,” I answer.

“And Jax,” Coach says, snapping his fingers in front of my face, “Don’t pull that shit again on the ice. This is your job, so be here, and do the fucking work.”

I nod as I sit beside Daws, and he leans toward me. “The fuck was that, man? You got your head in the clouds out there.”

I struggle to withhold the shit-eating grin that breaks across my face. My cheeks actually hurt from smiling so much since Becca showed up. “I know, but I’m good now. My girl loves me, and she’s here, so now I can focus.”

Gabe rolls his eyes as he chuckles, but I know he understands. He and Cassie had a similar experience at the first game she attended as his. He got hurt, went into the locker room, and came out with the focus of a gnat. Apparently Cassie had visited him during that time and professed her love for him, and he was understandably distracted after that. Now I get it. “I gave you shit after that first game with Cassie, but damn. Now I know how you felt. I could walk away right now and not care.”

“I know what you mean. I haven’t publicized it yet, but I’m retiring at the end of the season. My contract is up, and I don’t think my body can take much more. I’d be willing to think about a one-year contract with the Wolves, but I won’t be traded. We’re happy in Denver,” Gabe says quietly.

“Second line!” Coach shouts.

My mind whirls as I take in Gabe’s words, but I shove them to the side as we get a breakaway with the puck. Gabe has a shot all lined up, but at the last second, he passes it to me. I’m closer to the goal, but a Miami defender sits between me and the goalie. Doing some relatively fancy footwork I probably couldn’t repeat if I tried, I fake to the right, switch my stick, and shoot from my left side, watching as the puck sails over the goalie’s right shoulder.

The boys crowd me in celebration of my goal, and I look at Gabe in confusion. “Why didn’t you take the shot?”

He shrugs and gives me a smile. “Your girl is here. Trust me, Jax. If she’s anything like Cassie, she’ll be really excited to celebrate when you get back to the hotel.”

I laugh as I shake my head, but as soon as I lock eyes with Becca behind the bench, I know what Gabe says is true. She’s looking at me like she’s never seen anything hotter.

After a blowout win where I scored two goals and had two assists, Becca meets me by the locker room entrance. She’s downright quivering with sexual tension, and I’m not sure if she’ll make it back to the hotel before she combusts.

“Jacob, I — what — I mean, wow,” she stammers.

I’m still in my uniform, only having removed my skates, and I lean down to whisper in her ear. “You okay, darlin’? You seem a little tense.”

I hear her whimper. “Why was that so hot?”

“The goal?”

“No,” she moans. “The whole thing. The goal was hot. You getting in that other guy’s face. Did you wink at me at one point? I’ve never come in public before, Jacob, so I don’t know how I might act, but that almost made me find out.”

“Never in public?”

“I mean, not in front of other people, no.”

“But you’ve come in public before?” I ask, lowering my voice so only she hears. No one is in the periphery, but this conversation is clearly meant for only me and my wife.

“Define public,” she whispers.

“Well, if I were to take you into a room down the hall right now, and have my way with you, would you come? And would that be considered public?”

“Good Lord,” she moans. “Maybe? I don’t know. How long until you’re ready? Do you have to ride the bus? Jacob, I’m aching .”

Fuck. “You need me to take care of that ache, baby?”

“Yes. Please.”

Taking her hand, I drag her down the hallway. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m determined to find a private area. If my wife needs me to take care of that ache, I’m fucking doing it.