Page 46 of Hot for the Hockey Player (The Single Moms of San Camanez: The Vino Vixens #2)

Gabrielle

It was nearly midnight by the time I got home from Maverick’s. I couldn’t remember the last time I stayed out so late, let alone to have sex—that many times.

The man was the Energizer Bunny. He had maybe a twenty-minute recovery period, then he could go again. And his tongue didn’t seem to need any kind of recovery time.

Thank god he walked me to my car, because I wasn’t sure my legs would work properly if I attempted it myself. How I managed to make it from my vehicle to my front door, and from my front door to my bedroom, still boggled my mind. But I did.

I collapsed into bed after an expedited nighttime routine of washing my face and brushing my teeth.

I fell asleep almost immediately—but not before turning off my alarm for the morning.

I think I got enough of a workout with Maverick that I didn’t need Hadleigh and her double-zero waist telling me to “feel the burn” at five in the morning.

I woke to a poke.

And not the sexy kind of poke.

The poke in my shoulder from my kid, followed by an: “Are you dead?”

Prying one eye open, I glanced up at Laurel, who stared down at me with growing concern. “What?”

“It’s seven-thirty. Why are you still in bed? Are you sick?”

“No. I just … I got to bed late. So I turned off my alarm and decided to sleep in.”

“You never do that. What’s wrong?” I’d already shut my eyes again, but the dip in the mattress beside me and the back of her hand against my forehead said she didn’t decide to let me go back to my sexy, Maverick-filled dream. “You don’t have a fever.”

“Because I’m not sick. I just got to bed late.”

“Were you over at Bennett’s house the whole time? Damon says you weren’t home when he went to bed at ten-thirty. Why were you gone so long?”

“I … I was just out ,” I grumbled, still not ready to open my eyes and start the day. “Can’t I sleep in one day in my life?”

“You can. You just don’t. Is it cramps? You’re not due for another two weeks for your period. So … ovulation cramps, maybe? Is your endometriosis acting up? Do you need ibuprofen?”

Okay, that prompted me to open my eye again. Just one though.

She stared down at me with her alert, honey-colored eyes. “Don’t give me that look. You put a star on the fridge calendar when you get your period. And I know that it’s roughly two weeks between the menstruation phase and ovulation phase. So, statistically, you could be ovulating.”

“You’re too smart. It’s too early for your brains. Go have breakfast and turn the kettle on for me, please.” I was about to roll over and take another ten minutes, but her hand on my shoulder made me stop.

“What’s that on your neck?”

Well, now I was awake. Both eyes flew open, and I bolted upright in bed.

“What’s what on my neck?” I scrambled out of bed, nearly sending my second born tumbling to the ground, and acutely aware of the pleasant throb between my legs, reminding me of my calisthenic evening.

I went to the full-length mirror on my wall and flicked on the overhead light to study what was on my neck.

I gasped before I could stop myself.

“Well, what is it?” Laurel asked, completely innocent. “It looks like a bruise. How’d you get a bruise on your neck?”

The longer I gaped at it, the more vivid the memory of receiving that particular mark came into view. It was more a bite than a hickey. I could make out Maverick’s teeth marks if I stared at it long enough. And of course, my nipples pebbled beneath my pajama top and my pussy began to throb.

Traitors.

Laurel got in really close beside me, her eyes narrowing. “Looks almost like … teeth marks.”

I stood back abruptly. “All right, let’s start the day, my curious little kitten. I’m up. I’m not dead, I’m not sick, and those are definitely not teeth marks.”

“What aren’t teeth marks?” Damon asked, coming into my room as I went about making my bed while Laurel stood there watching me.

“Mom’s got a bite mark on her neck. Why would she have bite marks on her neck?”

Oh god. Why couldn’t I have one morning? One freaking morning!

Damon knew exactly why I’d have a bite mark on my neck, unlike his innocent little sister. His nostrils flared when he started to put the pieces together and I resisted the urge to vomit as my gut spun and not just my face, but my whole body grew hot. “Is that from Maverick?” he asked slowly.

Laurel gasped. “Oh my god! Did Maverick bite you?” She turned to her brother. “Why would he bite her?”

“Because they were kissing,” Damon said, with an even tone. “You were, weren’t you?”

“I knew it!” Laurel fist pumped the air.

“What?” I exclaimed. “You knew what?”

“Sam overheard Aunt Danica and Aunt Naomi talking about how Maverick liked you. Like, like-liked you. Like a crush. And they said you might like him too. Then I started watching you guys and the way Maverick looks at you, Mom, is the way Jagger looks at Aunt Raina. He like-likes you.”

While my daughter actually seemed delighted at the idea of Maverick and me together, I was more concerned about how my son was going to take this news.

This was certainly not how I intended to tell either of them—if I was going to tell either of them at all.

This was, after all, very, very temporary, and I didn’t want them to get their hopes up, or their hearts hurt in the process.

“Damon,” I said softly, coming around the bed to sit down in front of both of them, “you okay?”

“How long have you and Mav been …” He shrugged. “What are you, exactly?”

“Just since last night,” I said softly. “We revealed our feelings for each other last night. That’s where I was. That’s why I got home late and why I slept in.”

“And he bit your neck?” Laurel asked, still confused.

“It’s what people do sometimes when they’re kissing,” Damon told his sister, with only a small level of impatience.

Laurel wrinkled her nose. “Why? That just seems weird. You bite people you don’t like. You kiss people you do.”

“For another day, sweetheart.” I brushed my hand down her arm. “Grown-up relationships are weird.”

“So, do you guys like … love each other … or … what?” Damon asked. “What does this all mean?”

Oh boy.

I pulled them both down to sit on the bed with me, and I pivoted to face them, then took one of their hands in each of mine.

“It means that Maverick and I have romantic feelings for each other. But we know that he’s not here forever.

So we’re going into this … relationship knowing it’s temporary.

But he makes me happy, and feel special, and if you both are okay with it, I’d like to continue to see him. ”

“Isn’t it going to be extra sad when he leaves if you fall in love?” Laurel asked.

I nodded. “It could be, yeah. But then I’ll just focus on the memories of how happy I was while he was here.” I gave their hands a squeeze. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I just don’t want you two to get too invested into things and get your hearts hurt when he leaves.”

Both kids nodded.

I focused on Damon again. “You okay with this?”

“When Mav comes over, he’ll still be able to play video games with me, right? You’re not going to just cuddle and kiss all the time now, are you?”

Ah, the true root of his concern had finally been revealed. I chuckled and shook my head. “I promise you can have just as much of him as before. We won’t even kiss in front of you guys if you don’t want us to.”

“Don’t really care about that,” my son muttered as he pried his hand from mine and stood up.

“Well, I think it’s great.” Laurel stood up too. “Mav’s great, you’re great. And if he makes you happy, then that’s all that matters.” She zeroed back in on my neck. “I still don’t get why he bit you though.”

I rubbed at my bite mark and held my hand against it. “Go have breakfast.”

She followed her brother out of my room, each of them casting me a cursory glance over their shoulder before disappearing.

Well, that could have gone better, but it also could have gone worse. I grabbed my phone from my nightstand and shot off a message to Maverick, letting him know that the kids figured it out.

He replied.

Am I in trouble?

(Me)

I don’t think so. Damon just doesn’t want you giving up any video game time with him to kiss and cuddle me. And Laurel is VERY concerned about the bite mark on my neck.

(Maverick)

Oh shit. I’ll make it up to them. And you ?? Come over this morning.

(Me)

I DO have a job, you know.

(Maverick)

I’ll be quick, I swear. Just three, four times TOPS!

I was smiling like an idiot now, and my core clenched in anticipation.

(Me)

I’ll be over at nine-thirty.

(Maverick)

And I’ll have you coming by nine thirty-five.

Damon wasn’t a fool. Neither of my kids were.

But Laurel was still a child, and blissfully ignorant in the ways of adult romance and intimacy.

Damon, not so much. I’d had the talk with him, stocked the bathroom with condoms, and even had to tell him that if he was going to take care of himself and use a tube sock, he needed to wash those himself—which he did.

All I got was an eye roll from my eldest, who sat at the kitchen table doing his schoolwork when I told him I was going to go back over to Maverick’s. He didn’t seem annoyed, or grossed out, but I knew he was feeling something. I just couldn’t put my finger on what.

I didn’t sit in my car at all this time when I pulled up to the cabin. I barely turned off the ignition before I bailed out and ran up to the door. I was becoming a wanton, horny woman I didn’t even recognize.

But I didn’t care.

He made me happy. He made me feel good, and even though none of this was permanent, I didn’t care.

The door swung open to reveal Maverick Roy in all his naked-torso glory with those delicious gray sweatpants back on, and bare feet.