Page 49 of Playing for Keeps (Seattle Hawks Ice Hockey #4)

Jade

It’s late when Jay rolls into my cottage. I slipped him a key earlier, knowing it would probably be late when he’d finished up with the guys.

He comes up into my room with a gentle nudge of the door, I hear him kick off his shoes and then the sound of some item of clothing being dropped to the floor.

I rub my eyes as I stir and rest up on my elbows as I see his silhouette in the moonlight.

Shirtless, he’s reaching for the belt buckle and my insides tingle.

“Jay,” I whisper.

His voice is as soft as mine as he whispers back, “Hey, Baby. You okay?”

“Yeah. How was your night?”

“You’re not even gonna believe it,” he says, unzipping and shrugging his jeans and briefs down in one fluid motion, and toeing out of them as his cock springs free.

Holy keepers. Adjusting himself, he walks towards the bed completely starkers, I sit up even further to take in the view.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how sexy his body is and his reaction to me.

It makes me feel so good.

“What happened?” I breathe as he peels back the covers and crawls on in.

I love the way he reaches for me and pulls my body across the mattress, sliding me closer to him.

He inclines his head and leans in to kiss me, his soft lips caressing mine like an angel's touch.

His hard dick presses into the hip of my sleep shorts, making me giggle.

He pulls back and lays his palm to my cheek, brushing over it with his thumb gently. “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he says. “And I don’t know where to start with tonight, but let’s just say Tanner somehow put two and two together.”

I gasp bolting upright, my hand flying to my chest. “W-hat?”

“Yeah, it’s a long story, but he knows, Babe.”

“He knows?” My heart has kicked up at the mere notion of what he’s saying.

“Yep. He sure does.”

“I can’t believe it. And I’m guessing you didn’t deny it?”

“What was the point? I almost blurted it out in the casino before we got interrupted—” he pauses then, gripping his bottom lip with his teeth. “Well, anyway, the jig is up for us, Little J. Just like Tanner said.”

“Oh.My.God. How did he take it?”

“Surprisingly well. I told him it was new, and that it really only began here.”

I rake a hand through my messy locks and rest back on the headboard. Jay is rolled on his side, oh-so-casual, propping his head up on his hand. “So, he didn’t try to punch your lights out?”

He sighs then and I feel a jolt in my chest at the thought of them fighting over this.

Oh, please no. I couldn’t think of anything worse with them having a fall out between them.

“It wasn’t me he tried punching tonight, thankfully,” he says.

“But there’s something else I gotta tell you.

” He trails soft fingers down over my neck and shoulder.

My body hums to his touch as he glides them down my side body, brushing the edge of my breast, all the way down to my hip, and I shiver from his expert strokes.

“Are you trying to distract me from something?”

He nudges his hips to mine. “Maybe.”

“Jay, what do you have to tell me?” I don’t know whether to panic or not, he seems to be acting normal.

“I don’t want you to get upset. Everyone is physically okay, by the way, but an incident happened in the casino.”

I blow out a breath and give him a little shove, hoping it will prompt him to spill whatever he’s got to say. “Jay! Tell me. I won’t get upset.”

He leans down and kisses me again, it’s soft and sweet… and tentative. “Okay.” He pulls back and sucks in a breath. “The LA Lakers are in town.”

After I got over the shock of everything Jay had to say about what happened in the casino, which took over an hour of us talking it out, he finally was able to distract me and a quicker version of the previous night entailed. It’s like I needed him to fuck this sudden news right out of me.

This time, however, we weren’t up until the wee hours of morning. I for one needed some shut eye for Tanner and Deb’s big day.

I never in my wildest dreams believed that Jay would ever run into Aaron, or Tanner, for that matter. Talk about a case of bad timing. I’m just so glad I didn’t run into him. And from what Jay said, I don’t have to worry about him contacting me ever again.

I mean, the LA Lakers! It isn’t something I knew about, I obviously haven’t been keeping any kind of tabs on him.

Whatever he does from here is no longer my concern.

I already had closure when I said what I had to say the moment I found out what he’d been up to. There’s no way I need to do it again.

From the moment a random message popped up on his phone that I happened to see, it was all down hill from there.

I’m just glad he’s out of my life for good and I found out sooner rather than later.

“Let me fix your tie,” I giggle as Jay refuses to keep still and keeps trying to grab me around the waist. “I have to get back to the bride!”

“And I have to get back in you.” He nuzzles into my neck, his beautiful scent encapsulating me like it wants to be a part of me. I slap his hands away, but it only encourages him.

He was so pumped last night after his big night at the arena and spending a few hours with the boys at the casino. Thankfully for Tanner, the night was pretty tame as far as a buck’s night, at least until my ex showed up.

“We will, later. You have to behave yourself tonight, too,” I remind him. “No funny business on the dance floor.”

“I can’t promise that, Sweetheart. You know me. As soon as I see you in your dress, all bets are off. And Tanner knows now, anyway.”

Well, there is that. But my parents don’t and I’d rather not make that mistake again of keeping anything for them. I’ll be having a chat with them at some point today. “Hardly a reason for us to suddenly flaunt it.”

“All the more reason to, do you know how hard it was to not skate up to you last night and grab you from the stands right after we won?”

“How hard?” I waggle my brows, unable to keep a straight face.

The corner of his mouth lifts up and he bumps his hips forward. “So, so hard, Baby.”

“You!” I chastise, but neither of us can hold off on our laughter. “Keep it in your pants until after the wedding.”

“All I can do is try.”

I break the news to my folks a few hours before Tanner and Deb say I do.

I think it’s the right thing to do, given the fact that Jay and I are going to be in close proximity for the most part of the day.

While we don’t have anything official to declare for the moment, we both want to navigate it as it comes, and I want my parents to hear it from me that we’re seeing each other.

Mom is kind of shocked, and Dad too, if I’m being honest, but I know they love Jay and they will come around to the idea, once they’ve gotten used to it.

“It’s really new between us,” I tell them both. “I think we kind of realized in Seattle, but tried to deny it. Then being apart all those weeks after I left kinda cemented things. Nothing happened before that.”

“I think a part of you has always admired Jay,” Mom says, when she’s recovered from the shock. “What does Tanner say about it?”

“Jay spoke to him last night, he was shocked too. But I think he’s coming around to the idea.” I haven’t had a chance to even broach it with him myself yet.

“I’m happy for you,” Dad says. “I love Jay, you know that. But if he hurts you, I will kill him.”

“Dad!”

Mom gives him a slap on the arm. “What your father is trying to say is that we want you to be happy, Jade. We’ve always wanted that. And if Jay is the one to be that person, who are we to stand in your way.”

Tears brim my eyes. “I didn’t want to keep anything from you both, not like the last time, with those other things,” I say. “But there’s something about it with him, he’s very special.”

“I have to agree there,” Mom says, pulling me into a hug. Dad wraps his arms around me too.

It couldn’t have gone any better, and I’m glad it’s out in the open with them.

Seeing my brother get married is one of the best experiences of my life.

I’m so happy for him and Deb. The day goes without a hitch and Deb is as cool as a cucumber all morning while our hair and makeup is being done.

It’s been an amazing few days here, and felt like a real break, even though it’s been jam packed with events since the moment we got here. I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Deb’s dress is a gorgeous blush pink with a beaded bodice and a full tulle skirt. Our one-shoulder dresses are in a similar pink hue, but slightly deeper and made from satin. It runches up at the waist, with a big pink satin bow on the shoulder.

When Luca walks down the aisle carrying the ring pillow with Robbie next to him, ‘awwws’ ring out amongst the gathering. It’s fifty guests, so it’s small and intimate and I love that they included Robbie in the ceremony. He’s been such a big part of our family now for so long.

Jay couldn’t take his eyes off me when I walked up the aisle right behind Luca and Robbie, and I know my smile was so full I’m shining brighter than a sunbeam.

All through the ceremony we kept looking across at each other, the waggle of his eyebrows and the intense way his eyes watched mine when they both said I do.

He looks so damned sexy too in his tux.

The photos took a while as the photographer wanted the wedding party to head down to the lake and get some beach shots. I think everyone was thankful to finally get into the ballroom and have some canapés and drinks.

The ballroom has been set up so beautifully with touches of pink, white and silver. Round tables adorn the floor with white covered chairs with bows on the back. The pink bouquets of roses and peonies set with baby’s breath on each table are simple and elegant.

I give my brother and Deb a hug before their bridal waltz. “I hope you’ve had a beautiful day so far,” I say. “You both look amazing.”