Page 50 of Power Play (Titans Hockey #2)

Chapter forty-six

Garrett

M y chest feels lighter than it has in a long time. My hand rests on the back of Lacey's neck. My thumb rubs up and down the side of it, playing with the short hair there. I have to be touching her. It's a compulsion.

She chats easily with the people around us while I sip my whiskey and simply watch her.

Her words replay in my head.

"Because I believe in him. You may not, but I do. He's going to be ten times the father you ever were. He knows what unconditional love is because I give it to him. And he can't wait to love our babies just the same."

And just like that, she put all my fears to rest. I am going to love her and our babies unconditionally.

It's no longer a question in my mind. I don't know how to be a father, and part of it terrifies me, but I know between her and Coach and Ski, we'll figure it out.

Where I'll fail, one of them will pick up the slack.

And maybe that's the way it was always meant to be.

To have partners, to be a family, is to be a team.

Where one has weaknesses, the others have strength, and it's not a weakness or a flaw to rely on other people to pick up your slack.

What I have with Lacey, Scott, and Ben is a home, a feeling of belonging.

I tried to run at first, but Scott didn't let me.

Where Scott came in heavy-handed and demanded I grow up, Ben was right behind him, softly encouraging and reassuring me that I could do it.

All while Lacey waited for me to make my choice, but I always knew she would accept me no matter which choice I made.

That kind of unwavering faith in me shook me to my core, but it was exactly what I needed.

All three of them were exactly what I needed.

And I know, going forward, no matter what challenges we encounter, each of us will play a role in navigating it. As long as we have faith, trust, and love in each other, there's nothing we can't overcome.

"Can I get you a refill, baby?" I lean over and speak against Lacey's ear. Her pomegranate mocktail is running low and I adore taking care of her. My warrior woman.

She turns, smiles, and presses a kiss to my cheek. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

Gone is the fierce woman who defended me against my father. Here is the soft, sweet, feminine Lacey. I squeeze her neck gently, letting her know I'll be right back and head to the bar.

I order another whiskey for me and a pomegranate mocktail for Lacey, but when I turn, both hands full, I'm confronted by Tiffany.

"Hey baby," she coos, running her hands up my chest. Ew. I don't want her hands on me, but my back is against the bar and both of my hands are full. I give her a tight smile and try to step out of her reach.

"Hey Tiffany, how are you?"

"Excuse me." I look up to see Lacey standing behind Tiffany. Fuck, this looks bad.

Tiffany ignores Lacey and presses her fake, hard tits up against my chest. Tiffany and I used to hook up at these boring upper-class events. Usually, a quick and dirty fuck in a storage closet or my car afterwards, but I'd completely forgotten about her or the possibility she'd be at this thing .

I try to shuffle to the side to get around her, but there are people in the way.

"Excuse me," Lacey says again, a little more force in her voice.

Tiffany thinks Lacey's trying to get to the bar, so she tugs us away from the bar and continues her assault.

I cringe. Fuck, I don't want this. I want to put my drinks down and remove Tiffany's hands from me and tell her to fuck off, but it's crowded and "fuck off" isn't exactly proper etiquette at these events. And etiquette was important to my mom.

"Wanna go find a broom closet, baby? It's been forever since we've had a little fun."

Before I know what's happening, Tiffany's on the floor, looking just as shocked as I am. I look up to Lacey and she simply shrugs, taking her drink from my hand.

"Did you just..." I start at the same time Tiffany scoffs and shouts in indignation.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tiffany shuffles to stand, but between her tall heels and long dress, she's struggling. I should be a gentleman and help her up, but honestly, that's just not who I am.

"I'm his wife," Lacey spits, disgust lacing her voice.

I can't help the laugh that bubbles up out of me. I set my whiskey down on the bar behind me. Now, with one hand free, I step over Tiffany and wrap my hand around the back of Lacey's neck, pulling her to me. "Did you just body check her with your belly?"

That bubbly, effervescent feeling from before assaults my chest and I'm almost laughing so hard tears are threatening .

She shrugs. "I said 'excuse me'. Not my fault she didn't move." She rubs her hand over her stomach and grimaces. "I'm too pregnant for this shit."

I laugh, pull Lacey tighter to me, and kiss the shit out of her.

I don't care if we're in public, surrounded by wealthy-types that we want to donate to the cause, because my wife just staked her claim.

Lacey, who used to be so passive about other women wanting her men, just body slammed a woman hitting on me with her pregnant belly.

That's it. Tonight couldn't get any better.

I don't think I could fall any more in love with this woman.

This isn't the Lacey from the cabin, shutting down after a woman flirts with her man. This is Lacey, in all her confident glory, flipping off the world with both hands and staking her claim.

I break our kiss but lead her back to our table. "Finish your drink, baby girl, and then we can get out of here."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. There's nothing I want more than to take you home," I whisper lowly against the shell of her ear.

We down our drinks, say goodbye to the people at our tables and head out, my hand on Lacey's lower back. I catch the glare and promise of a threat in my father's eye on our way out, but there's literally nothing he can do to us.

We're married. And the second those babies are born; we'll have the final piece of the puzzle we need to secure Mom's legacy.

He could demand a paternity test, but the criteria on the trust doesn't require one and if we decide we want one in the future, we'll keep the results private.

Maybe I've grown up, but those babies are mine, just as much as they are Ben's and Scott's .

I've learned that family is who you decide it is. You decide, and then you wake up every day and choose to love them. It's as simple as that.

I practically drag Lacey to the car, need simmering just beneath my skin.

The deep, primal urge to protect her, provide for her, take care of her has been growing every week we've been together, but her possessiveness, her fire, her love for me has the need bubbling up uncontrollably.

I can't decide what I want to do to her first - make her come, hold her, tell her how much I love her, or pour her a bubble bath.

I've never felt so many conflicting needs at once.

"Thank you, Alan," I say as I help Lacey into the back seat before rounding the car and getting in beside her.

My hands instantly find her hips to tug her closer.

Her hands reach for my neck to pull me to her, too.

Her eyes flash with heat before they close in a wince, and she crinkles her nose. Okay, not what I was expecting.

"Ew," she says, pushing me off of her. "You smell like that woman. What was she wearing, cat piss?"

I snort a laugh before kicking off my shoes. The instinct to solve all of her problems has me stripping before I've even really considered it. My woman doesn't like the smell of my clothes? Off they go.

I shrug off my tuxedo jacket and unbutton my dress shirt before tugging down my pants.

But I'm not sure where to put them. The front passenger seat is still too close.

I go to roll down the window and throw them out of the moving car when Lacey stops me.

"What are you doing!? You can't just throw them outside! "

"Watch me," I say as I wait for the window to finish rolling down.

"That's littering!"

"Oh." I think for a minute .

"Hey, Alan, would you mind pulling over when you get the chance so I can throw these in the trunk?"

"Yes, sir," Alan replies, turning on the blinker and pulling over to the curb. Luckily, we were still in the city and not on the highway yet.

Once he's stopped, I open the door and step out.

"You're naked!" Lacey shouts from inside the car, but I can't help but laugh. My cheeks have hurt all night from how much this woman has made me smile. I need to get with the guys and do something special for her.

I throw the clothes in the trunk, without a care in the world, and sit back in the back seat.

"Is this better?"

Lacey looks at me, in just my boxer briefs, and looks at Alan, who is professionally ignoring us and pulling back out onto the street.

"Yes. But we can't do anything," Lacey whispers as she leans against my arm.

Oh, fuck that. I can't wait until we get home. I'll be a good boy another day.

I turn and lean my back against the door, lifting one of my legs to lie against the bench seat and pull her between my legs so her back is to my front. I pull her knees up and tug her dress back down so the leg closest to PAlan creates somewhat of a screen.

I bend my head forward. "You're going to have to be quiet, or Alan will get quite the show." I can feel her tense beneath me, but her breathing quickens. She loves the fear of being caught. Thank you, Scott, for that hot tip .

I slowly drag the right side of her dress up her hip just enough that I can slip my hand under it. My fingers find her panties and I thump my forehead against her shoulder. She's soaked.

"Is this all for me, baby girl?" I growl quietly into her ear. She bites her lip and nods.

I'm going to torture my sweet girl, so that by the time we're home, she'll be ravenous. She's been pretty insatiable with her pregnancy hormones, and her changing body is sexy as hell, but as she's getting bigger, she feels more and more uncomfortable and less sexy.

Tonight? Tonight, I'm going to reward my woman, my wife.

I slide one finger barely inside of her entrance.

Just enough she can feel me, but not enough to get any satisfaction from it.

I trace her entrance slowly, leisurely, as if we have all the time in the world.

Lacey's breathing deepens, her back pressing against my chest. I rub her clit with the heel of my palm, gently.

She squirms, wanting more, but unable to ask for it without making a scene.

Eventually, I slide a second finger in and am rewarded with a quiet moan.

I pump my fingers in and out of her, but without her clit or G-spot stimulation, I know she won't come from this alone.

Doesn't mean it doesn't make her hotter and wetter.

Every few thrusts, I graze either her G-spot or clit.

It's just enough to drive her crazy without driving her over the top.

She's a panting, squirming mess by the time we get back to the house.

I get my clothes from the trunk, thank Alan and give him a hefty tip, after wiping my hand off on my slacks.

Lacey hikes up her skirt and stomps to the front door, glaring at me. I can't help but laugh.

Scott and Ben open the door for her, eager to see their woman .

"Why are you naked?" Ben asks.

And all I can do is laugh.

And then I share my wife with her boyfriends.