Page 22

Twenty-Two

NAT

Everything is still a little surreal but I’m leaning into it full force. That night at Delaney’s had been…perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect. I never would have thought that Anthony Rizzo would be the king of grand gestures but my God, he aced his first attempt with flying colors. The fact that he’d done it days before Valentine’s Day instead of on it and avoided the cliché of it all made it all that much better. Our first official Valentine’s together was a nice, lowkey affair of pizza, beer, and a fun new set of restraints that attach to the bed. It had been one hell of a night.

I’ll hand it to him. He’s really rocking this whole relationship thing like a pro seeing as it’s his first one. I know that it’s all a bit crazy and fast, but I can’t quite make myself care. It feels too right to worry about if anyone else thinks we’re moving too quickly or thinks we’re insane.

“You remember when you called me and Connor disgusting?” Hattie says as we make our way down to the ice for the game. She has a shit-eating grin on her face and I narrow my eyes in mock annoyance.

“Shut it,” I tell her. “We aren’t nearly as bad as you two.”

“Lies. You’re worse,” Bobby says, falling into step beside us.

“I hate you both, have I mentioned that lately?” They both laugh and we stop and grab beers and snacks before we had down to our customary spot at the glass. We settle in and watch as the guys stretch on the ice. AJ meets my eyes across the rink and gives me a cocky smile and a wink. Shep does the same to Hattie and…I follow Bobby’s gaze where it locks with Jules’ in a weirdly tense moment before they both look off in other directions, as if pretending they didn’t see each other. Hmm…

“Did you and Jules get in a fight or something?” I ask.

“What? No…well, kind of yeah. It’s nothing though, just stupid stuff. So, how are things on the dad front?” he asks, quickly changing the subject. We’ll be circling back to that later. No way it’s nothing…I wonder…

“No real change. He’s not ready to accept my life and stop trying to control it, so I’m not ready for us to have a relationship.” I shrug. “Simple as that.”

Hattie reaches over and squeezes my forearm.

“I know that’s gotta be rough though, even if y’all weren’t super close to begin with.”

“It is what it is,” I sigh. It does suck but I’m not going to budge.

“So when are you guys gonna go official official?” I give Bobby a confused look and he clarifies, “Like social media and magazine covers and the whole nine yards?”

“I don’t know, I feel like that’ll jinx us or something.”

“Oh please,” Hattie says, rolling her eyes. “Y’all are end game, I know it.”

I feel like even thinking it really will somehow ruin everything, but I can see myself with AJ forever. I can see a life, a family, all of it. I laugh her off and we chat about other things while we wait for the game to start.

When the second period ends, we’re up five-one.

“Damn, Nat, you must be his good luck charm because Rizzo is on fucking fire!” Bobby yells when the crowd erupts as Rosie, the goalie filling in for Shep until he’s greenlit to come back, makes a save. He’s pretty good, but he’s no Connor Shepherd. The doctors are telling him it’ll be another month, at least, but knowing him, he’ll be back in another two weeks, tops. He’s stubborn as hell and looks like he’s coming out of his skin watching the game from the bench.

I grin before cupping my hands around my mouth and yelling with everyone else. He skates backwards by us then, grinning and gliding his glove over the glass. I shake my head and mouth showoff before he turns and skates off again. He really has been killing it these past few weeks, even breaking the Vipers’ all-time goals scored record. AJ said the same thing, that I was his lucky charm, but I won’t give these two the satisfaction of agreeing with them.

“He’s Irish—he’s just got good luck in his veins,” I call back and they both give me looks that say I’m full of shit. I stick out my tongue at them and then grab everyone nachos, feeling like I’m on top of the world.

As soon as he walks out of the locker room after the game, I can’t help but leap into his waiting arms and slam my lips to his. Watching him play has always been hot, but watching him play like that , like a fucking rock star who met my eyes across the ice at every possible second? It’s sexy as hell. His hair is wet from the shower and little droplets of water drip over my fingers as I tangle my hands through it.

“Mmm, a man could get used to this kind of post-game greeting,” he murmurs against my lips. I laugh and reluctantly let him put me down so we can walk out to the parking garage. Most everyone else has left already since AJ stayed after to get patched up a bit—nothing major, just a small split over one eyebrow—and do an ice bath, so it’s almost deserted. I hop in the passenger seat of the Range Rover while he tosses his stuff in the back. He slides into the driver’s seat and I immediately throw myself over the center console and pull his face to mine again. He tangles his hand into my hair, groaning into the kiss that spirals out of control almost immediately.

“Nat?” he asks, half excited, half confused.

“I can’t wait until we get back to the house. I want you now .” The sound he makes is a near growl and then he’s got my leggings and panties yanked down faster than I would have thought possible. I kick off my boots and shove the material down the rest of the way, whimpering into his mouth as he thrusts his tongue at the same time he thrusts two fingers exactly where I need him. He pumps them in a deep, hard rhythm and I’m already soaked and ready. Desperate.

“Then get your ass over here, baby,” he rasps as he grips my hip and yanks me over his lap. I settle my knees on either side of his hips and I’m so thankful that he didn’t decide to bring the Maserati today. That thing is almost impossible to fuck inside. Almost . We made it work, but admittedly laughed more than anything trying to figure out the logistics, and that was just in the garage at his house. Now, we don’t have that problem and there is no fucking laughing, there’s just a fiery, carnal desire that’s about to consume me like wildfire burning completely out of control.

I reach down and fumble with the button and zipper of his jeans and he tugs my sweater off, leaving me in just my black lacy bra. I free his cock and he makes a choking-groaning sound as I stroke once, twice, and then quickly position him beneath me. This isn’t a slow, sweet bout of sex. This is feral and frenzied and hot as fuck.

I sink down his shaft and cry out, the sound muffled against his lips.

“Ah, fuck Nat! You feel so fucking good.” He grips my hips and guides me to start riding him, hard and deep. I grip his shoulders, digging my nails in and holding on for dear life as he starts to buck his hips upward as he wrenches me down. Fuck, fuck, fuck . I kiss him again, thrusting and rolling my tongue, demanding and taking what I want. He gives me everything, knowing exactly how to make me so drunk with pleasure that I barely even perceive the world around me. There is no world around me. There’s just me and him and our bodies fitting so perfectly together.

“Just like that, baby. God, I love when you ride me…” He sucks on my lower lip and I moan, whipping my hips faster. This angle is sublime. I don’t care that we’re in public. I don’t care that this is ridiculous. I don’t care about anything but the man below me and his lips on mine and the thundering of our hearts as we climb and climb and?—

Bright flashes of light nearly blind me. I stop moving, frozen in shock.

“What the fuck?” AJ barks.

I blink, trying to force the white spots from my vision. When they clear, my heart sinks. Three guys with cameras surround the outside of the car, snapping picture after picture of us. Of me fucking riding Anthony Rizzo in the front seat of his car. Shit, shit, shit . I guess it’s a good thing he hadn’t taken my bra off or this would have been really, really bad, but it’s still not great. I throw an arm over my breasts to cover myself anyway and lean close into AJ’s chest.

“Back the fuck up!” he yells at the paparazzi, sounding pissed as hell. The fury in his eyes startles me and I think he might really kill these guys if he gets his hands on them. “So help me God if you’re still standing there when I get out of this car…”

We’re kind of stuck. If I pull myself off of him everything will be on display for the cameras.

“AJ, I can’t move…I don’t know what to do…” This is beyond mortifying. I’ve never been caught hooking up in public before. I feel like a stupid teenager caught under the bleachers by the principal.

“Here,” he says quietly, and I can tell he’s trying to keep his voice level. He grabs my sweater from the other seat and drapes it around me as he hoists me up, effectively shielding me from a Britney circa 2006 moment, and sets me in the passenger seat. He’s all but shaking with anger and irritation, but when he meets my gaze as he shoves his cock back into his pants, there’s also fear there. Is he worried that I’ll be upset? That I’ll blame him? I was the one who said I couldn’t wait until we got home. He runs his fingers through his hair and then turns to open the door, yelling at the paparazzi some more. They’re smart enough to scatter before he even makes it out of the car and I quickly yank up my pants while he chases after them. My heart is beating out of my chest and my arms and legs feel almost numb from the shock of it, but it’s slowly starting to wear off. I’m mostly just embarrassed I think.

AJ comes back to the car, slamming the door behind him.

“Fuck!” he yells, starling me as he punches the steering wheel. He squeezes his eyes shut and I reach over and lay a hand on his arm.

“Hey,” I say gently. He sighs heavily and opens his eyes, turning to meet my gaze. He looks…distraught.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Nat.”

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault.”

“It is though. This shit is my life, not yours. You didn’t ask for that.”

“I asked for you, and all of this comes with it. It’s a small price to pay.” He looks like he’s trying to gauge if I’m serious or not. “I knew I’d get photographed with you at some point, I just thought I might have my top on when it happened.” I smile at him and he huffs out a small laugh. “We’ll just have to be more careful next time we decide to fuck in public like horny teenagers, that’s all.” He slowly relaxes, a small smile curling his own lips.

“So, there’s going to be a next time?”

“Oh you better believe it, Thirst Trap…”

“So, do you want Annie’s or The Lighthouse?” I ask as I unlock my front door. I need to grab a change of clothes and start some laundry before we head to get some breakfast.

“Hmm, I’m thinking Annie’s—they have the best waffles and I’m definitely feeling waffles.”

I laugh as we walk through the doorway, rummaging in my purse for my phone. It’s been buzzing all morning but I haven’t checked my messages yet. AJ and I were…distracted before we left the house. Twice. I look up and scream when I see a man standing at my kitchen island. AJ immediately steps in front of me, pushing me behind him with a sweep of his arm.

“What the fuck?”

“It’s fine, AJ. This is my dad.” I roll my eyes and step around him. He doesn’t completely relax his posture, still eyeing dad mistrustfully. “By all means, let yourself in, dad. Jesus Christ.” It takes me a minute to notice how tense he is, almost shaking with…anger? His gray eyes, so like mine, are practically burning with it. What the hell? He ignores my comment about barging in.

“Wonderful, the hockey player is here too,” he spits.

“What the hell? What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What am I doing here?? ” He slams a tabloid down on the counter, followed by three more. I stare in horror when I see…me. Me in AJ’s lap, half naked in his car, to be exact. Oh God, the paparazzi from last night. I don’t know why, but I hadn’t even considered this as a consequence of being caught in the parking garage. I just thought “oh, well I guess people will know we’re dating now, no big deal.” I feel so fucking stupid now.

“Oh God,” I whisper.

“I wake up this morning to see this shit plastered on every tabloid in the newsstands.” I want to point out that hardly anyone actually buys stuff from the newsstands anymore, but I know that doesn’t matter. Sure enough, he holds up his phone, open to one of his social media apps. “All over every fucking social media platform.” He turns the phone back to him so he can read the caption on one of the posts. “Natalie Morgan, aka Natalie Harrington, daughter of real estate and hospitality mogul and well-known philanthropist, Charles Harrington?—”

“Harrington…?” AJ asks, trailing off as realization hits. “Holy shit,” he breathes. My stomach knots. I didn’t exactly lie to him, but I haven’t been completely truthful and he has every right to be upset right now. I give him a look that says we’ll talk about it later and can only hope he’s fine with that. I turn back to face dad before I can read his face.

“—was seen getting up close and extremely personal with Seattle Vipers’ star center and notorious playboy in a parking garage after last night’s game.”

“Dad, stop, it’s not—” He cuts me off, looking more furious than I’ve ever seen him, even when I nearly burned down the lake house when I was sixteen and threw a party without permission, and I swallow hard. There’s a dull ringing in my ears and there’s a somewhat dream-like quality to everything. This can’t possibly be real.

“ This is what you’re so hellbent on doing with your life? Why you refuse to give up this bullshit career,” he doesn’t need to use air quotes for me to know exactly what he thinks of my job. I clench my jaw, but he’s not done yet. He shakes his head in…disgust, and despite everything, it fucking hurts . “Your mother would be so disappointed in you, giving up the life you should have at the company to be his whore of the month.” He sneers in AJ’s direction and it feels as if he’s slapped me in the face. To bring mom into this, to say that she would be ashamed…and a small, sad, broken voice in the back of my head wonders if he’s right. Tears well and I feel like I can’t breathe.

“Hey, that’s enough!” AJ says firmly, stepping forward. “You can say whatever you want about me, I don’t give a shit, but you will not speak to her like that. I don’t give a fuck if you’re her father, or the richest man in Seattle, or the Queen of fucking England. You will not disrespect her again, or we’re going to have a big problem, do you understand me?” he says, his voice scarily calm. He squares up to dad, pulling himself up to his full, impressive height and I think for a second he might really clock my father right in the jaw. His hands are loose at his sides, but I know his stance is deceptively casual. AJ knows how to fight. Hell, in a way, he gets fucking paid to do it.

Dad isn’t used to not being regarded as the most intimidating man in the room, but he’s smart enough to know that AJ would destroy him if he pushes his luck. It’s not like I want a fight to break out but I’d be lying if the fact that AJ is willing to go there for me is one of the only things keeping me from spiraling and completely breaking down right now. Dad clenches his jaw over and over, but takes a very small step backwards before turning back to me. I can tell he’s trying very hard to keep his voice even when he speaks again.

“You either stop this now, all of this,” he cuts a glare at AJ before looking back to me again, “or I’m cutting you off.”

I push past the hurt and shame and embarrassment, and snort in disbelief.

“I haven’t taken any money from you in years, my salary in New York notwithstanding seeing as how I fucking earned that. What the hell are you talking about cutting me off?” I had a trust fund from mom, plus everything from her estate which was substantial, and everything I had saved from my job before I moved back here. I make decent money from the Vipers. So, I’ve been just fine on my own for quite a while.

“This house,” he says, steam practically coming out of his ears in irritation.

“This house was mom’s and then became mine,” I say, brow furrowing. What the fuck is he talking about?

“This house was never your mother’s. It’s always been mine, Natalie.” I blink, then blink again. He half-ass explains, “We kept it in my name for myriad reasons that don’t matter now, and just never got around to changing it.” My heart sinks. All this time, I thought I was out from under his thumb completely, but apparently not. My eyes fill with tears of anger.

“When I moved back here, you said…you said everything was taken care of with the house, that I didn’t need to worry about it.”

“Because you didn’t. You were grieving and didn’t need to be bothered with details of whose name was on a fucking deed, Natalie.”

“But…but you knew what I was really asking. You know I hate taking your handouts! I always have. You let me believe it was mine,” I say, shock making my voice sound thin.

“Yes, I did.” There is no remorse in his eyes, not a single fucking shred of it. I huff out a humorless laugh.

“You just had to have me under your control in some way, didn’t you?” I don’t know if what he’s saying is true, that he just didn’t want me to worry about the house while I was trying to handle losing mom, or if my own conclusion is closer to the truth, but right now, it doesn’t fucking matter. I see red and my heart splinters. Either way, he lied, knowing full well that I would have wanted to know the truth of it after the initial shock of mom’s death wore off. I shake my head.

“If that’s your ultimatum, then I choose my life as it is. I choose him , dad.” I throw out a hand towards AJ. “He is my choice, always. So, I’ll be out of the house in two weeks and then you can do with it what you will.”

He blinks in shock, like he didn’t really believe I’d give up the house so easily. It’s not easy at all. It’s fucking torture. This is the house I’d grown up in, the one seeped in so many memories of mom, and even dad too, that it feels as if it’s a living, breathing part of me. Birthday parties and sleepovers, celebrating victories and letting tears fall with defeats, joy, pain, laughter, love, sorrow—all of it happened within these walls. My height is marked on the door frame upstairs. My handprints are in the concrete of the patio. My childhood dog, Marbles, is buried in the backyard beside the rosebushes. My first kiss, my big fallout with my best friend, Michelle when we were in tenth grade, my prom pictures senior and junior year—it was all here. I can’t imagine just…leaving it.

But I will. I’m going to remove myself completely from my father’s control and if that means I have to sever a part of me to do it, then so be it. Give me the fucking scalpel.

He grinds his teeth.

“Have it your way, Natalie.” I force the tears not to fall and keep my shoulders back, my spine straight. I swear I see the tiniest hint of pride in those gray eyes when he sees that, but it’s gone too quickly to be sure. He moves towards the door when AJ shifts to the side to let him pass. He lets the door slam shut behind him and all of the air rushes out of me, my legs threatening to give out. AJ is there in a heartbeat, gathering me in his arms. I cling to him, so grateful that he isn’t pissed that I was less than forthcoming about who I really am. He just holds me until I’ve got enough of a handle on myself and the situation to step away. I look at the tabloids strewn across the counter again and shake my head.

“I didn’t even think about this last night,” I admit quietly. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t even think about them plastering those pictures all over the place.”

“I’m so sorry, Nat.”

“I guess we’re officially official now,” I mutter, thinking about the conversation I had with Hattie and Bobby at the game yesterday. I sigh and lean my elbows on the cool granite of the countertop, putting my head in my hands. I feel him shift beside me, leaning against the counter.

“So…you’re really a Harrington, huh?” I look up and meet his gaze. There’s not anger there, but there’s some disappointment and confusion, and a touch of hurt. I don’t blame him. If he told me he was hiding a whole part of himself from me, I’d honestly probably be storming out right about now.

“Legally, no. My name really is Natalie Morgan. I took my mom’s name after they divorced to separate myself from him, from…all of it.” I wave my hand, encompassing the entirety of the Harrington name. The hotels and apartment buildings, the foundations, the scholarships, the stadiums, the hospital wings—the list goes on and on. “But…yes. I’m a Harrington.”

His eyes bulge and I know he’s putting pieces together.

“The fucking Celeste…the hotel is named after you.” I nod and he runs his hands through his hair, shaking his head slowly. “And you were there that night for his fundraiser because you’re a part of the foundation too, whether you like it or not, right?” I don’t answer because he already knows the truth. He begins to pace through the area between the living room and kitchen and I just watch, feeling helpless and honestly a little terrified. What is he really thinking? Is he pissed? Will he…end this?

“Jesus, Nat, you said your dad worked in real estate.”

“Technically he does…” It sounds weak even in my own ears and he gives me a level look.

“I thought he was a fucking realtor , not the guy who owns half of Seattle for fuck’s sake. And not just Seattle from what I understand…” I can see the wheels turning. Everyone thinks that Anthony Rizzo is just a hot, dumb jock, but really, he’s smart as hell and sees way more than anyone realizes. “I’m assuming that’s who you were working for in New York, then? The east coast branch of Harrington Group?” I nod again.

“Do the others know? Mac and Bobby?”

“No, you’re the first to find out the whole truth. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just…I’ve never wanted to be in that shadow, but especially since I came back after my mom’s death. I didn’t want any of you to know who I really was, or who my family was, I guess, because I was trying to start over. I didn’t want the name to be the first thing anyone saw.” I chew on my lip, worry opening up a pit in my stomach the size of the Grand Canyon. Oh God…what if he leaves? It’s a real possibility and he would have every right to but fuck, I really don’t know if I can take it if he does. And to think, I’d been convinced that he’d be the reason this didn’t work out, that he’d be the one to ruin it.

“Are you mad? You have every right to be, I’m just…asking,” I finish lamely, my throat feeling thick.

“Mad?” He studies me and I hold his gaze, too afraid to look away. He sighs. “No, I’m not mad, Nat. I’m…I don’t know, hurt I guess that you didn’t think you could share this part of your life with me. I understand that you didn’t want to when you were first starting with the Vipers, or even when we were all just starting to hang out as friends, but now that we’re more, I…well, I just thought that you felt like you could share anything and everything with me, Nat. I thought we were both in the same place.”

“We are,” I say, desperate. “I do. I just…it just never seemed like the right time to bring it up. I wasn’t trying to hide it from you now, I promise, I just kind of forgot, honestly.” He snorts and I push on. “I’m serious. I’ve been so fucking happy since we started this that I haven’t thought about anything else, especially the things that try to blotch out even a tiny bit of this happiness with their darkness, and my dad and our relationship and that whole part of my life is a huge ball of fucking dark. So, I pushed it all away and didn’t even think about the fact that you didn’t know about it. Because it didn’t matter. You know me better than anyone else in the world ever has, the real me down to my bones, regardless of my last name, regardless of who my parents are, regardless of the front I’ve put on for almost everyone else in my life. You know me, AJ. All of me. I need you to believe that. Please believe that.”

I let out a shuddering breath, realizing that I just kind of word vomited all of that at him. A tear escapes down my cheek and I wipe it away quickly. He takes a step towards me and cups my face between his big hands. I take a deep breath at the touch, needing it more than I even realized. He traces his thumbs over my cheeks and I reach out to splay my hands on his chest.

“I do believe that, Nat. I know you, baby. Trust me, I know who you are no matter what name you use, I just want you to share all the pieces of you with me, even the ones you may not like very much. None of them can change the way I feel about you. I fucking love you more than I thought any person could love someone else and it makes me want to know every little thing about you. Good, bad, ugly. All of it, Nat.” I sigh, his words making the pit in my stomach close up and my heart swell inside my chest.

“I love you too.” He leans in and kisses me then, soft and slow. We finally pull away and he leans his forehead against mine.

“You seem…relieved,” he says.

“I am. I thought…well, I thought you might leave.”

“Would you have?”

“Probably,” I tell him honestly and he pulls away, brows clear up to his hairline in surprise. I give him a small smile. “I would have stormed out and then realized I was overreacting and we’d have really great make-up sex afterwards.” His lips curl.

“Oh, that’s a much better plan, actually. Hang on.” He makes as if he’s going to bolt out the door, taking a few quick steps away from me. I laugh and grab onto the hem of his shirt as soon as he’s close enough again, tugging him towards me. He grips my waist and picks me up to set me on the edge of the counter, moving to put his hips between my thighs. I wrap my arms around him and lean into his chest as he rubs my back in slow, soothing circles.

“Thank you,” I whisper. For not leaving. For understanding. For loving me. He kisses the top of my head and I squeeze him harder.

“So…are you loaded then?” he asks after a few minutes and I can’t help but laugh.

“Uh, yeah, pretty much,” I admit into his chest. He steps away and arches a brow at me.

“Ya know, I kinda thought you were just a big ole gold digger this whole time.”

I smack him in the chest and he grins.

“No more secrets, at least not big ones like a whole secret life, deal?”

“Deal,” I promise him, and then I sigh, knowing I’ve got a shit ton of stuff to figure out in a very short amount of time, but right now, all I want to do is crawl back into bed with the man that I love.

“How about?—”

“Annie’s to-go and you make up for being a lying hussy with hours upon hours of stupid hot sex in my bed since you’re now a homeless street urchin?” he finishes, giving me that smile, the one that I fell so fucking hard for even when I tried like hell not to, and I laugh, knowing that no matter what’s coming down the pike, I’ll be fine as long as he’s with me.

“That sounds a hell of a plan.”