Page 54

SAINT

“Think you might be my lucky charm, Golden Girl.” I press a kiss to that sensitive space behind her ear that always makes her go soft in my hands. “And you know how superstitious us hockey players are. Guess that means I’m going to have to keep you forever.”

Her giggle is soft and sweet next to my ear, almost as sweet as she tastes on my tongue. “You would’ve won the Frozen Four with or without me.”

She’s vastly underestimating how much I need her, like usual. I plan to spend the rest of the night showing her.

“God, you were so hot out there,” she murmurs, fingers tangling into my necklace and tugging me to her mouth, hovering her lips beneath mine.

When I lean forward for the kiss, her lips curve into a sexy little grin, and she pulls back, just enough to where I feel her breath dusting my lips but not close enough to where I can take her mouth.

Teasing me. Driving me fucking insane. But I love it.

I fucking love that in the time we’ve been together, she’s grown more confident and playful and that she doesn’t hesitate to tell me what she needs or wants.

“It made me so wet watching you score that goal.”

“Yeah? Why don’t you show me, baby?”

She traces her tongue across her full bottom lip, and my dick feels like it might bust through my sweatpants at any moment. “Well, I would … but I only have an hour of ice time.”

A deep groan rumbles out of me. “Fucking killing me.”

Without a kiss, she drops my necklace and takes a step back. As if that’s going to stop her pretty little pussy from throbbing for me.

“Sorry, but you know I have to focus. You are very distracting.” Bending, she pulls off the guards on her blades, setting them on the boards, and moves to the rink door, pushing it open.

My lip quirks as I follow her out onto the ice. “That would be you in those fucking skirts.” Today, it’sbright yellow. Short, falling just below her ass. Her leotard is nearly the same shade, and together, they make her look like sunshine. Literally my Golden Girl.

“Are skirt kinks a thing? Because I am pretty positive you have one.”

I skate up behind her and slap her ass, causing her giggle to echo around the rink.

“I see right through you, baby.” My palms curve around her hip as I haul her backward, flush against my front, and dip my head to her neck, nipping at the place where it meets her shoulder.

“You provoke me because you want me to chase you around the rink. I remember how much you loved the day that I taped you up and made you squirt on my face in the penalty box. It’s right over there… ”

My words trail off as I reach up, gripping her chin between my fingers and turning her head toward mine. Her breath is coming quicker, in shallow pants, as she pushes her ass against me.

Yeah, she’s remembering every filthy thing I did that day. Pretty sure she came even harder knowing that someone could’ve walked in. It was our ice time, but that didn’t mean that the rink was closed.

My dirty girl.

Suddenly, I drop my hand and skate backward, putting distance between us, and she whips around, those lush green eyes blazing, lips parted.

“Forgot how you needed to focus. Sorry, baby.” I smirk.

For a second, she simply pins me with her narrowed gaze, and I have to bite back a chuckle because she’s getting a taste of her own medicine. Her hand flies to her hip, and she cocks a brow. “Fine. You stay on your side of the ice, and I’ll stay on mine.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep.”

She’s feigning like she’s not affected by me, just the way she did when we met here all those months ago. I knew better then, and I sure as fuck know better now.

Everything has changed in the last almost six months. In both of our lives.

We’ve changed.

But the one thing that’s remained the same is how crazy I am about her.

How much I love her.

How she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I never take a single day for granted.

How we spend every night wrapped up together in our bed. Well, not officially ours . But I spend the majority of my time at her apartment, and it’s starting to feel like a home to me.

We’re not in a rush, just taking every day as it comes and enjoying getting to be together in fucking peace without looking over our shoulders and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And I’m not ready to leave Mom just yet. It’s been a huge adjustment for her since my father’s been sentenced. He’s only doing a year in the state prison for battery, which is far too fucking short for the hell that he’s put her through. Put us both through.

But my mom filed for a protective order against him for when he is out, and I swear I have never been so proud. I’ve wished for this for most of my life, that one day she could be free. Could have peace. Could be happy. Every day is a step toward that for her.

She started therapy a couple of months ago, and after she told me how much she felt like it was helping her and healing her, I finally started going to a few sessions with her and now on my own.

I was one of those people who would’ve scoffed at the idea of sitting on a leather couch and talking to a fucking therapist who could never understand the shit that I’ve been through.

But now I know that’s not true. It’s not been an easy process, but it’s… helped.

All of our trauma isn’t just going to heal itself overnight, and I know that, but at least we’re taking steps in the right direction.

Toward a future that we both deserve.

“You know how bad we are at following the rules, Golden Girl. Or have you forgotten?” My voice is low and rough as I watch her eyes go wide. “Do you need me to remind you?”

“Saint…” she warns.

Cat and mouse.

Our favorite game to play. At the rink… at home… wherever I can chase her down and fuck her until she screams.

Lennon has come into herself right before my eyes, and it’s been the best fucking thing I’ve ever experienced.

She’s happy and finally discovering the things that she’s never allowed herself to experience because of her piece-of-shit, controlling father.

Who is now serving the next ten years at Dixon Correctional for the laundry list of charges he was convicted of just last month. The court process took a while, but finally, the asshole got what he deserved. And now, all of those families, including mine, have justice.

Knowing he’s going to spend at least the next five years in prison for what he’s done is good enough for me.

Lennon doesn’t mention him much, if at all, and I think she tries her best to push it out of her head, to not give him any more space than he already has stolen from her.

The only thing that truly bothers her, I think, is her mom.

She hasn’t reached out to her at all, and I know that hurts her. My girl is soft when it comes to her mother. But hopefully, one day, she can have at least some closure. She deserves that.

She deserves the entire fucking world, and I’m never going to stop trying to give it to her.

“I don’t even know why we bother coming here together,” she mumbles, rolling her eyes with a soft laugh.

Actually, I do.

Because we love this. My favorite thing about our relationship is the fact that we still give each other the same shit we did when we first met… only now, it’s out of love and not spite.

I still love to provoke her and rile her up. Now, just so I can fuck the shit out of her.

She’s still as mouthy as ever, and I hope like hell it never changes.

She’s the other half of me, matching me toe to toe, never letting me be anything other than the best version of myself.

When the ground feels unsteady, she just holds on tighter.

“We come together because you love when I break the rules, baby. You always have.”

The smile she flashes me hits me directly in the chest. “I guess you’ll always be the bad boy. Just… my bad boy.”

“And you’ll always be my Golden Girl.”

Red Card , the first in series of my college rugby book, will be releasing with Forever on August 12th! Want a sneak peek?

Turn the page to read Chapter One!