Chapter 43
Forty-Three
Conor
We win the game three to zero and file off the ice, heading into the locker room.
“What the hell did I tell you?” Tweetie says when we sit down to take off our equipment.
“What?” I take off my pads and undress because I want to hit the showers and get out to greet Eloise as fast as I can.
“You had her wear your fucking jersey. I bet word is all over the puck bunny scene that you’re seeing someone.”
I thought about not giving it to her, but knew I’d see Kyleigh wearing Rowan’s and Jade all cozy in Henry’s jersey. The selfish part of me wanted Eloise to wear mine. I want everyone to know she’s mine. But I get Tweetie’s point too.
“If she’s going to be part of my life, I can’t hide her in a closet,” I say, knowing it’s the truth. I hope that the women will back off now, knowing I’m taken. A lot of them have respected Rowan and Henry’s relationships. Usually, they just move on to the single players.
“It’s too early, man.” He shakes his head, untying his laces.
I’m really hoping Lila will see Eloise in my jersey and find some other player to become obsessed with. But I’m sick of not doing things in my life because of fear. I can’t control someone’s reaction to me living my life.
“I hope for your sake, they’re kind.” He tears off his jersey and pads.
“I’ll handle it.”
And I will. I’m handling Lila already. I told her to go back to Florida and leave me the hell alone. Hopefully, she’ll listen. If she doesn’t, I’ll have to file another restraining order. I haven’t seen her since, so that’s a good sign. And I know Eloise is strong enough to deal with this world and all the shit that goes with fame. I just don’t want her to have to.
I head to the showers, leaving Tweetie and his pessimistic view behind. Not all relationships are the same.
I shower, dress back in my suit, and head toward the room that holds the family members to grab Eloise and go celebrate our win. On the way, my phone vibrates, and I figure it’s probably my mom congratulating me, so I pull it out to respond. It’s from a number I don’t recognize that isn’t in my contacts.
Anonymous: Great game. Loved your warm-ups. I’m a little worried about your taste in women though.
My bag slips off my shoulder and lands with a thud on the floor.
Fuck. It has to be Lila. She was here? At the game? I don’t want to message back like I did in Florida—it only made it worse—so I delete the text, shut off my screen, and continue to my destination.
Eloise is with my dad, laughing at something he said, and it makes all the bullshit go away. My dad has a genuine smile when he turns to me and winks, silently telling me he likes her. Of course he would, I had no doubt. Sure, Mom will be a tougher audience, but after her antics last year, she’ll probably welcome Eloise with open arms regardless of how she really feels.
I shake hands with my dad, giving him a hug as he pats me on the back and says, “Great start to the season.”
“Definitely. Thanks for coming, Dad.”
I shift my attention to Eloise, and she curls into my arms, kissing my jaw. “What do they call it when you blocked all the goals?”
My dad chuckles.
“A shutout.”
Her arms tighten around my stomach. “Congratulations on your shutout then.”
I kiss the top of her head. “Don’t expect to see them often.”
“You must be his lucky charm,” my dad says to Eloise.
She tips her head, beaming up at me.
I bend down and kiss her again. “We have a theory about it.”
Her forehead creases. “What?”
Tweetie comes into the room. “Man, I’m gonna have to get a girl. First Landry, then Hensley, and now Nilsen. All of you have the games of your fucking life the first time your girl comes to watch you play.” He shakes his head.
“That’s the theory,” I say to Eloise. “I think it’s more that we want to impress you guys, so we go all out.”
“You don’t have to impress me,” she says, still not letting me go. Not that I want her to.
Kyleigh and Rowan come over and my dad turns to talk to them, congratulating Rowan on a great game. It’s crazy that Rowan, Henry, and Tweetie all scored our goals, which means our foursome is flying high.
“I do have to impress you.” I kiss her again, wishing we had some privacy so I could show her just how much I missed her today. It was the first day since we became a couple that we didn’t see one another for the majority of the day, and while she seems okay, I’m not a fan.
“Are you hungry?” she asks. “The girls talked about going to eat.”
“I’d like to pick up food and go home honestly.”
“Okay,” she says without argument.
We say goodbye to everyone, especially to my dad who declined the invitation to grab a meal with everyone too.
On our way out of the arena, Eloise’s phone dings. She pulls it out, and her footsteps stop.
My hand tightens around the strap of my bag. “What is it?”
Fucking hell, if Tristan is calling her because he was watching the game and saw her and wants to give her grief, I’m gonna be pissed. The camera operators always shoot to the family members at some point.
“It’s my grandma. My dad’s mom. She wants to have dinner.” She turns her phone screen to me, and there’s a text message with a picture of her in my jersey, pounding on the plexiglass.
“How do you feel about that?” I put my arm around her shoulders.
“I think she wants to lecture me, but it’s probably something I need to deal with. I’ve avoided it long enough.”
I don’t have any suggestions or ways to help her through this besides being there with her. “Can I come with you?”
Her eyebrows raise toward her hairline. “You would?”
I hate that a piece of her still doubts how far I’m willing to go to make sure she’s supported and happy, but I hope she’ll realize in time that I’ll always be there for her. The longer I stand next to her, supporting her, the more those doubts will disappear.
“I want to. If you want me there.”
A soft smile creases her lips, and I lower my head, kissing her.
“Just tell me the day and time.”
“You’re the best.” She kisses me one more time before we walk out of the arena.
“I know.”
We get into the Uber I ordered, and on the ride back to the condo, she’s on her phone. The longer she looks at it, the more her smile dims.
“What’s going on over there?” I place my hand on her thigh.
She looks at me. “Nothing.”
“What is it?” I ask again.
“It’s just… Kyleigh posted a picture.”
My stomach drops as though I had the worst game of my career. “And?”
“And you have a real admirer because she doesn’t like me for sure.”
I don’t need to read the comments she’s talking about to have an idea of what they say. “Block her. Block them all, Eloise.”
My tone is probably a little too authoritative, but I don’t want her reading comments where other women are nitpicking her looks. She’s perfection personified.
She places her hand on my leg. “I can handle myself, bossy.” Eloise turns the screen of her phone off and slides across the seat. She brings her mouth to my ear as her hand slides up my thigh. “Tonight, I’m going to congratulate you on your shutout with my mouth.” Her feather-light touch makes my dick twitch in my dress pants.
I hold her hand between my legs, staring into the rearview mirror and happy to see our driver’s attention is on the traffic in front of us.
She sucks on my earlobe and breathes into my ear. “You like that, don’t you? My hand on your big cock.”
Fuck, I look out the window at where we are, wanting out of this Uber. Thankfully, we’re about one block away from the condo, but there’s so much traffic for a Saturday night it will take us longer to drive there than walk.
“Hey, man, we’ll get out here. Thanks.” I take her hand off my dick and open the door.
We walk quickly down the block, through the security gate, and the moment we’re inside my condo with the door closed, she pushes me against the wall and falls to her knees in front of me.
“Fuck,” I say, watching her undo my belt. She unbuckles and unzips me, letting my slacks fall to my ankles. “I want you to strip so I can see your tits, but at the same time, I want you to wear my jersey while you suck my cock.”
She looks up at me through her long dark eyelashes and tugs my boxers down until they join my pants. My cock strains toward her mouth, and her hand curls around the base of my shaft.
She leans forward and draws the tip of my dick between her lips. I watch as her mouth wraps around the head, then she slides her smooth tongue over me, stroking my length as she bobs up and down on my cock. It’s all I can do not to grab her hair and push myself deeper down her throat.
Eloise slides me out of her mouth, but her hand doesn’t release me, and she continues to stroke me.
I roll my hips in time with her rhythm. “Please.” I’m practically begging, but I don’t care.
Smiling, she takes me into her warm, wet mouth again. Her tongue is slick and soft against my rock-hard erection. She moans around my girth, a sound that is so incredibly arousing I almost come right there. Then she takes me in deeper, and my hand winds through her hair. Eloise tightens her hand around me as she tugs me farther into her mouth, setting a pace that puts me on edge.
“I’m not sure how much longer I can last.” I drive my hips forward then back before doing it again.
I can barely handle the sight of my beautiful girlfriend kneeling before me with her delicate hand wrapped around my cock. I want my cum on every inch of her. In her mouth, on her face, over her tits, in her pussy.
I groan loudly as I watch her take me so deep that she gags. My balls draw up tight.
Shifting her position on the floor, she leans and places one hand around the back of my thigh as her other hand continues pumping my shaft in time with her mouth.
My fingers tighten in her hair as my cock goes rock hard. “I’m gonna come.”
Her eyes never leave mine, gazing up at me and overflowing with lust. What I wouldn’t give to have a picture of this on my phone to masturbate to during the upcoming away games.
She continues sucking me until, with one final thrust, my dick twitches, and I pour into her mouth. I pant, trying to catch my breath.
With her hand still on my shaft, she twirls her tongue, cleaning me off until my dick is soft against her tongue.
“Congratulations on your shutout.” She gives me a coy, self-satisfied grin.
I rest my hands under her arms and nudge her to stand. “If you can promise one of these each time, maybe I’ll have more shutouts this season.” I smack her ass. “Now strip down except for my jersey.”
She squeals, and I capture her mouth. I’ll never have enough of her.