Epilogue
My cheers drown out with the rest of the crowd going wild after Jack sinks his second goal of the night in the upper corner of the net.
The energy here is electric with it being the North Regional Semi-Finals, and if they win tonight, they’ll qualify for their second Frozen Four appearance in back-to-back years. The Wolves have worked hard this season, and many of them are having their best season yet, including Jack.
Sara is yelling, but I can’t hear her over Macy, who is cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound of her own yelling before she turns to look at me and Ellie. “Dude, I love hockey.”
“Me too,” I say, and Ellie hooks her arm with mine, wearing her brother’s jersey, always his biggest supporter, no matter how boring she claims to find hockey.
Sara’s pink hair is a glowing beacon on the other side of her, making it easy for the guys to find us in the sea of purple and gray filling the seats.
Dad pulls Jack off the ice for a break, and I don’t disagree with his decision considering we’re up three to nothing. It doesn’t make sense to leave Jack on the ice with hopefully their two biggest games of the season coming up in the following weeks.
Jack’s been pushing himself hard getting ready for playoffs, desperate to prove to the team and coaching staff that they did the right thing putting their faith in him as team captain.
Meanwhile, I’ve been working my ass off in my classes and helping Jack study to help keep his GPA up.
Bradley tried to contest the protective order, not realizing I had been taking pictures of the abuse, and once the pictures were submitted as evidence, the judge granted the protective order to be upheld for five years.
Dad encouraged me to notify Wilder University of the protective order, and Bradley ended up getting kicked off the football team.
Since then, he’s laid low, and if we ever do cross paths on campus, the moment he sees me, he immediately turns in the other direction. It’s a relief knowing he’s obeying the restraining order, and I’m hopeful I’ll never have to worry about him putting his hands on me again.
Jack is sitting on the bench, spraying water into his mouth, and I’m practically foaming at the mouth over how stupidly hot he is. Almost like he can feel me staring at him, he scans the crowd, smiling when his eyes find mine. I blow him a kiss, and his smile grows wider.
I’m so fucking in love with him.
The rest of the game flies by, and the second Jack appears after the game, I’m wrapping myself around him as he catches me without hesitation. “You played fucking amazing,” I say, hugging him tight.
“Thanks, darlin’,” he says, and the use of his favorite pet name for me causes me to shiver. I press my lips roughly against his, feeling Jack reciprocate a moment later.
“Do we have to go to Twin City to celebrate?” I mumble against his addictive mouth. I don’t particularly want to put a pin in this until later.
“Fuck no.”
I laugh as he kisses me again before setting me down on the ground after I unwind myself from around him.
“I should probably say hi to my dad, he looked excited about the win,” I say, as the rest of our friends walk up to us, unsurprised when we say we’re skipping the celebration at the bars tonight.
My dad is busy with a post-game press conference with Coop, of all people, but I shoot him a quick text congratulating him on the win.
We started doing family dinners every other Wednesday, making an effort to mend the fractured relationship. My dad realized after a couple of weeks of Jack and I dating that we weren’t something temporary, and he extended an ongoing invitation for Jack to join us.
A few weeks might not seem like much to some people, but for Jack, who had never committed to anyone before? It was an eternity, proving that he was serious about us being together.
After a little over two months, Macy and Ellie are planning our wedding.
I’m happy, Jack’s happy, and he’s still performing well in games. Actually scratch that—he’s fucking amazing, but I don’t think those are the same verbs my dad would use.
Ha, suck it, Dad. I’m not a distraction to him.
When we get to his truck, I’m tempted to pull Jack into the backseat, but it doesn’t give us enough room to do everything I hope we’re going to do tonight. I even sit on top of my hands while he drives because I don’t trust myself to keep my hands off him.
It’s never enough with him. I want his hands on me all the time, and I can’t tell if I like to be under Jack’s powerful body more than I like to be on top of him.
The minute we’re at his house, all bets are off. Our mouths are clashing against each other, his tongue is in my mouth, and mine’s in his. My hands are in his hair as Jack presses me against a wall, grinding against me.
Jack releases a soft moan, and it’s music to my ears. “Jack,” I breathe out, and he presses his mouth against mine again, silencing me.
Close, closer, not close enough.
Jack trails down, sucking on the soft skin at the base of my throat. “Jack, you’ve given Dylan too much shit for us to fuck in the living room.” The idea is tempting, though.
“We could, and just not tell them.” Jack pulls away, breathing heavily as he tucks some of my curls behind my ears. “Much better. I want to see your pretty face.”
“Nope, it’s a shared space, and I prefer your bed, or maybe even your shower?”
“Fuck, you’re right. Upstairs it is.”
He’s like a man on a mission, lifting me up and causing me to giggle while he takes the stairs two at a time.
The second we cross the threshold into his room, I pull off his jersey, shedding the rest of my clothes as Jack does the same. My mouth waters at the sight of his muscular body, and Jack tilts his head at me, smirking. “Are you checking me out?”
There once was a time I would have rather died than admit I was checking him out, but now, I hold my head high. “One hundred percent, yes. If hockey doesn’t work out for you, I think you should consider a career in modeling.”
“Whatever. Business is my future if hockey doesn’t work out.” Yeah, right. Jack would suffocate in an office job. Hockey is most certainly in his future.
He moves closer to me, and I smile widely at him. “If that’s what you want.”
Jack leans down and kisses me sweetly, tangling his hand in my hair. He pulls on it, causing me to arch into him when I gasp, allowing Jack the opportunity to invade my mouth again.
I guide us back toward the bed, my hands holding onto his arms, feeling the corded muscles flex under my touch. Jack trails his hand down my body, and the rough pads of his fingertips scraping against my smooth skin is one of my favorite feelings.
“I love you, Alondra,” Jack whispers against my lips. His beautiful ones are watching me with so much emotion I don’t want to ever forget this moment.
I lift my hand up, cupping his cheek. “I love you too.”
Jack smiles and curls his finger he’s pushed inside me, inciting a short moan from me. “You are so beautiful.”
His lips drop to my throat, and my eyes fall shut again, dragging my nails over his shoulders. “Are you really going to make me beg for it?” I ask, my breathing slowly growing heavier as Jack swirls his thumb over my clit. My hips jump up in reaction and Jack lets out a low laugh.
“Maybe.”
“Jack.”
His fingers slip out of me, my desperation growing when he winks, sucking them clean.
I lift myself up onto my elbows to watch Jack roll a condom on, fisting his hard length before settling between my thighs.
“Fuck, I can’t wait to make a mess out of you,” he says, dragging the head of his cock over my core.
“Then stop talking and do it,” I taunt, causing him to grin.
“Since you’re asking so nicely.”
Jack maintains eye contact the entire time he pushes himself into me before his mouth slants over mine, kissing me deeply. I arch into him, grabbing the sheets as he pulls back, keeping a controlled and steady pace.
A quiet groan leaves his lips, but he’s not moving fast enough for my liking, and I lift my hips to meet his thrusts. He chuckles, slowing down even more. “You’re impatient.”
“Stop teasing me.” I try to pull him closer, and Jack presses his mouth to my throat. I hope it never stops feeling like this with him.
“You’re so wet,” he murmurs against my skin, thrusting again, harder this time.
“More, please,” I beg, dragging my nails over his shoulders.
“Tell me what you want, Al.”
“Faster, harder, I literally don’t care as long as you please fuck me.”
Except Jack does the exact opposite by pulling out, lying down next to me. I’m about to ask what the hell he’s doing as he shoots a quick grin at me. “So ride me, and take what you want.”
I move almost too quickly to kneel over his waist, and Jack laughs at my eagerness. “Fuck, yes,” I say, aligning myself with him, moaning at the incredible full feeling in this position.
Jack keeps his hands on my hips to help me raise and lower myself repeatedly while I clutch his shoulders, overwhelmed by how right it feels to have his body pressed against mine as I work myself to the edge and him along with me.
My body shatters into a thousand stars when Jack’s mouth takes my breast in his mouth while I rock my pelvis against his, the friction too much for me to handle, setting him off as well.
Jack grabs a water for me while I use the restroom, but we’re quick to fall back in the bed. I lie on his chest as he wraps his arms around me, and I realize there’s a new pendant added to his necklace I missed before.
“When did you add this?” I ask, tapping the second silver skate so he knows what I’m talking about.
“A few days ago, but I thought you would’ve noticed sooner,” he says, and the sound of his heart beating under my ear threatens to lull me to sleep.
“What’s it for?”
“Do you need to ask, darlin’? It’s for you. To keep you close to my heart,” Jack says, and a small gasp escapes me as I lift my head to look at him.
“I don’t know what to say, Jack,” I whisper, trying not to ruin the moment by crying.
“You don’t have to say anything at all. Just you being here is enough for me,” he says sweetly, and I press a short kiss to his chest before resting my cheek down again. Jack combs his fingers through the ends of my hair, and I hope I make him feel a fraction as happy as he makes me.
“I didn’t ever think it could be like this—being in a relationship and with someone you love,” Jack admits a minute later while I breathe in the intoxicating scent of cinnamon.
It’s crazy to think that it’s only been six months since I met him.
Now I can’t imagine what everything would be like without him.
I close my eyes, relishing how close I feel to Jack right now.
“I didn’t think it was possible to let myself feel safe with another person like I do with you. I trust you.”
Without a doubt, this is what love is supposed to feel like.
Jack’s arms tighten around me before he kisses the top of my head with so much tenderness, and I feel like I’m home.