Chapter 43
TALLY
“That dress is stunning.” Fee is stretched out on my bed next to pillow Flip.
Cammie gives two thumbs-up from the floor beside her. “You look like you stepped straight out of a fairy tale.”
“Great. That’s what I’m going for.” It’s a week post family dinner and it’s been intense.
Final projects are coming due. Exams around the corner.
Our showcase right after. Flip decided I needed a stress break, so he planned a night out and sent a dress.
I slip my feet into my heels. There’s a slit up my right leg and the neckline plunges.
This dress hugs my curves, while still being gauzy.
My phone buzzes.
Flip
How does the dress fit?
Tally
Like a glove.
It’s perfect.
I strike a pose in front of the mirror, making sure my bare leg is on display, and send it to him.
Flip
You look incredible.
Tally
Fuckably incredible?
Flip
You’re insatiable.
Tally
You should see what I have on underneath.
Flip
Someone’s feeling feisty.
First I take you for dinner, then we tick another fantasy off the list.
I’ll be there to pick you up in ten.
The fantasy list is my new favorite. The last time I stayed at Flip’s, we ate dinner while I wore nothing but a fake diamond collar, and he wore a full suit—a scene from one of Cammie’s fics.
He was practically feral when he finally fucked me on the dining room table, while still fully dressed.
It was hot and messy and filthy, and I would love to do it again.
“You’re thinking about sex, aren’t you?” Cammie asks, dragging me out of my happy gutter.
“Maybe.”
“Definitely,” Fee snickers.
Flip arrives a short time later. Now that spring has finally sprung, I don’t need a full-on parka to leave the apartment. I pull on a cropped jacket, grab my clutch, and meet him at the door.
His eyes heat as they move over me, and he belatedly sticks his foot out, then frowns at the lack of cat winding around his leg. “Where’s my second favorite kitty?”
“Sleeping on Fee’s textbook.”
“Ah. Sounds about right. Do you have everything you need?”
I pat my clutch. “It’s all right here.”
An overnight bag is no longer necessary since Flip has stocked his apartment with all my essentials.
He even cleared a drawer for me and filled it with comfy clothes.
Every time I sleep over, there’s another hoodie in his closet, or a pair of shorts or lounge pants in the dresser.
I have a toothbrush in his bathroom, my favorite treats have a home in his cupboard, and last week he bought a barrel chair so we can cuddle and read together when the semester is over.
It feels serious and real and like we’re moving toward something lasting.
“You’ll probably be mobbed when we hit the lobby,” I warn.
“I don’t mind. You look fantastic, and people can take all the pictures they damn well please.” He kisses my hand, and we take the elevator down.
The worst of the media shitstorm has passed, thankfully.
Between the cat-calendar fundraiser for the animal shelter, the upcoming gala, and his now highly publicized role as a hockey coach for kids with special needs, most of the bumps have smoothed over.
It’s hard to keep dragging someone through the dirt when it’s clear he’s an exceptionally stand-up guy.
Flip stops to sign a few hats for fans before he excuses us. He’s all PR smile as he guides me to the car and helps me in. Once he’s settled behind the wheel, he slides his hand under my hair. “You look ethereal.”
I arch a brow. “Ethereally fuckable?”
He laughs. “I’ve created a monster.”
I hold my fingers apart just a bit. “But it feels good, and it’s new, and it’s the most incredible release.” My body warms just thinking about what the end of the night will be like. “It makes me feel closer to you.”
“That’s my favorite part.” His eyes soften. “How open you are with me, how you let me see you at your most primal and vulnerable.” He brushes his lips over mine. “Let me wine you and dine you first, kitten, and then we can relieve all your stress.”
“And yours, too.” I kiss his cheek. “You’re so close to the playoffs now.”
We drive the short distance to the upscale restaurant.
The host escorts us to our table. Usually, we end up tucked away in a quiet corner, but tonight we’re in the middle of the room.
Once we’re seated and have placed drink and appetizer orders, Flip holds out his hand, palm up. I slip mine in his. “How are you feeling?” he asks.
Unreasonably horny. I keep that thought to myself.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight, but I feel like a cat in heat.
“I think I’m just ready for the next chapter,” I say.
“The last four years have been fun. I’ve grown a lot, learned so much, made amazing friends, and gained independence, but I’m excited to fully step into adulthood.
” I want a regular job with a steady income so I can contribute and be a partner.
Being out of university will put us on more level ground.
“I felt the same way when I finished university.”
I nod. “You went from university to the farm team.” He made more than half a million a year as soon as he graduated.
“I was fortunate to have a contract right away.” He sips his water, eyes on our clasped hands. He moved teams twice before he was given a long contract with the Terror.
The server delivers our drinks, and we select our mains.
“Do you think it’ll be the same for Brody?” He’s a top player for Tilton, and the scouts are always talking to him.
“I would wager, yeah. It’d be best if he was picked up by a team other than the Terror, though.”
“Otherwise he’s competing with his brother,” I finish. “Not that he won’t always be compared to him anyway.”
“Yeah. Chicago has their sights on him. That would be a great team for him,” Flip muses.
“I’m sure he’d love to play there. It’s a fun city.” But if he’s in Chicago, he’ll never be able to ask Enid out.
“It is,” he agrees. “If we could go anywhere this summer, just the two of us, where would it be?”
My heart skips a beat. “Like a couple’s vacation?”
His eyes light up. “Exactly.”
I tap my lip. “Are there parameters? Like inside Canada or North America?”
“No parameters. No destination limits. Name your ideal summer vacation.”
The server drops off our appetizers.
I ponder the question again while I cut into a pan-seared scallop. “Honestly, Canadian summers are so short. I hate to leave here when the weather is nice. I’d love to go back to the lodge in Huntsville and spend a week enjoying the beach and you shirtless. It’s so pretty and peaceful up there.”
“I have my eye on a piece of property in that area. We could build a cottage,” Flip says.
“Are you taking notes from Connor these days?” I tease. But the fact that he’s talking in terms like “we” and building a summer home feels like he’s planning a future with me.
“Dallas has a place, now Connor and Dred, so I can see the allure. Especially since you want to stay local and dance in Toronto,” he says.
“What about you? You have lots of time left in your career. What’s your dream after hockey?” He could do anything, go into sportscasting, work for the Hockey Academy like Roman and Hollis, or be a coach and end up anywhere.
“I want to help you pursue your career goals and find a second career that fits our life.” He says this so matter-of-factly.
Like it’s the only possibility. He wants to build a future with me. My heart soars. Does this mean he feels the same way about me as I do him? Is he falling for me, too?
Is this how my parents were when they fell in love?
Did they promise each other the world, and slowly the dreams they imagined faded as life and my dad’s career took over?
Did my mom just smile and tell him it was fine, but really she was dying inside, alone and wishing for more?
What if Flip gets traded? What if I get a job outside of Toronto?
What if we make a plan and it all falls apart?
“Hey.” He squeezes my hand. “Sorry, was that too much? I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
“No.” I shake my head. “It’s not too much. It’s just…everything you’re saying—” I lick my lips. “—is exactly what I want, but…”
“You’re scared?” he asks.
For a moment I want to say no, but then I’m just like my mom. I don’t want to say one thing and mean another. “Yeah. I’m scared. I don’t want to end up like my parents.”
His expression softens and saddens. “I get that. And it’s okay to be afraid. I am, too. But as long as we’re in it together, we’ll be okay.”
I love you.
I don’t want to lose you.
I bring his hand to my cheek and kiss the back of it.
I don’t know why I’m suddenly on the verge of tears. “I need to use the bathroom for a moment.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I’ll just be a minute.” I bend and kiss him on the cheek as I pass, hoping to wipe the concerned look off his face.
I walk down the low-lit hall and push through the door to the bathroom. It’s just for one person, so I lock the door and spin to face my reflection. My cheeks are flushed. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe it’s exam stress, or how certain Flip seems about our future together.
I smooth my hands over my hips and turn to make sure I don’t have panty lines, which is the moment I discover why I’m unreasonably horny and my feelings are on fire.
It’s shark week.
And not only are my brand-new panties ruined, so is my dress.