Chapter 30
Gavin
It’s a tough game against San Jose. The Killer Whales have come for blood, and it’s clear they’ve been studying all of Mav’s and my well-oiled sneak-attacks. We’re getting nothing past them tonight.
I try to go in for the pinch, and their right winger slips by me, stealing the puck away and scoring right through the hole I’ve left vacant. He moves so fast, Saxon doesn’t have any time to cover for me.
I race forward to steal it from their winger, but he’s a big guy and knows I’m coming. Before I can reach in for the puck, he slams me against the boards and changes direction.
“Fuck,” I yell, doing my best to get back in there when another Whale, Number 67, comes by and slams me into the boards again.
It was an unnecessary hit, and I’m after that asshole, flying down the ice in his direction. He has the balls to spin around and push his stick at me, slamming me against the boards again, but I grab a hold of his jersey and punch him in the side of the helmet.
Whistles go off all around us, and Mav is at my side, body-checking 67 into the boards. Saxon is with us now, yelling, and a straight up brawl breaks out with the linesmen rushing in to pull us apart.
Mav and 67 go down on the ice, but the linesmen are on them. Donovan grabs me by the pads, pulling me away from the fray, but I’m hot around the collar. I’m mad we’re losing, and I’m pissed at that guy for taking a shot at me.
“Let it go. It’s over.” Our captain’s voice is low in my ear, and I’m doing my best to breathe it out.
Mav is still in there, and I know he’s as fired up as I am that we haven’t been able to score tonight. He takes it personally, which I get. He’s the face guy of the team at the moment.
The linesmen are sorting it out, deciding who’s going to the penalty box, when I look over and see Haddy standing just outside the glass beside our bench.
She’s wearing my sweater, and she’s jumping up and down, patting her hand on the plastic guard. It looks like she’s crying, and my stomach drops to the ice. I push out of Donovan’s grip, skating full-speed to where she’s standing.
I barely register what’s going on behind me or us getting possession of the puck again. Coach sends another player in for me, and I jump over the boards, ripping off my helmet and throwing my gloves and stick behind the bench.
I’m a sweaty mess, but I have to know why she’s here. I have to know what’s wrong, if she’s okay, if the baby’s okay. I don’t give a fuck about anything else.
Stepping through the door to the stands, I pull her into my arms. “Are you okay?” My tone is desperate, and I’m touching her stomach, moving her hair back. “Did something happen?”
The baby must be okay, or she’d be at the hospital. I’m so confused.
I don’t care that all eyes are on us right now, along with all the phones, the cameras, the jumbotron…
“She lied to me, Gavin.” She hesitates, taking a deep breath. “I came straight here. I just got off the phone with her, and she told me everything.”
“Karen?” I don’t know who else it could be. Haddy nods quickly, and I cup her face, wiping her tears away with my thumbs. “I told you that, Princess.”
“But I didn’t believe you.” A hiccup interrupts her words, and fresh tears coat her cheeks. “I should’ve believed you.”
“You were being a good friend.” My voice is raised so she can hear me. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay!” She shakes her head. “Rob burned me and I was too afraid to trust you, but I should’ve trusted you. I should’ve trusted you the night you asked me to… because… because I love you.”
It hits me like a fist of happiness right in the chest.
“What did you say?” I shout over the noise of the arena.
I heard her, but I want to hear it one more time just to be sure—and because it feels really damn good.
She raises her voice, shouting as well. “I said I love you, Gavin Knight!”
Holding the back of her head, I pull her face to mine for a kiss. Our lips part, and she clutches my shoulder pads. Our tongues curl, but I can’t keep the smile off my face.
Leaning back to look at her, her watery eyes are smiling.
I’m smiling as I hold her and shout out, “I love you, too, Hayden Bradford.”
She takes a shaky inhale. “I could’ve loved you longer.”
“Now you can love me forever like I’ll love you.”
“You love me forever?”
“Hell, yeah, Princess. I love you bad.”
“Me, too!” she laughs. “So bad!”
I pull her to me again for another kiss, and that’s when I notice the entire arena is on their feet watching and cheering.
At first I think it’s for us, and I guess some of it is.
The rest are going crazy because Haddy’s hotshot cousin has tied up the game, and we’re headed into sudden death overtime.
It’s possible we could win this thing, but all I care about is the beautiful girl in my arms who just said she loves me. Forever.
“That’s right, come for me, Princess.” My hands are on Haddy’s waist, and she’s straddling my lap.
Her hands are on my shoulders, and I’m surrounded by the heady scent of jasmine and sex and sweat. I showered after the game, but I’m fucking happy to get dirty again with my lady.
“So good,” she whispers, and her brow furrows.
Damn, she’s so fucking pretty riding my cock. Her sexy, fuller breasts bounce at my lips, and I pull a hardened nipple into my mouth, making her moan loudly.
She’s so wet and tight around me, sliding up and down my shaft, chasing her orgasm. I grip her ass, helping her move, doing my best not to focus on how good it feels to be inside her.
I’m right on the edge, sweat trickling down my cheek as I try to wait, as my hips lift instinctively.
She moans my name, and I almost come at the sound. It’s aching and sexy, and fuck, have I mentioned how gone I am for this woman?
I want her all over me. I want her in my jersey as I take her from behind, I want to worship her beautiful body. I want her to be my queen.
“Gavin!” She stretches, her slim back arching in my hands.
Her sounds get higher, slightly staccato, and all at once, she breaks, bending forward as she shudders. Her insides pull me, and my mind blanks. I relax my hold and let the orgasm race through my pelvis. It’s fucking heaven and pure bliss.
I groan, wrapping my arms around her as I lift my hips to thrust deeper into her clenching core. This night couldn’t get any better.
Her slim arms wrap around my shoulders and her silky hair flows around us in a soft curtain. Her breathing returns to normal, and a satisfied smile curls her lips.
“You’re really good at that.” Her blue eyes blink open, and I lift my hands.
Smoothing her hair back from her cheeks, I look at her. “Have I ever told you your eyes are so beautiful?”
Her nose wrinkles and a pretty pink touches her cheeks. “I don’t think so.”
I stretch higher, and she leans down to kiss my lips. “They are.”
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“It means a lot that you believe me.” My tone is serious. “I was frustrated about it before, because I care about you. But also because it hurt that you thought I would do that to anyone.”
“I didn’t know you.” Her eyes blink up to mine. “I should’ve believed you.”
“No, it took time.” I hold the sides of her hair, sliding my thumbs along her cheeks. “I think we were already there, but I’m glad the past is clear. I’m your knight, Princess. I love you.”
She smiles, climbing off my lap and snuggling down into the mattress at my side. “I love you, Gavin.”
It’s the words I’ve wanted to hear for so long, and every time she says it, it’s like one of those confetti guns going off in my chest. Only, instead of confetti, it’s like sparkles of 100 percent pure joy. Damn.
“You said something at the arena about the knob?” My brow furrows, and I turn onto my side to face her.
Our heads are on the pillows, and our faces are a breath apart. I could lift my chin and kiss her, but I’m curious.
“What did you mean? Why would he make you not trust me?”
Her chin tucks, and she blinks those eyes away from me. She almost seems embarrassed, which I don’t like. She never needs to be embarrassed in front of me. I love her.
“He cheated on me.” She says it so quietly, I almost lean forward. “It’s why I believed Karen, because I was hurt and humiliated. I thought she and I shared that. I thought you were like him.”
Rolling onto my back, I press my fingers to my forehead. All this time, I was fighting to make up for someone else’s sins. Someone else had hurt her, and she couldn’t let it go.
“Gavin?” She scoots closer to me, her pretty eyes so full of sadness. “Now I know who you really are. I think I knew months ago you could never be like him.”
Reaching for her shoulders, I pull her into my arms, careful to avoid crushing little Lucy.
“It all makes sense now.” Sliding my hand up and down her slim back, I kiss the top of her head. “And I want you to know, if I ever see that guy again, I’m going to…”
She groans, falling onto the bed beside me. “I hope we never see him again! And you know I don’t condone violence… off the ice.”
“I feel like you have a big but in there.”
Her body bends forward with her laugh. “But you are so hot when you fight on the ice.”
“You like that?” Pride swells in my chest as she nods quickly before stretching higher to kiss the side of my jaw. “Okay, babe, in that case, I’ll just pants him.”
Another burst of laughter comes from her throat. “That would be so hilarious!”
“He embarrassed you. I think it’s only right that he should be embarrassed as well.”
She relaxes from her belly laugh with a contented sigh. “I’d rather just not see him again. He really damaged my trust, and I just want him to go away and never come back.”
“Okay, but just know.” I lift her chin to kiss her lips again. “Nobody messes with the mother of my child.”
Her nose wrinkles, and she kisses my lips. “Your baby mamma.”
“That’s right.”
“Use the pillow to lift your pelvis into the correct, birthing position.” The instructor’s voice is warm and encouraging, and Haddy’s back rests against my chest.