Chapter 13
Bianca - One Week Later
I stood in front of the mirror, looking at my outfit while fixing my hair and makeup.
I really didn’t want to go to dinner. It had been a highly emotional week after the away game and the hospital trip.
After we returned from Boston, Evan had gone to see my father, it was exactly what I’d suspected.
My father was furious, not about the injury, but about the fact Evan had mentioned nothing.
He was even angrier that no one had even checked Evan after the hit at the end of last season.
Then, when he asked Evan why I hadn’t pursued him getting an examination after I’d noted the inflammation I’d found the first time, he concluded I’d covered for him.
Immediately, he called me to his office to speak with him.
My father immediately put me on review, assigned me straight to Evan, and told me he would follow up with me later once the team decided whether to keep me.
I was dismissed from his office and sent home.
I let out a sigh and pulled my hair back. All I wanted to do was curl up on the couch with Evan and watch TV, but the team and my father had other plans.
“Bianca, this dinner isn’t optional for either you or Evan, it’s mandatory. It’s about team unity, before Friday,” he’d said when I’d told him it would probably be best if I didn’t show up.
Evan’s surgery was tomorrow morning. My father and I had announced this to the entire team, and they wanted to get together before he went in for surgery to wish him well.
I’d spent today going over his recovery timeline, making sure he knew that at this time we were uncertain about when or if he’d return to the ice this year or next, if ever at all.
I’d seen the fear in his eyes, but I knew he had a wonderful support system, especially with Nightly, Kells, and Cromwell, but I could also see the other players.
They were calculating and assessing who would step up.
Who would take his place, and that made me feel ill, because while nothing was for sure, I prayed he’d be back to playing soon.
Evan had gone to hang out with Nightly, Kells, and Cromwell, leaving me to arrive at the team dinner alone. Since we still hadn’t announced our involvement to my father, I figured this was a better option anyway. Plus, it would give him some time to hang out with the boys.
When I walked into the restaurant, I saw the entire coaching staff and the trainers scattered among the players, talking and laughing, and then I noticed Evan standing over by the bar, jaw tight and shoulders rigid, alone.
He looked as if he were holding himself together by sheer force of will.
Anger flooded me. My father had said this was supposed to be about rallying around one of their own, and the one who needed to be rallied around was by himself.
I started making my way to the bar when Tate lifted his arm, waving me over.
“Hey, Bianca, come sit with us.”
I glanced over to see him sitting with Matt and Lucas, all of them looking my way.
There was no way I could ignore them, so I made my way to their table, smiled, and said hello.
They started asking me questions about Evan, which I did my best to answer, all the while I could feel a prickling sensation at the back of my neck, which I tried to ignore.
Soon the conversation turned to lighter topics, each one of us laughing, and when Lucas leaned in to say something to me, his hand accidentally brushed my knee. I laughed at what he said and was about to excuse myself when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I looked up to see Evan standing there, his jaw clenched as he looked at me.
“I need to speak with you,” he growled, his voice low.
“No problem, I was just about to excuse myself,” I said, smiling at Lucas, Matt, and Tate.
I was about to turn and walk away with Evan when I felt Lucas grab my hand. I turned back around to see what he was going to say when I heard Evan bark, “Now, Bianca.”
I held my finger up to Lucas, signaling to hold on to the thought, and followed Evan through the restaurant.
He walked to the doors, opened them, and stepped outside.
I felt the cold air brush my skin as I stepped out behind him.
The moment the door shut behind me, Evan turned and looked at me, running his hand through his hair.
“What was that?” I questioned, crossing my arms in front of me, irritated at his actions.
“That was me, watching my replacement flirt with you.”
I blinked hard, not believing what I was hearing. “Evan…”
“Tomorrow I am having surgery that could very well end my career, and I am spending tonight watching the guy who is going to take my spot. He was smiling at you like he now has all the time in the world.”
“You are being ridiculous. He is not taking your spot,” I said through clenched teeth.
“You don’t know that. The surgery could work, or it might not. I may come back, or I might become a washed-up hockey player. As I said before, each of those guys are young and healthy and pretty much everything I’m not.”
“Evan, stop,” I said, moving to take a step forward to comfort him, only he stepped back.
“I can’t. All I see is one of those guys in there taking my position, the team moving on, forgetting I was ever here. Then there is you…you sitting there smiling at him like…”
“What? Like I care about him? Like I want him?”
Evan nodded his head, then turned his eyes from mine.
“Evan, stop being so insecure. I have already told you I want you. I don’t want any of those guys in there.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. Then I looked at him.
“I am choosing you, Evan. With or without your hockey career. Just you.”
“You say that now, but I know you don’t mean it.”
I walked around so I could face him and brought my hand to his jaw, forcing him to look at me. I swallowed hard as my stomach flipped.
“I don’t care if you never play another game. I don’t care if you retire tomorrow. I care about you, Evan. Not the player, not the career, but about you. I love you, and I say what I mean.”
He looked down into my eyes, his breath shallower.
“Stop allowing your fear of losing your career and what happened between your parents stop you from having this…from having us,” I whispered.
Evan studied me, and then he slipped his hand into mine. “Come with me,” he whispered.
“Where?” I frowned.
“Home. I can’t do this here. I need to really talk to you.”
I glanced back at the doors to the restaurant where the entire team was waiting, my father included, and with my pulse hammering in my ears, I followed Evan to his truck.
We drove the entire way home in silence, and when we finally reached the condo door, my hand shook as I slid the key into the lock.
I placed my purse and jacket on the breakfast stool and heard Evan lock the door.
I was about to turn around when I felt his hands on my arms, the heat from his body at my back.
“Surgery is tomorrow,” he murmured, his lips grazing my ear.
“I know.”
“I need you to know that my entire life, hockey has been my identity. It’s been everything to me, but you…you’re my choice. I’d rather lose hockey than never tell you that.”
Tears flooded my eyes and my chest hurt as I reached up and placed my hand on his.
“I don’t know what is going to happen after, but I can’t go into that operating room without telling you that I love you too. I’m in love with you and have been pretty much since the night you found me on the ice, and I am done pretending that I’m not.”
I turned in his arms, tears spilling down my cheeks as I looked up at him. “You’re an idiot.”
“What?”
“I fell in love with you weeks ago, and you’ve been torturing us both, pushing me away, telling me to be with someone else because you were too afraid to admit it?”
“Terrified.”
“Of what?”
“Of finding something that I loved more than hockey, and the moment I kissed you the other night, I knew I’d found it.”
Tears blurred my vision once again as I looked up at him. “Just kiss me,” I whispered.
His mouth crashed against mine, desperate as my hands ran through his hair, pulling him closer. Evan groaned as he slid one hand up my back so he could grip my hair, tilting my head back, kissing me deeper.
“God, Bianca…I want you so bad.”
“Don’t stop,” I whispered, kissing him.
“Come with me,” he whispered, placing his hand on the small of my back and leading me down the hall to his room.
The moment he closed the door, he turned and pulled me against him. He brought his lips to mine, kissing me slowly, his tongue washing through my mouth. His kiss wasn’t as demanding as before. This time it was slow and claiming.
My body melted against his, my hands sliding up his chest and around his neck as he kissed his way down my neck.
“God, Evan…” I moaned, taking a deep breath as a shiver ran through my body.
“I know…” he whispered.
I felt his fingers play with the zipper at the back of my dress.
“Can I?” he questioned.
I shyly nodded.
I felt the zipper descend, the cool air in the room hitting my hot skin, then his fingers trailing down my back. He peeled the fabric of my dress from my shoulders, sliding it down my arms, until the dress pooled at my feet.
I watched his eyes dance over my body and felt his hand at my back, making quick work of the clasp of my bra, which he removed, his eyes again trailing over me.
“You are so beautiful…it almost hurts to look at you.”
I helped him remove his shirt, careful not to disturb the sling the hospital had placed his shoulder in, and dropped it to the floor, then unclasped his belt, dropping his jeans to the floor as my eyes brushed over him.
I’d seen him shirtless, hundreds of times, and while the attraction had been there, this was different.
This was just for me. I licked my lips as he dropped his boxers to the floor, giving me a chance to take all of him in.
Then he stepped closer, pulling me to him.
We both moved to his bed and climbed in, both of us getting comfortable. He tried to support himself on one shoulder, but I stopped him.
“Just lay back,” I whispered, pressing my lips to his as I straddled his lap.
“I want to see all of you, to have all of you, the real you. Not the version you show to everyone,” he whispered between kisses.
He sat up, his mouth tracing a path to my throat and then across my shoulders. I threaded my fingers through his hair. His rough hand cupping my breast, his thumb running over the nipple before moving to the other. Then he sucked them into his mouth.
I could feel his hard cock between my legs, and I ground down on him, wanting and needing to feel all of him.
“Are you sure about this?” he questioned.
“I have never been more sure of anything,” I whispered, looking into his eyes.
He kissed me, then tried to reach over to the bedside table.
“You’ll have to get them,” he said.
I reached over and pulled the drawer open, removing a condom from the box. I ripped it open and slid it on him. I lifted myself, moving until I could feel him at my entrance, then slowly lowered myself onto him.
I closed my eyes, feeling every inch of him as he slid up inside of me. I could feel his hands on my hip, his breath against my neck as I swirled my hips, taking him. I couldn’t help but let out a moan as he worked with me, matching my pace.
“Don’t hold back…” I whispered.
“I am trying to be gentle with you,” he whispered, his breath tickling against my ear.
“Just let go…” I moaned, arching my back as he pumped into me again.
He pressed his forehead against mine, allowing us to find our rhythm. I couldn’t help but moan at every thrust, every touch. I opened my eyes to see him watching me, to see him now close his eyes.
“Look at me,” I whispered, bringing my hand to his cheek while he continued pumping into me.
His eyes met mine, and as we stared at one another, I could feel my orgasm building. I reached down between us, my fingers circling over my clit as I continued to ride him.
“I’ve got you. You can let go too, baby,” he breathed.
“I know…” I cried as I felt my orgasm rip through me.
The moment the cries escaped my lips, I felt him pick up the pace, moving faster and harder, his orgasm finally cresting. I fell against him, breathing hard.
Afterward, we lay tangled together in the sheets. A glaze of sweat covered both of us as we lay there in one another arms, breathing hard. Evan pulled me against him, my head resting on his chest, his fingers tracing circles on my arm.
“God, that was….” He groaned, still breathing hard, running his free hand over his face.
“Sure was,” I murmured.
I felt him press his lips to the top of my head.
“I meant what I said earlier. I love you. I’m in love with you.”
I looked up at him, taking in the look of terror in his eyes as my eyes filled with tears.
“I love you too. So much that it scares me.”
We lay there together, just holding one another, when I heard my cell phone ring down the hall. I realized for the first time since we’d left the restaurant that I’d never let anyone know, and I felt sure my father would be disappointed that the pair of us took off.
“What happens now?” Evan questioned, pulling me against him, his warmth enveloping me.
“Now we figure it out together. The team, my dad, all of it.”
As I lay there, I worried just how my father was going to react when he found out the news about us. I stared at the wall, wrapped in Evan’s arms, comforted by the warmth of his body.
“I’ll tell your father,” he said.
“In time,” I answered.