41. Sienna
SIENNA
Despite all the ungentlemanly-like things Calvin had done to my body, just like the night before, he kissed me good night at my front door and took himself upstairs to bed. And just like the night before, I was desperate to ask him to stay.
You’re taking it slow.
It doesn’t matter how many times I tell myself those four words; I really want to throw caution to the wind and dive in with two feet.
I’ve never felt anything like it before.
When I’m with him, he quiets the fear that’s lingered within me for years. With every touch, he eradicates another painful memory, replacing them with ones I keep finding myself thinking about during the most inappropriate times.
Like earlier, when I was giving a client a pedicure. She wasn’t in the mood for conversation and instead chose to read her book, leaving me to do my job and to allow my mind to drift.
Bea knew I was distracted; she was also more than aware of why.
I guess that’s what happens when she also spends her nights with a reformed fuckboy.
There are some benefits that come with the man you’re sleeping with having plenty of practice.
Not that I want to think about that too much. But damn, he’s got skills.
Tuesday at work is crazy. I had clients back to back and long into the evening, thanks to my few days off. It was worth it, though—getting to spend time with my family, and then yesterday with both Bea and Calvin.
When I step out of the elevator that evening, it’s weird not to see Calvin standing at my door, waiting for me.
I wasn’t expecting him, though. With Bea also working late—which I think she only did to ensure she could get more details out of me, because she had suspiciously few clients booked and kept swinging by to ask me about the night before whenever I had a free five seconds—the guys have plans.
After what Calvin confessed to me last night about how he felt after his injury, I’m glad he’s taking time to spend with them.
They’re not just his teammates, put together by their GM and forced to spend time together; they’re so much more than that, and I think now more than ever, Calvin needs to know that.
After showering, I barely had the energy to warm up my dinner before I crawled into bed with the TV playing in the background.
I can’t say I paid much attention to it, though, because from the moment I messaged Calvin to let him know I was home, I was lost in conversation with him.
I kept reminding him that he was meant to be hanging out with the guys.
He kept assuring me that he was, but that he’d missed me, and honestly, I didn’t have the kind of strength needed to argue with him.
So instead, I kept replying until I fell asleep, which was long before I heard any movement upstairs.
I woke this morning with excitement fluttering in my stomach. Not only am I going to see him later, but I’m also getting to watch a game. Access to the best seats is definitely another benefit of dating Calvin.
Before I left for work, I hung up my outfit for tonight in my bedroom, a smile playing on my lips as I stared at his jersey. The only thing better than watching the game in person with him would be to see him out there.
This time next year, it’ll happen. And just like I’ve told him, I have every confidence that when he gets back on that ice, he’ll be even stronger and more powerful than before.
After what could be a year out, he’s going to have a fire in his belly like never before, and the need to prove his place will be unmatched.
Despite once again having back-to-back clients, my day drags. I spend almost all of it clock-watching, counting down the hours until I get to see him.
I feel like a schoolgirl with a giddy crush on a boy, and I love it. I was under the illusion we didn’t get that feeling as adults, but apparently, I was wrong. I just hadn’t met a man who could give me butterflies.
“Is it time to go yet?” I ask when I walk into our small staff room and see Bea sitting at the desk with a laptop in front of her.
“Anyone would think you don’t want to be here,” she deadpans.
“I feel pathetic saying this, because I saw him Monday night, but I miss him.” I’m pouting as I drop onto the small couch. Even this room is flooded with memories of him. Everywhere I look, he’s all I can see. It’s crazy.
“Girl, you have got it bad. Whatever happened to ‘I’m never dating a hockey player,’” she says, attempting to mimic my voice.
“Firstly, I do not sound like that. And secondly, I wasn’t meant to. Calvin snuck up on me.”
“I remember you turning him down that first night. He was well up for it.”
“I’m pretty sure you didn’t see anything but Rett that night. But of course I did. I didn’t want to be a bunny.”
“Isn’t stopping you now,” she teases.
“It’s different. This isn’t one night of pleasure we’ll forget about tomorrow. It’s…fuck. I think it could be something.”
She smiles softly at me.
“Calvin, he’s…he’s so different from everything I knew before.”
“You didn’t really know him before, though. Just like I didn’t know Everett. What everyone sees in the media isn’t really them. It’s a persona created to protect themselves and their real lives.”
“I know that. I’ve always known that. But seeing it hits differently.”
Bea nods, agreeing with me.
“He’s good for you,” she finally says after clicking around on the computer for a few minutes.
“You think?”
“Hell yeah. I’ve never seen you smile this much.”
“It’s the orgasms.”
“Amen to that,” she says with a laugh before her expression turns serious and she lowers the laptop screen, turning her full focus on me. “So, I’ve been thinking…”
“That sounds ominous,” I tease.
“The properties you showed me…I think we should go and see them.”
It takes a couple of seconds for my brain to change lanes.
“Really?” I ask, my heart lurching. When Bea didn’t say anything about my expansion proposal, I assumed she’d filed it in the “to deal with later” drawer. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she just needed a bit of time to process my suggestions.
“Yeah. Every day we’re getting more calls about appointments. At first, I thought it would slow down, but there’s no sign of that happening. I think it would be naive of me not to at least look into the option of expanding.”
“Oh my god,” I squeal in excitement.
“I’ve spoken to my accountant, and it’ll be a stretch, but Everett has offered to help to get things up and running. He thinks it’s the right thing to do, and—”
“Hockey players are never wrong?” I interrupt.
“Never tell him that.”
“Oh, hell no. I won’t be mentioning it to Calvin, either.”
“Good. We WAGs have to have some secrets.”
I shake my head. How the hell am I a hockey WAG?
What is this life?
My cell buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, knowing exactly who it’ll be.
The selfie we took in front of the Christmas tree the other night stares back at me on my lock screen, and a smile twitches at my lips.
Yes, I have turned into that girl. One sniff of a relationship and I’ve put us on my lock screen.
And my smile only gets wider when I discover that I’m right about who my message is from.
Calvin King of the ice Keller: Can’t wait to see you tonight.
“Ugh, look at that smile.”
“Oh, pipe down. As if you’re any different.”
Bea holds her hands up in surrender. “Guilty as charged. Anyway, I’ve booked us to check out these places next Monday. That good with you, or did you have a dick appointment?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m sure I can squeeze you in.”
“Talking about dick…Have you taken that man for a ride yet?”
“Taking it slow, remember? Unless you’re talking about his face, of course.”
Bea is hooting in delight as Savvy joins us.
“Uh…what did I miss?”
I shoot Bea a glare. I’m not ready for the world to know about us yet. And despite us all being close, that includes the girls here.
“Private joke,” Bea says as Savvy pulls the fridge open and grabs a protein shake.
Savvy shakes her head, more than used to mine and Bea’s antics. “Si, I think your client just arrived.”
“Ugh, she’s early,” I complain before I quickly tap out a reply to Calvin and drop my cell into my pocket as I pop my last strawberry into my mouth and head out.
The next few hours continue to drag, but my excitement only grows. By the time my final client of the day leaves, I practically run out of the salon and drive home like a bat out of hell.
I’m on the clock, and I need to shower and make myself look like I haven’t been sweating and standing on my feet all day.
For the first time today, the time seems to speed past. One minute, I have an hour to get ready, and the next, the clock shows five minutes.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I mutter as I rush to put the finishing touches to my makeup. I’m keeping it light and natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s a fast or easy process.
I’m curling a few strands of hair that refuse to do what they’re told when my buzzer rings through the apartment.
“Jesus Christ.”
Using my cell, I unlock the front door and finish up.
“Are you ready?” Calvin calls.
“Ugh, kinda,” I shout back, earning a deep chuckle in return.
His heavy footsteps get louder until his large body fills my doorway.
I swear, his presence alone sucks all the air out of the room.
“Hey,” he says, his eyes eating me up. I’m only wearing jeans and a long-sleeved top to ensure I’m warm enough in the arena, but from the way his eyes burn with need, you’d think I was standing here in what’s beneath: Vipers-green lingerie.
I have no idea if Calvin has any wicked intentions for after the game, but I wanted to be prepared just in case.
“What happened to my—” My eyes shift to my closet door, and his words die when he follows my attention and finds his jersey hanging there, waiting for me.
Those eyes…they’re smoldering now.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I warn when he turns them on me.
“Like what?” he asks innocently.
“Like you want to forget ice hockey even exists and spend the night watching me instead.”
“Darlin’, you have no idea. We have people expecting us, though.”
“We do?”
“Yep. Now get that jersey on and let’s go.”
Turning my curling iron off, I walk toward my closet door, tug the jersey from the hanger, and throw it over my head.
All the while, Calvin stands there watching me as if I’m the most fascinating thing in the world.
“You look incredible,” he tells me as I walk toward him—and, better than hearing those words, I believe them.