37. Casey
Chapter 37
Casey
T he sound of my office door clicking shut behind Matthew was like the first breath of air after being underwater for too long. How long had I been holding my breath over this? It felt like forever. I leaned back against my desk, running a hand through my hair, my chest heaving with relief.
I hadn’t been sure how that conversation was going to go. Matthew had a way of keeping me on edge. That quirky bastard never revealed his thoughts until the very last moment. I figured he liked to make people nervous—it was some kind of powerplay that amused him. Truly wealthy people had odd hobbies. I’d known only a few, and each was a unique snowflake who made life challenging in their way. For most of the conversation with Matthew, I’d braced myself for the worst—for the possibility that tonight would be my last game as the Fire’s head coach.
But what a way to go out.
The game had been an all-timer. I looked forward to the highlight reel because every second of that game could be featured. Even the Bulldozer wasn’t enough to secure the Seattle Razor’s win. It had been the game of a lifetime, and, because Matthew had an odd sense of morality, I still had more games to go.
I couldn’t believe he’d let me off the hook. More than that, he had congratulated me and wanted an invitation to our wedding. The same man, who’d once told me hockey should come before everything else, had smiled and said he was glad my priorities were finally in order. I had to stop thinking I could predict him, because he proved me wrong time and time again.
For the first time all night, I felt like I could breathe again.
Gemma was safe from the fans. My job was safe from Matthew. We were getting married. Somehow, the stars had aligned, and things worked out.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, already scrolling to Gemma’s name. I needed to tell her everything—about Matthew, how much I loved her, that we could finally move forward without this cloud hanging over us, and how I wanted to wake up beside her every day for the rest of my life.
But then the storage closet door creaked open. I nearly jumped out of my skin, my heart racing as the door swung wide, my fingers scrambling not to drop my phone.
“What the hell?” I started, my voice catching in my throat. But I lost that train of thought when Gemma stepped out, wearing nothing but her bra and panties and an expression that left no room for misinterpretation.
For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even think. The sight of her pooled all the blood low in my body, and my mouth went dry. “Gemma…what are you—why are you?—”
Before I could finish my question, she crossed the room in three determined steps and grabbed my face, her lips crashing against mine.
Any thoughts I’d had—confusion, coherent words—disappeared the instant she kissed me. Every kiss we shared was that way. Each kiss coalesced priorities into the meeting of our mouths. Her soft hands slid to the back of my neck, her fingers tangling in my hair as she kissed me with a desperation that stole my breath. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer, the feel of her satiny skin against my hands setting off sparks in every nerve of my body.
“Gemma,” I murmured against her lips, trying to catch my breath, but she didn’t give me a chance to say more.
“No talking.”
I wasn’t about to argue.
She pushed me back against the desk, her hands sliding under my shirt as she kissed me like she couldn’t get enough. Her warmth against my cold chest lit me from the inside. My jacket hit the floor first, followed by my shirt, and when her lips trailed down my neck, my brain officially short-circuited.
I lifted her onto the desk, her legs wrapping around my waist as I kissed her deeply, pouring every ounce of love and passion I felt into the moment.
The office faded away, the arena noise a distant hum. It was just us, lost in each other. She shoved my pants down, grabbing me in her hot little hand and stroking me as I pumped against her palm. She rubbed the head of my cock against herself, wet and ready for me. When I entered her, nothing else existed. Not the team, not the arena, not time, not space. I sank deep into her there, wishing for a bed to do this right.
But I did have a door.
I lifted her from the desk and carried her so her back was against the door. Every thrust, a new sensation threatened to make me spill right then. But when she stared into my eyes with her every gasp, that was the thing that sent me near the point of no return. I felt her love for me in some cosmic way, and it was everything I ever needed.
Her kisses were something animalistic. She fed off my lips the way I fed off hers. Nothing else mattered but her. She was my end and our beginning. My blood thrummed in my ears, my balls, my heart, all at once. I needed her more than I needed anything in my life. When she squeezed around me, rapturous sounds trickled from her mouth, and I devoured each one as she came on me, shuddering until she slowed.
She gasped, “Set me down.”
I did, and she dropped to her knees. “Are you okay?—”
I thought she had fallen. But she swallowed me into her mouth, working me into her throat as she stared at me through her lashes the whole time.
Fuck .
Gemma took everything I had to give her and wanted more. So I gave it all to her, weaving my fingers into her long red hair to keep her on my pace. Her tongue flicked against the head, and that extra sensation got me there even faster. I pumped into her lips, ecstatic and verging on delirium. It was too much, too fast, and exactly what I needed. Something unholy erupted from my throat as I came in hers.
After we pulled ourselves together, I needed the support of my desk chair. This crazy woman had made me weak in the knees. I leaned back against my chair, my chest heaving as I tried to gulp air in. Quickies weren’t our normal thing, but fuck, that was amazing. Gemma curled onto my lap, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my shoulder as we basked in the afterglow. She was tracing my birthmark.
It felt like that mark had brought us full circle. Without it, I might never have known Winnie was mine. I still couldn’t believe Gemma was here. Or that she had agreed to marry me.
I didn’t believe in fate or luck. I believed you made your own path through hard work and dedication. But ever since getting to know Gemma, I had begun to wonder if some force in the universe had gotten us together. Whatever the case, this felt as though it was meant to be. Everything with her felt right.
Except the fact that she had been in my storage closet. “You were in the closet that whole time.”
She grinned, propping herself up on one elbow. “Guilty.”
“And you heard everything,” I continued, watching her carefully.
Her smile softened, and she nodded. “I did. And if I had any lingering doubts about you—which, for the record, I didn’t—but if I had, they would’ve disappeared the second you told Matthew you’d give up your job for us.”
I cupped her cheek, brushing my newly naked thumb over her skin. “You don’t know how close I came to losing it all tonight. If Matthew hadn’t?—”
She silenced me with a kiss. “But he didn’t. You’re still here, and so am I. And I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”
“Same here.”
Gemma’s grin turned mischievous as she sat up, her eyes sparkling. “Let me guess—Whitney was behind getting you back here?”
“She’s behind everything good around this place.”
“More than you know,” Gemma said, laughing. “I asked for her help with this?—”
“That’s how you got into my office? I thought it might have been some journalism school thing.”
Her eyes widened. “How so?”
“The intrepid reporter, breaking into buildings…it’s practically a staple trope in film noir.”
She pressed her forehead to mine. “You’re adorable. And for the record, no, we don’t learn how to break into buildings in journalism school.”
“Probably safer that way.”
“I learned how to do that from my mother, not college.”
I chuckled, but her expression didn’t break. “Wait—you’re serious?”
“Nico used to lock himself out of the house a lot when we were little kids, so Mom showed us how to break in safely by picking the lock.”
“Oh. I guess that’s a good skill to have if you’re bad at remembering your keys. Maybe you should teach Winnie.”
She smiled and shook her head. “I forget to charge my phone, Nico still forgets his keys. We’ll wait to see what she forgets and go from there.”
“So, it’s a family trait?”
“Yeah. Mom used to forget which bills came at the start of the month, and Dad always left the stove on.”
“Damn.” I made a mental note to watch for the stove thing with her and Winnie. After a beat, fleeting concerns came to mind. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I thought Matthew was going to fire me. Honestly, I’d made peace with it. If losing this job meant being with you and Winnie, it was a no-brainer. I’d even looked into other jobs?—”
“But you love it here.”
I shrugged. “It’s like I told him. You and Winnie are all that matters.”
Her expression softened, “Casey…”
I kissed her again, slow and deep, trying to convey everything I couldn’t put into words. Out of the two of us, she was the one who was good with words, so I had to show her how I felt. Unfortunately, this time, it couldn’t lead to anything more than a cuddle. Tiredness was starting to sink in as the night's adrenaline wore away.
Eventually, we straightened up and began to dress. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of lightness I hadn’t felt in months. Matthew was headed to his ranch in Texas, my job was safe, and most importantly, the woman I loved was by my side. Truly, she was the woman of my dreams. I hoped I could be the man who made her dreams come true.
I asked, “Can we go to my place for the night?”
“Yes, please.” On our way out the door, she asked, “Do you want more kids?”
I laughed. The abruptness of her question had caught me in the middle of a fantasy of what I wanted to do to her at my place. Shifting gears, I asked, “Do you?”
“I asked you first.”
“Fine.” I hoped this went well. “I do. If you’re up for it. If you’re not, that’s okay, too. Winnie’s plenty for us. But I don’t want you to feel pressured?—”
She spun on her heel, facing me. “I want more, too. Maybe not right away—I want to spend time with it being just the three of us for a little while. But, on the off chance, we could make another Winnie, I want to try.”
My heart swelled. I stroked her cheek, and she leaned into it, smiling. She was perfect. I knew that before, but now, I had all the confirmation I needed on that point. “Then let’s do that. One day.”