Skating Into Forever – By Caitlin Loggins #4
When he spotted her, she was leaning against her car, arms crossed, an innocent little smile playing on her lips. She wasn't trying to hide; She was waiting for him to come to her.
“You left?” Liam stalked towards her, his eyes dark with desire.
Sophie pushed off the car with a playful glint in her eyes, taking a small step toward him. “You were busy,” she said teasingly.
Liam's purposeful steps closed the distance between them. He didn't speak until he was standing right in front of her, towering over her. Like this, she could feel his presence, strong and protective.
“Busy?” His voice was a low rasp, his breath warm against her skin. “You know that I'll always make time for you.”
Sophie's lips curled into a teasing grin, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. She knew that she had him right where she wanted him. “I know,” she replied softly, almost a whisper. “I just thought I'd give you some space. I didn't want to be a distraction before the big game tonight.”
Liam shook his head. “You think you could ever be a distraction?” he said as he stepped in closer and gently pressed her back against the car.
“You're the only thing on my mind, Soph. The whole time I was in that meeting, all I wanted was to go back out there to that bench and finish what I started.”
“Oh yeah?” she questioned, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “And what exactly did you start?”
Liam's smirk was the kind that made her knees weak as his hands rested lightly on her waist. “I think you already know,” he murmured as his hands slid lower, sending shivers down her spine.
Sophie's heart beat faster. She knew he was doing this on purpose.
Dragging it out, making her wait. He was so close, so damn close to doing exactly what she wanted him to, and yet he was holding back.
It was driving her insane. “Maybe,” she whispered, her fingers tightening in the fabric of his hoodie, pulling him closer. “But I want to hear you say it.”
“I was going to kiss you,” he said, his voice husky, eyes intense. “And then I was going to do it again… and again.”
“And while I was at it, I was going to let my hands wander and feel every inch of you.” He softly brushed his fingers down her arm.
Her breath hitched. “My fingers would slip under your shirt, feel the soft, smooth skin of your waist, your back, your ribs, make you shiver. And then my hands would move lower and I would touch you here.” Making his point, his fingers moved lower, grazing the top of her jeans.
“Tease you until you can't stand it anymore. Until you're begging me to go further.”
“Then stop talking.” she dared, her fingers tracing the outline of his jaw. “And do it.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Liam's lips moved against hers with purpose, slow, just a brush at first but quickly grew more desperate as he kissed her deeply like a man who had been holding himself back for far too long.
As Liam's hands dipped lower and slid under her shirt, a sharp whistle cut through the air.
“Holtz! Get a room, man!”
Sophie's eyes snapped open and her entire body went rigid. Liam, still holding her close, turned to glare at Adam, who was leaning against the side of his truck grinning like an idiot.
“Seriously, Adam?” he called out, irritated. “You couldn't wait a few more minutes?”
Adam shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. “Couldn't resist. It looked like you two were getting a little too carried away over there.”
“Well, next time try not to interrupt me when I'm busy kissing my girl,” Liam said, his glare lingering on Adam.
“Alright, alright, you two get back to what you were doing,” Adam said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I'll just be over here pretending I didn't see anything.”
Liam laughed, a soft chuckle that made Sophie relax a little. “Go away, Adam.”
Sophie let out a nervous laugh of her own. “You're really not embarrassed by this, are you?”
“Not one bit,” Liam smiled, wrapping his arms around her.
Sophie couldn't help but chuckle, although she was certain that her face was still as red as a tomato and her heart was still galloping away behind her ribcage.
“Well I am, so I will see you after your game tonight and we can continue this in private,” she said, putting the emphasis on the last word.
“Now get your backside in your truck before I regret every decision that led me to this moment.”
Liam smirked, dropping one last kiss on her lips before stepping back. “You'd never regret me, Soph,” he said as he picked up his hockey bag. She lingered a little too long watching his fine ass walk back to his truck.
SOPHIE
Sophie slid into the driver's seat of her car and buckled her seatbelt. However, her mind was a million miles away, still caught up in the feeling of his lips on hers and how his hands had felt against her bare skin as they slipped under her shirt right before Adam interrupted them.
It was almost like she could still feel his fingers against her skin, the way he'd teased her, just enough to make her want him so badly she could hardly stand it. Her breaths became shallower and her pulse quickened with each thought of him as she sat in her car trying to collect herself.
With a small groan, Sophie reached for her keys and put them in the ignition. She was so not ready to leave this moment behind, but she knew she needed to get home to finish some things before she had to leave for the game later tonight…
A few hours later, Sophie stood in front of her bedroom mirror, holding Liam's jersey in her hands.
She smiled as she brushed her fingers over his last name stitched on the back.
He had given the jersey to her after a game that she had gone to shortly after they started dating.
The memory of that night played vividly in her mind.
She remembered waiting for him by the locker room after the game and when he finally emerged, he had walked straight to her.
Without a word, he pulled his jersey over his head and draped it over her shoulders.
“Here,” he had said, still slightly breathless. “This is yours now. This lets everyone know that you're mine.”
She pulled the hoodie that she had worn to his morning skate over her head, tossing it onto her bed before slipping the oversized jersey on. As it settled over her body, the weight of it was comforting, like a hug. It was like a little piece of him she could always keep close.
She ran her hands down the front, smoothing the dark blue fabric, then turning slightly, she caught the reflection of his name across the back in the mirror. Holtz, along with his number 55.
Her Holtz.
Grabbing her favorite black and white sneakers, she sat on the edge of her bed to put them on before grabbing her phone and purse.
She took one last look in the mirror, grazing her fingers over the Blades logo on the front of the jersey, and with a smile she flipped off her bedroom light and headed for the front door.
She had a game to get to and her favorite player was waiting for her.
SOPHIE
The drive to the game was a mix of excitement and nerves for Sophie.
The closer she got, the more the butterflies in her stomach stirred, but it wasn't just the anticipation of the game, it was knowing she'd be able to see Liam in action.
The thought of seeing him on the ice, doing what he loved, made her smile as she turned into the parking lot of Pacific Edge Arena.
Taking a deep breath, Sophie reached for her purse on the passenger seat and stepped out into the crisp evening air.
Closing her car door behind her, the unmistakable hum of pregame energy immediately surrounded her.
As she made her way toward the entrance, she couldn't help but notice all of the fans wearing jerseys with Holtz and #55 across the back, a sight that never failed to fill her with pride that she was his girlfriend.
At the entrance, she pulled her phone from her purse and scanned her digital ticket before making her way through the bustling concourse to her seat.
Finding her seat, Sophie placed her purse beside her and leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees as she waited for the team to emerge from the locker room for pregame warmups.
No matter how many games she attended, this moment, the anticipation, the calm before the storm so to speak, always felt the same.
A cheer erupted from the stands as the team spilled out onto the ice one by one. Each of them went off to begin their own individual warmup routine. Her eyes immediately landed on Liam as he glided effortlessly onto the ice with that smooth, confident stride that she knew so well.
Her eyes followed his every move as he coasted around the ice, joining his teammates in their warmup drills and a smile tugged at her lips when he skated past her section.
He didn't stop, but his gaze flickered up just enough to find her in the crowd.
His eyes met hers for a fleeting second before he pushed off again, rejoining the drills without missing a beat.
SOPHIE
The clock on the Jumbotron continued its countdown, signaling the end of warm-ups.
One by one, the players started making their way off the ice, disappearing through the tunnel leading to the locker room to finish preparing for the game.
Liam was the last one to leave, scooping up a stray puck and flipping it towards a young fan behind the glass before joining his teammates in the locker room.
As Sophie settled back into her seat to wait for the puck drop, a conversation from the row of seats in front of her caught her attention.
“Oh my god, did you see Holtz during warmups?” one of the girls said, shaking her head in admiration.
“I know, right?” her friend replied. “And don't even get me started on how good he looks in that uniform. He's literally the whole package, insanely talented and so cute.”