Chapter Twenty
CHAPTER TWENTY
MAX
I’m not sure what wakes me. The pounding in my head or the bangs and clattering I hear coming from downstairs. Sounds like Sabrina is downstairs making breakfast—and no doubt causing a mess.
The woman is incredible and can do so many things well. Cooking is not one of them. I imagine the scene downstairs and can’t help but smile.
Turning my head just a little, I notice that the sun is fully out. I must have slept into the late morning. A rare occurrence for me, but obviously, my body needed it.
The events from last night come flooding back to me. Fucking Minkenov, taking yet another cheap shot at me. It was the lowest of moves to check someone when the game clock was stopped. I hadn’t been expecting the blow, so my body was loose and not braced for the impact, leading to my head smacking into the glass at an odd angle.
I hope that asshole was suspended and got fined up the ass. The refs had been turning a blind eye to all his dirty moves and high sticking too. I’m sure they won’t go unpunished either.
I love hockey. It’s in my bones straight down to my soul, but there are times like this where I know some things about the game need to be changed or updated to protect the players.
A huge crash from downstairs has me wincing. I need to get up, even if it’s just to make sure my house doesn’t burn down. Slowly, I pull myself into a seated position. I’m not dizzy, which is a good sign, but my body is stiff, aching with every move I make.
Letting out a slow, long breath, I shift my legs over the side of the bed and brace myself on the headboard edge to stand.
“Whoa,” I mutter as my legs shake beneath me.
“Jesus, Max.” Sabrina’s voice is suddenly right beside me, her body arching into mine to help support me. “You should have called for me or something.”
“I’m fine, Bean. Just a little shaky. It’s not a big deal.”
“Well, how about for today, we make it a big deal, and you ask for help.”
“Sabrina,” I chide, not liking this feeling of being reliant on someone else. Even if it is Sabrina.
“Max,” she says back in the same tone. “It’s me. It’s okay.”
I hesitate for a moment, thinking about putting up a fight, but she’s right. I do need a little bit of support today. Nodding to give her the all clear, I walk to the bathroom with Sabrina’s support. I’m still shaky but can hold my own weight.
She leaves me at the bathroom door, giving me privacy as I go through my morning routine. I look at the shower longingly, desperately wanting hot water on my tired muscles, but that will have to wait until later. When I’m finished, I step out, and Sabrina is there to take my hand and lead me back to bed.
“I, umm, tried to make breakfast, but all that survived was the toast. So I’m going to order in if that’s okay.”
I chuckle at that. I was right about the kitchen disaster. “Yeah, sounds good, actually. I’m starving.”
Sitting on the bed, I pull Sabrina until she’s standing between my legs. Her free hand goes to my hair, gently pushing back the strands. Her touch feels so good, but it’s an intimate gesture that she’s never done before.
My eyes flick up to hers and see something that I’ve been wishing to see for years now. Longing.
Her tongue peeks out, wetting her lower lip. All the discomfort I was feeling in my muscles vanishes and moves to my lower abdomen.
“Sabrina,” I whisper, hypnotized by her. If I was going to say anything more, I never get the chance. In the next instant, she’s holding my face between her soft hands and leaning down. The moment our lips meet, the world around me fades away.
All that’s left is her.
The kiss is soft at first, both of us exploring, teasing, and tasting the other. She runs her tongue along my lower lip, making me moan in delight and open wider for her. When her tongue dances with mine, I take control.
Dragging her down onto the bed with me, I tangle my hands in her hair, trying to get her closer. I need to feel and consume every inch of her.
I can taste her morning coffee, sweet and addicting. Her weight over my body feels delicious, and when her legs fall to the sides of my hips, I lift into her, making her moan. Desperate to hear that sound again, I nip her bottom lip and palm her ass. She whimpers in need.
“Jesus,” I grunt, licking again into her mouth. Then I begin making my way down her jaw to her neck, kissing, nipping, and licking every inch of her skin I can.
“Oh God, Max.” Her head falls back when I nip the top of her breast through the thin T-shirt she’s wearing. Her nails dig into my scalp. There’s a moment of sharp pain, but I try to ignore it, not wanting to ruin and lose this moment with her.
Shit. Is the room spinning?
She kisses me, deep and wet, before pulling away. Breathing heavily, Sabrina pushes a strand of my hair out of my face. “Max, we need to stop.”
“No, we don’t,” I say, trying to push up and capture her lips again.
“We do,” she laughs, coming down to me and giving me the kiss I wanted. “You’re hurt and need rest. This probably isn’t helping.”
“It’s helping tons,” I joke with her, running my hands up and down her back. “I never want to stop kissing you,” I confess.
Her eyes sparkle with a happiness I haven’t seen in a very long time. The laugh that follows also has my heart bursting with joy at the sound.
“I realized something last night. When I was in your office.”
“My office?”
She nods. Twisting carefully so that she falls to the side of me but never leaves my arms, she intertwines our hands. “All the pictures. Looking at all those happy memories with you made me realize I was being stupid. No, wait, let me finish,” she begs when I open my mouth to tell her she’s never stupid. “Did you know that when we were teenagers, I had the hugest crush on you?”
“No, I never knew that. You were, and still are, hard to read.”
She nods again, her eyes locked on our joined hands.
“I liked you. Like, liked you liked you. I think that’s another reason why you leaving for Montreal hurt so much. Because the possibility of us being more than friends became impossible. You were moving far away, and I still had school to finish in Toronto. I was so happy for you. So, so happy. Playing professionally was your dream, and I never wanted to get in the way of that. But it felt like you were leaving me behind for the enemy. And that feeling, that resentment, grew over time.”
I pull her in tighter to my side, not wanting to interrupt her but needing to show her I understand.
“But I kept you with me all those years we didn’t talk. Your voice was always in the back of my head, telling me I could do anything. I didn’t like you, but you were, and have always been, my rock.” She takes a deep breath. The action makes me steel myself for what’s about to come.
“So to see your office last night, to understand that all this time you’ve been keeping me close too…” Her voice catches, and a tear escapes from the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry, Max. I’m sorry for not reaching out sooner. For denying and fighting what’s been building between us all this time. For missing all the signs you’ve been flashing at me and making excuses. I see it all now.”
Pushing up, she kisses the edge of my lips, then peppers the side of my face with more kisses.
“I’m done fighting this feeling. I want it all, Max. Whatever this is, I want to try. With you, I want to try.”
Kissing her back quickly, I rest my head against the top of hers.
“I’ve been waiting what feels like my whole life for those words, Sabrina Sutton. I want you too. And I promise, there’s no distance and no obstacle that will keep me away now. You admitted you’re mine, and I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you there.”
“Good” is all she says but gives me a hard side hug. “Now that all our feelings are out in the open—how mature of us—let’s eat.”
While I would much rather take a bite out of her and continue fooling around, I know I need to take things slow. I’m still recovering and need a little more rest to feel like my normal self. And while Sabrina has admitted her feelings for me and says she’s all in, I don’t want to rush and scare her off.
“Sounds good, Bean.”
For the rest of the morning, we stay in bed, talking, eating, and resting together while only leaving our little nest of blankets if we absolutely have to.
If this is what the future holds, I can’t wait for our forever to begin.