Epilogue
COLE
Maya pops her head into the bathroom and rakes her eyes over my naked body. My cock perks up under her gaze, despite having been buried inside her less than an hour ago. It’s a good thing my stamina on the ice extends to the bedroom as well.
“Something you need?” I tease from the shower as I rinse the soap from my body. “Or are you just here for the free show?”
Her head snaps up and a flush creeps over her cheeks, as if she’s embarrassed that she’s been caught ogling me. “Oh, um. Yeah. Sorry. It’s safe for Goose to drink water out of the Stanley Cup, right? Google said that I could clean it with soap and water, so I did, but I wanted to make sure—”
The noise that comes out of my mouth sounds inhuman, and the way it echoes off the tile walls could easily burst an eardrum. “Please, tell me you’re kidding, baby.”
Her eyes widen and she takes a cautious step back. “Is that a no?”
I nearly fall on my ass scrambling out of the shower.
Jesus Christ. Players have done weird shit with the Cup after winning—everything from using it as a cereal bowl to baptizing their babies in it—but I’m not one of those guys.
It’s a trophy, meaning it should be treated with the reverence and respect of one.
Letting my fucking dog use it as a water bowl? I’m never going to win a game again.
I’m wrapping a towel around my waist, stumbling all over myself, when Maya bursts into a fit of giggles. “It’s not funny,” I grit out. “You may not be a die-hard hockey fan, but—”
“Babe, chill. I’m just fucking with you,” she says with a candy-sweet smile. “I’m staying a strict ten feet away from that thing.”
My shoulders sag with relief. “You just wanted an excuse to check out my naked ass, didn’t you?”
“No, but I do have something to show you.” She gives me a secretive smile. “Come to the kitchen when you’re done, okay?”
She disappears before I interrogate her about what she’s got planned, so I dry off quickly and slip into a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, then head into the kitchen.
When I find Maya, she’s at the table with Goose, who has somehow fit his large body between the legs of her chair.
If he had to save one of us in a fire, it most definitely wouldn’t be me.
I swear I’m the third wheel, though I can’t bring myself to be resentful.
If anyone understands his affection for her, it’s me.
As I shuffle closer, I glance into the entryway, where the Cup is on display. Reassured that it’s untouched and unbothered, I sit beside Maya and give her my full attention. “What’s up, baby?”
She beams at me. “I finished.”
“Finished what?” I take her in, trying to decipher her comment, only now noticing the thick stack of papers piled in front of her. “Holy shit. You finished your book?”
She nods shyly, a pink hue flirting with the soft lines of her face. “It’s only a first draft. I’m sure there’s a ton of work to be done… but, yeah. I finished.”
I plant a firm kiss against her lips. “That’s amazing, bean. Congrats.”
“And you get to read it before Brian,” she adds with a teasing wink.
I don’t bother to hide my satisfied grin. Brian may be her writing partner, but I’m the partner who truly matters. I slide the papers across the table, then straighten them in front of me and flip to the second page.
The first two words, centered near the middle of the page, make my throat go tight and heat prick at the backs of my eyes.
To Nathan.
“You’re dedicating it to Nathan?” I choke out. Gratitude warms my heart until it’s nearly beating out of my chest.
“Yeah… is that weird?” She peers at me from the corner of her eye. “I thought, well, this is my own way of honoring him. Without your brother, you wouldn’t be the man I’m in love with, so I wanted to thank him somehow, even if it’s only—”
I press my lips against hers. It’s the only way I can express how damn much this means to me. My brother would’ve loved her.
“If I didn’t know any better,” she says when I finally release her, “I’d think you don’t like how much I talk. You always seem to be hushing me up with a kiss.”
“Maybe I just enjoy kissing you,” I chuckle. “Thank you for showing me this, baby. We may have met on accident, but loving you? That’s a choice I’ll make every day for the rest of my life.”
“I love you, too.” She smiles against my lips. “And I’m totally using that line in my next novel because it’s absolutely adorable.”