Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Cooper: Sorry, I probably should have asked if you were okay with a room swap before I gave away my key.
Hunter: It was a great surprise. No apology needed.
I lay on my back with my arm behind my head and stare up at the hotel room ceiling. Natalie rests on my chest and I grip her with my other arm, keeping her close. She’s asleep, her features relaxed and peaceful—as well she should be after the night we had together.
I should be asleep, too. After a hockey game, a few rounds of sex, and another game tomorrow—or today, depending on what time it is—I need rest.
I closed my eyes for a bit. Not long enough, and now I’m wide awake. My mind can’t let go of our time together, can’t stop replaying every moment in my head. I’ve been around the block a time or two, and sex has never been like that before.
We connected on a new level, stripped bare and yet seen, known. I thought I loved my girlfriend in high school—there’s no doubt I loved having sex with her—but it was nothing like this. I’ve never experienced this level of intimacy before.
Am I in love with Natalie?
The thought should scare me. Should send me running for the elevator and out the hotel doors. Right? That’s what guys are supposed to do when they think about commitment. But all I want to do is cuddle her close.
So I do. Dropping my head to her mused hair, I inhale her citrus scent, layered over top of the clean bleach smell of the hotel sheets. It fills me up, makes me safe and content. I just want to stay here forever.
Dawn teases the edge of the hotel shade, lighting up the corners of the room and intruding on my thoughts. Morning comes. Things change. At some point, I will have to leave this little bubble. But that doesn’t mean that everything will fall apart.
Look at me. Natalie’s optimism must be rubbing off.
There are worse things that could happen. Being in love with an amazing woman who sees me for who I am is not something to be afraid of. Having a positive spin on things now and then could be good for me.
Take Cooper, for example. He and Jasmine are disgustingly happy, and that’s exactly what I wanted for myself. Some guys on the team would tell me to get as far away from commitment as possible, but that doesn’t mean they are right.
Does she love me in return?
I stare down at her features, the slope of her nose, the curve of her cheek. Her bare shoulder, exposed from the sheets. I want to tug it down and see more, see her laid out for me.
Before, I would have said, “It’s just sex. It doesn’t matter.” But after sleeping with Natalie, I know it’s significant. The look in her eyes the whole time, the trust and affection radiating out of every pore conveyed I’m not the only one feeling this way. I think she’s in as deep as I am.
My future is so uncertain. Will I get a contract? If so, can I make it as a professional hockey player?
If not…then what? I’ll have a college degree, but not much else. I’ve grown up rich, but I don’t want to rely on my dad’s money. There’s no trust fund; I need to make it on my own.
My stomach churns at the thought of my dad. He won’t like that I have a serious girlfriend. All I heard this summer with Tricia is that women are distractions. Or evil villains trying to sink their claws into me and my prospects. I hate he was right on the second count.
Natalie is nothing like Tricia, though. And the way my heart contracts when I think about her—nothing I’ve felt before compares.
She stirs, rubbing her face on my chest, nuzzling like a kitten.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I whisper.
Shifting, she scoots until she’s on her side looking at me. “Hi.”
“How did you sleep? Everything… okay?” No regrets?
Natalie nods and pushes her hair out of her eyes.
“Best sleep of my life.” Then her gaze narrows, and she winks at me. “Best night of my life, actually.”
Maybe this makes me shallow, but my chest fills with pride. Hearing that will never get old.
“Oh, yeah?” My hand snakes under the covers to rub circles on her hip and goosebumps break out along her arms. “I bet I can make this the best morning of your life, then.”
“You think so?” Stretching, she arches her back, making the sheets slip, and my mouth waters.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“How do we determine who wins this bet? And what do I get when I win?” A playful smile tugs at her lips.
I chuckle at her antics and roll on top of her. “I’m pretty sure we’ll both win.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widen. “It’s like that, huh?”
I nod, then give her a soft kiss. “It most definitely is.”