Epilogue
Willa
The bus pulls up to the arena and we all file out in our red, white, and blue attire.
After the Frozen Four championship, Carter wouldn’t stop, pushing me just as hard as I pushed him to re-train and condition myself to be able to play hockey again.
They wouldn’t let me back on the Drexton Hall team, but I worked hard and did everything I could to get back to playing. I was going to try out for every national team if I had to. Nothing was going to stop me.
I signed with the first team that made me an offer at the Women’s Combine. Carter wasn’t going to enter the draft until I got signed. He almost didn’t after that, but I wasn’t going to let him pass it up. Not after how hard he worked and the way he played at the championship games.
He didn’t want to be picked up too far from where my team was, but we’ve both been traded over the years. It’s hard being on teams thousands of miles away from each other, but we made it work the past six years.
This is my second time making the Olympic team, but Carter didn’t this time. I haven’t seen him in months. It’s the longest stretch we’ve had in years, and I miss him.
That’s why, when I see him while making our entrance to the hotel from the practice facilities in Montreal, I scream and push my way through the line. Running through anyone in my way and jumping into his arms.
He stumbles back when he catches me while I lock my legs and arms around him, kissing every bit of his soft, full lips and thick beard.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you.” He groans and squeezes me tight against his chest.
“What are you doing here?” I pull away to slap his arm, annoyed he lied to me by saying he couldn’t make it, but he pulls me back in.
“Change of plans,” he sucks in my lip, letting it go with a pop, “I wanted to surprise you.”
“I never want to spend this long apart.” I pepper kisses all over his cheek and jaw. I want my lips on every part of his body.
“Willa,” he groans when I tug at the longer strands of his deep brown hair at the top of his head above the shorter, shaved sides. “If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to let go.”
He smirks and tilts his head to the side, motioning with his russet colored eyes to the cameras pointed at us.
I don’t want him to let me go, but reluctantly I slide my legs off and slip down to stand next to him.
“Carter,” I stop him from pulling away to address the press, “after this year, I’m retiring.”
“What?” He grabs my arm and steers me away with a finger held up for the press to give us a minute. “Why would you do that?”
His eyes wildly roam over my face and down my body, searching for my sanity or an injury. This isn’t how I wanted to tell him, but I can’t keep it in.
“I want to be with you. I hate not seeing you for months.” I let my hands run up and down his thick arms. “I lived this dream, now I want another one. Will you marry me, Carter?”
“Jesus, Willa.” His eyes widen, and he bites his bottom lip. It’s not the response I was hoping for, but it’s a shock. I haven’t exactly prepared for it myself.
I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, but I had no idea I was going to do it now.
“It’s a lot to take in, but I want to start my life with you. I’ve already looked into coaching positions.” I clutch onto his forearms. “Please, I thought maybe you’d be happy.”
“Willa,” he laughs and shakes his head. “I wish you would’ve talked to me first.”
“I’m ok,” I assure him. “I love coaching, and I’ve been miserable without you.” I take a deep breath and ask again. “Marry me, Carter. I want to start our life together.”
“You couldn’t have waited one day?” He shakes his head and pulls away, reaching into his pocket.
“Carter, I—”
He kneels down on one knee, stopping my next thought. Freezing my brain with the small box nestled in his hands.
“Willa, I’ve had this ring for years. For years, I knew I wanted to spend my life doing everything I can to be the man you deserve. I held onto it to let you live your dream, and I’ll continue to do whatever it takes to make all of them come true.” He smiles and opens the box. “I don’t want to waste any more time not calling you my wife. I guess I know the answer, but will you marry me?”
My fingertips are wet against my cheeks, and water clouds my vision.
He lifts his brows, waiting for me to answer or move from my frozen state.
“I love you.” I vigorously nod my head. “You are my dream.” He stands and puts the ring on my finger. “You’re so much more than I deserve. You’re everything to me.” I grab his face and hold it close to mine, mashing our lips and tongues together.
The crowd around us claps and flashes of light snap around us.
“How fast can we get to my room?” I groan against him.
The ring glints, reflecting off the lights in the elevator as we ascend to my room.
I haven’t stopped touching and rubbing myself against Carter since the doors closed, finally getting some privacy. And I can’t stop looking at the ring. I never thought something so pretty and shiny would make me so happy, but it’s everything it represents. It’s our new life starting.
“Willa,” Carter pulls back to look at me, “you can’t retire yet. You love it too much.”
“But I love you more.” I hold his bushy cheek in my hand. I love how much his beard has grown in. He doesn’t trim or shave it until the season ends.
He leans down and kisses me hard and desperate, sucking my lips between his.
“And I love you too much to let you give it all up.” The doors open and he pulls me out, checking there’s no one in the hall before lifting me up over his shoulder.
I squeal and pass him my room key from inside my shirt and tell him the room number.
With a light slap on my ass, he opens the door and takes us inside, letting me slide down his body.
I shove him against the wall and pull him down by his neck to get my lips onto his.
I rip my jacket off and toss it on the floor without breaking away.
Carter’s hands roam over my sides and ass as our tongues push and glide against each other. I pull his zipper down in his fleece and shove it off his arms.
Desperate to get his clothes off, I want to feel all of him against me.
I kick my shoes off and slide my pants down my legs, kicking and pushing them off without breaking my mouth from Carter.
“Willa,” Carter groans out my name. “Fuck, I missed you.” He tugs my shirt up and over my head.
“I never want to spend that much time apart.” I kiss him and give his jeans a hard tug to undo the button and push them down his legs.
Sucking and biting his lips, I break apart, only to rip his shirt off. I don’t bother with the buttons, pulling at his collar, ripping it open so that they fly off, hitting the floor.
I dig my nails into his hard, meaty flesh and scratch my teeth down his smooth neck.
“Willa.” Carter holds me back by my shoulders, but I’m hungry for him. He has something to say. I can see him going over it in his mind, but taking one look at me, waiting to devour him, he decides against it. “Fuck it.” He lifts me up by the thighs to straddle his waist and kicks off his shoes and pants on the way to the bed. “We’ll talk later.”
He stands back to take the rest of his clothes off and strokes himself, watching me slowly remove my bra and panties.
I lick my lips as his cock grows, straining in his fist.
“I want Nessy in my mouth.” I get on down on all fours, crawling on the bed to get to him.
“And I want to taste that cherry flavor.” He sniffs the air and squints his eyes at me. “Did you switch your body wash?”
“I was missing you.” I pout an apology. I agreed to save that scent just for him, but I wanted something to help make him feel closer. It’s his favorite.
“My bad girl.” He smirks, reaches around me, and gives my ass a hard slap.
“I am your girl.” I flip onto my back and open my mouth wide, waiting for him to crawl over me. “Now come up here and stick that monster in me.”
With a low growl, Carter grabs me and pulls me down to the middle of the bed. Twirling me around as I squeal in excitement until my head is hanging off the edge.
“If you get my monster,” he stands behind my head, “then I get your pussy.”
My hand snaps up and I give his ass a hard smack, making him jolt forward with a moan and a mischievous grin.
“Are you ready, boss?” He lines himself up with my mouth.
I stick my tongue out and run it along his pulsing vein in response. I suck in the tip of his cock as he lowers down over me.
His hands smooth over my thighs to spread them out wide. I take him in deeper, sucking and suctioning my tongue over him as he slides his tongue over my slit. My hips lift, needing more. Carter is taking his time to savor me with soft light brushes and moans against my clit, but I’m needy.
I reach out and grab his hair to push his head down, giving me the pressure I’m craving.
Carter growls and pulses his hips into me. I take him as deep as he can go. Stretching my neck to open my throat for him.
He groans against me and a salty trickle slides down my throat as he sucks in my clit between his lips and rapidly flicks his tongue over it, making my body convulse under him.
“Fuck, I missed you.” He picks me up to straddle him as he sits at the head of the bed. “Have you been remembering your birth control?” He stops me once I get my hand around his thick length.
“Every day.” I nod. There’s been times I’d forget when we’re away from each other, but I hoped every day I’d see him soon. I didn’t want to wait to feel him inside me.
“Thank god,” he smashes his lips against mine as I slide him inside my pulsing center.
I hold him against me as I thrust over him, slapping our hips together.
“You’re amazing,” he praises me, sliding his hand through my shoulder length hair. “I love you.”
“You’re mine,” I cry out my orgasm, squeezing him tight as my body tightens around him.
“All yours.” He pulses inside me, filling me up with every piece of him.
He rolls me to the side, staying inside me as we hold on to each other to catch our breaths.
“What did you want to talk about?” I lazily brush his hair off his forehead.
“You”re not retiring this year.”
“But Car–”
“Shh,” he cuts me off with his finger pressed to my lips.
I’m not doing this again. I love playing hockey, but I hate being away from him even more.
“I’ve spent months working it out.” He moves his finger from my mouth to my jaw. “I’m getting traded.”
“To where?” My heart rate picks up in a panic. Another trade is another chance we’ll be even further apart.
“To Seattle.” He grins and my heart stops beating. “To be closer to you. There’s no way the Sea Lions are giving you up. They’ve made that clear, and if they do, I’ll go wherever you go. You’re my number one, Willa.” He kisses me softly, giving me the air he’s taken from my lungs. “My contract will then be up in a year with the new team. You love hockey more than I do, and I’m here for you.”
“I love you so much more.” I grab his face and slam my lips onto his.
He smiles.
The biggest grin from ear to ear stretches across his beautiful face.
“Make love to me,” I beg him.
“All night long,” he agrees and squeezes my left hand, rubbing his thumb over my ring. “Forever.”