Chapter 33 #2
“Not as much as it meant to me. I know I see my number in the stands all the time with fans wearing my jersey, but it’s not the same as seeing you wear it.
I’ve never felt anyone on the ice with me since my mom sat in the stands cheering me on.
” He brushes back my hair and looks at me with such love in his eyes that I feel it deep inside my soul. “Not until you,” he says softly.
“I’ll always be that person for you.” I reach up and palm the side of his face as he covers my hand and kisses the underside.
“You were always meant to be. I just needed to believe I could be that for you.”
“And do you? Believe that now?”
“You make it damn hard for me not to when you look at me like I am. Either way, I got a taste of you now, and the selfish bastard in me would have stayed and ruined you anyway,” he grins before slowly sliding out and setting me gently on the ground.
“I’m not complaining,” I laugh, adjusting my clothes and smoothing down my skirt as he fixes his pants. “What did you tell them when you left?”
“I just told them I saw someone I knew and wanted to say hi. Thought it could buy me more time than saying I had to use the restroom.”
“Smart thinking,” I grin as he opens the door and peers out.
“Coast is clear,” he says, reaching back for my hand and stepping out into the hallway.
He shuts the door behind him, and I reluctantly drop his hand.
“I guess I’ll go back first, and you can join me in a second.”
He nods his head and stuffs his hands in his pockets.
“This is the last time I’m doing this, Sav,” he shakes his head with a frown. “I hate hiding that we are together.”
“I know. Me too,” I sigh. “Olivia said that she and Miles are free on Tuesday, so we’ll tell them then. Next game, you can shout it from the rooftops if you want to. I’m all yours.”
“Good. I just might do that,” he grins as I walk backwards and give him a little wave before I disappear around the corner.
When I arrive at the table, our food is being delivered, so I easily slip into my seat undetected as everyone is preparing to eat.
“Everything okay at work?” Miles glances up as I unfold my napkin.
“All good. Dr. Matthews says hello to everyone,” I smile as I begin to assemble my fajita.
Knox arrives then and takes a seat.
“Good. The food is here. I’m starving,” he says, reaching for his utensils.
“I bet,” Lyla laughs. “You must burn thousands of calories during a game.”
“Looks like he might have burned a little more,” Jake chuckles. “The friend you went over to see left a little lipstick on your collar.”
I choke on my food and reach for my drink to clear my throat.
“What?” Knox pulls his collar out to take a look, and I see the small red stain on his white shirt.
Dammit, I thought I was careful.
Miles glances at his shirt and frowns before looking back at me and then at Knox again. I fidget in my seat, and Knox’s hand finds my thigh under the table again, giving me a reassuring squeeze.
Panicking that Miles might be catching on and not wanting to create a scene in the restaurant, I roll my eyes and look irritated.
“Hope you at least washed your hands before sitting down next to me,” I say, with fake disgust.
Knox turns to me and, to anyone else, you would have a hard time reading him, but I read him loud and clear…
Are you fucking kidding me right now? …reads like a neon sign to me.
His fingers tighten into my flesh before slowly relaxing again.
“Now, why would I wash away my dessert, sunshine? That’s the best part of any meal,” he smirks, causing Jake to chuckle.
I hear Olivia stifle a laugh, and I shoot my eyes to her. I’m sure her and Lyla have figured out our little encounter and are finding this all too amusing.
“You’re disgusting,” I mutter under my breath, hoping I’m doing a good enough job to convince Miles.
I glance at my brother, and he’s still studying us, which is making me even more nervous.
“I’ve been called worse,” Knox chuckles, taking a bite of his food. “How’s the new band you hired coming along?” He turns his head in Miles’s direction, and I breathe a sigh of relief when the distraction works.
“They are doing great.” Miles’s eyes light up at the mention of music. “I’ve been working with them, and I think they have a good shot at getting signed on with a label.”
I tune him out as he excitedly talks about the band and what they’ve been working on.
“Wash your hands?” Knox says quietly, as he takes a drink and focuses his eyes on the conversation.
“I panicked under pressure,” I whisper back, taking a big drink of my margarita.
“For the record, I didn’t wash my hands because it’s you I fucking want to smell on my fingers,” he breathes under his breath.
I stifle a giggle and feel his thumb rub my thigh. I love how he has to have constant contact. Putting my hand over his, I link our fingers together and hold him under the table.
Thankfully, the dinner goes smoothly for the next hour before we finally walk back to our cars.
“Did you drive here?” Knox asks as we approach my brothers’ vehicles, and they get busy putting the children in their seats.
“No, Jake and Lyla picked me up.”
“Do you need a ride back?” Jake asks, shutting the door to the kids and walking over to us.
“I’ve got her,” Knox says. “I’m not going out tonight, so I might as well take the brat home since we are headed to the same place.”
“Brat?” I arch my eyebrows, and Knox just grins.
“You are a brat,” Jake adds before giving me a hug. “But I still love you anyway.”
“Gee, thanks,” I mutter.
When we are finally alone after the last goodbye, I sigh deeply as we watch both vehicles drive away.
“God, I feel like I just ran a marathon. Lying and pretending to everyone is exhausting.”
“You’re telling me. I’m apparently a disgusting man-whore.”
“And I’m a brat,” I add with a laugh. “And before me, you were a disgusting man-whore.”
“Ouch,” he chuckles, taking my hand and leading us to his vehicle.
Opening the door for me, I sink into the black leather seats and watch him walk over to the driver’s side and get in.
Revving the engine to life, I glance at him as he expertly whips us around the parking lot before heading in the direction of home.
“Do you miss it?” I ask, watching him concentrate on the road.
“Miss what?” He glances at me before focusing on the drive again.
“The girls. You know…the different varieties. Having someone new in each city you play in…the excitement of the chase…”
“I never had to chase,” he grins smugly at me, and I smack his arm.
“Ow,” he chuckles before taking my hand. “No, I don’t miss it. Not for one second.”
“I guess I just worry that you will get bored one day.”
“With you?” He laughs. “Trust me when I tell you that I will never be bored of you. You’re all I want and need.”
“I just know how persuasive some of your fans can be, and you have a lot who want you.” I chew on my bottom lip and hate how my mind wants to wander to the what-ifs sometimes.
Reaching over, his thumb releases my lip before taking my hand again.
“I’m not going to lie to you. There will always be some who will try. I’ve seen teammates with rings on their fingers and a family who get approached. It doesn’t stop them from trying.”
“I figured as much,” I sigh, looking out the window. It’s not that I don’t trust Knox to be faithful. I know him and how loyal he is. It’s the girls I don’t trust, and how far they are willing to go to try to get his attention.
“But they’re not you, sunshine.” He turns his head and meets my eye briefly before turning back to the road.
“They can try all they want, but nobody has ever made me feel the way you do. A random fuck isn’t going to tempt me.
How could it when I’m obsessing over you twenty-four seven?
” He grins that sexy smile that few ever get to see.
“Obsessing, huh? I guess that’s what makes a good stalker,” I tease as my eyes dance with laughter.
“When I commit to something, half-ass isn’t an option,” he chuckles. “I go all in—balls deep, which is why you will never have to worry about my commitment to you.”
“I like you balls deep,” I grin before reaching for my purse and looking through the contents for what I need.
“That makes two of us,” he laughs.
I flip the visor down, and the small light turns on as I remove the lid to my lipstick and begin reapplying it.
“Going on a date that I don’t know about? We’re almost home,” he says, turning onto our street and glancing at me as I pucker my lips until they are fully cherry red.
“I have a promise to keep. Someone scored a goal tonight, and if I remember correctly, that means I’m about to find out if red is a good color on you,” I grin cheekily as he pulls into the driveway and enters the garage.
“I can tell you with certainty that red is most definitely going to look good on me.”
His blue eyes are trained on me as I finger the twenty-two charm and lick my bottom lip seductively. The sexual tension in the car suddenly goes from fifty to a hundred as the engine goes silent, leaving only the sound of our breaths to be heard.
“I guess we’ll find out,” I say, quickly getting out of the car and scrambling up the stairs and into the house. I run into my bathroom and lock the door, knowing he won’t be far behind.
Grinning, I pick up his jersey that I left on the bathroom counter for this exact moment that I’ve been planning all along for when we got home.
Removing my clothes, I slip on the jersey and beam in the mirror before turning and looking at his number on the back.
“Hiding from me, sunshine?” His smooth voice filters through the door, clutching my insides with anticipation.
“And if I am?” I giggle, feeling like a kid who just walked into a candy store.
“Then I’ll have to break down this door,” he replies with an edge of sin to his words as they wrap deliciously around me. “Nothing is going to stop me from getting to you.”
“I need my door,” I laugh. “I’m coming out, but first you have to stand by the bed, and close your eyes.”
“Close my eyes?”
“Yes, just do it,” I say, putting my hand on the doorknob. “Are your eyes closed?” I ask before coming out.
“Yes. For the love of God, hurry up and get out here,” he mutters.
“You know, for someone who loves to edge me and make me wait, you sure are impatient.”
“That’s because I’m in control of the waiting.
You painted your lips in front of me, put images in my head that would make the devil blush, and then disappeared, leaving me with a massive, swollen cock that’s begging to feel you.
Without control and being able to see and touch you, I do have zero patience. ”
I feel the intense heat coming from the other side of the door as it seeps through the wood and wraps around me.
“Come out, sunshine. It’s time to make good on your promise.”