Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
SAVI
“What the hell?” I yell at the TV as I jump up from the couch. “That was clearly a high sticking!” I watch Knox have words with the ref, clearly as pissed as I am that it wasn’t called. “Unbelievable!” I throw my hands up in the air and plop back down on the sofa next to Eve.
I feel everyone’s eyes on me, and I look around.
“What?” I ask, still clearly annoyed.
“I’ve just never seen you so into a hockey game before,” Jake grins. “You’re like one of us now.”
“That’s because she’s cheering for her man,” Lyla beams.
“I think I’m still in shock,” Ryder chuckles, taking a drink of his beer.
“You and me both. At least you didn’t walk in on them and see Knox’s dick in close proximity to our sister.” Miles shudders at the thought, and I roll my eyes.
“Oh, please,” I laugh, grabbing my long-neck bottle. “You are such a drama queen. I would try knocking next time if I were you, though. Ten minutes later, and you would have seen a whole lot more.”
“Yeah, girl,” Olivia grins, tapping my bottle to hers.
“Can we leave the sex talk involving my sister to a girl-chats-only thing?” Jake asks, clearly uncomfortable.
“I agree one thousand percent,” Ryder mumbles.
“No way,” I shake my head. “All my girl chats involve my brothers, so you’re not getting off that easy. If I can learn to disassociate, so can you.” I take a piece of cheese off the charcuterie board and plop it in my mouth.
“You tell him, girl,” Olivia cheerleads for me.
“Whose side are you on?” Miles exclaims, looking at his fiancé.
“I’m on the side of love,” Olivia grins, pulling Miles down for a kiss. “And I love you the mostest.”
“Mmm,” he says, bringing her lips back for more. “I need another,” he growls.
“See! I’m disassociating right now and don’t mind a bit that I’m watching my brother make out with one of my best friends.” I nod at the couple on the couch, who clearly need to get a room.
“You got me there,” Miles grins, pulling away.
Turning my attention back to the game, I see the players take the ice for the third period. It’s been a brutal game with bad calls and unpredictable fights. Knox is not going to be happy if they lose, especially when it hasn’t been a fair one.
After Miles told my brothers about Knox and me, the girls and I thought it would be fun to have everyone over here for game night.
The kids are watching a movie upstairs in the game room while the older ones keep watch over Levi, Ryder’s two-year-old little wild one.
He’s definitely getting payback for all the hell he raised as a kid, and it’s hilarious to watch.
The only ones we’re missing are Travis and Sophia, but with it being a school night, they couldn’t make the drive with the kids.
It’s nights like these, though, that are my favorite.
I love when we have everyone under the same roof.
Our family has grown so much in the past five years, and I’ve adored every minute of spoiling my nieces and nephews.
I can’t wait for Miles and Olivia to add more to the crew after their wedding in the spring.
Commotion against the boards catches my attention as my hand grips the couch pillow. “You have got to be kidding me! You all saw that, right?” I look at my brothers, who look just as pissed as me.
“Knox isn’t going to let that hit slide,” Miles grins. “I give it two minutes.”
He was wrong—it takes all of thirty seconds before Knox’s gloves are dropped. Gripping the charm at my chest, I stay trained on the two players circling each other on the ice.
I’ve always had my heart in my throat anytime I would watch Knox fight, but now that we are together, it’s made it ten times worse. I know he can take care of himself in a fight, but I still worry every time he steps out on the ice that he’s going to get hurt.
I see Thane holding another player back, and before I know it, those two are at each other.
“Oh, we got a line brawl going!” Jake says excitedly, sitting on the edge of his seat.
“Look at Kane! He’s in on it now!” Ryder points at the screen, but all I can focus on is Knox as the other player gets a hit in only further spurring him on as he fires back with a blow that knocks the guy’s helmet to the ground.
“Shit, Knox is pissed,” Miles chuckles, watching him get another hit in.
The other player gets hold of his jersey and tries his best to pull it over Knox’s head to trap him, but he digs his skates in and finally brings him to the ground as the refs rush in to break it up.
Hunter and Thane finally get pulled away, and you can tell all three are pissed as they circle the refs angrily yelling at them. I can only imagine what they are saying, and none of it should probably be repeated.
“Where are they going? We still have fifteen minutes left in the game.” I watch Knox, Thane, and Hunter, along with the other three players that they were fighting, slam the door open and head to the locker rooms.
“Fuck, they must have been ejected,” Miles says, waiting for the ref call.
“But they started it!” I blurt out.
“Doesn’t matter, unfortunately,” Ryder mutters. “They can easily get a misconduct for being too aggressive in a fight or continuing after a ref tells them to stop. Or in McCormick and Kane’s case, they jumped in when another fight was already underway.”
“That’s bullshit,” I declare angrily, throwing myself back on the couch.
“I like this side of Savi,” Eve laughs. “Remind me never to mess with her man.”
“I need Cruz,” I say, walking over and picking him up out of his bouncy seat.
Grinning, he fists my hair with his chubby hands, and I immediately feel the tension leave my body.
“Just don’t throw him at the TV if the ref gives another bad call,” Jake chuckles.
“Hilarious.” I roll my eyes and kiss the top of his dark head. “He’s my emotional support baby. As soon as he’s in my arms, I feel more centered.”
“I couldn’t agree more. That baby smell immediately calms me,” Lyla says, smiling at her son in my arms. “He’s the cutest, isn’t he.” She beams at her son with so much love in her eyes that I can’t help but feel it too.
“The cutest,” I coo, holding him close to my chest and kissing his soft cheek as I watch the rest of the game. I know it’s killing Knox not to be out there. I can almost feel his frustration from miles away.
The rest of the period doesn’t get any better, with us losing to a final score of one to two.
“Good luck with Knox tonight,” Miles says, turning down the TV and standing up. “At least I don’t have to listen to him bitch for the next twenty-four hours because they lost. He’s your problem now,” he chuckles, getting an eye roll from me.
“We’d better go round up the gremlins,” Ryder says, walking to the stairs as Miles joins. “Hopefully, Levi isn’t running around butt-ass naked this time.”
“Like father, like son,” Miles laughs, following him up the stairs.
“You just wait,” I hear Ryder say. “You were worse than me, and karma will find you one day,” he chuckles.
Once the kids are herded down, I get my kisses and goodbyes before shutting the door on the empty house. I’m so used to Knox being here that the place seems too lonely all of a sudden.
Turning out the lights, I scoop up Freya, who’s been hiding in the laundry room away from the commotion, and give her a cuddle before stripping off my clothes and pulling one of Knox’s t-shirts over my head.
Feeling like he’s a little bit closer to me, I quickly get ready for bed and slip under the covers. Pulling out my phone, I check the time and send him a quick text.
Savi
Just checking on you and making sure you are okay. That game was brutal. I wanted to beat that ref’s ass for all the calls he missed.
Setting my phone down, I pick up my latest romance book I’m reading and try to quiet my mind while I wait for him to get back to me.
My phone dings a few minutes later, and I smile when his name pops up.
Knox
You and me both.
Savi
Have you boarded yet?
Knox
Yeah, just sat down. Everyone is in a sour mood, so it’s going to be a long-ass flight.
Savi
Maybe I can make it better?
Knox
Do you have teleporting skills I don’t know about?
Savi
No.
I giggle at his response and start typing again.
Savi
But I can teleport this.
I take a quick selfie wearing his t-shirt with it bunched up, showing the underside of my breasts and a view of my pink lace thong.
I hit send with a grin.
Knox
That did the trick. I’m starting to feel better already. God, you’re beautiful and so fucking sexy. Are you wearing my shirt?
Savi
Yes. It smells like you. I was missing you when I put it on.
Knox
I miss you too. Just four more hours to go and I’ll be there. Coach wants to talk to me, so I need to let you go. Love you, sunshine.
Savi
Love you too. Get home safe to me.
Knox
Always.
Putting my phone on my nightstand, I turn off the light, suddenly too tired to read. I watch the moonlight reflect over the dark water until I can no longer keep my eyes open and fall into a deep sleep.
At first, I think I’m dreaming as I sigh from the feeling of lips touching my neck. It feels too damn good to be real as a hand skims my stomach before fingers slide into the side string on my thong, kneading my waist with an underlying urgency that has me blinking my eyes open.
Suddenly awake, I flip over onto my back and stare into glassy blue eyes that begin to focus on me.
“You’re here,” I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck. He kisses the underside of my arm before moving to my collarbone.
“I’m here, sunshine,” he murmurs with a slight slur to his voice.
“Are you drunk?” I laugh suddenly, smelling the bourbon on his breath.
“I’m drunk on you,” he whispers, pulling my shirt up and kissing my breasts. He pulls my nipple into his mouth, and I cling to his hair as sparks ignite inside me.
“Seriously, though, are you okay?” I lift his head and notice the slight bruise on his cheek. Touching it gently, I scan his face for any other injuries.
“I’m better now,” he murmurs, burying his face between my breasts.
“We needed to cool off after the game, so we had a few drinks on the plane. I guess I had more than I thought.” He lifts his head and scrunches up his face in concentration as he tries to recall the events of the past couple of hours.
My heart melts at how boyishly cute it makes him.
“I’m sorry they pulled you from the game,” I whisper, brushing his hair back from his eyes.
“Don’t want to talk about the game anymore,” he says, shaking his head.
Bending down, he slides his tongue into my mouth, kissing me thoroughly. Tasting like bourbon and sin—my favorite combination. He’s hard against my center as I wrap my legs around his waist and mold my body to his.
“I need you, sunshine. Fuck, I need you,” he breathes against my lips before entering me slowly.
I feel every delicious part of him, inch by inch, as he buries himself deep inside.
“How is it possible to feel this good?” He murmurs to himself as he buries his face in my neck and does wicked things to my flesh that spur my body on for more. “You always feel so damn good that it makes me question what I ever did to deserve you.”
Taking my hand in his, he links our fingers together as he raises them above my head and holds us there as he moves deeper inside.
“You’re beautiful, Knox, inside and out.
Don’t ever doubt that you don’t deserve my love.
” I get lost in his blues as he shows me, without words, what it feels like to have the other half of your soul staring right back at you.
It’s a deep connection that can’t be described, no matter how hard you try to put it into words… but it’s felt.
God, is it felt deeply inside.
He moves slowly in a rhythm, joining our bodies again and again, leaving everything he feels for me to be felt with each touch of his lips against my skin. Every graze of his hand or glance into my eyes feels like a love that I never knew existed.
This is a side of him only for me. He’s not rushing…he’s savoring.
Lifting my hips, I take him deeper on a moan, feeling every piece of me belonging to him in this moment as he gives me all of him in return.
“Savi…” He says my name on a sigh as he grips my hips and plunges deep.
“I’m right here with you,” I whisper, feeling my body fall with his. Our orgasms explode on contact as we ride the waves together, sending us spiraling into pure ecstasy. I feel my walls pulse around him as he releases into me on a deep moan.
His body holds me tight as tremors skim along our bodies, releasing the last whisper of our blended energies.
“Don’t ever leave me, sunshine. I need you so fucking much,” he breathes against me, his voice full of rawness and vulnerability.
“I’m not going anywhere.” I bury my face in his neck as my hands cling to his back. “I promise,” I whisper.
He moves slightly to the side, so he’s not crushing me, but doesn’t let me go. Seconds later, I hear his breathing even out as he falls asleep in my arms.
Wrapping the comforter around us, I snuggle in against his body and soon join him, saying another silent thank you to his mom for sending this beautiful man in my arms to me.