HOOKED: Boston Terries Hockey #4

by Chance, Jacob

  I laugh. “Of course you do. Your soon-to-be aunt.”

  “I can neither confirm or deny your answer,” he jokes before taking a sip of his coffee.

  Opening the box of donuts, I salivate at the selection I see. “Oh, damn. I don’t know what to have first.”

  “They’re all for you. I grabbed an egg sandwich and ate it on the walk back.”

  “Thank you for bringing me breakfast. Now I don’t need to go out. I didn’t feel like cooking this morning, so this is perfect.”

  He grabs a few napkins from the holder, placing them down on the table in front of me. Taking a sip of my coffee, I almost choke when I notice his face and naked torso on the napkins. I cover my mouth and swallow the piping hot liquid. “What the hell?” I gasp. “Where did these come from?”

  “I ordered them for you.”

  “For me? Why?” I squeak out.

  “I didn’t want you to forget about me.” He winks.

  Like I could.

  Glancing at the napkins, I start to giggle at the absurdity of it all. Marshall snickers, and it turns into a stomach-aching laugh fest. We’re both teary eyed when we settle down.

  I point at the napkins. “How did you get the idea to buy these?”

  “I’m pretty sure you can get anything personalized these days.”

  Pretending to study his likeness on the napkin, I raise it closer to my face and squint. “Did they photoshop your abs?” I tease.

  He beams. “Lucky, you’ve seen them up close and personal enough that you should recognize their authenticity. Do you need another look to jog your memory?” Marshall pops his eyebrows up and down. “Do you want to feel them? Lucky, you can grope me any time.”

  “I’m not ready to grope you yet.”

  “You mean again?” he reminds me.

  “Whatever.” I sip my coffee, then pluck a chocolate covered donut between my fingers and smirk as I cover him on the napkin with the sweet treat.

  “Can I ask what you are ready to do?” He looks hopeful.

  I lick my fingers. “I’m not sure. I’m not letting you off the hook yet. You hurt me, and the idea of giving you another go at my heart scares me a little.”

  “Would you be willing to come to dinner with me sometime?” he asks. I want to shout yes immediately, but I force myself to slow down. It never hurts to pause and think something over once more.

  Did he hurt me? Yes.

  Does he seem sorry? Yes.

  Have I missed him? Yes.

  Is he worth another chance? Yes.

  “Okay. We can have dinner.”

  “How about tomorrow night? I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “Sounds great.”

  Marshall leaves shortly after he got me to agree to dinner. I spend the afternoon and part of the evening on my bed studying so much, I give myself a kink in my neck.

  Maybe a shower will help? Flipping the light switch on, I do a double take and yelp. Marshall has replaced my usual light switch plate with a new one—a very detailed and personalized one. Covering my mouth, I don’t know whether to laugh or drool. Or maybe both. A miniature, very naked Marshall now resides on the wall plate and the light switch is where his dick should be. I really can turn him on like the flip of a switch. I chuckle and pick up my phone.

  Me: Nice update to my bathroom.

  Marshall: “Up” date. Wink. Wink.

  I titter at his pun.

  Me: You’re crazy.

  Marshall: I love to make you laugh.

  Me: At you? Or with you?

  I can’t resist teasing him.

  Marshall: I’ll take either. As long as you’re happy.

  Me: Thanks to you, I am.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Marshall

  Standing on Clover’s doorstep, anxiety burns inside my stomach. I have a nice night planned, but I don’t know if it will be enough to sway Clover toward forgiving me. If it’s not, I’m going to stay steadfast on my plan to win her back.

  Knocking on the door, I nervously rake my hands through my hair. Clover answers, appearing like an angel in front of me.

  “Hi.” I grin.

  “Hi yourself.”

  My gaze takes her in, slowly gliding from her red Chucks to her loose, long locks. “You look beautiful.”

  She smiles. “I wasn’t sure if I should dress casually or not. Are jeans appropriate?”

  “What you have on looks great.”

  Her gaze runs over me, making my heart rate kick up and the blood race in my veins. “You look very handsome.”

  “Thank you. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yep.” She slings a small bag diagonally across her body and closes the door.

  I take hold of her hand. “Is this okay?”

  “You don’t have to ask.”

  I squeeze her hand lightly. “I don’t want to make assumptions.”

  “Maybe I should tell you what I expect from this night,” she suggests.

  “I can deal with that,” I tell her.

  “I expect hand holding interspersed with fun and food in no particular order. At the end of the night I need the kiss of a lifetime laid on these lips.” She puckers up and makes kissing noises.

  I laugh. “I don’t know.” I shake my head. “That sounds like a tall order.”

  “Which part is most troubling for you?” she asks, playing along.

  “I was good to go until you mentioned the kiss of a lifetime. That’s a lot of pressure for me to deal with. I don’t know about you, but I’ll never forget our first kiss. Maybe that’s the kiss of a lifetime.”

  “While I agree that our first kiss was phenomenal, I believe if anyone can meet my demands, it’s you.” She shrugs. “If you can’t, you must not be the guy for me.” Her eyes are mischievous.

  “Oh, I’m the guy for you, and I’ll prove it,” I boast, helping her into my Jeep.

  “Hmm. We’ll see.” She acts unconvinced. I close her inside and jog around to the driver’s side. Having her in my Jeep again with me feels right. “Where are we going anyway?” she asks.

  “I’m taking you to The Public Open Night at the Coit Observatory. Have you ever been?”

  “No, but it sounds fantastic. I’ve always loved looking at the stars, and I find it fascinating to think about life on other planets.”

  “The Public Open Night at the Observatory gives people a chance to come observe the night sky with access to their telescopes. I’m hoping we’ll see some things we wouldn’t normally and learn some cool facts about astronomy.”

  We reach our destination and park. There are hardly any other cars here, which bodes well for us. It’ll be more romantic if it’s only Clover and me.

  Right on time, the guide begins his hour-long presentation explaining how the International Astronomical Union recognizes eighty-eight constellations that cover the entire northern and southern sky. I find his words fascinating, and it’s obvious Clover does too. He has her complete focus and retains it until he’s done speaking. I love that she was so interested.

  After, we get to look through some incredibly powerful telescopes. Looking at the stars from behind these lenses is unlike anything I’ve seen. I’m in awe and left feeling like I’m merely a tiny speck in this gigantic universe.

  When we leave the observatory, I ask, “Are you hungry?”

  “I am. Is food next on the agenda?”

  “Well, you did say food and fun, and since we already had fun, food is next.”

  “Where are we going?” she questions.

  “I’m taking you to a place my dad’s brought us to. They have a back patio that’s always nice to eat dinner on.”

  I turn into the parking lot and find a place near the front door.

  The hostess greets us and I request for us to sit outside. I take Clover’s hand and we follow behind her all the way to the back patio. The strong food aromas fire up my hunger and have me drawing in deep breaths to savor the smell.

  We get seated at a table for two i
n the back corner. With the potted trees around us and the white lights strung throughout the thin branches, it’s as private as it can be.

  Clover’s head cranes from one side of the patio to the other. “This place is awesome. It’s got a great ambience.” She smiles.

  “It’s always been a favorite of mine. I’ve never brought anyone else here.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s too special to me to waste on someone who doesn’t matter.”

  She leans her forearms on the table. “Should I take what you said to mean that I matter to you?”

  “Yes. You matter more than you realize, but that’s my fault. I made you doubt me. I made you doubt us. I’m never going to make you doubt either of those again.”

  The waitress appears beside our table and we order.

  Once we’re alone again, I place my hand on the table palm up. Clover slides hers on top of mine and I close my fingers around her hand. “Thank you for tonight—for giving me another chance to be with you. I know that your agreeing to come out with me doesn’t mean everything is fine.”

  The waitress returns with our drinks, setting them down on white napkins before hurrying off.

  Clover picks up her Moscow Mule, her eyes lowering to the napkin. “I think your personalized napkins would be a great addition to this place.” She smiles before taking a sip.

  I wink. “It would add to the ambience, for sure.” I raise my beer to my lips and take a deep pull. It’s time to explain to Clover why I have trust issues. Placing the bottle down, I give her hand a final squeeze before releasing my hold.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks.

  “I need to talk to you about something, but I’ve never shared this with anyone before.”

  “Okay.” She nods encouragingly.

  “You know my parents are divorced, but what you don’t know is that my mother cheated on my dad.” Her eyes are large with surprise. “As far as I’m aware, Maddie doesn’t know.”

  “She doesn’t,” Clover confirms.

  “I’d appreciate it if you can keep this conversation between the two of us, because I don’t want to hurt my sister or her relationship with our mom.”

  “Of course,” she agrees. “I’m not sure how much worse their relationship could get. Maddie dreads seeing her.”

  “I only know of her infidelity because I overheard my parents having too many conversations I shouldn’t have.”

  “That must’ve been hard to understand when you were young,” she offers sympathetically.

  “It still is. I don’t know how a mother can leave her husband and children for another man.” Raising the bottle, I take a sip and prepare to share the rest of my baggage with Clover. Setting the bottle down, I brush my hair back from my eyes. “Maybe what’s been most difficult for me to come to grips with is how everything could seem fine. My parents seemed happy—my family was happy—so why did she stray from her husband and family? That’s what it felt like to me anyway. She wasn’t only cheating on my dad, she was cheating on the three of us.

  We were supposed to be her priority. Mothers are supposed to love their children more than anything else, but mine didn’t. If my own mother’s loyalty was worth so little, and shifted to her new lover so easily, how could I trust any other woman not to do the same?”

  Reaching across the table, she places her hand over mine. “I’m sorry you went through so much, and I love how protective you are of Maddie. You’re right, she’s better off not knowing.”

  I turn my hand over under hers and our fingers thread together. “I’ve wanted to be with you for years now, but I was too scared to put myself out there. When we were at the Cape and you had that date with Kent, I was so jealous that he was getting to spend time with you. When it went south, I was sick over you getting hurt, and I felt so protective of you. It felt like I was to blame. If I’d had the courage to be with you, you’d never have been in that situation.”

  “Marshall, you can’t blame yourself for what happened. Kent is the only one at fault. You saved me that night.”

  “I wanted you to come to the cabin with me. I may have even celebrated Shaw and Maddie leaving.”

  She smiles. “That’s okay.”

  “I hoped if you spent enough time with me, you’d realize I’m not a bad guy.”

  “I never thought you were.”

  “I relished the chance to show you how much fun we could have together. And I knew our chemistry was mind blowing. I’ve never forgotten how I felt having you so close that night in my kitchen.”

  “I haven’t forgotten either,” she whispers. “I was scared by how my body reacted to yours. I felt powerless and wanted to make sure I never gave in to my attraction for you. If I did, you’d have the ability to crush my heart. So I kept my distance until we went to the cabin.”

  “And I kept my distance from you because no one has ever made me feel like you did.” Raising our joined hands, I press a kiss on hers. “You say your reaction to me scared you, and I get that, believe me, I do. I always knew if we got together it would be phenomenal, but I was too guarded to try. I don’t want to blame my parents' split, but that deeply affected me. My mom’s infidelity made me believe all women are untrustworthy. If I couldn’t trust my own mother not to hurt me, how would I ever trust anyone else?”

  “I wish you didn’t have to go through so much emotional trauma as a kid. I understand why you’d have relationship concerns.”

  “I don’t know if I’d call it trauma. That seems too dramatic.” I brush off the label.

  “No, it’s not dramatic at all. No matter how wonderful parents can be, we have emotional scars from things that happen. Even when someone is acting with the best of intentions.”

  “I guess. But I need to move past my fears, and I want to do that with you by my side.” I place my free hand on top of our joined ones.

  She leans forward. “You know I’ll be there for whatever you need.”

  I stare into her eyes. “I don’t think you’re understanding what I’m saying. I’m in love with you. I, Marshall Winters, love you, Clover Jennings. I want you to be the one who teaches me to trust with my whole heart.”

  Her bottom lip trembles. “Oh, Marshall, I love you too. I think part of me always has since the day we met.”

  “I know I pulled away from you at the party last week, but I promise there will be no more backing away from my love for you. If you trust me with your heart, I’ll guard it with my life.”

  “You’re too late. It already belongs to you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Clover

  After dinner, Marshall takes us back to my place. Maddie promised me she’d stay with Shaw in case we needed some alone time.

  Marshall opens my door, helping me step down from the Jeep. He grabs a wrapped box from the back seat before taking my hand. Walking to the front door, holding hands like this, is surreal. I can’t guess how many times I’ve imagined us doing this exact thing.

  If I told my parents this, they’d say I brought Marshall and I together—that I wanted it so much, I made it happen. I’m not sure if I agree with them.

  When two people are made for each other, like Marshall and me, there’s a pull between them similar to a magnet and metal. If they get close enough, they’re going to come together and stick. Marshall and I fought the draw for as long as we could. Now we are together and we’re going to stick—for good.

  The apartment seems eerily quiet, so I put on some music. He takes my hand, leading me into the living room. “Let’s sit. I have something for you.” We drop onto the couch and he angles himself toward me.

  “Marshall, you don’t need to keep giving me gifts. I love everything you’ve done, but all I need is you.”

  “What if I enjoy coming up with surprises for you? I always want you to know how much I appreciate you, then you’ll never feel taken for granted.”

  “You can show me that without spending money on me,” I explain.

  “Searchi
ng for things I know you’ll like or things that remind me of you has been fun for me,” he counters with a grin, handing me the wrapped gift. “Now, open your present.”

  I tear the paper free in a mad rush to see what this could be. Removing the large box’s cover, I find a bubble wrapped rectangle. “Ooh, I love bubble wrap,” I jest.

  Marshall laughs. “I promise there’s something inside there.”

  “Hey, I’m happy with my bubble wrap.” I unwrap the layers until I find a picture inside. The frame is thick and made of solid wood with a large circular cut out. Inside the circle is a map of the constellations in the night’s sky and underneath is printed Our First Kiss. The date of our first kiss and the location are listed too.

  “This is the sky above the bar the night we shared our first kiss,” he explains.

  “Oh my God. You remember the date of our first kiss?”

  “Clover, how could I forget the best first kiss of my life?”

  My vision blurs as tears fill my eyes. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received. It’s so thoughtful and I love everything about it.”

  “That’s good, because I love everything about you.”

  Placing the picture on the coffee table, I grip both sides of Marshall’s shirt, tugging him toward me. “I know it’s not the end of the night, but there’s no reason why we can’t practice for my kiss of a lifetime.”

  “Yes,” he agrees, capturing my bottom lip, he nibbles on the fullness.

  “You need to practice so you can deliver,” I say.

  He sucks my bottom lip between his, releasing it with a pop. “I always deliver, Lucky,” he whispers, his breath fanning over my mouth right before he connects our lips. It’s been so long since we kissed. My head spinning and my heart battering my rib cage, I sink into the sea of bliss with Marshall. Dragging me deeper and deeper with his tongue’s languid strokes, his hands roam and caress, reacquainting themselves with my curves.

  His lips glide down to my neck in a hot, wet slide, and I moan. “I want you,” I pant. His only answer is a kiss pressed behind my earlobe. “Marshall, I need you. It’s been too long since we were together.”