He starts to move then, slowly thrusting in and out, and it gets better as he continues. I’m sore, but definitely turned on. There’s nothing in the world like seeing him above me, his expression twisted in pleasure as he buries himself inside me over and over.
“You feel so fucking good,” he murmurs.
I’ve never felt so powerful, or so sexy. I wish I could come, but I don’t think it’s happening this first time. Instead, I wrap my legs around his waist and rock my hips in rhythm with his.
“Don’t,” he pleads in a strained tone. “You’re gonna make me…”
“Come,” I say, winding my fingers through his hair and tugging on it. “Show me how much you like it and come.”
“Oh, shit.” His body tenses for a moment right before he comes inside me.
Still holding himself up and breathing hard, he kisses me. I cup his cheeks in my hands, feeling warm and satisfied. He was right. It was good. Because we’re good.
My discomfort is all but gone when he pulls out of me.
“I wish that could have been as amazing for you as it was for me,” he says, falling onto his back and pulling me into his arms.
“It was amazing, just in a different way.”
He kisses me then, his fingertips grazing my jaw and moving down, stopping to tease my nipples, then trailing down my stomach before finally…
“Oh,” I cry out as he slides two fingers over my opening, and then pushes them inside just a little.
I was already wet; now that he finished inside, me I’m completely soaked. Victor’s expert fingertips glide in circles over my clit, his mouth on mine as he finishes me in less than a minute.
“More,” I say breathlessly as I come down from my high. “I’m gonna need so much more of this.”
“Good, because I’m gonna give you as much as you can handle.”
He does, and it ends up being a night I’ll never forget.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Victor
* * *
“Hope you guys are hungry,” Luca says, shaking his head as we walk into his house. “My wife ordered enough food to feed an army.”
Lindy and I are the last ones to arrive at Luca and Abby’s day-after-Thanksgiving gathering for the team. It’s the first time they’ve hosted everyone since buying their new home—a multi-million-dollar suburban estate.
“The house is incredible,” I say as I help Lindy out of her coat. “Did you guys host the family here yesterday?”
“Thanks, man. We did. I think everyone had fun.”
Luca takes our coats and Lindy and I join everyone in a big family room off the kitchen. There’s a massive, curved leather sectional where several people are seated. Jonah spots us and gets up from his seat to greet us.
“Lindy, glad you’re still putting up with his shit,” he says, hugging her.
“He’s kinda growing on me.”
Jonah hugs me and then makes space for both of us to sit by him. Looks like the entire team’s here. The open floor plan connects the family room with the kitchen, which is filled with teammates, wives and girlfriends, and kids.
“Look out!” Luca’s niece Emerson yells as she plows through the room on a scooter, several other kids trailing behind her.
“Saw that you guys had a big night last night,” Easy calls out from the other end of the couch. “Flowers, wine and…lube?”
There are cackles, cheers and offers to look up the photos for those who didn’t see them yet. Poor Lindy is the shade of an overripe tomato. I had no idea my little prank would play out like that—photos hitting the world wide web the morning after we had sex for the first time.
“Just a prank,” I assure everyone. “Figured I’d mess with those douchebag photographers.”
“From the look of Lindy’s face, I think you’re a lying sack of shit,” Rhett says.
There’s more laughter, and Lindy buries her face against my chest. I kiss her forehead and say in a low tone, “This is just how they are. They’re teasing you because you’re one of us.”
Abby comes into the room to offer us drinks. She invites Lindy to come sit with her in the kitchen and Lindy’s getting up to join her when my phone buzzes with a text. I take it out and read it.
Hi Victor, it’s Logan West with CPD. Wanted to let you know the FBI and CPD executed a warrant on the North Side this morning and took Bryan Latimer into custody. He’s facing multiple federal charges and will be going to prison for a long time. I’ll need to keep your old phone a bit longer if that’s okay. Call me anytime if you have questions.
I cover my face with my hands, sinking into the back of the couch. All I can see right now is the little boy I was, who knew that man was evil but had no way to escape him. The things he did to me and thought he’d gotten away with…I can’t help the emotional dam that ruptures inside me.
Lindy must notice the look on my face because she rushes to my rescue, hooking her arm through mine and leading me out of the room.
“Is he okay?” someone asks as we walk past.
“He’s okay,” she says, taking me out the front door.
There’s a big, landscaped courtyard outside, and Lindy helps me over to a wood bench near some evergreens. I pass her my phone and she reads the text.
“Oh, Victor.”
“Is that what I’m hoping it is?” Jonah asks from nearby.
I nod and pass him the phone next. Jonah reads it, closing his eyes and nodding with satisfaction after he’s done.
“My brother came through,” he says proudly. “I’m really fucking happy this part’s behind you, man.”
I stand up and embrace my teammate. After, Jonah looks between us.
“I’m gonna give you guys some privacy. I’ll tell everyone Victor’s fine.”
I wipe the corners of my eyes. “Just make something up, man. Tell em’…I don’t even know…you’ll figure something out.”
“I’ll tell ‘em you made it into the world record books for having the world’s smallest dick and you were overcome with emotion.”
I burst into laughter, lightening the mood. “You’re an asshole.”
“Pretty much.” Jonah grins. “And there’s no angel on my shoulder anymore to stop me.”
He claps me on the upper arm and walks back into the house. I turn toward Lindy and sweep her into an emotional hug.
“I didn’t realize it would feel this good,” I say in her ear. “It feels really fucking good that he has to answer for what he did.”
She kisses my cheeks, then my forehead, then my lips. “I’m so proud of you for coming forward. I know it was hard for you.”
“I’m not sure I could’ve done it without you,” I admit. “I was so goddamn worried about anyone finding out.”
“It’s going to be okay.” She holds my gaze as she makes me a promise. “No matter what, we’ll get through this.”
I nod, a lump forming in my throat. My entire life, I’ve been an ‘I’—just me, all alone. Being a ‘we’ is fucking fantastic when the other half of it is Lindy. I hold her close, my emotions threatening to spill over again.
“If we ever have kids,” I say fiercely, my lips near her ear, “I’ll do anything to keep them safe. I’ll die to protect them. I’m never letting anything like what happened to me happen to them.”
“I know.” She holds me tightly. “You’re a good man and our kids would be lucky to have you as their dad.”
I pull back and look down at her. “Is it too soon for me to be bringing that up? Kids?”
“No, I think it’s good to talk about it. I mean, we’re not talking about having them soon, or anything…right?”
“I guess not. But if you happened to get pregnant, I wouldn’t mind a bit.”
Lindy’s expression is both shocked and amused. “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t happen anytime soon. I like having you to myself right now.”
“But you do want kids, right?”
Her eyes light up. “I do. Someday.”
I lean my forehead against hers. “I guess we should get back inside.”
“Probably. They’ll think we’re out here using more of that lube or something.”
“I should be so lucky.”
I pull her against me, my body reacting to just the thought of having her again. We had sex twice last night and twice this morning, and she came both times this morning. I’m fucking dying to try every position I know with her, and maybe make up a few new ones.
“Let’s go be social,” she says softly. “We’ll have lots of time alone later.”
I reluctantly agree. We will have lots of time alone later, but with Lindy, it never feels like enough. This is the first time I’ve been in crazy, stupid love, and I can’t get near enough.
Back inside the house, I keep at least one hand on her at all times. It’s not that I’m being possessive; my teammates all know she’s my girl. I just want her close to me.
I’ve got plans for us tonight. They involve ordering in, not watching a movie and not leaving my place until I have to go to practice tomorrow morning.
I had those plans in place before we were even out of bed this morning, but now, we’ve got something to celebrate.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lindy
* * *
Ari is hugging me so hard I can’t breathe.
“I miss you!” she cries. “Nothing at work is fun anymore with you gone. And we never get to talk!”
“I know, I miss you too…geez, let go before I pass out from lack of oxygen.”
She releases me, putting her hands on my shoulders. “I haven’t gotten details out of you about anything in like three weeks. It’s ridiculous!”
“I’ve been busy, I’m sorry. But that’s what tonight is for, so we can catch up.”
Victor surprised me by reserving a VIP box at tonight’s home game just for me, Ari, my dad and his friends. I asked Ari to come an hour early so we can catch up by ourselves.
“This is way better than the gas station shit I’m used to,” Ari says, pointing at the champagne flute in her hand. “Now that I know what I’m serving to those VIPs at events, I’m a little bitter.”
“I don’t get to drink this stuff when I’m working, either.” I tip my glass in her direction. “Let’s enjoy it while we can.”
She looks at the door to the suite, and seeing that it’s closed, turns back to me.
“So you told me you guys did it, but I want details. Did you end up getting a Brazilian?”
I cringe. “Yeah, but it was humiliating. Never again.”
“Your vag isn’t anything they haven’t seen before, girl.” Ari waves a hand. “They wax pussies all day every day.”
“Trust me, it was definitely humiliating.”
She arches her brows, curious. “Well, now I need to hear about it.”
I sigh and glare at her. “Well, first of all, you didn’t tell me it’s called a Brazilian. You just said I needed to get everything waxed down there.”
“So what?”
“So I walked into the salon, in front of a waiting room full of customers, and announced that I needed to get my vagina waxed.”
Ari howls with laughter, taking a break to say, “No, you didn’t say that!”
“Oh yes, I did. People started laughing, Ari. And then the lady hands me a paper with their services listed, and I see that vagina waxing isn’t on there, and I about died.”
“Well, it had to be all downhill from there.” She starts laughing again.
“Um, no. The technician told me to cover myself with a washcloth, so I did, and then she came in there and just whipped it right off!”
“She can’t wax your downstairs if there’s a washcloth on it, girl.”
“I know, but she didn’t warn me or anything.”
“Oh, Lindy. This is why I love you.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe I paid someone ninety bucks to rip my pubic hair out. It hurt like hell.”
“But…he liked it, right?”
I smile at the memory. “He did.”
“And did the cherry popping hurt worse than the waxing? What’s my man Victor working with down there?”
I give her a playful shove. “We did the deed. I’ll leave it at that.”
“Bullshit! I tell you everything about my sexual escapades.”
“Yeah, and sometimes I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Well, Douglas is surprisingly good in bed.”
“Douglas?”
“I met him on Match. Tinder had me feelin’ like a free hooker.”
I nod, my glass already half empty. “And why doesn’t Douglas go by Doug? He sounds kind of uptight.”
“Oh, he is uptight. He’s a lawyer. But he lets loose in the bedroom.”
“Is he a good guy?”
She shrugs. “I think he is. He hasn’t met Mateo, but he bought him one of those car-shaped beds and a bunch of toys for Christmas.”
“Aw, he did?”
Ari smiles. “Yeah. I like him.”
“I like him, too.”
She asks about my new job and catches me up on the latest with Bruce, which is that he’s still a blowhard. Then she makes me promise we’ll go order food and drinks from him during the game—and of course, complain about everything.
When my dad and the guys show up, they’re uncharacteristically quiet. I think they’re all pretty amazed to be here.
“Old Style can,” my dad tells the service attendant for our box.
“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t serve Old Style.”
Dad gives him a look. “I’ll take whatever horse piss you do have, then.”
There’s a pause. “Yes, sir.”
When the lights and music signifying the start of the game come on, Don rushes over from the small buffet set up in our suite and sits down.
“This is the way to watch hockey,” he says, sounding as impressed as I was when I watched my first game from beside Lily West.
Victor and my dad have become fast friends. They’re already talking about tearing down the broken-down one stall garage that sits behind our house and building a new one during Victor’s offseason this spring.
I told Victor there will probably be a lot of beer drinking for every little bit of work that my dad actually does, but he assured me he’s looking forward to it. I think he likes being around my dad as much as I do.
“There he is!” Dad yells when Victor skates out and his name is announced.
Ari smiles at me, enjoying his enthusiasm as much as I am.
As soon as the puck drops, the room goes silent. Everyone watches the game, Ari grumbling occasionally that the puck is moving too fast for her to see. Since starting my new job a couple weeks ago, I’ve gotten to watch nearly every home game from a VIP box. It’s the biggest perk of the job.
Jonah picked up right where he left off when he returned, and he holds St. Louis scoreless for the first two periods. Unfortunately, the Blaze don’t score, either.
My dad and the guys must like the “horse piss,” because they’re keeping our waiter busy just fetching the four of them beers. During the third period, we all jump out of our seats as Victor assists Anton in scoring a goal. Well, all but Don. He kinda stumbles into the wall instead of jumping out of his seat. He’s definitely gonna need to sleep this night off tomorrow.
Victor holds his stick in the air and looks up at our box, grinning. My heart dances with happiness, which I’m pretty certain will always happen when he looks at me. He celebrates with the team and we celebrate in the box with a round of shots.
The game ends soon after, and I stand up. “It’ll be a while before Victor’s done. Do you guys want to come see where I work?”
“Nah, I’d rather wait here for Victor,” Dad says.
“If he has interviews, it might take an hour or so.”
He shrugs. “We can keep drinking, though, right?”
“I told him we’ll meet up with him at Lucky’s. You can drink there.”
Don p
ipes in. “Yeah, but not for free.”
“They’re not even serving beer anymore, you guys,” I say. “Let’s go.”
“I’d kind of like to stay and watch the Zamboni,” Ari says.
“The Zamboni?” I look around at all of them. “What’s with you guys?”
“Zamboni. It just sounds hot, doesn’t it?” Ari waggles her brows. “I think it’s ‘cause it has the word ‘bone’ in it.”
I throw my hands in the air and sit back down, chalking the weirdness up to it being everyone’s first time in a VIP suite.
The door opens then, and Victor walks into the room, wearing just his white hockey pants and a team t-shirt.
“Hey,” I say, grinning and standing up. “What are you doing here?”
A guy I don’t know walks into the room behind him. Instead of answering my question, Victor comes up to me and then gets down on one knee. His hair is still saturated with sweat, dripping onto the floor as he looks up at me.
I yelp and cover my mouth with my hands. If this is what it looks like, I think I may ruin it by throwing up. My dad passes Victor a small black box and he flips it open, holding my gaze.
“Lindy, you’re my everything. I know it’s fast, but when you know, you know. And I know you’re the only one for me, for the rest of my life. So…” He eyes me nervously. “Will you marry me?”
I finally let myself exhale, and as I do, streams of tears run down both sides of my face.
“Yes. Of course, YES.”
I look inside the box for the first time and see a gorgeous, round diamond solitaire. It’s enormous and absolutely beautiful. A fresh round of tears hits as Victor slides it onto my left ring finger.
“Holy shit, that’s as big as a hockey puck!” Ari cries.
Apparently the guy behind Victor was there to take photos, and he continues capturing the happiest moment of my life as Victor wraps me into his arms and kisses me.
There’s another round of cheering and shots passed around as everyone congratulates us.
“He told us to keep you in the room,” Dad says, shrugging. “Ari’s pretty damn good at improvising.”
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