by Toni Aleo
“I would have done it anyway.”
Avery grinned. “You would have?”
“Yeah, I loved you. I knew you were it, and I wasn’t letting anyone else have you but me. Ashlyn just rushed things along,” he said and Avery beamed, taking Markus’s breath away. She pressed her lips to Jace’s, and he kissed her hard. Markus couldn’t help but grin.
Giving them a moment, he kept walking with Ashlyn as she ate happily, making them both a sticky mess, but he didn’t care. He was too engrossed with his thoughts and love for Mekena. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to marry her until that moment. It didn’t have to be now or tomorrow, but he wanted her to know that the commitment he had for her was strong and irreversible. And her commitment was the same for him. Jace’s statement of how he didn’t want Avery with anyone else rang true for Markus. He didn’t want anyone else having Mekena but him. She was his. All his, and damn it, she’d waited for him, waited to give him her gift. He loved that he was her first, and he wanted to be her last. He wanted to be her one and only.
Because she was his.
But would she say yes?
Was it too soon?
Was she too young?
He didn’t know, and in a way, he didn’t care. Was that naïve of him?
“So what are you thinking?” Avery asked once they caught up with him and Ashlyn. “Jeez, you’re a mess, Ashlyn Joy Sinclair! And you got Uncle Markus all nasty. Goodness me!”
Markus laughed as he waved her off. “We’ll jump in the ocean.”
“You will not! It’s freezing!”
Markus rolled his eyes. “Gosh, Ash, your mom is overprotective, huh?”
He was answered with a happy laugh as Avery glared. “You aren’t answering my question, mister.”
He laughed. “Because it’s none of your business, and I don’t want you to tell her anything.”
Feigning hurt, she gasped, “I wouldn’t!”
Jace scoffed. “You would.”
“Shut up!” she said, smacking him, and Markus chuckled.
“Hit me again,” Jace warned playfully, and Avery glared back.
With her chin tipped up, she smacked him again and said, “I ain’t scared of you.”
“You’re about to be,” he said then, reaching for her and throwing her over his shoulder.
“Jace, no!”
He ignored her, carrying her out toward the ocean as Avery screamed loudly, but Jace just laughed. Watching with a grin on his lips, Markus yelled, “Can I throw Ashlyn and me in there? We’re nasty.”
Jace whipped around, the waves up to his knees before pushing Avery off his shoulders and into the water with no cares that she landed like a sack of rocks. “Hell no, bro, it’s cold as hell.”
Markus pressed his lips together as Avery came up sputtering before she jumped up and pushed Jace face first into the water. “Well, that’s not fair.”
Ashlyn babbled something, and Markus nodded. “Exactly. But then, I guess they’re good parents, huh, kiddo?”
She babbled again and he smiled, wishing like hell Mekena were there. She would have enjoyed watching Jace and Avery try to drown each other.
And he would have enjoyed watching her smile.
“Now you know I’m gonna score on you both.”
Markus laughed before he looked to Jayden, who was watching his little brother at center ice in front of Johansson as the ref waited for the signal to start the game.
“Don’t we do this every time we play? And don’t I always stop you?”
Jace shrugged, a smug grin on his face. “Maybe, but I always end up scoring.”
“On other people, not me.”
“And definitely not me,” Markus added and Jace laughed.
“You watch. You’re both going down.”
“We’ll see,” Markus mumbled more to himself, but Jayden nodded, tapping his stick to Markus’s shin.
“Let’s do this.”
“Hell yeah,” Markus said, leaning on his stick and watching as the ref bent down, blowing his whistle before dropping the puck. Unfortunately, Jace won it back for the Panthers, and they quickly entered the Assassins’ zone. Thankfully, though, Jayden was there, stealing the puck before sending it to Markus. Cradling the puck, he carried it up. Before he could send it up the boards to Johansson, though, he saw out of the corner of his eye, Jace coming at him for a big hit. Markus stopped short, and Jace went into the boards before Markus sent it up to Anderson, who was waiting.
“Oh, so it’s like that?” Markus asked as Jace came off the boards, glaring at him.
“Hey, friendship is left off the ice.”
“Oh. Good to know,” Markus said as he skated out since somehow Anderson lost the puck and the defense was carrying it back up. Jace went to the blue line as Markus skated to the left, waiting for them to enter. He knew they were going to pass it to Jace, and as he expected, they did. But then, he was surprised by his best friend because, in a rookie move, he kept his head down as he entered, trying to get the puck to lie down right. Markus knew what he was about to do was an asshole move, but they weren’t friends on the ice according to his best friend.
Skating hard to Jace, he got in his way, and Jace hit him hard. Flying off him, Jace landed on his ass, at which Markus stole the puck and sent it over to Jayden before skating off behind him. He glanced back, making sure Jace got up, only to find him right behind him, a grin on his face as he skated hard to the bench.
“Fucker.”
“Love you too,” Markus sang to him as he went into the doors, sitting down as the Assassins attacked the zone.
“Great hit,” Jayden said, and Markus smiled.
“Cocky little shit.”
“Yeah, he is.”
Markus laughed but then stopped when Coach put his hands on his shoulders and then Jayden’s. “Your job is to contain Sinclair. Do not let that little shit score. Sorry, Sinclair.”
“It’s good, Coach,” Jayden laughed as he nodded, leaning on the boards as Markus did the same. Watching the play, the Assassins attacked but got nothing past the goalie. He was playing like Odder did every night, which sucked for them but was good for the Panthers—if Markus cared about their well-being.
Which he didn’t.
When the Panthers won the puck, they carried it into the Assassins’ zone and hammered shots at Odder. But like the ninja he was, he batted them away with the help of King and Thomas. Trying to clear, Thomas tried to hit to Franklin, but he missed and the puck sailed across the ice as the Panthers’ goalie raised his arm for icing. The whistle blew just as the Panthers got fresh bodies out there, including Jace.
Fuck.
“Shit, as soon as they get it out, Sinclair, Reeves, on,” Coach yelled from down the bench. “King, Thomas! Watch thirty-two!”
Jordie and Karson nodded as they lined up in front of Odder for the puck drop. They were sucking in air, and Markus felt a sinking feeling come over him. He was basically on the tip of his skates, ready to jump over the boards. But before he could, Jace won the puck like a boss and rushed the net right as his defender sent it to the goal. It came off Odder’s left pad, right to Jace’s stick, to which he just tapped it in softly, hitting the back of the net.
Markus’s head fell as the horn sounded, and Jayden yelled, “Fuck!”
Looking up, he saw Jace grinning as he held up one finger. “That’s one, boys. Two will be on you two.”
“I don’t like him,” Markus decided.
“I hate him, and I’m going to fart on his pillow when we’re home next. Maybe then he won’t be able to see to score,” Jayden announced, and Markus sputtered with laughter as they went over the boards and onto the ice.
“I’ll hold him down, and you can fart on his face to guarantee the pink eye,” Markus provided and Jayden nodded.
“Good plan,” he said, leaning on his stick and then tapping it to the ice. “All right, boys. Let’s get one.”
Everyone nodded in agreement as the puck was dropped
and Franklin won it back to Markus. He sent it to Jayden, who sent it back to him before he shot it up quickly to Titov, who was waiting at the line. Skating it in, he sent it to Brooks, who shot, but it was batted away. Then the Panthers carried it back toward the Assassins’ zone. But Markus was there, stealing the puck and sending it back up to Jayden, who sent it to Anderson as he broke the zone on a breakaway. He cut left and then right, but when he went to shoot, the goalie poked the puck away, sending it to the left as Anderson went into the boards.
Markus watched as Titov rushed the puck, fighting for it in the boards against two Panthers. Anderson went to help, finally getting it out and sending it to the point where Jayden was, but instead of keeping it, he sent it to Markus, who was ready, pulling back and shooting it on a one timer.
He thought the goalie batted it away, but the light went off and Anderson and Titov threw their arms up as Jayden attacked him from the left, hugging him tightly.
He scored.
He fucking scored.
Throwing his arms up, he screamed out loudly as he looked to Mekena, who was by the Panthers’ penalty box. She was on her feet, screaming and jumping up and down as he looked to her in disbelief.
He had scored.
He wasn’t sure what she was saying, but she was screaming as the boys wrapped him up tightly, hugging him and congratulating him.
“Attaboy, Reeves!” Jayden yelled.
“I got it!” Brooks said, holding the puck, and Markus took it. “For the mantel.”
Markus could only nod as he held it tight in his glove and skated toward the bench, hitting his teammates’ hands before going in the door and sitting down, still looking at the puck.
His first NHL goal.
Coach came up behind him, shaking him as he yelled, “That’s the way, Reeves! Great shot!”
Markus was still speechless as the trainer took the puck. Markus looked up, meeting Mekena’s gaze. She was still cheering for him, a big grin on her face, and all he wanted was to kiss her. He had scored his first goal, and the only thing that could make this better would be a kiss from Mekena.
That alone made him realize what he had known the whole time.
He wanted nothing more than to marry her.
He just hoped she wanted to marry him.
“Baby, slow down.”
As Markus’s fingers bit into her butt, his cock deep inside of her as her knees dug into the couch of her hotel room, she knew she couldn’t slow down. She was so fucking proud of him, and she wanted to show him by riding him hard and fast. Who knew watching her sexy boyfriend score his first goal would turn her on so damn much?
“I can’t, I want you so fucking bad,” she panted, her ass coming up and down, his cock going farther and farther inside of her. “You’re so hot when you score.”
He laughed, his mouth against her neck as he held her, breathing hard. “But I’m going to come way too fast. Slow down, I want this to last.”
He stopped, his hands pressing her down as he throbbed inside of her, his mouth trailing up her neck. “Markus,” she gasped, squeezing him with her pussy. “I want to come. I’m almost there.”
“Fine,” he said, lifting her up by her waist. “Wrap your legs around my neck.”
“What!” she gasped, laughing as the cold air hit her throbbing hot center.
“Do it,” he demanded, and she did, her legs falling off the back of the couch as he held her ass, his mouth burying deep between her legs. Crying out, she held on to his head as he dove his tongue inside of her, taking her out of this world and into another where there were pretty pink orgasm clouds and glitter. Maybe a unicorn, cheering her on as her body shook against his mouth. He drove her mad, and it didn’t take long until she was screaming his name, her fingers and thighs squeezing his head as she kicked her legs against the couch.
Thank God there was no one in the room next to them or they would have heard a symphony.
“You weren’t kidding,” he said as he lowered her onto his cock, both of them groaning at the connection. She was still throbbing, and so was he. The feeling was indescribable. Squeezing his shoulders, she leaned her head against his as she gasped in breath, her body still shaking with her orgasm.
“I fucking love you,” she panted, moving her mouth to his as he smiled, wrapping his arms around her chest and holding her close.
“Good. I love you,” he said as their mouths met. The taste of her was on his lips, and for some odd reason, that turned her on even more. He was all about pleasing her, and he gave it his all when it came to getting her off. It was mind-blowing and perfect, and she swore if she died right then, she’d die a happy girl for sure. Groaning out, she started to move against him, his cock so deep inside of her again. She felt complete. Her ass slapped against his thighs as he moaned loudly, his fingers biting into her hips, his mouth trailing kisses along her neck and her shoulders before he nibbled softly on her collarbone. “Do you know how fucking hot you are?”
Her head fell back, her lip coming between her teeth as she rode him and his own lips trailed down her breasts. “I can’t take it. I can’t take how hot you are. How crazy you drive me. I wanted nothing more than to kiss you when I scored,” he muttered, his words enhancing her need for him.
“I wanted to ride you so bad,” she gasped back, and when she lifted her head, he was grinning at her. “What?”
She stilled as he asked, “How in the hell did you become such a freak?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’m over here, spitting some beautiful love words about how hot you make me, how much I love you, and you go, ‘I wanted to ride you.’”
She fought back her grin as she shrugged. “Well, I love you too, but I wanted to ride you, like, really bad.”
She laughed, her face breaking into smiles as he squeezed her chest to his. “Good, ’cause I fucking love you. And I love when this hot ass,” he said, taking a big chunk of her ass, “rides me. God, you drive me crazy,” he somehow choked out as she started to move against him once more. Looking up, he watched her, a little grin on his face as his cock went in and out of her with speed and need. She loved how silly he was, how they were together. While it was intense and hot as hell, it was also playful and sweet, which she loved. He made her feel beautiful, safe, and whole. She loved everything about them.
When he started to squeeze her hips, his head fell into her breasts. He yelled out as he came, filling her completely as she slowed, gasping for breath. He held on to her, probably so she wouldn’t move, and she could feel his heart pounding. She knew hers matched his. Moving her fingers along the back of his neck and through the coarse hair on his head, she closed her eyes, leaning into him as her heart burst for him.
She was so proud of him. He had worked so hard, played his ass off, and finally got his goal. It was such a beaut too, but the best part was that he hadn’t even realized it went in. It was shot so fast, with such force, that it whipped into the goal without anyone really seeing it. But Mekena saw it, which meant she didn’t actually get a shot of it. She did get the shot of him pulling back, ready to shoot, but not the goal itself. She figured she wouldn’t mention that part to him, though it was okay because neither of them would ever forget the moment when Markus Reeves scored his first NHL goal.
She sure as hell wouldn’t.
Kissing his temple, she slid her fingers down the back of his head and smiled. “Have I said I’m proud of you?”
“Nope,” he said, and she laughed since she knew she had, multiple times.
“I’m so proud of you, Markus Reeves.”
He looked deep into her eyes and kissed her lips softly. “Thank you.”
“It was a great shot.”
“That I shot for you,” he added and she laughed.
“You didn’t even know it went in!”
He smiled. “Sure, I did.”
“No, you didn’t!” she laughed.
“Okay, but let’s just say all goals are for you,” he said
, wrapping her in his arms and letting them fall onto the couch, cuddling tightly together.
“For me?” she said like a little Southern belle. “How dreamy.”
He scoffed. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“Never,” she teased as his lips met hers, her leg hooking over his hip. Pulling back, she smiled as she glided her finger along his cheekbone, an overwhelming feeling of love coming over her as she stared deep into his intoxicating eyes. “I love you.”
He smiled, his nose pressing into hers. “I love you.”
Something glimmered in his eyes, and she wasn’t sure what it was or what it meant, but before he could say anything, his phone sounded. Annoyance took over his face as he rolled her to the other side of him, looking for his phone frantically.
“It can’t wait?”
“Nope, it’s my agent’s ring tone. Sorry.”
“Oh,” she said as he found his phone, answering.
“Hey, Ralph. Yeah, thanks, it was a great win. Thanks. Yeah, I got the puck on the counter right now, but it’s going on the mantel at home.”
Mekena scoffed. They didn’t have a mantel, but damn it, she might make him one. Or have him make it. Or better yet, hire someone to make it. She wasn’t sure she trusted Markus with tools. As she smiled, laughter bubbling inside of her, she drank in his profile as he listened. Boy, did she enjoy staring at him. Reaching out, she cupped his chin, moving her thumb along his jaw. Winking at her, he held up a finger, and she nodded as a huge grin came over his lips.
“No shit, really? Holy crap. Yeah, that sounds great. Wow, thanks, Ralph. No, I’m excited, I am. I’m just speechless.” She wasn’t sure what Ralph was saying, but Markus was beaming, his eyes bright as he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll see you in a couple days. Thanks. Thanks so damn much.”
Hanging up the phone, he looked over at Mekena and grinned. “Well, my beautiful girlfriend, you are about to be one lucky lady.”
She beamed. “Ryan Reynolds wants to make a baby with me?”
He paused and then shook his head. “What the fuck? You dig Deadpool?”
She nodded. “Hell yeah, I do, he’s sexy.”