by Toni Aleo
Oh, heart. We’re so fucked.
“I think she’s good, but I’ll keep an eye on it.”
“Okay, well, let me know.”
“I will.”
“I don’t have any problems flying out to see her. I want you to be happy and good with it. We can make it a romantic weekend,” he suggests, and my heart just aches. I didn’t realize it before, but he is slowly and surely becoming more than a little important to me.
“Thank you, Ryan, really.”
“Anytime. So,” he says, and I hear him moving, like he’s lying down. “Did you listen to that song I sent you earlier?
“‘Kiss Somebody’?”
“Yup,” he says.
I can hear the grin in his voice. “I did.”
“Didn’t you say all songs are about drugs, sex, and alcohol?”
I grin. “Yes, but kissing leads to sex.”
“Yes, but this one is all about kissing. So, tell me, Miss Castilleja, how do you feel about it? Do you see the connection between us and the song? ’Cause I feel we should be kissing more than we already are. Do you feel the same?”
I snort, and when I get an evil eye from Amelia, I don’t care. When the most beautiful, breathy laugh comes over the line, I decide I am loving every second of being Ryan Justice’s girlfriend.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ryan
“Do you miss me?”
Sofia’s soft, sexy laugh runs down my spine, giving me gooseflesh all over. “I do, actually. How’d you know?”
“Because I miss you,” I say simply, confidently, as I lean into the side of the Luther Arena, where the Assassins play. A small grin pulls at my lips as I toe the floor, holding my phone to my ear. It’s only been twenty-four hours since I dropped her off at her dorm, giving her a long and lusty kiss that almost made her late. She didn’t mind, though; she didn’t want to leave.
I sure as hell didn’t want to let her go.
“Oh, well, what time will you be back tonight?” she asks.
“Probably late. The game should be over by ten unless we go into overtime. But the players usually don’t leave till eleven, and then I’ll have to clean.”
“Ah, well, we’ll get home around ten, and I’m gonna fall face first in my bed.”
I grin, and the thought of her facedown with that sweet ass in the air has my cock coming to life in my track pants.
Clearing my throat, I ask, “So, what you’re saying is to come over, lie with you, and wake up early to go get some pancakes before I take you two to my mom’s event?”
She hesitates. “Doesn’t lying with someone in bed lead to sex?”
The way she whispers the word only makes my cock harder. While I know she can’t see me, a naughty grin pulls at my lips. “Not all the time.”
“This time?”
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna rub your butt.” She snorts, and I can’t stop myself from chuckling along with her. “But really, that’s all. Unless you ask for more.”
She sounds out of breath as she says, “I don’t know. Amelia will probably freak on us.”
“Probably. Can you stay awake and wait for me?”
“Why?”
“So I can pick you up and take you to my room at the house.”
“Ryan…”
“What? Don’t say no.”
“I’m beat. It’s hard being an all-around champion.”
My heart burns with pride for her. “I know, and I get to date her.”
Her flirty giggle makes my groin so tight. I’m unsure why I thought I could last with her. I was already stiff as a steel pipe around her. Hell, I’ve wanted her from the moment I saw her. And now that I know she’s a virgin, there is no way I can expect to get any until she is ready. I respect her too damn much. But if she keeps giggling like that, I’m going to jack off until my cock is raw.
“Today wasn’t my best,” she says, and I actually hear the disappointment in her words.
She’s insane.
“You got a 9.8 or higher on every event. How was that not your best?”
“Well, I didn’t get a ten.”
“Oh yeah, my bad,” I laugh, and her airy laugh fills the line in response. I can just see her face, all bright, her lips smirking and those freckles on her face driving me wild. Man, I miss her, which is insane since it wasn’t like I was spending all my time with her before. I knew she was special, but I didn’t really realize how important she would become to me so quickly. “Why do I miss you so much?”
Her smile is in her voice. “I’m amazing, obviously.”
“Well, obviously,” I mimic. “But I want to see you. Desperately.”
She pauses for a second. “I feel the same. I think that magical pergola got us.”
“Magical?”
“Yeah, it has all your parents’ love juju in it.”
I scoff. “You’re insane.”
“No! Really, we were fine—”
“I was never fine. I’ve wanted you for a while.”
She whispers, “Okay, I was fine—”
“Don’t lie.”
“Oh my God, I hate you.”
“No, you don’t,” I inform her, and she huffs out an annoyed breath. “But you’re probably right. We’re gonna turn into that needy couple.”
“Ha, I don’t think so. We’re too busy for that.”
Looking up at the Luther, I couldn’t agree more. I’m working the game tonight, and then the Bullies have a game tomorrow night. I have a paper due Monday, and both of our school schedules will be picking up. It’s almost time for finals, and then it will be winter break. I’m also supposed to go have lunch with Shea tomorrow too, and somewhere in the middle of all that, I need to figure out how to have more time with Sofia than just a car ride.
Way more.
I clear my throat. “Listen, leave the door unlocked.”
She groans softly. “Ryan, Amelia will not like that.”
“If she says anything, tell her I’ll have Moon meet us for breakfast.”
“You know she’d agree to that.”
“Exactly, so leave the door open.”
“You’re not gonna accept anything but yes, huh?”
“What do you want to say?” I ask, and I’m pretty sure I know her answer.
A breathy sigh leaves her sweet lips. “Yes.”
“Then say it.”
This time, she doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Music to my ears.
I bite my lip, trying to keep my excitement in. “Awesome. I’ll see you soon.”
She doesn’t answer right away. I can hear the excitement in her voice though as she whispers, “I seriously can’t wait, but no funny business.”
My heart stops. “Funny business? Nothing is funny about sex with me, Sofia. I can promise you that.”
Her soft voice drives me insane. “See, not sure I’m ready for that.”
“You’ll get there,” I assure her, and she groans loudly.
“Bye, Ryan.”
I laugh. “Bye, babe.”
As I hang up the phone, my eyes are watering from smiling so much.
I just can’t get enough of her.
Man, I want to play on this ice.
I love Luther Arena. It’s the best arena in the world, in my opinion. It has the best seats, soft and comfortable, and I swear there is not a bad seat in the house. When a player scores, the whole place goes crazy with lights, and the horn sounds loud and proud. But even with all that, the fans are louder and way prouder. The food here is great, the music is badass, and hell, I want to immerse myself in it all.
I want to be a Nashville Assassin.
The thought has my body tingling with anticipation as I watch Assassins’ forward Vaughn Johansson rush up the ice with the puck. He practically flies. I love watching the dude play. He is one of my favorites. As he passes the puck, he doesn’t leave the play, and while I want to watch, I’m being called by the lead trainer, DJ.
“Justice
, smelling stick.”
I unzip the front pocket of my jacket, pull out a pack, and hand them to him before looking back at the ice. Johansson shoots, but he misses. I squeeze my fist in frustration. The Assassins are trailing by a goal, and they hate when they’re losing. They’re going through a rebuilding year after trading a few players and then losing Lucas Brooks to retirement and Karson King to injury. They haven’t had the greatest start, but they’re still the best team in the league to me.
Johansson, he’s just ruthless.
He shoots again, but the goalie blocks it. He gets the rebound, though, and when he flips it up and over the goalie’s shoulder, I swear I’m the loudest one on the bench as the goal horn blows.
We’re tied.
“Justice, get me some tape,” DJ yells over everything.
Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be working.
Smiling to myself, I rush back to the bag they keep by the tunnel. I get out the tape and then refill my smelling salts. Grabbing a few other things I think DJ might ask for, I hurry back to my spot. DJ holds his hand out to me, and I give him what he needs. This is how the first two periods go, and while some may say I’m just DJ’s bitch, I don’t feel like that. I feel like part of the team.
I absolutely love it.
I love hearing Coach Baxter yell and get the boys fired up. I love the joking on the bench, and I love the camaraderie. I love how the fans lift the boys up, and I even made a friend with the backup goalie, Fraser. He’s got this wicked Scottish brogue I know Amelia would get a kick out of, because I sure do.
I don’t ever want to leave, and if I didn’t know I was going home to Sofia, I probably wouldn’t.
“Yer doing a great job there, Justice,” he tells me, and I grin.
“Thanks, Fras,” I say, tapping his pads.
When another player asks me for something since DJ and Mikey, the other athletic trainer, are too far away, I get it. I’m quick, efficient, and damn it, I know I’m making Elli and Shea proud. I want the highest grade on my evaluation at the end, and I want to graduate magna cum laude. I know I can do it. There is no doubt in my mind because, in the end, it will look great when scouts are checking me out for the draft.
I will be on that ice sooner rather than later.
Just as I look up, I see Johansson collide with a Coyotes player, their knees hitting hard against each other. While the other player skates off, Johansson falls forward. When he doesn’t get up right away, my stomach drops. Play stops, and he gets up to his knees slowly, the pain all over his face. He looks as if he is okay, but DJ is already running onto the ice, Mikey close behind. While I want to go, I stay put since I’m unsure if I’m allowed on the ice. That reminds me to make sure to ask if I’m supposed to follow.
Thankfully though, before they reach him, he is limping toward them. They take him under his arms, and when DJ looks to me, wide-eyed, I spring into action. I clear the way of sticks and then the bag so they can get through the tunnel.
“Come on, Justice, grab him.”
I shuffle under Johansson’s arm, taking Mikey’s place, and we head down the tunnel while Mikey heads back to the bench.
“Tell me what you’re feeling,” DJ says, but what I see is a really big dude in some serious pain.
Johansson grimaces. “My fucking thigh is tight. I think it’s a charley horse.”
“Okay, let’s get the gear off.”
We help him up onto the table when we reach the athletic training room. I make quick work of his skate as he lies back, groaning loudly. Once I have his skate off, DJ pulls down his sock, and we look at his thigh. It’s spasming like crazy, and the separation is mind-blowing. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen.
DJ looks to me. “What do you think?”
“It looks like a charley horse to me.”
“What do you do? Quickly, Justice.”
“Ice it.”
“Get the ice,” he demands, and I do as he says. Immediately, because time is crucial to a hockey player. They don’t want to miss shifts. When I come back, DJ is massaging the muscle as I lay the ice pack on Johansson’s leg, wrapping it up to let it sit.
“How long?”
“Ten minutes, and then we check it,” I say, and DJ nods.
“Good.”
So we wait, and I hate that Johansson is hurting. He hasn’t stopped grimacing, and he looks like he wants to punch someone. I’ve been in his shoes; charley horses are the worst in your thighs. I wouldn’t wish that pain on my worst enemy.
When the time is up, I pull the ice pack off, and I don’t like what I see.
DJ looks to me. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s swelling.”
DJ looks down and then shakes his head. “No, it’s just red from the ice. It’s the same size.”
But I know I’m right. “No, when you pulled his sock down, it wasn’t this swollen.”
DJ looks at it again and then crouches down, pressing his fingers into Johansson’s leg. He groans loudly, and I swear his thigh is getting bigger.
“DJ, it’s still swelling.”
“Okay, can I play?” Johansson asks, and I’m shaking my head.
DJ is way calmer than I am. “Stand up, put some pressure on it.”
Johansson does as he asks but crumples into us. “Fuck, I can’t.”
I’m watching his thigh the whole time. The twitching has stopped, but the swelling is out of this world. I think I know what’s wrong, and I wait for DJ to say something, but he doesn’t. When I look at him, he’s already looking at me, and I realize he is waiting for me. I clear my throat, ignoring the pounding in my chest. “We should do the compartment pressure test.”
“You think so?” DJ asks before looking back down at Johansson’s thigh.
“I do,” I say confidently.
DJ nods in agreement. “Do it.”
So I do, with no help. This is my favorite test at school, and I excel at it. But unlike in school, I don’t like the results at all. As much as I hate to say it, I know I have to. “We need to get him to the hospital.”
DJ looks to me, his eyes knowing. “Why’s that?”
I point to Johansson’s thigh, though we all know what I’m going to say. “Because he was hit just right, and it looks as if he is suffering from acute compartment syndrome.”
“Which is?”
“Low blood supply to a nerve and/or a muscle. If we’re gonna save his thigh—and his career—we need to get him to a doctor. Now.”
DJ gives me a wide smile before smacking me on the back. “Good job, Justice.”
A rush comes over me, and I feel like I just scored a hat trick, blocked a billion shots, and at the end of it all, Sofia was there to kiss the shit out of me!
DJ calls the med team to come in with the stretcher to get Johansson to the hospital. Johansson looks from the stretcher to me with a confused look on his face.
“Wait, so I’m not good? How long is this going to take? I want to go back out there.”
Man, I love hockey. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s an amazing sport, full of amazingly tough guys. Johansson is one of them, and while they load him up and DJ explains he won’t be returning to the game tonight, I have a hard time holding back my excitement at my accomplishment.
I just saved my favorite player’s leg.
Man, what a rush!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ryan
I receive quite a few looks from Sofia’s dormmates as I make my way through her building. I know I don’t belong here, but I’m on a mission to see my girlfriend, and no one is gonna stop me.
Well, except campus police. They could put a damper on things.
Thankfully, I make it to her room without the cops getting me, or even the resident advisor. I’m still floating on cloud nine, and I’m ready to stay on that cloud. Man, what a night. We got Johansson to the hospital, and he went right into surgery. Word is, he’s going to be fine, and DJ told me he has never seen an intern jump into action the way I did.
Man, that felt good.
Pushing the door open, I step in and shut it behind me. I look at Amelia’s bed first. Her panty-clad ass is in the air, and pillows are everywhere. Nothing I haven’t seen before. But when I glance to Sofia’s bed, she is watching me, a little grin on her face. Something I always want to see.
“Hey, you,” I whisper as I toe out of my shoes. “You waited.”
“Barely,” she whispers back as I take off my hoodie and drop it on my shoes.
Quietly, I go toward her as she scoots over, pulling the blankets up for me. “Sorry,” I say, cuddling deep into the bed. But before I can cover up or even check her out, I bring her mouth to mine. She kisses me eagerly, and I don’t want to stop, but I have to tell her about Johansson.
I pull back, and she grins. “Sorry?”
“Not for that,” I say, and her grin grows. “No, for being late. But guess what? I saved a guy’s leg.”
Her eyes widen. “No way.”
“Yeah, it was so badass,” I say, and then I explain everything. She listens intently, her face showing every emotion I felt. She’s just as excited as I am. Her eyes are bright with only the moonlight shining on her face, and I decide right then that the word beauty was made to describe this girl. I let my breath out in a whoosh before I say, “I’ve never felt such a rush. I knew exactly what to do, how to help, and it was awesome.”
She cups my face, squeezing my cheeks softly, and her eyes burn into mine. “I’m so proud of you.”
I scoot closer to her, our bodies lining up since we’re lying down. “Well, now I feel even better.”
Sofia presses her lips to mine, and I’m in heaven. I cup her by the back of the neck and deepen the kiss, needing everything she is. Her mouth is so warm, so inviting, and I never thought that a simple kiss could ruin me the way her kisses do. I crave her, and after everything that happened today, she is the cherry on my celebratory sundae. Her thighs, her chest, and her stomach press into mine, and they leave me speechless. I try my best to ignore the fact that my extremely disobedient cock is very much lined up with that precious untouched center of hers. God, I want her.
My want for her also scares the living shit out of me. I know she won’t have anything to judge me by, and she’ll think I am awesome, which I will be. The problem is, I sure as hell don’t want her going on in her life, meeting someone else, and then they rock her world more than I did. That can’t happen. I have to make sure her first time is the most magical fucking thing in the world. Literally. I think of how I’d want my sister or my cousins to be treated by guys. Not the act—ew, gross—but the romance.