by Toni Aleo
“It is freezing in here, bella. My goodness.”
I grin over at her as I cover her with the blanket I brought for myself. “It’s hockey.”
“I’ve never been to a hockey game,” she says, and her face is perplexed as she looks at the ice. “Why are they running, oh, sorry, I mean slamming into each other? Doesn’t that hurt?”
Amelia laughs from beside me. “No, they have so many pads on.”
“Oh well, that’s good, I guess,” Mom says, though her face is still full of confusion. I’m sure that’s how I looked at my first game.
When the ref’s hand comes up because of a trip on the Bullies, Amelia stands up. “You gotta be friggin’ kidding me! Are you blind? That wasn’t a trip! Dude can’t skate! How can you not tell the difference? Do you even know the difference between your ass and your elbow?”
“She’s allowed to do that?” my mom whispers to me, and I nod.
“Apparently.”
Amelia sits down, shaking her head. “Wack call.”
“I see.”
She flashes me a wide grin before she hooks her thumb to the left. “I’m gonna hit the concession stand. You guys want anything?”
“Yes, those fried Oreos. I love this state. They fry anything here.” Mom’s eyes are lit up with excitement.
I laugh as I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
As Amelia heads right for the concession since we’re sitting in the disabled accessible area, I glance at my mom. “So, what do you think?”
“I think this is a weird sport. It’s very angry and very violent, don’t you think?”
I shrug. “At first I did, but Ryan loves it. So does Amelia. Their aunt, Elli, she owns the pro team here. It’s a family affair kind of thing.”
She nods very slowly and dramatically. “So that’s why I rode in her personal jet. Have you ridden in it yet? It’s purple on the inside. It was odd.”
I laugh. “Not yet.”
“It was interesting, to say the least. And she says ‘Y’all’ a lot. Am I saying that right?”
I grin. She’s not, but it’s super cute. “She’s very country, but I adore her.”
“Yes, she is very sweet. She offered to fly me home, but I guess Ryan had already bought the ticket.”
My heart warms as I look out on the ice, watching Ryan line up for the face-off. “Yeah.”
“So you really had no clue?”
“None, I was so surprised,” I gush, and she grins, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “I think I’m still surprised. I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Oh, bella,” she says, wrapping her arms around me and kissing my temple. “I miss you, but I could tell you were shocked. You never cry, but you cried enough that you made me cry.”
We share a laugh as the buzzer sounds, ending the second period. She jumps beside me, looking around. “That buzzer is loud.”
“It is,” I agree as I re-cover her since she knocked off her blanket. “Are you having fun?”
“I’m cold,” she reminds me, and I smile.
“I can take you back to Mrs. Justice’s house. I’m sure she won’t mind.”
She holds out her hand, waving it at me. Her hands are worse than I remember. She started wearing black gloves over her hands because the spasms have been so bad lately. That is why she had to quit the hotel job. I want so badly to bring her here, to take care of her. I can see she looks better, which is good, but it’s small things that worry me. I miss her dearly. “No, no, I’ll wait for Ryan. I want him to know I care about this ice business he is doing.”
I laugh, leaning on my knees as I take her hand in mine, needing to touch her. “So, you like him?”
Her eyes widen in shock like she can’t believe I’ve asked that. “Oh, bella, I adore him. I mean, he was so strong on the phone with me. I got the sense he was going to bring me, and he was ready to fight with me if I said no. Which I wanted to—you know I don’t want anyone paying for me—but he wasn’t taking no for an answer, so I agreed. Plus, I had to see you.” I grin at her as she haltingly brings my hand to her lips, kissing my palm. “He loves you, God bless, so very much. With his whole body. It’s beautiful to see.”
I swallow past the emotion in my throat, remembering how he looked at me yesterday, so scared I wouldn’t want him if he didn’t make it into the NHL. Is he insane? God, he has to be. I want him, and while I want him to succeed, not everyone makes it. It’s how you readjust and replan. Ryan is good, and he has the best backup plan. He’s going to be great, no matter what happens. “Yeah, he’s always been like that. I think that’s why I love him so much.”
My mom sends me a small grin. “Oh, I see that too. Grace talked about you two the whole way here and how she hadn’t seen a love like you two since her brother and her sister-in-law. Elli was gushing over you two as well. I thought it was all overexaggerated…” She pauses, shaking her head as a laugh leaves her lips. “But then the way you looked at him at the meet, the way he looked at you, Lord, it brings tears to my eyes. I knew it was special what you two have.”
“It is,” I say breathily, holding her hand. “We’re unsure what is going to happen with his career, but I know what I want. And that’s him, any way I can get him.”
Her eyes search mine. She’s gazing at me the way she did when I got hurt. That Are you sure you want to continue? expression. “Ah, bella, you’re so young.”
I shrug. “But am I? Let’s be honest. I think my mental age is at least twenty-five, maybe even forty on a Friday night.”
She laughs at that. “Yeah, I hear you. I guess, to me, you’re still my little bella.”
“I’ll always be your bella, Mom.”
I lean into her, inhaling her spicy, menthol smell. Ever since the MS diagnosis, she slathers her legs in Bengay. I used to tease her. But now at night, I miss that smell so much. “He’s good for you,” she whispers into my hair. “As your mom, I want to tell you not to settle. You need to focus on your dreams and all that, but I watch him with you, I hear what he says, and while it’s only been two days, I feel he motivates you even more. He looks out for you, and he wouldn’t let anything happen or let you take less than you deserve.”
I nod, smiling. “You have no clue.”
“Which is why I’m sitting here, freezing, waiting on my Oreos, and watching him play on the ice.”
I laugh as I look up at her.
“He’s supposed to get that black ball in the net?”
“It’s a puck, and yes.”
“Jeez, this is hard.”
“But so much fun!” Amelia says then, handing my mom her tray of fried Oreos. Mom takes them happily as the buzzer sounds and the boys come back out on the ice. When Ryan skates to the bench, he reaches for a water bottle, squirting it in his mouth. I’m just captivated by him. He’s so big, so strong, and he makes me hotter with every passing second.
My mom wasn’t wrong when she said I was young. I am, but that seems like an advantage on my part.
I get longer with him.
Ryan drags his hands up my back, cupping my shoulders from behind as he thrusts deep inside me, his mouth moving sloppily against mine. His lips are a heated torture, drawing the kisses out of me as he goes deep, so mouthwateringly deep. My ass bounces against his thighs while I ride his thick cock, my nails biting into his back as our rhythm becomes a lot more desperate. I feel myself almost there, and I feel him, he’s right behind me, and oh yes, I want it.
But then his hands snake under my thighs, lifting me off his cock before he presses his mouth to my center, turning us in one swift motion so I’m flat on my back and his tongue is deep inside me.
“Oh Jesus,” I cry out, jerking up into his mouth. His tongue swirls around my entrance, fucking me slowly before he slides it up between my lips and back down. Up he goes, pressing the tip of his tongue up my slit, his eyes such a dark blue, I think I’ll come undone just looking at him. He’s breathing as hard as I am, his shoulders quivering a
gainst my thighs as he eats me ever so slowly. His tongue flicks unhurriedly along my clit, his fingers digging into my ass as he watches me.
I move my hands up my ribs, cupping my breasts as I watch him. “You’re killing me.”
“Good,” he mutters against my throbbing pussy. “I want to watch you squirm.”
“Oh, oh, oh, I got you,” I promise as he laps at me, running the tip of his tongue against my lips. Dragging it along my clit like he has nothing better to do than to lick me. I’m lost. “Oh, Ryan,” I cry, trying to get close, but he has me set in place, his eyes never leaving mine as he continues to consume me.
“That’s right, baby, tell me how much you want this.”
“So much. Oh, oh, God, I want it.”
“Mmm,” he murmurs against my clit, the vibrations making me come out of my skin. “So fucking hot.”
He tongues my entrance, curling his tongue inside me as his nose presses to my clit. He has to be doing that on purpose. When I cry out, he chuckles against me, and his hands slide down. With his palms, he opens me, sending shocks through my body before he drops that dirty mouth back to my wanton pussy. Ruthlessly, he flicks his tongue against me, drawing out the most strangled cries from me as my body goes taut and hot.
When I come undone, my toes curling and my back arching off his bed, he covers my body with his before capturing my cries in his mouth. He kisses me lazily, his hand taking me by the back of the knee before pushing it back.
He thrusts into me, his mouth never leaving mine as he goes to the hilt. His thrust is deliciously hard, and I can feel it everywhere. And when he breaks our kiss, rising to his knees, I smile up at him.
“Oh yeah.”
His lips turn into a smirk as he grips my thighs in his large hands. “Yeah?”
“This is my favorite part.”
He’s sweating along his forehead. His face is flushed, as is his whole body. He looks absolutely stunning. “Your favorite part?” he laughs, thrusting into me and taking my breath away.
“Yeah, the part where you lose it and just pound into me.”
His smirk turns into a very wicked grin. “Mm…my naughty girl likes it hard?”
I lower my lashes as my lips part, and I tilt my hips for him. “So hard.”
His eyes fill with such desire, and without another word, his body is slamming into mine. He takes all thought, all feeling, hell, everything from me. His movements are wild, his nails breaking my skin as he loses it. It’s absolutely glorious to see.
With a strangled cry, he stills inside me, sucking in deep breaths as his head falls back and he empties into me. Closing my eyes, I drop my head to the pillow, gasping in deep breaths as he falls onto me, gathering in me his arms as he turns us to the side. He brings me in close, his mouth finding mine as my arms come around his neck. We’re both burning hot, our skin slick with perspiration as he continues to throb inside me. As I gaze into his beautiful, spent face, I don’t want to change a thing.
I love him.
“Damn, I think we’re getting really good at that.”
I smile, pressing my lips into his chin. “So damn good.”
His eyes slowly flutter open, meeting mine. A grin pulls at his lips, his arms tightening around me. “Perfect end to a perfect night.”
I tease, “Who says that’s the end?”
He raises his brow, and then he chuckles. “Sof, I played sixty minutes of hockey, and then you just fucked the life out of me. I think I’m dead.”
“Nah, you’re good.” I move my hand down his arm, squeezing his bicep. “At the very least, you can lie there while I ride you again, getting us both off.”
He groans as he nuzzles his mouth into my neck. “You’re going to kill me.”
I close my eyes, lengthening my neck for him as he sucks and kisses. “Maybe.”
Silence envelops us as our hearts pound together. The radio plays Florida Georgia Line, the beats and wonderful vocals filling the room as I trail my lips along his hot skin.
When he pulls back, gazing into my eyes, his lips tip up. “Did your mom have fun tonight?”
“She did,” I say, grinning. “She was cold, but she enjoyed watching you score. It was a great night for you. You looked really good out there.”
“Yeah, it was a good game for me. My plus-minus went up a point. That’s good.”
“For sure,” I agree, even though I’m still very iffy on hockey terms. “I thought you were awesome.”
A few seconds pass, and just as I nuzzle my nose into his chest, he asks, “Does she like me?”
I pull back, nodding quickly. “She does.”
“You sure?” he asks, and I smile.
“Yes, Ryan, I promise.”
“Good, I was worried. I just want it all to be good.”
“All what?”
“Like, our families liking us and each other. I don’t want anything coming between us.”
“It won’t,” I say, my eyes searching his. “What’s wrong?”
He shakes his head, his eyes full of concern.
“Ryan? Tell me what’s wrong…”
He exhales heavily. “I feel we have a lot coming at us in the next couple months, and I just want everything, like parents, school, and us, to be easy. You know what I mean?”
“Ryan, it is. Just let it be. Don’t worry.”
But he is. I can see the stress in his eyes. “I dwell on shit.”
I scoff. “No, you?”
He grins as he nibbles at my lip. “But you have the tendency to make me feel better.”
“Damn right, because that’s my job.”
His eyes search mine once more, his gaze burning with such love. “We do this well.”
“We do, and just think, we’re only getting started.”
He chuckles as his lips move along mine. “I don’t know how someone didn’t scoop you up before, but I’m pretty damn glad they didn’t because you’re absolutely the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”
My heart aches in my chest because I feel that way about him. I’m lost in his eyes, feeling all the love pouring out of his gorgeous body. “Your mom said your dad sent me to you.”
His eyes widen for a split second before they fill with bewilderment, his brows drawing in. “Well, that’s nice, but what brought that up?”
Shit. Why’d I say that? I bite my lip. I won’t lie to him. So after a long sigh, I say, “You know my sponsorship?”
He nods, completely oblivious.
“It’s from your dad.”
He scrunches his brows in confusion. “No, it’s not. That program stopped when he passed.”
I shake my head. “No, your mom still does it. She chose me. The only reason she told me was because she felt so awful about me not being allowed to go home. But she didn’t make the rules. Your dad did, so she kept apologizing—”
I’m cut off by his laughter, though his eyes are full of tears. “My mom chose you for my dad’s sponsorship?”
I nod. “Yeah?”
He laughs a little more, and when the tears roll down his cheeks, my heart kicks up in my chest as I cling to him. “Ryan, what’s wrong?”
He covers his face, falling onto his back. I straddle him, entirely bewildered. “Shit, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
My stomach drops. Is this going to be weird for him? Shit. I shouldn’t have told him! “What? Why?”
He drops his hands, reaching out for me before wrapping his hand around the back of my neck and bringing me down to him. “I always knew there was something about you. I thought it was your initiative that rattled me and made me want you so desperately, but now I know my dad sent you to me. From the moment he passed, I begged and prayed for some sign that I could make it through life without him. Even having Shea in my corner, I never felt whole. But then I met you—” His voice breaks, and I don’t know what to do. My eyes are wide, and my heart is beating wildly as I stare down at him. “He knew I needed someone who would be behind me one hundred percent. Som
eone who would pull me out of a funk when I dwell on shit and just love me. Love me unconditionally. Sofia, that’s you. I love you so much. I don’t know how I can show you or even tell—”
“You already do,” I insist, pressing my nose to his, my heart still beating out of control. “Ryan, I love you. We’re great, and we’ll continue to be great. No matter what. I love you.”
His lips move to mine, whispering his love for me. He gazes into my eyes. “You’re everything I need.”
I nod slowly, my own tears gathering in my eyes with the overwhelming love I feel for this man.
“Ditto.”
As his lips curve, I grin at him before he gathers me in a heated embrace.
He could leave tomorrow, and I know we’d be okay.
Because no words are needed. We’re in this for life.
Chapter Forty-Five
Ryan
Holy shit.
As I step out of DJ’s office, I look around, completely unsure if what just happened in there really just happened.
I blink.
I blink again, and then I pinch the shit out of my arm.
Ow. Yup. This is real, and that just happened.
Holy shit.
“Listen, Ryan, I’m going to give it to you straight. I don’t do this. I have applications out my ass for qualified trainers, but I like you. I love your work ethic, your speed, and you’re smart as a whip, kid. The guys love you, I love you, and honestly, you fit. You’d be great for this team. With Mikey leaving for that head trainer job with the Kings, I have a spot open, and I want you to take it.”
I run my hands down my face. I don’t know what to do with myself. My body is shaking with excitement, and holy shit, I just got offered a job with the Assassins!
Holy shit…
I walk through the Assassins’ offices, my mind going a million miles a second. I thought I was going in for my evaluation. I thought I’d get an A, I’d be the best in the class, and walk away with a great experience. While I did all that, I never ever thought DJ would offer me a job.