“The universe brought you to me. All those years ago. Put you right in my path.”
“If that’s the case, big C, then you’re a little slow on the uptake.”
“I’ll make up for it,” he says, his words a dark, seductive promise.
“And I’ll hold you to it.” I welcome his mouth when he kisses me again, my hands roving over his back, going lower until I’m gripping his butt and pulling him to me. He’s teasing me and it’s driving me crazy.
When he looks at me again, I grin. “I think the universe really was being sneaky.”
“Sneaky, huh?”
I nod and moan when he fucks me harder, just a little faster. “Maybe it was that damn voodoo stick of yours.”
Spencer thrusts his hips forward. “This one?”
I laugh, can’t help it. “Not that one.”
Oh, God. I can’t breathe when he does that, pushing in deeper, withdrawing slowly, then slamming home again.
“I’m going to frame that stick,” he whispers. “Put it above the mantel to remind you of me.”
“I don’t need the reminder,” I tell him, cupping his face. “I’ve got you.”
“That you do. For always, Noelle.”
Always.
I definitely like the sound of that.
Spencer
AFTER CLEANING US BOTH UP, I drag Noelle into my arms and hold her, her head resting on my chest, her fingers dancing over my stomach. I’m not sure I can sleep. Between the adrenaline from the game and the shock to my heart from seeing Noelle at my door, it’s going to take some time before I can close my eyes.
“What are we gonna tell Ellie?” Noelle asks.
Brushing her hair back, I rest my chin on the top of her head. “What do you want to tell her?”
“I don’t know yet. I think she needs to get this thing figured out with Kingston first.” She turns her head slightly. “Did you know that she found that woman? The one who made the accusation?”
I pull back, trying to see her face. “She left me a voice mail. Said she had some information I needed to pass along to Phoenix.”
“Yeah, well. You should probably talk to her.”
I nod.
“Maybe you could talk to Kingston, too,” she says, her fingers circling my nipple. If she keeps doing that, sleep is not going to happen for a long, long while.
“About?”
“About him being a jackass.”
I chuckle because she sounds so serious. “I can do that.”
“Good. Maybe he’ll listen to you. God knows he’s not coming to the conclusion on his own.”
“Okay, so I talk to Kingston, get him to get his head out of his ass, then what?”
She shrugs, curling up closer to me. I love the feel of her body against mine. I love having her here in my bed.
“If they don’t figure it out in a week, we tell them about us.”
“And if they do?”
“Then we tell them about us sooner.”
I kiss her forehead. “And what exactly do we tell them?”
“That you love me,” she says, as though it makes all the sense in the world.
I laugh. “Is that all?”
“Oh, I guess, I could tell Ellie that I love you, too.” She sounds put upon.
I pull her up onto me, lifting her chin so I can see her face. “Tell me again. I need to hear you say it.”
Her smile warms my entire body. “I love you, Spencer.”
I kiss her softly. “Again.”
“I love you.”
Another kiss. “Again.”
“God, you’re high maintenance,” she huffs. “I’m not sure I can handle high maintenance.”
“Sweetheart, I think you can handle anything I can dish out.”
“Maybe. But I’ll probably make you work for it.”
“I look forward to it.” I definitely look forward to it.
Noelle’s Journal
Dear Universe,
I love him.
46
Spencer
Friday, February 24th
I’M SITTING IN KINGSTON’S LIVING room, giving him my spiel about my sister and all the crap she’s been going through. Surprisingly, he has listened without getting completely defensive. When I informed him that Ellie figured out who the woman is who made the accusation, it was a little touch-and-go for a minute, but we’ve moved on to discussing his idiocy when it comes to my sister.
At least he’s listening. Or appears to be anyway.
“Bianca’s right about one thing. James is moving to Austin.”
He doesn’t respond, but I can tell that he’s not completely on board with that idea. There’s still hope for him yet.
“Bianca wants to know her father,” I explain. “And she deserves that. But Ellie’s not going to be with James.”
“Why?”
Good God Almighty. Is the man really that dense? Could he be so clueless to think that Ellie would just fall in love with the man because he shows up in her life now?
“She doesn’t love him, you dimwit. She wants him to have a relationship with his daughter, but she doesn’t love him. Just because someone pops back in your life after so many years doesn’t mean you’ll have the same feelings. It doesn’t work that way.”
And I know that to be true. After all, it happened to me with Amber.
I pin my best friend with a hardened stare. “You broke her heart, man. I trusted you. Hell, she trusted you. You didn’t even give her a chance. One road bump and you tucked your tail between your legs and ran.”
Yep, I’m pushing him, but that’s the only way to deal with Kingston Rush.
Leaning forward, I continue, “You might not want to admit it, but I know you care about my sister. In fact, I’m pretty damn sure you love her, but I’m going to let you come to terms with that on your own time. I hope you care about Bianca just as much—”
“Of course I do.”
“Then prove it.” Yes, that was a dare. “Instead of tucking your tail between your legs, fight for Ellie. Stand behind her. Hold her fucking hand through this. Hell, be there for Bianca, because this is just the beginning. It might seem like fucking roses and rainbows, but real life has to intervene sometime. This fairy tale that Bianca has created doesn’t exist. Now, I’m not saying that this won’t go well for them. I hope like fuck it does. I’m merely telling you that Ellie doesn’t want him the way you think she does.”
“I’m a fucking dumb ass.”
“No, you’re in love, douchebag. And sometimes the fear of rejection blinds you to what’s really important. You didn’t hear this from me, but James is in town tonight. He wants to take Bianca to dinner and to a movie. Ellie’s gonna be home. Maybe you could drop by.”
Plus, it’s time for me to head out. I’ve got a date with a hot fairy, so I don’t have time to sit around and baby his ass anymore.
As I head to the door, Kingston calls after me.
“One more thing I think you should know about,” he says.
He holds up his phone and I glance at it. I see a text message from my niece to Kingston. I grab the phone and read through it, sighing when I’m done. Well, that definitely explains a lot.
Now, I really do need to go have a talk with my sister.
Half an hour later, I’m standing on Ellie’s porch. When my sister opens the door, I can tell she’s not in a good mood. Now that I think about it, she’s been a little dimmer than usual these past couple of months. I probably wouldn’t have thought anything of it until Noelle pointed it out to me the other night. She’s under a lot of stress right now, I’m sure. With James in her life, trying to establish a relationship with Bianca and all.
I follow Ellie into the kitchen.
“Can I get you something to drink?” she offers.
Her eyebrows lift in question, and I’m sure she’s waiting for me to fly off the handle. I admit that I handled her situation badly. Extremely badly.
“Look, I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I’ve been an asshole to you and it certainly wasn’t warranted. You didn’t deserve the bullshit I’ve dished up lately. I know this hasn’t been easy for you, what with Bianca finding her father, then James coming into the picture.”
She’s waiting patiently.
“You’ve definitely handled it better than I would have. But you’ve always been like that, Ellie. You’re a rational thinker, not driven by emotion. I envy that.”
Ellie smiles. “Thank you. I think I needed to hear that.”
“Have you talked to Kingston?”
“No,” she admits, glancing down at her hands folded on the counter. “He’s not really talking to me anymore. He sees this the way he wants to see it. And I should have. You know, tried to explain. But I’ve been…” She grins as she looks up. “I was gonna say hesitant, but that’s a lie. I’ve been scared. Terrified actually.” Ellie swallows hard. “I love him, Spencer. I’m sure you don’t want to hear me say that, but it’s true. I know this must be weird for you. Your sister and your best friend.”
I bite my cheek to keep from smiling. It’s not as weird as she might think. I’m going through the same thing, actually, and I wonder how she’ll take it when I tell her that I plan to marry her best friend. And I do plan to marry her, although I haven’t clued Noelle into that yet.
I even went and talked to her father today. I had to swear her parents to secrecy. I thought for a second her mother was going to rent a billboard and announce it to the world. After I got that taken care of, I went and bought the ring. I’m trying to do this the right way.
“I wish he’d stop trying to be a martyr,” Ellie says, clearly oblivious to what’s going on in my head. “He thinks he’s doing the right thing for me by stepping back, but he’s not. I’m not in love with James. Nor could I ever be. Yes, I’m glad he’s in Bianca’s life. She needs that.”
“He’s a good guy,” I tell her. And he is. I’ve talked to him on numerous occasions since Ellie introduced me to him a couple of months ago. “Did you know that he’s currently in talks to get Rush’s brother to the Arrows?”
Ellie’s eyes widen. “Heath?”
I nod. When I found out that Bianca’s dad was the legendary sports agent James Heron, I nearly shit myself. On top of that, he’s Heath Rush’s agent. I mean, come on. Talk about six degrees of separation. Crazy to think the man has been relatively in the same circles as my sister all this time. “Yep. Turns out, Matty’s looking to go to New York.”
“Oh, my goodness.” She looks stunned. “Is that a good thing?”
I shrug. “If I had my way, I’d keep Matty here. We play well together, but he’s young. He wants to play for experience. And Heath’s a beast. We’d be lucky to have him.”
“That makes sense. Will Matty go before the season’s out?”
“Doubtful.” I figure now’s probably a good time to fill my sister in on my other secret. “Plus, I’m gonna retire at the end of the season.”
Ellie looks as though I just pulled the rug out from under her. “Seriously?”
The emotion clogs my throat, so I simply nod. It’s a hard decision to make, but it’s time. I’m ready. I don’t think Phoenix is happy with my decision, but he’ll live.
“What’re you gonna do?”
I’ve given it a little thought. “I think I wanna coach.”
“In the NHL?”
“God, no.” I chuckle. “That’s too damn much stress. I’m thinking I’ll coach some kids.”
“But you’ll stay here, right? In Austin?”
“Of course. I mean, if that doesn’t work out, I can always bartend. I know this great little sports bar…”
Ellie comes over and hugs me. I wrap my arms around her and hold her close. “I’m sorry, honey.”
She nods. “Me, too. This has been hard. All the way around. Between Kingston and then James…”
She doesn’t need to finish that sentence. I know.
When she pulls back, I take a deep breath. “There’s something else you should know.”
“What’s that?”
“Bianca sent a text to Kingston. It explains a lot, but I think you need to sit her down and talk to her.”
“What did it say?”
“She told Kingston that you and James were starting to like each other. And that y’all were looking to buy a house together.”
“Oh, God.”
“Yeah. It wasn’t pretty. And honestly, I don’t know how Kingston’s managed at this point. She was pretty brutal.”
“I think it’s time James and I sit down with her about all of this.”
I nod. After seeing the text message, I’m pretty angry with the kid myself. She interfered in a way that is unacceptable. And she’s twelve. She knew what she was doing. I actually feel bad for Kingston at this point.
“Do you think I should talk to Kingston?” she asks.
“Yeah. I do. Y’all need to talk through it if nothing else.”
Ellie chokes on a laugh. “I’m not sure how easy that’ll be. I just want him to come to his damn senses.”
I smile. “I think he will. Give him time. He’s as hardheaded as they come.”
“Funny. He says the same thing about you.”
Noelle
“OKAY, DONE,” SPENCER SAYS WHEN I open the door and find him standing on my front porch.
“What’s done?”
“I had the talk with the kids.”
“Ellie and Kingston?”
“Yep.”
“Good for you. Did it go well?”
“It… What is that?”
I turn toward the dining room table, where his eyes are currently focused.
“It’s nothing,” I tell him quickly and dive to grab the hockey stick, which is, yes, still wrapped in my socks. I actually brought it out so I could remove my makeshift cover, not expecting Spencer to show up at my apartment.
“Did you cover up my signature?”
I shrug, hoping he buys my innocent look.
“Oh, no. Nuh-uh.”
He fixes me with a serious stare, but I can see through him. He’s having a hard time keeping it up.
“You honestly thought the universe would go for that?”
The way he says that makes me laugh. “Of course I did,” I tell him.
“How’d that work out for ya?”
Spencer moves closer, so of course, I take a step back.
“By the way, you need to go change?”
“Change?” I give him a coy smile. “I figured you’d just want me to get naked.”
When he moves closer, I step back again.
“Oh, I want that more than I want air, but right now, I’m taking you out to a movie.”
Another step back.
“A movie? The big, bad hockey player is gonna take me to a movie? What’re we gonna see?”
“Something manly,” he notes with a seductive grin.
And one more step.
“Manly? Well, if you get to pick the movie, then I get to pick what we do after.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Or maybe you pick the movie, I pick what we do after.”
I shake my head, coming to a stop with my back against the wall.
“What do you propose we do after?” he asks, leaning down until his mouth brushes mine.
“If I had my way,” I say just as softly, “we’d stay in and watch a movie. One of those action ones that involve a lot of naked people and a lot of hard-core sex.”
Spencer growls and I can tell he’s breathing harder.
“Did you ju
st proposition me with porn?”
I cock my head and try on my sweet face. “Who, me?”
“How am I ever gonna take you on a real date if you do stuff like that?”
I let my lips caress his. “Dating’s overrated. I prefer dirty and kinky. You think you can provide that? Or do I need to have a chat with the universe?”
I let out a startled squeak when Spencer bends down and grabs me, tossing me over his shoulder before stomping down the hall toward my bedroom.
“Dirty and kinky, huh? How about we start with a spanking?”
I giggle, grabbing his belt loop. “I like that idea. I like it even more that you said start with. Let’s see what you’ve got, Optimus. Let’s see just what you can deliver.”
I love teasing him.
Even more than that, though … I absolutely freaking love that he knows exactly how to deliver.
Noelle’s Journal
Dear Universe,
I think it might be time for you and me to take a little break from one another. Not because I don’t want to be friends. I do. But you see, there’s this incredible guy who I need to focus on right now. I promise to keep thinking positive, though. I positively love him; I know that much. And yes, I positively want to ride this thing out and see just where it takes us. So ta-ta for now. And thanks for everything.
47
Spencer
Thursday, March 2nd
FUCKING BRILLIANT.
Seriously, that’s how we’ve been playing all damn night. We couldn’t ask for anything better than this. The mental vibe is off the fucking charts.
I needed this tonight.
Hell, I need this every night, but tonight I have another reason for wanting the fans out of their seats, chanting and pushing us as far as we can possibly go.
You see, there’s a particular woman in the stands tonight. One who has completely changed my world in ways I never expected.
“You’re good to go in ten seconds,” the man with the microphone informs me.
The second period just ended, and we’re supposed to be in the locker room gearing up for the third, but Coach is giving me the floor—or the ice, I guess you could say—for the next few minutes.
Kaufman: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 2) Page 30