I was feeling luckier than any one person had the right to feel, and had just made my way over to an EMT waiting for me by the ambulance when I saw Magnus run into that burning building. My heart dropped to the bottom of my feet for the second time that night. “Magnus!”
Magnus
The fucking firefighter securing the scene closest to me wouldn’t let me through. I’d feel bad about my actions later, but after repeated tries of reasoning with him, I cold-cocked him. Being a last line of defense hockey player helped me in more ways than one.
When I met more resistance at my entry to the building, I was a little more cautious, but I still shoved him forcefully out of my way.
How the fuck did this happen? It was my wedding day. “Jennie! Jennie, I’m here. Come to me if you can.” I was screaming as loud as I could—at least I thought I was. Never in my life, even on the day I’d lost it, did I curse my deafness so soundly.
Even if she answered me, I couldn’t fucking hear her. She could be burning alive, calling for me, and I’d be useless to her. “Jennie!”
Two firemen tried to push me out of the stairwell, but fear and adrenaline were on my side. “My wife’s in there!” At least she would have been my wife in a few short hours.
I made it to the third floor but no further. It was all aflame. I was panting from the combination of smoke inhalation and running up the three flights of stairs. My vision wavered, and I relived the past thirty minutes of terror.
I’d been having a drink with my teammates, waiting impatiently for the festivities to begin, when our assistant coach’s wife came in to tell us about the fire. She was an ER nurse and had gotten called in to treat any injuries they might be bringing in. When I found out it was in the building that I knew Jennie was going to be in, I lost it. No one could calm me. Thank Christ Cage didn’t try. He’d told everyone else to shut up and ushered me out to his car.
His BMW had gotten us there in record time, and I’d jumped out of the car before Cage had come to a complete stop. Now I was stuck in a fucking stairwell, not able to get to my girl. The mother of my unborn child. I’d never get through this if things ended badly.
A firefighter grabbed my arm. I could tell he was talking to me, but of course I had no idea what he was saying. I pointed to my ears and shook my head.
He used pressure to try to make me go back down the stairs. I resisted. I was not leaving until I knew Jennie wasn’t in her office. “My wife!” I was having trouble sucking in enough oxygen to get my words out, and my lungs were burning like I’d never felt before.
The stubborn firefighter shook his head and pointed toward a wall. Like I knew what the fuck that meant. “Please.” I wasn’t above begging. Tears sprang to my eyes as I pointed to the floor above us. “My wife. My baby.”
He shook his head and pushed me down the stairs again. My lungs were failing me, and I had no choice but to stumble before him. I passed out from lack of oxygen before we made it down to the ground floor. I came to on a stretcher, an oxygen mask strapped to my face. The vision that greeted me was so welcome, I broke down right there. That vision was my sweet Jennie.
Jennie
I launched myself at Magnus before I punched him. “What were you thinking?” I hit his chest in fear and frustration. He took it all. “You could have died!” I knew my screaming had no effect on him, but it simply poured out of me.
Drained from the mental and physical exertions of the night, I collapsed on top of him, right in the ambulance.
He pushed me up and told me to get one of the EMTs immediately. I did as he requested, screaming for them, thinking he was having a heart attack or something equally as terrible. A woman rushed to my side. “What is it?”
I pointed to Mags, tears streaming down my face. He pulled his mask aside, coughing as he did so. “My wife is pregnant. Please, please take her to the hospital and check her out.” His words pissed me off more than soothed me. I thought he was in jeopardy!
Instead of taking my side, the EMT chastised me. “You’re pregnant? You should have told me that right away.” She turned her head. “Jimmy, I’m taking these two in now. We’ve got a pregnant woman and a man with moderate smoke inhalation.”
The ambulance ride seemed to take forever, though it was probably only ten minutes. I’d refused to leave Mags, so we were both lying on one stretcher, arms wrapped desperately around each other.
My coughing had subsided to a tolerable level, but Mags’ was concerning me. He still sounded like he was going to bring up a lung. “Shh.” I knew he couldn’t hear my soothing sounds, but they came out anyway as I brushed his hair back, over and over, willing him to open his eyes and talk to me while at the same time wanting him to keep them closed so he could rest.
I was so focused on Magnus that I didn’t realize we’d arrived at the hospital until the doors of the ambulance opened. Mags barely lifted his head. That alone scared me to death. He was such a robust, alpha male. To see him lying so still and all but defenseless in the back of an ambulance was more than my tender heart could take.
I held back my tears as well as I could, but they kept leaking out, one by one. A man dressed in blue scrubs placed his hand on my arm. “Ma’am, he’s going to be fine. The carbon monoxide he breathed in is just making him a little lethargic. We’re going to take you both in now and get you cleaned up and run some breathing tests, okay?”
I nodded my head. “Oh! Mags’ is deaf. Please let me stay with him.”
“We know who he is, ma’am, but yes, you can stay with him.”
Mags went in on the stretcher, but they put me in a wheelchair, although I insisted I could walk. The nurses stripped Mags of his tuxedo with military precision and gave me some scrubs to change into. The new clothes didn’t do enough to quell the smoke stench, but I was thankful nonetheless.
As for me, the ER doctor gave me another pregnancy test that still showed I was pregnant. We wouldn’t know if the lower oxygen levels had damaged our baby for another few weeks, but the doctor didn’t think I was without good air long enough to be a concern. I prayed he was right.
Mags woke up pulling at the tubes in his nose. “Jennie!”
I sprang up from my chair. He sat up, pulling me to him in a tight embrace, still coughing. I ran my hand over his face and gently pushed him back to a reclined position.
Don’t talk, babe. We’re in the hospital. You took in a lot of smoke. The carbon monoxide is what’s making you feel tired. The doctor said since you’re such a supreme example of a physically fit specimen, and banging hot—I may have added that part—you should be fine in a day or two, but it looks like you might miss another game or two.
He waved his hand at my words. Fuck hockey. He didn’t say anything else but lowered his head. I tilted mine down to see him.
Fuck hockey?
Not lifting his head, he signed his concern. The baby?
My heart swelled. Of course he was worried about the baby. I should have tried to assure him right away. Well, I’m still pregnant. It’s too early to do an ultrasound, but the doctor is confident that I didn’t inhale too much smoke to be an issue. I mean look at us. I’m not still coughing. As luck would have it, I coughed again, but it wasn’t violent. Okay, I’m still coughing now and then, but I’m not even on oxygen anymore. I squeezed his hands. We’re going to be fine, Magnus. All of us. I need you to believe that.
He nodded twice. You’re right. So…when can you get that ultrasound?
I laughed at him. His concerns were always for me and our baby. In about three weeks. It’s still early, but they should be able to detect a heartbeat then. I’m going to make an appointment tomorrow.
Okay then. He had another coughing fit and leaned his head back.
I love you. Please get some rest. I’ll be right here.
Jennie, let Cage take you home. I don’t want you spending the night here watching me.
His suggestion made me snort. As if I would leave him. Don’t bother telling me to go home again, o
kay? When they get you a room, I’ll just sneak under the covers with you.
His smile was weak but present. I can accept that compromise.
I kissed his brow, watching him drift off. As soon as he was asleep, I went out to the waiting room to give our friends an update on his condition.
I didn’t know if it was the stress of the night, my baby hormones, or the fact that the waiting room was filled with the entire Breakers team that did it, but the dam broke, and I had the devil of a time stopping the tears that flowed freely down my face. I had a total meltdown.
Cage, of all people, cradled me in a chair, begging me to stop. “Jennie, Mags’ll kill me if he hears about this.” He rubbed my hair like he would one of his daughter’s. His tenderness almost made me start all over.
Izzy knelt at Cage’s feet, rubbing my hand. “Honey, Mags is okay, right? You have to stop now.”
“I know. God, I know. Yes, Mags is going to be fine.” I blew my nose with the tissue Izzy had pressed into my hand and wiped my face the best I could. When my brain was functioning again, I realized I was sitting in Cage’s lap. I sprang up so fast it made me dizzy. “Oh, my God. Jesus, sorry, Cage.”
I looked around the room at the multitude of concerned faces. My own face burned with chagrin. I wiped my nose once more and took a deep breath, pleased that I didn’t break out coughing. “Wow. I’m sorry, everyone. I guess I needed to get that out.”
People I hardly knew offered me sympathetic smiles and understanding waves of their hands. “Mags is going to be fine. They’re keeping him here overnight to monitor his oxygen levels. He’s going to be out for a few games—” I was oddly pleased to hear a few shits in the crowd. “I know, that part sucks. It will for him too.”
“And you? Baby is okay? I pray for baby.” Jaromir’s words touched me to another height. These weren’t just teammates of Mags. They were a band of brothers.
“I won’t know for sure for a couple of weeks when they can do an ultrasound, but the doctor isn’t worried so I’m not going to be either.”
“Then neither will we. I still pray for you, though.”
What more could I ask for? “Thank you, Jaromir.” I told them all to go back and party like it was New Year’s Eve. “Please have a drink or three for me, will you?”
Izzy, looking gorgeous in her form-fitting, orange sparkling dress, was one of the last to leave. “Do you want me to stay with you, honey? I’m right here if you need me. I’d be happy to keep you company or just sleep here with you.”
“Oh, Izzy. I know you would, but I’m fine, really. Go back to the party and then go home with Mitch and have wild monkey sex.”
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Wild monkey sex, huh?”
“Only if you want to, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. He’s pretty hot.”
She sighed overly loud. “Yeah, he is.” The object of our discussion was waiting impatiently by the exit door. “I wish I didn’t find him so damn hot. Would you believe one of my favorite features is his obvious previously broken nose?”
“I would. I’ve always appreciated a man with some facial damage. Of course I’ve learned to appreciate Viking and Native American perfection as well.” Mags didn’t have a rough patch on him. His face may as well have been chiseled by a world-renowned artist.
“Yeah, well, it would be pretty impossible to not appreciate beauty like Mags’.” Izzy drew me into a tight embrace, her voice cracking slightly. “I love you, Jennie. I don’t know what I would have done if—”
I cut her off. “Don’t. I’ve shed enough tears tonight.” I smacked her tight ass. “You know, if I batted for the other team, this dress would totally make me want to do you.”
She sniffled as she laughed and grabbed my ass in return. “You won’t even want to hear my thoughts when you’re finally dressed in that sexy number you got for your wedding.”
Chapter 17
Magnus
I only spent one night in the hospital, which was one night too long, even though I knew it was the best place for me at the time. The Breakers had a three p.m. game on New Year’s Day, which Jennie and I would be viewing from a suite, along with Izzy and her Pop. After the game, we were going to give getting married a second shot.
“What are you working on?” Jennie glanced up at me from her spot on the couch, fingers hovering over her laptop. She almost never went home anymore, which was fitting since we’d be married in a few hours. That was just one more thing we needed to figure out.
“My boss Charlie wants an article from me on the fire. He also wants me to bare my soul and talk about us and the baby.” Her brows stayed raised as if asking a question she hadn’t voiced.
“Are you asking for my permission? You don’t need that. I don’t care what you tell anyone. Shout it from the top of a mountain if you’d like. I just care about you and our baby.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “What happened to the Silent Defender? You’re awfully open about your private life all of the sudden.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Everything’s changed—for the better. The chip on my shoulder fell and crashed around me. If the reporters want to make me some kind of symbol for disabled athletes, then so be it. Maybe it’ll be a good thing. As for telling the sports-reading world that we’re married and having a baby? Well, again, who cares? Tell them.” I walked over to her and placed her laptop on the table. “Come here.”
She came into my arms with no hesitation. “I love you more than I can tell you. Nothing else matters.” I poured all that I was feeling into my kiss. She responded in kind.
Her hands roamed over me and quickly became urgent in their quest. Within the space of a dozen heartbeats, she had my pulsing erection in her possession. A few more licks of her tongue against mine along with several intense strokes of my cock had me locked and loaded. She pushed my chest with just the tips of her fingers and down I went to sit on the couch. Only removing her clothing that was physically necessary, she sheathed me in her welcoming heat.
“I love you, Magnus. You and our baby are everything to me.” Each time she raised and lowered herself over me was better than the last. Our lovemaking had changed. We still got rough and rowdy on occasion, but it had also evolved into an incredibly intimate act. Today was a day for gentle loving. Her hands glided through my hair as mine roamed her hips and back.
She picked up her pace as her breathing increased. I was concentrating on anything but the way she made me feel. I needed to wait for her. Our sex was always best for me when we came together. I let out a grunt as Jennie crashed down on me harder and faster. She bit her lip, which was a telltale sign that she was seconds away. As soon as I felt those first contractions of muscles around my cock, I grabbed her hips and held her still, bucking myself up into her.
“Yes!” She looked me directly in the eyes. “God, yes, Mags.” Then she threw her head back, thrusting her breasts into my face as she came around me, making me wish she had removed her shirt. Two more long thrusts and I joined her.
She crumpled around me like a rag doll, not even attempting to get up. Her kisses to my neck and intermittent flicks of her tongue made my cock twitch again, but we didn’t have time for another round. She had an article to finish, and we had a game to get to. Not to mention the little matter of having a wedding to participate in.
***
The Breakers lost the game in a shootout, but the loss didn’t dampen my mood. I was getting married in a short hour’s time. Interviews were rushed through so that my teammates could join us on the ice. We had a limited time, because there was a basketball game the next day and the crew needed to put the floor down over the ice.
The red rug was rolled out over the slick surface all the way to center ice where Jennie and I would say our vows. When I saw her walking out of the locker room to the rink, I lost my breath. I should have known Jennie wouldn’t wear a simple, white gown. God, she made me proud.
She never asked anything of me. She si
mply gave, and here she was on her wedding day wearing the colors of my hockey team. She knew those guys were not just co-workers. They were my family. She honored me.
Just as I reached out for her hand, her heel got caught on a bump in the carpet and down she went, taking Izzy, in her orange dress from New Year’s, with her.
Instead of being mad or upset, Jennie and Izzy got up laughing until happy tears ran down their faces. Izzy calmly straightened Jennie’s hair, which had twisted around her neck, smoothed out her gown, and stood aside. Jennie honored me more by sporting a Viking-style braid amid her silken tresses.
“Now that’s an entrance!” She looked down at her mangled bouquet and laughed again. “These look like the ones you brought me, remember?”
I smiled, amazed at my woman. “Maybe we shouldn’t bother with flowers anymore.” I kissed her cheek. “You’re breathtaking.”
I was dressed in one of my best suits. My tux had been ruined and there wasn’t one in my size to be found on New Year’s Day. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”
Elise took both of our hands and put them together, loosely wrapping a white silk ribbon around them. “The lives you two have chosen to join together today are symbolized by this ribbon. It is only as strong or as weak as the two who are joined.” She turned us to face each other. This concerned me for a moment before I saw Karen walk up to stand just to the left of Jennie to sign for me. Cage stood next to me.
My eyes burned as I nodded my thanks. This was the second time in as many days that I cursed my lack of hearing, but I was grateful for my friends. Elise continued with the ceremony, Karen interpreting. My thumbs gently slid over Jennie’s fair hands. I wished I could be looking her in the eyes.
We’d given Elise free rein with our ceremony and I wasn’t sorry; however, Jennie interrupted her before she’d hardly gotten started. Leaving one of her hands still entwined with mine, she leaned back with her other and stopped Karen. Karen nodded in understanding and gave me a warm smile.
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