by Aven Ellis
After socializing and before the second period begins, we head back to our seats. A man with a suit and a credential for the San Francisco Breakers approaches us as the Buffaloes return to the ice.
“Excuse me, miss?” he asks, looking at Taylor.
“Yes?” she answers, a quizzical expression on her face.
“Hi, I’m Marc Eton, the public relations director for the San Francisco Breakers,” he says, smiling at her. “Hunter Riley feels badly about what happened tonight with the glass, and he was wondering if you would like to meet him after the game so he can apologize further.”
Ooh!
Taylor looks shocked.
“He . . . wants to meet me?”
“Yes, to apologize,” Marc explains.
Oh my God, say yes, I will her.
“It’s not necessary,” Taylor says. “He already apologized.”
I swear if we were sitting at a table I’d be kicking her shin.
“But,” Taylor adds, “why not?”
Marc smiles. “Great. I’ll come get you at the end of the game, okay?”
“Okay, thank you,” Taylor says.
As soon as Marc leaves, we stare at Taylor.
“What?” she asks.
“What?” Livy cries. “Are you kidding? He wants to meet you, that’s what!”
Taylor rolls her eyes. “He feels bad. He’s Beckett’s brother, and he probably feels like he has to because I’m a friend of Aubrey’s.”
Aubrey appears thoughtful. “I doubt that. Hunter is close to Beckett, but he likes to do the opposite of what ‘big brother’ would do. He did apologize to all of us, so there’s no need for anything else. He obviously thinks otherwise.”
Taylor is about to speak when the PA announcer roars, “And now, for the start of the second period, your CHICAGO BUFFALOES!”
We stop speaking as the team skates toward our end of the rink. I spot Luca, in all his goalie gear, heading toward the net in front of us as pulsating rock music fills the arena. I can’t see his entire face, but his beautiful hazel eyes stand out from behind his mask.
Our eyes lock. Our exchange is only a split-second, but in that moment, the feelings are intense. Our brief look tells me how much he feels for me. Chemistry, desire, and affection are reflected in his gaze.
This is why I’m falling in love with you, I think, emotions consuming me. Luca isn’t afraid to show me how he feels. He’s sure of himself and sure of what he’s feeling for me.
I feel the same about him.
Luca pushes back his navy and gold helmet, elaborately designed with stampeding buffaloes, and grabs his water bottle, squirting the liquid into his mouth. He then removes the helmet, squirts water all over gorgeous brown waves, and shakes it out.
Oh, my.
That’s freaking hot.
Desire burns through me. Luca has no idea what he’s doing to me. None. I have an urge to know what it’s like to kiss him in a downpour, with his skin wet and his waves turning to damp curls as his mouth moves passionately against mine.
I want to know that.
And so much more.
Luca pulls his mask back on and slides into the goal, signaling he’s ready to start the second period.
I’m ready to start something else.
I want to be with him.
Luca has held back and shown restraint with me to prove I’m not just some hookup. I’m his girlfriend. I know my value to him. I know my place in his life.
And now I’m ready to take the next step. We’re falling in love, and for me, making love is a part of that process.
When we go home tonight, I intend to show him how I feel.
I’m going to be with Luca.
In every way.
Chapter 21
Passion is critical . . .
Best. Game. Night. Ever.
Luca gave up a goal in the second period. It was an impossible shot to save, a shorthanded goal, and afterward, Luca took off his mask and watched the goal on the Jumbotron, before going straight back to work. As promised, it was done. Over.
He was unstoppable for the rest of the game.
Beckett scored a tying goal with less than two minutes to spare. The game went to overtime, which sent my stomach into knots, but Luca remained unshakable, making save after save. Unfortunately, the Buffaloes didn’t score, so there was a shootout. Beckett went first, and he scored against the Breakers goaltender.
When it was Luca’s turn to prevent a goal, I couldn’t watch. I put my hand over my eyes as the San Francisco player got ready to shoot. When the crowd cheered, I knew Luca had stopped it.
I held my breath when Austin Anderson took the next shot. It was turned away and play returned to San Francisco. Once again, I couldn’t watch. But once again, Luca made an incredible save to keep the Breakers off the board.
Pierre Gaduet took the next shot for the Buffaloes, but it was deflected, and everything rested on Luca. If he turned away the final shot, the game would be over. If the Breakers scored, we would move on to sudden death.
Everyone cheered as the San Francisco player skated toward Luca. I grabbed on to Livy and buried my head in her shoulder. Please let him stop it, I willed. Please let him stop it . . .
When the arena erupted into a loud cheer, Livy jumped up and down, I knew my man had done it.
Luca had secured the win for the Buffaloes.
The pride that burst through me was unbelievable.
We went with Taylor to the Breakers’ dressing room afterward, where, as promised, Hunter was brought out to meet her. Cameras were rolling while the sideline reporter for the Breakers asked her questions, and I swear I saw something in Taylor’s eyes when she talked to Hunter. She wore a look of pure delight when Hunter presented her with a brand-new carton of nachos as an apology.
I glance at her now, standing next to me in the WAGS lounge as we wait for our guys. Her nachos remain uneaten, but she hasn’t thrown them away.
“I’ve never seen you turn down nachos,” I say.
Taylor has a crazy high metabolism, and she can eat what she wants and still struggle to gain weight. She’s always hungry.
Taylor blinks as if I’ve snapped her from her thoughts. “Huh? Oh, I’m full.”
“Full of BS,” I tease.
“What?”
“Your stomach might be full,” I say, “of butterflies for a handsome hockey player you just met.”
“Ugh, that’s stupid,” Taylor says, and to prove her point, she dumps the nachos in the trash. “He felt bad. It was a PR opportunity. That’s it. Right, Aubrey?”
“I won’t deny it’s a great social media strategy,” Aubrey says.
“Ha!” Taylor says triumphantly.
“However, the fact that he texted me and asked if he could have your number leads me to believe otherwise,” Aubrey says, turning her phone so we can read the text:
Hey can you pass along Taylor’s number to me? Just whenever.
Ooh!
I glance at Taylor, who is staring at the message with an expression of shock on her beautiful face.
“Get out,” she says aloud.
“How should I answer?” Aubrey asks. “Not that you are interested in a super-hot hockey player or anything.”
Taylor hesitates. “Um . . . sure. Okay. I mean, it’s fine.”
Livy furrows her brow. “That’s not exactly an excited response.”
Taylor sighs. “I’m in Minnesota, he’s in San Francisco playing hockey, and I don’t know anything about him—”
“Wouldn’t that be the point of exchanging numbers?” I ask, playing my usual role of devil’s advocate.
“But what’s the point? We chat for a while before things trail off bec
ause of logistics? Or I discover he’s weird and it ruins the mystique? Besides, now is not the time to start something new. My life is a mess. I have no idea what I’m doing. There’s no point dragging Hunter through my shit.”
I begin typing into my phone. “Sure,” I tell her as I send a message to the one person whose input is needed at this moment.
I receive the exact response I expected and burst out laughing.
“What?” Taylor asks.
“Livy’s nana has a message for you,” I say, handing Taylor my phone.
Taylor reads the message aloud. “Taylor. Nana. If the hockey player has a nice butt, you give him your number or I will do it for you. Life is too short to miss opportunities like this one. He asked for your number. Not your ring size.”
Taylor hands me back the phone, and I can tell she’s mulling over the advice.
“She’s right,” Aubrey says.
“My nana is never wrong,” Livy says. Her phone buzzes, and a smile spreads across her face.
“We have been summoned to an emergency dinner Monday night at my mom’s for pot roast, mashed potatoes, and wine. Nana is going to provide entertainment.”
“She wouldn’t hire strippers, would she?” Aubrey asks.
Hmm. That’s a valid question.
The sound of male voices approaches, and my stomach flips with excitement. Luca will be here any second. Oh, I can’t wait to be alone with him tonight!
The guys enter the room and greet their wives and girlfriends. I crane my neck, searching for Luca. Beckett comes in with Landon, but Luca’s not with them.
Hugs and congratulations are exchanged, but my eyes are glued to the door, anxiously trying to catch a glimpse of Luca entering the room.
“Hey, Collins, Luca said to tell you he’ll be a few minutes,” Landon explains, interrupting my thoughts. “He’s signing autographs for some kids back there.”
I can’t help but smile. That’s so Luca, to know I’d be anxious to see him and to have someone explain his lateness, even if it’s only a few minutes.
“Okay, thank you,” I say.
While they are all talking about the game and Hunter breaking the glass on Taylor, I keep staring at the door in distraction.
Then I see him.
He’s absolutely breathtaking in a gray, three-piece suit, white dress shirt, and deep maroon silk tie. Luca’s hair is tousled and extra wavy, my guess is from styling products, and his expression is serious. He’s a man on a mission.
And that mission is to find me.
He spots me, and I see he has the same urgent need to see me as I do him.
“There’s Luca,” I say to the group. “Excuse me.”
As soon as I’m in front of him, I slide my hands up to his beautiful face, feeling his freshly shaven skin underneath my palms, and speak from my heart.
“I’m so proud of you,” I say. “You were a wall tonight. Amazing. And the shootout! Luca! You were brilliant!”
Luca winds his huge hands around my waist, and his eyes shine at me. “One got by me though,” he says, referring to the one goal the Breakers had.
“The defense wasn’t back there to help you,” I say.
Luca laughs. “It’s never going to be my fault in your eyes, is it?”
I draw his head toward mine and stand up on my tiptoes so I can whisper in his ear, “Nope.”
“Hey,” Landon says, walking up to us, “we’re all going out for sushi. Do you guys want to join us?”
I turn and see my friends smiling at me. Normally, I’d love nothing more than a big dinner out with my friends, but not tonight.
Not when I want to be with Luca for the first time.
I glance at him, wondering if he wants the same thing I do. To be alone. To be intimate. To see if our chemistry and passion translate to the most incredible sex I’ll ever have—
Okay. No. Absolutely no dinner with the group tonight.
“I’m kind of drained,” Luca says, squeezing my hand in his. He shifts his attention to me. “Next time?”
Oh, I’m good with next time.
I nod, trying to hold my excitement inside. “Yeah. I’m tired, too.”
“You got it,” Landon says. “But you’re paying. Becks and I were going to pay tonight for the overtime win, but that’s off the table now.”
He winks at Luca to show he’s kidding.
I turn to Livy. “Monday dinner at your house?”
She smiles at me. “Apparently so.”
“Do I need to hire a driver for you guys?” Landon asks. “Is Nana breaking out the whiskey?”
Livy laughs. “Nobody has been wronged by a man, so my guess is we’ll have whiskey sours. No shots.”
I give everyone hugs goodbye, but stop when I get to Taylor.
“You already look a million times better,” I say as I hug her tightly. “We’ll talk about your future on Monday.”
And after things are sorted, I’m going to bring up Hunter Riley.
I can see my mention of the future has cast a cloud over her mood.
“Don’t worry,” I emphasize. “We’re going to figure this out. All of us. You aren’t walking through this journey alone.”
She nods. “Okay.”
“Now go eat a stupid amount of sushi and have fun,” I say, smiling.
We head out to the parking lot, and I watch as Beckett, Aubrey, and Taylor get into a Cadillac SUV while Landon and Livy slip into a red Ferrari.
There are rows upon rows of insanely expensive luxury cars: Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Mercedes, and then there’s Luca’s Ford Expedition. I love that he’s true to his belief of not being reckless with his money. He is a man who lives his words.
Who lives his truth, as Nana would say.
Luca opens the passenger door for me, and I get inside. He heads around the front and slips in the driver’s side seat. After he shuts the door, he turns to me.
“I didn’t want to share you tonight,” Luca says, his deep voice low as he slides his hand through my hair. “I want to be alone with you. Collins,” he says softly, “I want to make love to you. If you’re ready for that.”
“I want you,” I whisper. “In every way.”
That is my truth. I want to make love to Luca, with a desperation I’ve never known could exist. I need this man. All of him.
Right now.
Luca’s eyes hold steady on mine. I feel my breath hitch in my throat as his fingers continue their slow, sensual dance up and down the nape of my neck. Luca brings them across my jawline, grazing my skin and resting them on my lips. He traces the outline of my mouth, pausing when he reaches the center of my lips and rubs them back and forth, teasing me. Goose bumps erupt on my skin. I reach for his hair, lowering his head toward mine.
“Kiss me,” I plead against his fingertips. “Kiss me, Luca.”
He removes his fingers from my lips and leans closer, his lips hovering above mine.
Heat rips through me. I can feel my heart pounding underneath my blouse. I tug on his waves, urging him to give me what I want.
“I will kiss you everywhere when we get home,” he whispers to me, returning his fingertips to my lips. “Every freckle. Every beautiful part of you will be kissed and touched tonight.”
Oh, my.
I move my hand to his thigh, which feels rock hard underneath the designer wool fabric of his suit. I slowly rub my hand over it, relishing the huge muscular leg that will be wrapped around me very soon.
A groan escapes his lips, and I know he’s just as desperate as I am to get home.
“Take me home and let me touch you,” I say suggestively.
Luca removes his hand from my hair and sits straight up at the wheel.
“We’re leaving. Now
.”
He heads out of the lot, and neither of us speaks as he drives into the city. We’re surrounded by the glittering skyscrapers of Chicago, a sight I normally love, but the only thing I’m aware of is Luca. He takes my hand and puts it over his thigh again, wrapping his huge hand around mine and holding it there.
Sexual tension hangs between us, urgently needing to be released. I’m aware of what is about to happen, of what I’m about to experience, and I can’t wait to be in this man’s bed. To be made love to in the way he promised. To see all of him. To know he’s mine to touch and kiss and make love to.
Never have I wanted to make love so badly in all my life.
We reach Luca’s neighborhood, and he parks the car, cuts the engine, and turns to me.
“I could barely drive home,” he admits, his eyes intense. “I haven’t even made love to you, and you’re already killing me. You’re all I can think about.” Luca reaches for me and slides his hands to my face as he gazes into my eyes. “You’re everything,” he says urgently. “Everything.”
I put my hands to his face, tracing my fingertips over his smooth skin and staring back into his eyes.
“I saw you pouring water over yourself at the game,” I admit. “It made me want to kiss you in the rain. I want to feel your wet body against mine. I knew then what I wanted tonight, Luca. You’re everything to me. Everything,” I repeat back to him.
I hold my gaze on his, and I see a swirl of emotion in his hazel eyes. Intensity. Desire. But softness, too. Genuine, emotional feelings for me, not just physical ones.
With a jolt, I know he’s going to give me all of himself tonight, physically and emotionally.
I move to kiss him, but he puts his finger over my lips to stop me.
“Wait, Cinderella,” he whispers sexily. “Come inside with me.”