I pull myself back from the glorious wonder that is the woman I love and lie next to her, pulling her in so damn close I feel her heart thundering against mine.I never want this moment to be over.
“You doing okay, pretty-boy?”
“I’m more than okay. I’m here with you. I just made love to the only woman I’ve ever wanted. And she’s not here to trick me or laugh at me or post about me online. I mean…I assume I did okay. Do we need to do a pulse check?” I tiptoe my fingers down her abdomen.
She lets out a loud laugh. “You had me pulsing, alright, but you’re welcome to check anytime. I normally don’t come like that with someone inside me. But apparently, your dick is as magical as your personality. Always making sure everyone leaves smiling and satisfied.”
I squeeze her tighter, loving this side of her that shines through whenever we’re together. “I knew there was a dirty joke inside your badass exterior.”
“I have my moments,” she says. “Now…let’s go clean up and stuff our faces with blueberry pancakes.”
part four
june
57
kennedy
“I, Kara Reeves, would like to officially initiate the newest member of the Riders WAGs, Ms. Kennedy Kramer! Cheers to Kennedy, and cheers to the Riders making it to the Stanley Cup Finals!” Kara announces at brunch as we all clink glasses and drink our mimosas at Walt’s. This is the first time we’ve all been together since the playoff travel schedule is so intense and I’ve had to miss the last few due to being on the road during the third round. And now, after I confessed to them that we are actually dating, they are over the moon excited. My heart flutters in my chest, because—same.
“Thank you all. I never felt like I wasn’t a part of this group, but now that we’re officially dating, it does make it all seem a bit more real.”
“Annnddd???” Maggie asks in a singsong voice.
“And what?”
“We want to hear you say it again!” Olivia chimes in.
I roll my eyes, shaking my head at them both. “This is thelasttime I’ll say it.” I point at my two friends. “You were right, okay? You were right about him.”
They all cheer and laugh as Maggie throws her arm around me. “We are so happy for you, Kenni. Jordan has a heart of gold,and you two are the ‘it couple’ of the playoffs. A hockey playeranda pilot? Two people in uniform who both happen to be hot as hell? This is a marketer’s dream.”
I try to scowl, but I can’t shake the damn smile from my face. “Okay, okay, calm down. We’re just dating, Maggie. We’re not walking down the aisle and having a thousand babies.”
“Notyet,” Kara pipes in. “But that boy is so head over heels for you. I guarantee he bought a ring the day you two got into your fake dating predicament…just in case he needed it.”
“Pssht. There’s no way he has a ring yet,” I spit out as my friends all look at me with raised brows. My heart skips a beat. “Wait…do you all know something I don’t know?”
Olivia laughs. “No. We just know Jordan, and that seems pretty on brand for him.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, suddenly wishing there was a little more air in here.Does he want to marry me?Oh God…he did say he didn’t want to sleep with someone unless it was forever?Fuck…do I want that?And fuck…is it weird that I think I do?
It’s been a month since we’ve been dating,actually dating, and every day is like one of the rom-coms we watch when we both have a night free. I never pictured myself wanting, or needing a lot of attention from someone. Whenever I pictured my future, we’d both have our separate lives, we’d be together when we could, screwing whenever we got the chance, but these past few weeks have proven one thing to me—that thought was just like the game they play in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days…bullshit. I don’t even know what’s come over me.
A few months ago, I was irritated to occupy the same space as him, finding everything about him, except his hot body, extremely annoying. And now I find myself counting down the minutes when I know he’s headed home from practice. I feel a pang of sadness when he leaves before me in the morning. Anache in my chest when I have to head to the airport early for a flight. Not to mention the way we’ve actually been fucking like unhinged, wild animals at night.
The moment he finally let go?Damn, did he let go.The man is insatiable. And I’m here for it. He comes in the door, and we barely make it to the bed. More often than not—we don’t.I’m fairly certain every square foot of my apartment has been defiled. I have never felt so wanted or needed in my life because, as much as I ache for him, I know he’s aching for me just as bad.How the hell did an uptight, skeptical person like me get it so bad for a pompous ass professional athlete?Probably because he’s nothing like that at all—he’s so much more.
Just thinking about him has my heart and my stomach twisting. Or…no, wait. My stomach isactuallytwisting. More like churning and not in a good way.Fuck, why is the room spinning?Am I this worked up over the thought of marrying him? Sweat beads on my forehead, panic rising in my throat. No wait…that’s not panic rising, it's…oh fuck.What the hell is going on?!
“Kenni…you look a little pale. Are you okay?” Olivia says, concerned, placing a hand over mine.
“Yeah…I, I think I just need to go to the bathroom,” I say, speedwalking to the restroom. As soon as I close the door, I lunge for a stall, barely making it in time for my breakfast to no longer be in my stomach.Holy shit.Did I accidentally grab Jordan’s regular milk for my coffee instead of the almond milk?Shit, I need to pay more attention.Or maybe it’s from the stress of the stalker being eerily quiet, like the calm before the storm.
“Kenni…are you alright?” Maggie worriedly asks through the stall door.
I flush the toilet and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “Yeah, just…that just hit me fast. I think I grabbed the wrong milk this morning.”
