“I really should take a vacation. Maybe this fall, that way I can catch a few of Levi’s games and meet your Ian,” she says with a big smile.
“Yes!” I say excitedly. “Plus, they have quite a few single teammates with mega BDE,” I say with a waggle of my eyebrows.
“Sold. Let’s see if the league hasn’t shared the hockey schedule with the teams yet so I can make sure to get Levi on a home stretch! Okay, I’ll let you get back to your date and I’ll go figure out how to get the fall off, I need a break.”
“You do, you look exhausted,” I tell her truthfully.
“I am.”
“Then I’ll let you rest and send me an email with when you can take vacation, ‘kay?”
“That sounds like a good idea. Love you, Hannah Banana.”
“Love you too, Summer,” I say, hanging up just as I spot Ian making his way over with a tray full of food.
“Who was that on the phone?” he asks, setting the tray down and settling down on the chair in front of me.
“Summer. She looks exhausted,” I explain grabbing a water bottle and container of fries. “At least she’s gonna try to get some time off this fall to come spend a few weeks and catch a few of your games.”
“Good, from what I understand the girl could use a break,” Ian agrees, taking a bite of his hotdog.
Scarfing down our fries and hotdogs like starving animals, we quickly leave our table to a mom with three kids looking for a spot to sit down. After spending a couple of hours going through theAnimals of Africaand watching baby hippos play around in their pond, we make our way back to the house, which thankfully we still have to ourselves, just as the sun starts going down.
Looks like everything is going okay with Lacey and Levi, and Ellie texted the group chat saying that JJ had actually booked them a hotel room for the night.
“Looks like we have the house to ourselves tonight,” I tell Ian, as we pull back into the driveway of his house.
“Just as I planned,” he fires back with a wink, opening his car door, and jogging around the front of the car to open mine. “My lady,” he says with a flourish, opening my door.
“And what is your plan?” I ask, grabbing his hand, making our way to the front door.
“Like I said, I have a few things we can cross off your list.”
“And what are those things?” I ask again.
“Pretty Girl, you know I’m not gonna tell you,” he says with a smirk. “Now, how about you go get that little red bikini on, while I order some sushi and we go enjoy that pool and hot tub in the back?”
“The red bikini?” I ask with a raised brow.
“Please?” he asks, pulling the end of my ponytail. “If you do, I’ll pour you a glass of your favorite wine?” he says, giving me a puppy dog look.
“Fine,” I say with a giggle and eye roll, turning to make my way upstairs to change into my apparently famous red bikini.
After slipping into the shower real quick to rinse off the day, I get out to look at myself in the mirror. I almost don’t recognize the woman staring back at me. Her face is bare of makeup, yet her cheeks have a light dusting of pink across them. Colored by the excitement of life. Dropping the towel I have loosely wrapped around me, I give myself a once over, turning around to give my back a quick peek. My eyes stumble on a small purple bruise at the top of my left butt cheek,and I’m instantly brought back to last night.
I woke up to the feeling of soft fingers trailing down my side, and Ian’s nose running up the length of my neck, dropping small kisses along the way as he spooned me from behind. Not one to miss the opportunity of being touched by him, I easily pushed back against him feeling him harden even more against my butt. Before I knew it, I was flipped over and straddling his impressive length, thankfully we had fallen asleep naked. Unable to keep quiet, he quickly changed positions, with him taking me from behind.
Shivering with a full body blush, I make my way back into our room to slip on the bathing suit. Halfway down the stairs, I stop. This is the first time I’ve put on a bathing suit without any feeling of insecurity. Without poking at my thighs, or stretch marks, or cellulite.
Well fuck me sideways. I love him. I mean I knew I was getting there, but I hadn’t realized I was already there. In just ten short weeks, I fell in love with Ian. And it doesn’t scare me. Shaking my head, I feel a smile stretch across my face as I realize this twenty-three-year-old man that I was so afraid to let in, to get to know, not only made me fall in love with him but with myself again. Between the interest in my Bucket List and helping me cross some things off, to always having my coffee ready, to the endless surprises—it’s like he knows I secretly like them—the encouragement and everything else he does for me without a thought, he’s shown me what a real relationship should be. What being able to officially call him mine would look like.
Stepping out onto the back porch, I hear soft music playing on the portable speaker beside a bottle of wine and tea lights surrounding and floating in the pool. What I don’t see is Ian.He must have gone to take a shower in the downstairs bathroom, I think to myself as I sink onto the side of the pool, letting my feet softly kick through the water, a goofy smile still on my face from my early revelation.
“Supper is served,” I hear from behind. Turning my head, I see Ian joining me in the backyard with a tray of sushi.
“Just in time,” I say, approaching him as my stomach growls.
“The stars are gorgeous out here,” I comment.
