“I would do no such thing.” She curls her lip into a pout. “But I might have something special to wear next time we do end up in bed.” She flutters her lashes, and my entire body is about to ignite on fire.
“Your bewitching ways are out in full force today.”
She shrugs. “I’m just happy,” she replies in earnest. “Now tell me about this jersey.”
“It has my number and says boyfriend. It’ll drive me insane when I’m on the ice but will fuel my need to impress and win a game.”
Her lips part open in feigned shock. “Tyler Ives, are you using me for your career ambitions?”
I squeeze her flesh, and it causes her to yelp. “That’s just a bonus. I have what I need in my lap right now.”
Our noses nuzzle, and the feeling of her in my arms with a direction that is only going forward feels like the best goal of my life.
She seals our lips together for a kiss, and we both hum a sound from the feeling of one another, and when our kiss breaks, she drags herself off my body and offers me her hand.
“Come on, boyfriend, it’s pizza time, and later I want to try on this jersey of yours.”
“A perfect plan.” I’m on board with this. “Only my jersey on and nothing else?” I try my luck.
“No need to ask the obvious.” She yanks me to hurry.
CHAPTER 18
LAINEY
I’m already untangling the scarf from around my neck as I step off the elevator. February has not been kind to Illinois citizens. Every time I go outside, it takes a few hours to feel my toes again. With the game schedule and moving slow around Enzo, my options for using a bristly hockey player as my heating solutions are limited.
I’m already searching in my purse for my keys and feel exhaustion taking over. Helping little hands paint hearts at preschool drains my energy. Despite the paint smocks, almost all of the class ended up with paint everywhere other than where it was supposed to go. The week of Valentine’s is always a mixed bag. It’s prime season for kids to be sick with a cold or other bugs. It’s also a holiday that has never really been on my radar to enjoy. Enzo has always come first, dating second. I also never wanted the reminder of my solo status. I always stuck to Galentine’s celebrations and never ventured further.
This year? It’s a struggle to shake what is no longer true. A dislike for Valentine’s Day was just too deep inside of me. I’m doing my best to shake it away.
Yawning, I unlock my door with full intention to enjoy an hour or two of calm. Luckily, today wasn’t my carpool day for Enzo and his friend’s karate class.
The moment I walk through my door, I’m hit with a balloon in my face. I jump, startled, and I bring a hand to my heart while I yelp.
What the hell?
This morning, the team sent chocolates to all the wives and girlfriends of the team, I thought that was my present of the day.
Pushing the balloon angrily to the side, I drop my keys on the side table and quickly hang up my coat, as I’m only confronted with more heart-shaped balloons. Pink, red, more pink. My arm gets tangled in the string of one balloon, and I try to shake it off because I’m annoyed.
Maybe I should be concerned about walking into a home with balloons that I didn’t place there, but a burglar wouldn’t take his time to cause this fiasco.
The flicker in the bottom of my vision causes me to look down and see candles. Creating a path on the floor in the direction of the kitchen.
“Uhh, okay, I’ll go with this,” I say aloud. I’m too distracted by the Valentine explosion happening in my house. “Really? Rose petals on the ground?” I grumble.
Following the trail, I reach my destination in the kitchen where a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates is on the kitchen counter, along with a dozen roses and paper confetti scattered around the counter.
Now it’s beyond obvious that Tyler is determined to go overboard. Someone did this all in my apartment and it’s Valentine’s Day. “Tyler?” I know the answer but still feel inclined to ask.
My entire heart sinks straight into my stomach, and Ishriek when he jumps up from behind the other side of the kitchen island holding a bottle of champagne.
“Fuck,” I bring my hand to my chest and curl over. “Scare me, why don’t you?”
He laughs and grins. “Surprise.” Not really. But still, this balloon fest was not on my bingo card.
My heartrate is speeding. “What is this?” I sound a little agitated, I admit. Maybe it’s because I already had it in my head that he would forget what today is, and even though it wouldn’t bother me, making him squirm is kind of fun. I even went lingerie shopping for the occasion.
