Page 108 of Code Violation

I steel my shoulders and let them have it straight. “My hockey career comes second to Vesper and our baby. She calls the shots over how we handle this, and I guess it’s up to you guys to determine if you think my game is indispensable to the Rogues.”

Walking into my apartment to find my girlfriend curled up on the couch will be imprinted in my brain long after I’ve left this earth.

With a new fur throw, which I bought her for when she stays over at my place, she’s got her latest coloring project balanced on her knees, deep in concentration.

“Hey,” I say, dropping my training bag onto the floor and making a beeline straight for her.

She sets the coloring pad on the coffee table and zips her pencil case shut, bringing the back of her hand over her mouth in a yawn.

“How are you doing?” I ask, she’s about to enter the second trimester and it’s arguably the most exhausting for many women. “I half expected you to be in bed when I got back.”

I take a seat next to her, and she nuzzles beneath my arm.

“I wanted to stay up and find out how the meeting went with Coach Callaghan and Theo.”

Tipping her chin up, I take all of her in. “You’re fucking beautiful—you know that?”

Hair thrown into a messy bun, she’s wearing a pair of black pajama shorts and a plain red T-shirt. Last week, she told me her bridesmaid dress was red too. I can’t wait to see her in it.

Pressing a palm into my chest, she pushes me back onto the couch and straddles my thighs. I’m only wearing gray sweatpants, which do nothing to hide the way she turns me on.

“Flattery will get you everywhere with me, Mr. Stanton.” Her eyes drop to my tenting pants, and she pulls her lip between her teeth. “But first, I want to know what was said in the meeting.”

I cup her small face in my palms. “I told them that I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks about us, and I left Coach and Theo to make a decision about whether I’ll be named on the next roster. I have all I need in my life right in front of me.”

I brush my lips over hers, and she sighs into my mouth.

“I saw Drew and Colton’s statement on your behalf. What you said about us and me, it was really freaking sweet, Silas.”

“I meant every word,” I tell her. “And we will fight Kane through the courts to get a permanent restraining order in place.”

She nods, but I can sense there’s something still playing on her mind.

“Talk to me,” I whisper softly.

She has all the lights in my apartment turned down low and a raspberry-scented candle burning in the center of my coffee table. My place has never felt more like a home.

“Do you remember the December before last, when you showed up at my apartment and asked if I was still seeing Kane? I acted like a bitch toward you.”

I rest my forehead against hers. “I do. That was a difficult day.”

Vesper’s fingers toy with the soft hairs at the nape of my neck. “I was scared, Si.”

“I know, of Kane,” I reply.

She shakes her head. “No—well, I mean, yes, I was scared of Kane and basically brainwashed by him to believe that he was the only person who could ever ‘love’ me. But …”

Her big blue eyes freeze me in place. It feels like she’s looking directly into my soul, and I hold my breath.

“I was scared to let you in because, deep down, I knew all along that you loved me. Only I didn’t want to admit it to myself because I’d have felt compelled to push you away even more. Back then, we couldn’t be together, and I couldn’t understand why a guy like you would love a girl like me. I had been shattered into a million pieces, and I didn’t want you to be the one to pick them all up and help me find myself again. That’s too much pressure to put on someone.”

I go to respond, but she sets a finger across my lips.

“I’m sorry for shutting you out, and I’m sorry for not giving you a chance to prove yourself and the man you really are. I always found you attractive and kind. Whenever you showed up at Kane’s place, I’d get these butterflies low in my belly.” A tear hits her cheek, and she smiles. “And now they’re accompanied by your baby.”

Our mouths are instantly fused together as I pull her into me and kiss her like it’s the last moment we’ll ever share together.

“I love you, Silas. And I want you to know I’m not scared anymore. Not over the way I feel about you, the fact that we’re going to have a baby, and I definitely don’t care about my shitty ex anymore or whatever he tries to say about us.”