Page 30 of Pucked Into Position

“No more scripts, no more lies, and no more fake PR stunts. I want the real thing with you, all of it, for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”

The crowd goes quiet for a single moment before erupting into a deafening roar of approval as Lana nods frantically. Fresh tears spill over her lashes.

“Yes, Ryan. A thousand times yes,” she manages to choke out. I slip the ring onto her finger, and she throws herself back into my arms.

Lana

The drive back to Ryan’s apartment—no, our apartment—feels entirely too long and like it passed in a second. My eyes were locked on the delicate diamond ring on my finger the whole time.

The second we make it upstairs and the penthouse door clicks shut behind me, I lean back against the door, breathless as I watch Ryan toss his keys onto the kitchen counter. His dark hair is still damp from the shower, and his broad shoulders seem relaxed for the first time in weeks. He looks completely at peace, and when he turns around, his grin sends my heart fluttering wildly.

“So,” I tease, tilting my head and crossing my arms. “Are we done celebrating Mr. Championship Goalie? Or are you gonna get called back for more interviews?”

“No,” Ryan says, his deep gravelly voice sending a shiver down my spine. My knees go weak at the intense, wicked look in his sparkling hazel eyes. He walks over slowly, making my blood heat, and traps me against the door, caging his arms around my head.

“There’s still one thing we haven’t properly celebrated tonight.”

He traces his fingers across my jaw, over my ear, and down my neck. I shudder in anticipation and press my thighs together.

“Oh yeah?” My breath catches in my throat as he draws his hand down my throat and across my waist. “What’s that?”

Ryan’s grin softens into an expression of raw devotion, his gaze dropping briefly to the ring on my finger before locking back onto my face. “Our engagement, fiancée.”

Before I can process what he’s said, he pulls me into a passionate, consuming kiss that steals the air from my lungs. I let out a helpless sigh against his lips, my hands clutching at his chest. Blinding heat erupts between us.

I press against him, suddenly needing to be as close as possible.

“Ryan,” I whimper.

He doesn’t waste a single second. His hands slide down to my thighs and he lifts me effortlessly off the floor. I wrap my legs tight around his hips and gasp as I feel his rigid length pressing against me.

I capture his lips in another kiss, and he groans. It’s a raw, primal sound that vibrates through me and sends heat straight to my core. Without breaking the kiss, he carries me to the bedroom, his movements confident and purposeful.

He lays me down in the center of the bed, and hovers over me, pinning me to the sheets as he slowly teases his lips down my neck, to my collar bone.

“Lana,” he breathes against my skin, his voice rough and full of need. “You are so beautiful. I was a ruined man the moment I saw you sitting at my table.”

I tug at his shirt, wanting to feel more of him against me. He pulls it off over his head, then lifts me just enough to strip his jersey off me. I moan as his hot skin presses against mine, and he captures it in another kiss.

Gripping his shoulders, I deepen the kiss. Letting him in to taste and devour me. His lips leave a trail of kisses down to my breasts. He massages and pinches my nipples before taking one into his hot mouth. I cry out, letting my head fall back.

He repeats the motion to the other side. I bury my hands in his hair and pull him back up to me.

“I love you,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I never realized you were the man I measured everyone else against.”

Ryan raises a brow, and I nod.

“I didn’t know I wanted you until you walked through that door, but I was always looking for you in other men.”

He growls and nips at my throat and ear. “I will never let another man have you.”

I feel my panties flood at his possessive tone. “I don’t want anyone but you. Always and forever,” I breathe, and he kisses me again.

His hands trail over my hips, and he pulls down my jeans to reveal bare skin. He bites back a groan and teases the crease of my thigh.

I buck my hips involuntarily and whine. A devilish grin lights up his face and in an instant he’s between my legs, licking and sucking until I fall apart, melting into the mattress.

“Ryan, please,” I moan. “I want you.”