Page 72 of Pucks and Coffee

I bite the spot where her neck and shoulder meet. “Spicy,” I mutter at her quick intake of breath. I kiss the spot. “I missed you.”

After setting everything down, she turns in my arms, and I notice she has a cup in her hand. She boops my nose. “I missed you more. Look, I even brought you a pregame espresso that I made. It’s called the ‘Coleson Is Playing for the Nashville Assassins, and I’m so Proud.’”

I grin. “Did that take up the whole specials board?”

She nods happily. “Sure did. And everyone is so impressed!”

I don’t argue because I don’t care. I only care that she’s here in my jersey—well, my Assassins jersey. God, she’s so pretty. I cup her face. “I can’t believe you came.”

She gives me a look. “Um, there is nowhere else I want to be.” She pats my stomach and then sighs. “Can you put some clothes on?”

I grin and fall even more for her. “Can’t handle my nudity?”

“Nope, and I’m not ashamed to admit it,” she teases with a wink before she starts picking up my trash. I make the mistake of taking a long pull of my drink and can’t stop her in time. With a look, she mutters, “You just checked in. How is this place already a mess?”

I chuckle at her as she moves around, and I go to the microwave to warm up my ice-cold espresso. I know if I try to stop her, she’ll snap at me. When she groans, I grimace because I know she’s seen my suitcase. “Coleson, what is the point of me buying you these packing cubes if you don’t use them!”

“Hey, Eliza,” I say, wanting to distract her. Her eyes meet mine, and I smile. “You’re gorgeous in my jersey.”

Her lips quirk. “Stop giving me those eyes before I end up on my knees in front of you and the jersey my sister had made for me gets messy.”

I smirk, leaning against the desk and drinking her in. It’s been a long six days, and I want her desperately, but I have rules for game days. She knows them and respects them like the good girl she is. I can’t help but tease her, though. “Like you’d let drops fall on the jersey.”

She shrugs, thinking that over. “True. I am good at taking all of you.”

My cock roars to life, and I groan as heat settles in my belly. “You’re evil.”

She isn’t the least bit sorry, just grinning at me as she sorts through my suitcase. “Go put some clothes on.”

“You don’t have to?—”

She throws me a shirt and some athletic shorts. “Go.”

The pressure I hadn’t realized was weighing me down is gone, and all I feel is happiness as I head to the bathroom to finish shaving and to get dressed. I hear her moving around, and when she comes into the bathroom, I’m putting on lotion.

She wraps her arms around my middle and leans into my side. I meet her gaze in the bathroom mirror. “Hey there, gorgeous.”

“Hey, handsome.” We beam at each other, and I lean down to kiss the top of her head. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous,” I admit. “Scared that I’ll fuck up. But I know when I hit the ice and skate off some of the nerves, I’ll be okay.”

She pats my stomach. “You’re going to do great.”

I kiss her again. “Truly, thank you for being here for me.”

“Truly,” she repeats. “There is nowhere else I want to be.”

I tip her jaw up, meeting her gaze, and fuck, I want to tell her those three words. I want to scream them at her, beg her never to leave me, and not care one bit that I’ve become my father. Totally obsessed with a woman who could ruin me. I run my thumb along her bottom lip and whisper, “How did I get so lucky to find you?”

Her eyes bore into mine. “You didn’t let the bears eat me.”

My face breaks into a grin as I lean in, pressing my nose to hers. “Nope, but I’ll be eating every single inch of you tonight.”

She kisses my top lip. “Not if I eat you first.”

I hiss with need for her, but she distracts me by taking the lotion bottle from me. She proceeds to do my shoulders, my back, my waist, and thighs, careful not to touch my cock—though, we both want it desperately.

When her eyes meet mine in the mirror, I lick my lips, and she shakes her head. “Are you trying to make this hard?”

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