Page 102 of What if I Told You

“I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right.” She smiles that smile that melts me every time. The smile that makes me want to lift her up and squeeze her against me. The one that makes me want to take her home and do all I can to hear those little sighs and moans and screams of pleasure that turn me the fuck on.

Because she’s my safe space.

She calms the storms in my head.

She’s my home.

“So maybe instead of sitting here washed in your own self-loathing, you turn the attitude around and tell yourself it wasn’t your fault. Injuries are part of the game. You’re not without injuries in your career either, Auggie. You’ve just been able to recover from yours. You’ve grown from them and you’ve become a better, stronger player because of them. You don’t let shit get you down. You’re August fucking Blackstone.”

I am August fucking Blackstone.

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

She shrugs and smiles at me again. “I mean, maybe not since this morning when we went opposite directions after walking into this building.”

I cup her face in my hands and kiss her soft lips and then rest my forehead against hers. “I love you, Ella Montgomery. And I have no idea where the hell I would be in this life without you by my side.”

“I love you too, Auggie. And it feels so good to finally say those words and mean them in the way I’ve meant them for a long time.”

“Ditto.”

I slip my hand behind her head and bring her lips to mine. I explore her mouth as her tender lips float against mine and we both sink into this kiss. Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to be able to take her behind closed doors somewhere in this arena so we can fu?—

“Hey! Get a room!” A balled-up napkin hits my face and falls to my plate. I don’t even have to look to know it was Griffin, but nevertheless I glance in that direction anyway and there he sits, with an ornery smirk on his face a couple tables away. Dressed in pair of pajama pants with hot dogs all over them and an Oscar Meyer Weiner t-shirt, he gives us a cheesy wave with the flit of his fingers and we both laugh.

“He’s such a doof,” Ella says softly.

I couldn’t agree more.

Something feels off.

I felt the tension on the ice during warmup in the way a few of the Gators would look our way but there was nothing I could do. Sometimes we get a vibe from the visiting team that they didn’t come to play. They came angry and that’s the vibe I’m getting from the Gators.

But what the fuck do they have to be mad about?

“You feel that too?” Ledger asks as he skates past me and swirls back around the net to where I am. “It’s odd, right?”

I nod. “Yeah. I can’t pinpoint it and I don’t like it. I have a feeling this is going to be a rough one tonight.”

“I think you may be right. Guess we better bring our A-game, yeah?” He nudges my arm and then skates off.

Yeah.

A-game.

I let my body take over the rest of our warmup, going through the motions and doing what always needs to be done, but all the while I search the ice and glance through the stands for anything out of the ordinary that might give me a clue as to what the hell has me on edge. It’s not like Jeff Furbling is back on the ice and it’s not like I haven’t played against the Gators numerous times since that day. Sure, they have some new team members just like we do but that’s nothing to be stressed about. It happens with every team every season. I catch sight of Lumin in the stands being interviewed by a member of the press team and feel better knowing she’s safe in the hands of team staffers.

That’s my girl up there doing her thing.

She’s my rock.

My safe place.

The one I get to sleep next to at the end of this night.

Reminding myself that regardless of how this game turns out, in a few short hours, I’ll have Ella in my arms again and with any luck my cock buried deep inside her makes all the tension dissipate from my body.

---