Page 10 of Puck and Run

“Good morning,” I whisper, brushing a lock of hair away from her face.

“Good morning,” she replies, her voice a little hoarse. She smiles shyly, and I can’t help but lean in for another quick kiss.

After that, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stretch, feeling the tightness in my muscles from years of playing hockey. “I should make us some breakfast,” I say, glancing back at her still lying in my bed. It’s damn hard to leave her there.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be any trouble,” she responds, propping herself up on one elbow.

“You’re never trouble,” I assure her.

I head to the kitchen and pull out eggs, cheese, and some veggies. I’ll make us omelets.

I’m almost finished when I hear her footsteps behind me. I turn and she’s leaning against the doorway, watching me with that sweet smile. “What are you making?” she asks, clearly amused.

“Veggie omelets,” I reply, sliding the second one onto a plate. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving!” she laughs, and my heart does a little flip. There’s nothing this woman does that doesn’t make me happy.

We sit at the table and start eating our breakfast. The conversation flows easily, punctuated by comfortable silences. We talk about everything and nothing —our plans for the day, the things that made us laugh last night, and what a great time we had last night.

“So, what’s on your agenda today?” I ask as I push my empty plate away.

Tilly takes a sip of her coffee, her eyes thoughtful. “Well, I was planning on going to the game with Paisley,” she says, her tone casual, but I can feel the weight of her words.

“That’s great.” Knowing she’s in the stands will be a new experience, but I feel energized by the idea. “Want to wear my jersey at the game?” I suggest in a playful tone.

Tilly shakes her head, suddenly looking a little sad, “I can’t do that, Duke. I’d never hear the end of it from Ryan.”

“I get that, I guess,” I say, a little deflated. “But, we’re a couple now, right?”

The question hangs in the air, and I see her hesitate. “I want to be, but I’m not ready to tell him yet. I don’t want to cause problems for either of you.”

I try to mask my disappointment. I don’t want to pressure her, but I hate the idea of hiding the feelings I have for her. “I understand and for now I’ll go along with it. I don’t want to hide who we are to each other. You are important to me.”

“I know. You’re important to me,” she replies earnestly. I just need a little more time. Let’s enjoy what we have right now, okay?”

“Alright,” I say, forcing a smile. “But don’t think I’m giving up on this. I’m going to wear you down.”

She giggles, and the sound brightens my mood. “I can’t wait,” she teases.

After breakfast, I head to the bathroom to get ready for practice. As I brush my teeth, I catch a glimpse of Tilly through the mirror, sitting on the edge of the bed, her gaze thoughtful. I finish getting ready and find her dressed in one of my T-shirts and her jeans from the night before.

I have to fight the urge to strip her naked and climb back in bed with her to spend the day wrapped up in our own cocoon. The outside world complicates things, but here we’re golden.

She wraps her arms around me and I feel a rush of warmth through my body, “I’ll cheer really loud for you today. You’re gonna kick ass.”

“Thanks, princess. It’s gonna be different with my girl there,” I say, my voice a little rougher than I intended.

“You’re going to do great.” She places a sweet kiss on my lips. “And I’ll see you after the game.”

“Promise?”

She nods and kisses me again. Then I walk her out to her car and help her get in. I know I’m dragging out every second and if I don’t get my ass up to the stadium soon I’ll be late for our pre-game meeting and practice.

“I’ll see you later,” I say as I shut her door and stand watching her as she drives away. My phone buzzes with a text from Simon telling me I have fifteen minutes to be at the arena. He’s alwayson all of us to be on time. Quickly I head in, grab my bag, and leave for the arena.

* * *

The drive to the rink is filled with a mix of anticipation and nervous energy. I try to focus on the game ahead, but thoughts of Tilly linger in my mind. The way she looked this morning, the of her kisses —it all fuels me.

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