Page 74 of Pucking my Enemy Boss

The helicopter lands, its blades slowing to a hum as they touch down on a private helipad; obviously, rich hockey stars don’t doregularlandings. The door swings open, and with one step out, the salty breeze instantly greets me. My eyes widen as I take in the scene, brain still catching up with the Macarena beat of my heart.

“Ethan!” It’s no longer deniable and I turn to him with my jaw practically on the ground. “Thisis where you’ve brought me?!”

Ethan grins, the kind that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners. “I saw you reading the Ibiza page in a magazine two weeks ago. Guessed it was on your bucket list.”

My heart flutters again, doing Olympic-level gymnastics. “This isn’t just on my bucket list—it’s thetopof my bucket list! Ibiza? Are you serious?”

His eyes soften, a hand slipping into mine as we walk toward what can only be described as a resort fit for royalty. “I wanted to do something special for you.”

“Special?” I can barely process the word. “This isbeyondspecial. This is ... I don’t even know what to say! You’ve ... you’ve officially outromanced all the romance novels I’ve ever read, and trust me, that’sa lot.”

We walk up a path lined with palm trees that look like they’ve been plucked straight out of a tropical dreamscape, the resort’s white walls gleaming in the sun, modern and elegant. And the view—oh, the view—stretches out over the cliffs, endless blue waves crashing against the shore like something out of a fantasy novel.

Inside, the place is all luxury. Soft, white linen drapes ripple in the breeze, while the ocean peeks through massive windows, turning the whole room into one giant postcard. Can’t help but twirl in the middle of the room, arms wide, my heart practically leaping out of the ribcages guarding it.

“This is insane!” I squeal, spinning to face Ethan, my grin so wide it could probably stretch across the Mediterranean. “How did you even?—?”

“I have my ways,” Ethan replies, leaning against the doorframe with that casual confidence that drives me absolutely wild. His eyes are on me, soft and admiring, like he’s more interested in watching me react than anything else.

Bouncing over to him, my arms wrap around his neck, pulling him close. “You’re ridiculous, you know that? And I love it.”

“Good,” Ethan murmurs, brushing a kiss across my forehead. “Because this weekend? It’s all about you.”

The sun isat its peak when we hit the beach, the warm sand tickling our toes, the salty breeze tangling in my hair. Everything about Ibiza feels like it’s pulled from a daydream—except this isn’t a daydream. It’s real, and I’m walking hand-in-hand with Ethan down the shoreline like we’ve been transported into some alternate universe where everything is perfect.

We spend the first few hours in a secluded cove, the water crystal clear, inviting. Ethan’s eyes glint with mischief as we wade across cool waves lapping at our legs.

“You know what’s next, right?” Ethan says, his voice dropping to that low, teasing tone that sends shivers up my spine.

My eyes narrow with suspicion. “What exactly is next?”

Ethan grins, pointing to men walking over with some equipment. “Scuba diving.”

Scuba diving in Ibiza is alotdifferent from watching it on TV. For one, there’s the whole “breathing underwater” thing that takes a minute to adjust to, not to mention the way the ocean seems to come alive.

The moment we submerge, it’s like being transported to an entirely new world—fish of every color dart around, coral sways in the current, and the sunlight filters through the water in golden beams. My body hums in pure exhilaration.

We move through the water together, and like in most things, Ethan looks like he’s been doing this forever. He holds my hand, giving a gentle squeeze, and my chest flutters again. There’s something about being down here with him, in this quiet, otherworldly place, that makes everything else fade away. Theworld above? All the stress, the pressure, the everyday chaos? It’s distant, muffled, like the sound of the waves above.

I catch myself grinning like an idiot behind the scuba mask. It feels like aonce-in-a-lifetimeexperience and when we finally surface, the sun is beginning to dip toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. We hold hands and laugh as we tread water back to our station, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins.

“That wasincredible!” I gush, pulling off the mask. “I mean, I’ve read about it, I’ve seen it in movies, but doing it?Mind blown.”

Ethan’s chuckle is low, soft, as he swims closer. “Glad you liked it.”

“Ilovedit! You, Mr. Carter, have officially set the bar for all future dates.” My fingers flick the water, splashing him playfully, water droplets shimmering in the sunset. “Good luck ever topping this.”

Ethan’s grin widens as he pulls me close, water dripping from his hair, our eyes locking in that intense way that always makes my heart skip a beat. “Who says this is the last surprise?”

Later that evening,we sit on the patio of the villa, wrapped in each other’s arms as the stars start to dot the sky, twinkling like tiny diamonds scattered across a velvet blanket. The view is breathtaking, but it’s the quiet moments like this that make it all feel so real.

Leaning back against Ethan’s chest, his heat warms me, his arms snug around my waist. I let out a contented sigh. The scent of the ocean fills the air, mingling with the soft, citrusy smell of the candles flickering on the table beside us.

“It’s crazy, you know?” My soft whisper is almost lost in the sound of the waves. “How much everything’s changed.”

Ethan’s chin rests gently on my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin. “Changed how?”

My gaze drifts out to the horizon, the sea stretching out endlessly before us. “Just ... everything. You, me,this. A few months ago, I couldn’t even picture being in a relationship, let alone one like this.”

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