Page 57 of If You Need Me

I close my legs before he gets any more ideas.

“Thank you.” His voice sounds like it went a round with a gravel truck.

“You’re welcome?” I’m still trying to recover from the twenty-minute orgasm.

He grabs his shirt from the floor, pulling it back over his head. He rearranges his very prominent erection. I’d love to offer to reciprocate, but I worry he’ll convince me to let him fuck me, and that would be a very, very bad idea.

I’m already addicted to his tongue and fingers. I can’t get addicted to his cock, too.

He leans down and kisses my forehead. “I’ll be on my way, but don’t forget to lock the door before you go to bed, honey.”

CHAPTER 20

HEMI

I’m getting ready for work two days later when my moms call. They do this sometimes, video call first thing in the morning. They’ve made a wedding inspiration board already. I wish one of my brothers would settle down and take the heat off me.

“Hi, Mom and Ma. What’s up?” I prop them on the vanity while I work on my makeup.

“Your mom and I were thinking it might be nice to look at a few venues while you’re in town for the reunion,” Ma says.

“We haven’t even set a date, though.”And we never will.And I’ll have to break my moms’ hearts when I tell them it’s over. There’s no way we’re putting deposits down on things just for show. My guilty conscience can’t take that.

“It doesn’t hurt to look, though, sweetheart. Places book up quickly, especially in the summer months. June would be perfect, don’t you think? Post buggy season, but before the really hot weather sets in.”

“I think the reunion weekend will be pretty jam-packed,” I hedge.

“Hmm… You have a point. Well, why don’t we plan for your mom and I to come down for a weekend so we can start looking at dresses, at the very least! We’ll book a few appointments. It’ll be fun!”

Their excitement makes my heart hurt. “Can we get through the reunion weekend first? Or can we talk about it more when I’m home? There’s just a lot going on right now.”

“Are you nervous about the reunion, sweetie?”

I’m lying about enough stuff, so I go with honesty. “Yeah. I haven’t seen Brooklyn face-to-face in years, and teendom wasn’t the easiest time of my life.”

“Oh, sweetie, everyone in high school was focused on themselves,” Mom says. “You have a great career, wonderful friends, and a lovely fiancé. It’ll be fun.”

“Thanks for the votes of confidence.”

“We love you, Hemi. We’ll back off on the wedding details until the reunion is over,” Ma adds. “Let us know if you need anything else, though. Okay?”

“Of course. I love you.”

“We love you, too,” they say in unison then end the call.

The web of lies I’m weaving is sticky, and I’m worried about getting trapped in it. I don’t have time to fixate on that now, though. Not with everything else going on.

Half an hour later I’m sitting in my office with Denise, the head coach of the women’s team.

“I love everything about this, Hemi.” She’s all smiles as she reads through the proposal. “Winter Marks will definitely want to be involved, so however we can include her would be fantastic.”

“I designed it with her in mind, knowing her background and the Hockey Academy’s role in her life.” I met her a few months ago, but when we were chatting recently, she shared how the retired players at the Hockey Academy took her undertheir wing at a time when she really needed the support and the team family dynamic, and it had changed her life. “I love how passionate she is about this and that she had the guts to mention it to me.”

“Honestly, I’m just amazed at how quickly you’ve pulled this all together. Getting the team involved with the local foodbank and soup kitchen is a beautiful way to give back to the community. And I love that this charity game you’ve set up includes a food donation. It’s meaningful in the best way.”

“They’re such an outstanding group of athletes, and I know how much it means to them and other young women who are looking at this path. It’s a great merging of community work and team commitment.”

She smiles. “I absolutely agree. Thank you for taking this on.”

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