Page 84 of Hat Trick Holidate

“When you’re ready, I want to be your wife and Jolie’s stepmom,” she admits.

I can’t breathe. As much as I’ve thought about Emmaline being in my life, I hadn’t thought about asking her to marry me yet.

Using her line, I wink and say, “We’ll see.”

She playfully smacks me, then she guides me to the bed and lies on her back. “Make love to me and see if it helps you decide.”

I love this side of her. Now that she knows how much I love her, she doesn’t need alcohol to come out of her shell. To think I almost lost her. To me, it felt like I did lose her. Five days without hearing her voice and only a few texts.

“Emmaline, this body of yours is mine. Your dreams are mine,” I say as I hover over her, my lips ghosting hers.

She digs her fingers into my ass, moving me, giving herself the pleasure she craves. I rock into her and roll my hips so that I never come out but stay seated inside her. I brush a glimmering red strand stuck on her lips away, and everything fades away. I let my body weight fall against her, savoring the scent of her hair, the warmth of her body against mine, and her breath on my cheek as we whisper words of love and encouragement.

“Perfect.”

“The best.”

“Mine.”

She caresses my face and says words that make me whole, “You’re all I’ll ever need.”

My erection twitches, and I blow hot lava inside her. Two bodies on fire. I roll her on top of me. Her phone is on the nightstand, and it lights up. “Your password is my brother’s birthday. I always dread his birthday.”

“Now, we can celebrate him on his birthday. He brought you to the club that night. You wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for him. He was showing you that there’s someone who can mend your broken heart.”

“I just wish my brother would have told me to get your number or your real name before we snuck out.”

“But then we wouldn’t be here in this moment. ThisMay, we’ll do something he loved on his birthday. What did he like other than hockey?”

“Girls.”

“No, no more girls. I’m it. I’m enough.”

“You are.” I stroke her hair, our eyes shackled together. “You’re all I’ll ever need too.”

chapter 37

EMMALINE

My knee bounceson a constant loop. Bryce has two goals and only needs one more for a hat trick. He’s had a few in his career but wow, it would top off this incredible day. We had a ceremony at the courthouse where Jolie’s last name was legally changed from Gustafson to Wynward.

“Jolie Wynward has a nice ring to it,” I say aloud to the universe. My knee bobs up and down, knowing the secret I’m keeping and how badly I want Wynward to be my last name too.

I peer down at Jolie, who’s talking Cannon’s ear off about ballet. She’s been taking lessons from Brooke two times per week during the day to get her caught up with kids her age. Cannon hangs on her every word like it’s music.

I’m lost in thought when I hear the announcer shouting, “Cross sets up for the shot, passes it over to Wynward, who takes a quick slapshot and... GOAL! It’s a beautiful play by the left winger and center combo, and the crowd is goingwild. It’s a hat trick for the eight-year veteran and two-time MVP.”

Roman and Reed rush to Bryce’s side, picking him up on their shoulders as the team skates in a small circle around them, hitting their sticks in a rhythmic manner on the ice.

Jolie and I are wearing our matching gold jerseys tonight. The Cross children and Jolie are going nuts celebrating, but I pick Jolie up and step over several people to get to the glass. The fans make room. After Bryce sat down with the reporters and officially introduces Jolie and me, the fans have been nothing short of amazing. If Brooke isn’t here, the season ticket holders, a row down, will keep an eye on Jolie if I need to go to the bathroom. They even bring her little toys.

I’m jumping up and down at the plastic partition when Bryce kisses his glove, pounds his heart, and then releases his glove in the air. It’s become his thing when he scores at an away game when Jolie I have to stay home. He does it into the camera. Sometimes, he’ll take off his helmet and shake his hair out before he does it so we can see the smile on his face. There’s nothing better than watching someone you love achieve their dreams.

“Who was that for?” I scream.

He yells, “My girls!”

There’s only a few more minutes left, but this one is wrapped up with a score of four to one. Coach rests the first and second lines and lets the third line bring this one home while gaining experience.

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