Page 76 of A Scoring Chance

“That web page wasn’t kidding. The Hendrix family is a freaking hockey dynasty.”

“Nah, we are just a bunch of boys that all like the same sport.”

“And are freaking amazing at it. You three have more Stanley Cups between you than some hockey franchises have had in their entire existence.”

“For someone who doesn’t like sports, you sure know a lot about hockey.”

“I like to know things about the people I care about. And Darius has fallen in love with the sport. I want to support both of you, and I can’t do that if I know nothing about it. However, don’t ask me anything about the rules.”

I toss my head back and laugh, the sound echoing around the empty rink. “Beauty, I’m going to turn you into a hockey fan.”

“I’m a Cooper Hendrix fan. Isn’t that enough?”

“It's more than enough. It’s perfect,” I respond with a smile before toeing off my sneakers and sliding them into my skates, lacing them up quickly and pushing to my feet. “Now, let’s get you on the ice.”

Ramon reaches both of her hands toward me, and I grip them tightly, pulling her to her feet. She wobbles slightly but keeps her balance. We slowly make our way onto the ice. “Now what?”

“Now, you fall.”

“Excuse me?” Ramona questions, her head cocked to the side as she tries to understand if I’m kidding or not.

“You need to fall down so you know how to get back up. Ease your way down onto the ice, and I’ll show you the easiest way to get back up.”

She eyes me skeptically as I help her lower to the ice. “Fuck! This shit is cold.”

“It is ice. What did you expect?”

She scowls at me, daring me to make another joke, but I continue the instruction instead. “Get on your knees and put one knee up. Using your hands, hold your balance so you can put the other knee up and stand.”

She tries a few times to follow my directions, usually tumbling onto her side when she attempts to stand up straight, but on the fourth time, she gets to her feet. “I did it!” she squeals in delight, clapping her hands in front of her like a toddler.

“You did great. Are you ready to start moving?” I hold out both of my hands toward her, and she drops hers into them.

“Let’s do it.”

“Now it's time to march. Right, left, right, left.”

She takes a deep breath and follows my direction. She wobbles a few times, but we make it down one side of the rink without any incident. Once we reach the curve in the wall. I have her march and then glide a few moments on both her feet.

“Now I want you to make a lemon shape with your skates, heel to toe,” I instruct, showing her exactly what I mean while skating backward.

“Showoff.” She giggles, holding her arms out to her side and copying my movements, moving toward me as I move backward.

We continue this down one side of the rink and around the curve before stopping where we started. “Are you ready for the final step?”

She gives me an enthusiastic yes as I show her how to skate properly. “Turn both of your feet outward and push off to the other foot. Rinse and repeat.”

She watches me closely for a few minutes, asking questions as I move, but soon, she is skating beside me, her glove-covered hand wrapped in mine. We make our way around the ice slowly, talking about everything and nothing at all. I thought we’d run out of things to talk about after spending hours on the phone with each other every night for the last few weeks, but I just want to know more about her.

“We covered all the favorite questions already. What else do you want to know?” She giggles as I grip her wrist and pull her in, her back to my front, as we continue to glide around the ice.

I’ve been skating around, telling her my feelings all night, being purposely obtuse instead of just outright telling her I’m falling in love with her. I wanted to find the perfect moment for me to say it, but that moment has come and gone a few times since we arrived. But now it comes bubbling out of my throat as if I’m unable to contain it any longer. “I’m falling in love with you, Ramona King.”

Beauty spins in my arms, her eyes filling with tears as she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me toward her. Our lips brush against each other, and every part of my body is on fire, an overwhelming sense of rightness settling over me. I know I should ask her how she feels about me, if this is too fast for her, or even a million other questions, but I don’t do that.

I can feel her curves pressing against my body as my arm snakes around her neck. My lips part as she slides her tongue between them, pulling a guttural groan from my lips. My senses are overwhelmed with the taste of her toothpaste and something that is just her.

My fingers slide into her hair, fisting her locs and pulling her head backward to give me better access to her mouth. My cockhardens against her belly, and I try to pull away, but her grip around my neck tightens.

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