Page 60 of Forecasting the Forward

“I did.”

“Is that normal?” she inquires.

My brow furrows in confusion. “I’m gonna need a little more information, darlin’. If you’re asking if I take care of my woman after sex, then yes, it’s normal. If you’re wondering if I can last longer, then yeah. If you’re wanting to know when we can do that again, I have every intention of waking you up at some point tonight.”

Becca’s ears tinge pink as her cheeks flush. “I meant the first part.”

I fight the urge to smile. I’m loving how bashful she is right now. Tossing the washcloth onto the bathroom floor, I turn off the light and climb into bed beside my wife.

My wife.

Fuck, I love that.

Not giving Becca a chance to argue, I put my arm around her and pull her into my side. Burying my face in her hair, I speak. “There are a few things you’ll learn about me, Spitfire, and some of them might piss you off because of how independent I know you are. Whenever you’re with me, you won’t open a door. Anywhere. I’ll always make sure you’re comfortable, no matter where we are. Better expect that I won’t let you pay from now on. I’m open in the bedroom. You want to try something? Just talk to me. Rest assured, though, because you’ll come first, and you’ll come often. And yes, I’ll be cleaning you up every time.”

“Wow,” she breathes. “Part of you is a gentleman, and part of you is a rake.”

I let out a bark of laughter. “I don’t know about that.”

I feel her tense and hear her intake of breath as she debates on saying something, so I squeeze my arm around her tighter. “It’s okay, darlin’. Just say what you want to say.”

“Well, it’s just —” she stammers. “You say you’re open in the bedroom. What exactly does that mean? Open to trying positions, or bringing in some toys? Or open as in you’d want to bring other people in —”

I interrupt her immediately. “There will be no other people. I don’t fucking share, Becca.”

She lets out a loud exhale. “Oh thank God. I don’t want anyone else in there. I don’t like sharing either, you know.”

“Good,” I tell her, smiling against the top of her head.

I fall asleep with Becca tightly in my arms, and get the best sleep I’ve had in months.

Six hours later,we’re boarding the team plane back to Denver. Coach must have warned the team, because every one of my teammates stands to greet Becca warmly. As soon as I have Becca safely into the back of the plane, Levi motions for me to come to where he’s sitting with Gabe and Grant.

“Care to explain why you didn’t even have a girlfriend, and the woman who is now your wife wasn’t even replying to your texts a week ago?” he asks pointedly.

“Long story. Becca has a shitty family, and I gladly helped her out by marrying her.”

“Is this just a temporary thing?” Gabe asks.

I shrug. “She might think it is. But I’m gonna make her fall in love with me.”

Grant snorts. “Pretty sure that’s not how love works, oh Captain, my Captain.”

“Can you quit it with theDead Poets’ Societyreference, Nally? I had to Google that shit, and now my suggestions are weird.” I cast a quick glance back at Becca, who is trying to seem nonchalant, surrounded by hockey players, but failing miserably. “I’m telling y’all, she’s it for me. I knew she was different from the first moment I saw her.”

I vaguely hear the door closing, but don’t fully register it until I notice everyone around us stand up and start removing their clothes. “Fuck!”

Turning, I lunge back toward Becca, frantically waving my arms. Eyes bugging out of her head, and her mouth open in shock, I reach her and cover her eyes. “Jax!”

“God dammit, woman, I told you to call me Jacob,” I mutter, forcing her head into my chest.

She laughs openly against me. “What is going on? Is this normal? Aren’t there any females that travel with the team? They didn’t do this for my benefit did they?”

I watch my teammates, suddenly furious that she saw them all in varying stages of undress. I’m by no means self-conscious. I know I’m in shape. Kinda have to be in this line of work. But I’m in my mid-thirties. I know some of the younger guys are packing more abs than me. “How much did you see?”

“Just everyone standing up, a couple shirts coming off, and then you flying back here to protect my virginal eyes,” she cackles. “What was that?”

“You’d have done the same thing if a group of women suddenly started undressing in front of me.”

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