Page 122 of Cross Check Hearts

It’s aboutforever.

Chapter51

Declan

Coach Dunaway lingers in the locker room, watching me gear up as the rest of the guys start filing out.

“Everything okay?” I ask when we’re alone, and he nods before he walks over and sits down on the bench next to me.

“Everything’s great. I just wanted to go over a bit of a new play with you.”

It’s been a long road for me with Dunaway, but ever since Hannah’s collapse, it feels like we’re finding an equilibrium with each other. Actually, we’re getting along great, arguably better than we ever have, so as Dunaway goes over the details of his new strategy with me, I pay attention to every little detail—because I have a lot of respect for the man, and I want him to see it.

When he’s finished, Dunaway smiles and claps me on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Murray. Now get out there and show them what you’re made of—and don’t forget that Hannah is watching.”

He winks at me when I smile back, and we join the rest of the team out on the ice for the warmup. Thanks to our strategizing session, we don’t have as much time as we normally would, and it feels like the warmup flies by.

Before I know it, the puck drops, and the raw energy of the game breaks out. But even over all the noise, I can hear Hannah shouting my name and cheering me on. I grin to myself and put on an extra burst of speed, cutting across the ice like I’m flying. All the yoga I’ve been doing with her has paid off on the ice, and I’m faster and more agile than I’ve ever been. I’m playing for Hannah—and knowing that she’s in the stands cheering my every move makes it feel fucking effortless.

She inspires the hell out of me, and I’m so damn proud of her. She officially left law school not long after she told her parents she didn’t want to keep going, and they’ve both been amazingly supportive of her ever since.

She’s already working on opening a yoga studio of her own, and Dunaway has even been helping her scout out a potential location. The whole thing has come together beautifully, just like I knew it would if she gave it a chance. And seeing her thrive after everything she’s been through makes me feel like anything is possible.

The rest of the Aces must be feeling some wind under their wings as well because everyone’s playing at their absolute best. We’re totally dialed into each other and the game, sinking passes and shots as easily and naturally as breathing. We end up burying the other team so badly that I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

As the game is wrapping up, I spot Hannah in the stands sitting next to my mom. It’s still hard to believe that my mother’s living here now and that she and Hannah are getting along so well, but it also somehow feels like the most natural thing in the world. Like this is how things were always supposed to be. Still, if someone told me a year ago that this is what my life would be, I never would’ve believed them—as much as I would’ve wanted to.

It’s beyond surreal to think that this woman, the one I spent months trying to find again after we shared that first amazing night at Opal and Oak, is mine now. And not just mine, but part of my family. Seeing Hannah and my mom in the stands together feels like watching my two very different worlds colliding, but it’s also a relief in a way.

Because now I don’t have to hide anything from anyone anymore. And neither does Hannah. Her parents know about us, and they’ve welcomed me into their family just like my mom did with Hannah. Most of the guys on the team probably already knew what was going on, but I don’t have to tread lightly around them anymore either.

We can just live. Together. And I can’t even describe how full that makes my heart feel. Not even getting into the NHL after years of grinding toward it could compare to how amazing it feels to be with Hannah.

My gaze drifts back to Hannah, who’s wearing my jersey openly and proudly now, and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of the sight. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen, so I blow both her and my mother a kiss, and Hannah catches it to bring it to her heart—which might be the second best thing I’ve ever seen.

I’m one of the first guys off the ice, and I shower quickly and head to the family and friends lounge. Hannah and my mother are already waiting for me, and Hannah launches herself at me as soon as I walk into the room, hugging me tightly.

“Congrats on another win,” she says with a spark in her eyes as she plants a kiss on my cheek. But that’s not nearly enough for me, so I grip her chin lightly and turn her head a little, claiming her mouth with mine.

“You know what that means,” I whisper in her ear when we part, and the way she shudders in my arms makes my cock throb. I made a promise to her earlier that if the Aces won today, I’d fuck her while she’s wearing nothing but my jersey. She flushes as we separate, a knowing smile on her face and heat flaming in her eyes.

“You played so well!” my mother exclaims as she reaches for a hug, and I pull her in tight. It’s so good to see her up and moving like this. Since she moved to Denver, I set her up with some of the best doctors in town, and I don’t know what they’ve been doing to help her, but her Parkinson’s symptoms have been noticeably diminished since she started the new treatment regimen.

“How couldn’t I with these two leading ladies out in the stands cheering me on?” I ask my mother before I kiss her cheek.

“Oh, come on now, you can save the flattery for this beauty.” She waves me off and smiles at Hannah, who blushes.

“Do you need a ride home?” Hannah asks her, and my mother shakes her head.

“I’ll be okay but thank you. Go on, go celebrate,” she says and ushers us away, so I kiss her goodbye and head out with Hannah.

The tension and anticipation crackles like electricity between us the entire drive back to her apartment. As soon as we walk through the door of her place, our lips are on each other’s. We kiss hungrily and with abandon all the way to her bedroom, stripping each other’s clothes off until she’s in nothing but her panties and my jersey.

“Take off the panties,” I growl, and with her face flushed, she shucks them down and kicks them away. “Good. Now get on your knees.”

Her eyes flash and she licks her lips as she sinks down in front of me. She gazes up at me with pure hunger, and I can tell from the way her breath is picking up that she’s just as turned on as I am. I rip my boxers off and take my cock in one hand to brush its tip across her plush lips, and she hums in approval.

“Now open that perfect, pretty little mouth of yours for me.” She drops her jaw compliantly, desire flickering in her beautiful, mismatched eyes as she holds my gaze. “Putain, hummingbird,tu me tues.”

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