Page 133 of The Import Slot
“You can’t make such a huge decision like that on a whim!”
“It’s not a whim. I’ve done seven years. Yeah, I’ve got more years in me, but I want to stay here and play hockey with you.”
“No,” I say, my mood turning sour.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, you’re not staying. I saw your face that night we saw your brother play for the Leafs. You looked borderline heartbroken. I know you want to play in the NHL, and that’s what you will do. We’ll figure it out.”
I wash myself in haste before I step out of the shower and grab a towel, drying myself off in my bedroom.
“That’s not what that was. I was just pissed he didn’t tell me. I could have missed his first game! Besides, you can’t tell me what to do,” Ryan says, following me out.
He has a towel wrapped around his waist, and his chest glistens damply. Even when I’m pissed off at him, I can’t take my eyes off of him. He looks fucking incredible.
“Fine. Do whatever you want. Ruin your career. Work in Tesco for all I care. But, I’m not going to be the one you resent in six months when you’re sitting on the bus next to Johnny, listening to Bettsy talk about toothy blowjobs.”
I drop my towel and grab my underwear from my drawer when his hands grip my waist and pull me into him, my back against his chest. I can feel him hard against me. He pulls his towel down and spins me around, pushing my back against the wall.
The way he’s looking at me right now is like nothing I’ve seen before: like he wants to devour me. But I’m so turned on, and he knows it. He doesn’t say anything. He just lifts me up and wraps my legs around his waist, holding me there momentarily.
“Please,” I whisper, and he slides into me in one firm motion, causing me to gasp. I meet his eyes as he drives into me.
“Harder,” I say, digging my nails into his back. He stays at the same pace, deliberately teasing me. “Harder,” I repeat, and he does this time, not letting up as he builds a rhythm, steady and fast.
The way his pubic bone grinds against me brings me to climax, and I scream his name. It’s not in my plan and I don’t know where it comes from.
He grunts into my ear and stills before kissing my neck, trailing toward my jaw and planting a firm peck on my lips.
He sets me down, grabs his towel, and hands it to me.
“I’m still pissed at you. This conversation isn’t over,” I say.
I swear to God, this guy pushes all of my buttons like I’ve never known before, but I can’t get enough. It’s all the buttons, good and bad. He makes me want to be the best version of myself, and makes me feel loved and appreciated, valued and cherished, but sometimes he frustrates me beyond measure.
“Sorry. Naked, angry Jen is a fucking smoke show,” he smirks and pauses before his expression turns serious. “I just want to play hockey. I’m at the point now where I don’t care where, just as long as I come home to you and you’re happy.”
I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. Never before has anyone else cared about whether I’m happy, not even my parents. Sure, my friends have, but not enough that they’d change their plans for it; that’s probably why I think it will all topple down on me.
“Then why do I feel you’ll resent me?” I say.
I get dressed as I wait for him to respond.
“I don’t know, but I won’t. I don’t know how to prove that to you.”
“What if we break up, and then you’re stuck here because you’ve missed your shot of going back?”
“We’re not going to break up, babe.”
“You can’t know that!” I say, pulling a jumper over my head.
“Fine, okay. Let’s break up now. I’ll still be staying so I can see you every day, and you can conclude that we’re meant to be together.”
I scowl at him. He’s infuriating: All. The. Buttons.
“Jen, when I first came here, I was set on only being here for one season, but things change. I’ve changed and for the better.” Ryan reaches for the second drawer in my unit and pulls out a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.
“How about you ask Ronnie to see if she can get you two years? Then see how you feel? I can probably get a two-year working VISA, and I still have my redundancy payout to support myself for a bit.”
