Page 42 of The Pucks We Freeze
I sank down on him slowly, savoring the stretch and the way he gasped as I took him in inch by inch. His hands slid to my thighs, gripping tightly, his touch burning into my skin.
“God,” he groaned. “You feel like heaven.”
I started to move, slow and steady, rocking my hips as the tension built between us. Kade met each roll with a lift of his own, his hands roaming over my waist, my ribs, my back. It was as if he couldn’t stop touching me, like I wasn’t real unless his hands were on me.
We kissed between ragged breaths, mouths brushing and clashing, soft moans mixing in the dark.
He reached up, cradling the back of my head, his voice raw as he whispered, “This… this is what I’ll remember.”
I pressed my forehead to his, breath hitching as I rode the edge of something sharp and sweet. His grip on my hips tightened, and I felt the way he held back, trying to make it last, trying to make it count.
“Kade—” I choked out, the coil snapping loose inside me, and he followed with a groan, pulling me tighter as we both came undone.
We stayed there, tangled in each other, breathless and quiet.
He ran his fingers slowly along my spine, his voice low and honest when he whispered, “I needed that. I needed you.”
I kissed his shoulder and whispered, “I’m not gone yet.”
But soon, I would be. If I could leave him with something to hold on to, I’m glad it was this.
His mouth crashed against mine, swallowing the rest.
We stayed like that for a while, tangled in the silence of the empty room, our breath syncing, our hearts trying to slow down.
His fingers traced circles along my stomach. I rolled to my side to face him, studying the angles of his face in the moonlight. His lashes were long, casting faint shadows, and the soft rise and fall of his chest reminded me of how safe I’d felt wrapped up in him this past week.
“I don’t want to go,” I said finally, the words catching in my throat.
He opened his eyes and reached to push a strand of hair from my cheek. “I don’t want you to either, Birdie.”
I bit my lip, heart stammering in my chest at the mention of my nickname. “I’ll be back.”
His eyes glimmered with hope, fear, and longing all at once. He nodded, slower this time, like he was trying to force himself to believe it.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said softly.
I curled into him, resting my cheek on his chest, the steady thrum of his heartbeat echoing in my ear as I breathed in his scent.
I dared myself to believe this was enough to hold us over until summer. I wanted to trust that nothing would shift or change while I was gone.
Deep down, I knew better, though.
The threats. The puck through the window. The chilling message it carried. I couldn’t shake the truth that this was far from over. Whoever was behind it all was only warming up.
And when I returned to Rixton, who knew what I’d be stepping into next?
Epilogue
Kade
I didn’t stay to watch the bus pull away. I didn’t watch it disappear down the road or track its headlights as they vanished in the morning haze.
I couldn’t.
I’d helped Willow carry her duffel to the curb, my fingers tracing circles on the back of her hand a little longer than necessary before letting go. The heaviness of her bag was nothing compared to the weight sitting on my chest.
She hugged my mom as if it were second nature, as if she’d always been family. Mom held on a little longer than I expected, whispering something in her ear that made Willow’s eyes go soft. Jed pulled me aside right after, his voice gruff and quiet as he thanked me for looking out for her while Willow was here. Like it was ever a choice.
