Page 200 of The Maxwell Brothers
"What? No, just stay there with your teammates. I'll be here when you come home."
"Babe, I've been dying to be with you ever since the game finished. I'm going to be home real fast."
"Okay. Then I can’t wait to spoil you… help all those muscles decompress."
I laughed because she was throwing my words back at me. "I can't wait. I'll go say goodbye to the guys."
"Okay."
Pocketing my phone, I headed inside, straight to our table. Only half the team was sitting down. The other half was at the bar.
"Guys, it's been a real treat being out here with you," I said, "but my girl is waiting at home for me, so I'm heading there." That earned me more catcalls.
Steve was the only one who just raised a beer and said, "That right there is a real man. Maybe one of these days, you'll follow in his footsteps. Or mine."
Half the guys shuddered. The others grimaced. Aside from Steve and me, they were all single and enjoying it. And they should. I sure as hell enjoyed it in my time. But now, that held zero appeal to me. I was taken, and I was proud of it, and I couldn't wait to get home to my woman.
Half an hour later, I opened the door to my condo. The place smelled like cinnamon.
“Kendra?”
"Hey." She poked her head out from the kitchen before running toward me and jumping in my arms. I caught her by her ass, and she immediately wrapped her legs around me.
I captured her mouth, kissing her like I hadn't seen her in months, but I needed her more desperately than usual. I'd missed having her out there today, and I wanted her to know it.
The scent of vanilla caught my attention. Pulling back, I realized the whole place smelled like baked goods. "What's smelling so good?"
"I made you apple pie at home.”
I blinked, looking at her as I slowly put her down. "You baked for me?"
"Yeah. I wanted to do something nice for you." She smiled sheepishly. "My paycheck didn’t deposit yet, so I couldn't splurge the way I’d hoped, but I wanted to do something."
I didn't know why this meant so much to me. This woman literally lived one paycheck to the next, but she wanted to do something forme. "I'll have the pie, and then I'll have you."
"What? No, no, no." She twirled once, shimmying her hips. "You're supposed to decompress after games."
I laughed. "They just mean no workouts. Trust me."
She took two plates, putting a slice on each, one for me and one for her, and it dawned on me that my place smelled like home for the first time. I had a flashback to my childhood when Gran's house seemed to perpetually smell of something delicious, and this transported me right back there.
I took a bite, and she looked at me, narrowing her eyes.
"Uh-oh, you're not saying anything."
"It's delicious. Thanks. I was lost in thought."
"About what?"
In a fraction of a second, I pulled her against me. "About you."
My life had always revolved around hockey. During the season, I always had my eyes on the Stanley Cup. Being the best at hockey and making my teammates and parents proud were all I'd cared about.
But now I cared about making this woman happy and making it clear to her just how happy she made me in return.
CHAPTER 24
TYLER
