by Grey, S. R.
“I like this place,” I say, nodding approvingly. “It has a nice beachy vibe.”
It does too. The living room has a blue-and-white nautical theme, and the kitchenette is a quirky pink and green. The exterior is bright yellow, making the whole vibe very southern Florida.
The bedroom is more on the romantic side, decorated in soft blues and with french doors that lead out to the beach.
“It’s so cozy and private,” I say, peering out the open doors, the warm breeze wafting in. “Your friend was right.”
Blake comes up from behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my middle. “It’s perfect,” he agrees. “And even better, we’re miles away from Vegas.”
I relax back into him. “Mmm, yes we are.”
This whole night has been so chill, just being able to be ourselves without a care in the world.
As I stare out at the waves, Blake asks softly, “Do you want to take a walk out on the beach?”
Spinning to face him, I reply, “No, not now. We haven’t had a chance to be together since Labor Day night. It feels like freaking forever, and I don’t want to waste a single minute more waiting.”
Chuckling, he pulls me to him, rasping, “Ah, that’s my girl.”
It’s all over then.
The past couple of weeks of not being able to touch each other, not in this way, come to a head. I yank Blake’s tee up his chest and he pulls it the rest of the way over his head, making his raven hair stick up in all kinds of cute angles.
Laughing, my lips meet his.
And then there’s kissing—so much kissing.
Blake slowly backs me toward the bed, where he lays me down, lifting my skirt.
I tremble under his touch, waiting, anticipating.
He doesn’t make me wait too long.
Nope, he drops to his knees and yanks me to the edge of the mattress. Once my panties are discarded, I feel Blake’s mouth on me, so freaking warm and so damn skilled.
“Yes,” I hiss as he brings me close to the brink.
But then he stops.
Pouting, I prop up on my elbows and ask, “Why’d you stop doing what you were doing?”
Shrugging off his cargo shorts, his strong physique silhouetted in the streaming moonlight, Blake says, “I stopped because when you come for the first time tonight, Noelle, it’s going to be with me.”
Who can argue with that?
Perfection
I mean what I said—when Noelle falls apart tonight, I plan to be there right with her.
Fuck, my bond with this woman is becoming so strong.
It’s actually kind of scary.
But when it’s right, it’s right.
That’s why I’m doing what I preach to everyone else—I’m not losing the moment.
Once I’m finally naked, I climb onto Noelle. She ditched her skirt and top while I was working on my shorts, and I got rid of her panties earlier.
She’s now as bare as I am.
Her skin feels so warm and good under mine once I settle down on top of her. I grabbed a condom from my shorts before I threw them aside, so I now take a sec to roll it down my length.
Then I’m back in place, with beautiful Noelle beneath me, ready, accepting.
Everything is perfect as I plunge into her.
She gasps, tightening her legs around me.
Fuck, what I feel for her is so strong, making this mean so much more.
I think she feels the same way too.
I told her before that I was falling, and it’s true.
I still am.
Deeper, stronger, harder, my movements match what I feel in my heart.
“Blake,” Noelle murmurs, like a prayer.
“Yes, my love?”
“It’s just… It’s so good.”
“It is,” I agree.
Her fingers wind into my hair, and I lower my face to her neck, breathing her in. Together we move, united as one.
“It’s better than even the first time,” she rasps, amazement in her tone.
“It is, gorgeous. It is.”
And it is the best.
I could go all night with her.
So I do.
We enjoy each other’s bodies till dawn breaks.
And then, as the first light of day streams in, we finally fall asleep.
The next day—well, really just a few hours later—Noelle and I are just lazing around on the beach outside our private cottage.
We’re still exhausted from our late, late night.
Wonder why, Blake?
I snicker as I think about all that occurred.
I then have to adjust my wood.
Yeah, he’s not tired at all.
But it’s not just my thoughts from last night turning me on. No, Noelle is fucking stunning in the tiny emerald green bikini she has on. I’ve barely been able to keep my eyes off of her.
Or my hands.
Not that she seems to mind.
But, damn, that bikini.
It’s all to blame.
Not only does it show off her hot body, but the vibrant shade of green contrasts beautifully with her platinum blonde hair.
Funny thing, and totally unplanned on my part, is that my swim trunks are green also, though a more muted shade.
“Did you orchestrate this?” Noelle asks a short while later when I return from a dip in the warm crystal-blue ocean water.
“Orchestrate what?” I ask, toweling off.
“You’re wearing matching green swimwear.” She nods to my soaked swim trunks. “Did you plan that?”
I laugh. “How could I know the color of your bikini?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe you just…knew.”
I pause in my drying efforts and reply, “Hey, I know we’re on the same page a lot, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet, babe.”
Turning serious, Noelle lowers her sunglasses so our eyes can meet. “Do you think we’ll get there, Blake?”
Sitting down on the lounge chair next to her, I touch her sun-warmed leg and say, “I think so. I really do.”
She sighs. “Things are so freaking great with us, aren’t they? I was thinking about it last night when we were walking around Key West.”
“They really are,” I agree, nodding.
Suddenly, though, she looks away.
In a guilty tone, she says, “Maybe it’s time we tell Noel about us. He’s bound to find out at some point, and telling him now is probably better than continuing to wait.”
Surprised, I reply, “Whoa, that’s a one-eighty from where you were.”
“I know. But, crap, this isn’t just a fling, Blake.”
I blow out a breath. “That’s true. Still, I think we should hold off until the regular season starts. I’d hate to have your brother take the news badly and have it mess with the team chemistry. It’s only training camp, but we’re really gelling already.”
Noelle understands hockey, so she doesn’t dispute what I’m telling her.
Nonetheless, she doesn’t sound thrilled when she murmurs, “Okay, Blake. We can wait.”
Under her breath, I swear I hear her also murmur, “But not too much longer.”
It Could Blow Up At Any Time
Okay, so Blake wants to wait to tell my brother about us until the regular season begins.
Ugh.
I know it’s only a couple of weeks away, but I’m worried it might be too late.
This Key West trip has really put things into perspective for me, and I’m ready to let my brother in on the truth.
It’s for the best. If Noel finds out Blake and I have been going out for a while, and I haven’t been the one to tell him, he will not be happy.
Then there’s the fact that I hate keeping things from my twin for this freaking long, even if it has been out of necessity and the prudent thing to do.
I sigh and have to remind myself that to have said something too soon would’ve been unwise. Noel never would’ve trusted Blake not to just use
me. He knows hockey players all too well. And he’s seen far too many times how some of them are major “players” when it comes to women.
Also, Noel knows Blake, yes, but not extremely well. He really has no idea he’s so different.
And how could he?
The time they spent together in Sweden was consumed with hockey.
“Yeah,” I mutter, rolling my eyes, “the only one getting it on over there was my wily brother.”
I shake my head.
Some days I think it would’ve been easier if this thing with Blake hadn’t amounted to anything.
But it has.
And don’t get me wrong, I’m happy. Blake and I are committed to each other now. That was made clear to me down here in Key West.
Not only have we had having an amazing time, but we’re growing closer than ever.
On Sunday, we spend the morning taking a tour of the Ernest Hemingway House. It’s another must-do that Blake planned.
He’s so sweet!
He just gets that I’m a nerdy girl.
And just like he suspected, in the many rooms of the house, I love checking out the old typewriters Hemingway once used.
We’re in the middle of the tour and the stories the guide has told us thus far, ones about Hemingway’s books mostly, are completely fascinating to me.
But the one thing that ends up surprising me the most has nothing to do with the famous author.
It has to do with Blake.
I’ve known for a while now that he has a good heart, but it’s proven beyond all doubt when I see how much he loves the six-toed Hemingway cats that are roaming around the house.
Trust me, there are a lot of them.
There are signs asking the visitors to not pick up any of the cats, simply because it wouldn’t be fair to be handled all day, but petting is allowed.
Boy, does Blake take advantage of that.
It freaking melts my heart to see him dote on all the kitties.
When we reach one particular cat—we must’ve seen twenty by now—Blake once again has to stop and give this one a little cheek rub like he did for all the others.
“Hey, little buddy,” he murmurs in a soft, gentle tone. “How’s it going today?”
I almost laugh.
This is too cute, and so at odds with the image of a rough-and-tumble hockey player.
It makes me fall for Blake a little more.
The gray tabby he’s petting gazes up from his perch on a chair and starts purring loudly.
Snickering, I remark, “I think it’s safe to say he’s telling you his day is going pretty great now that you’re around.” I softly add, “I feel the same way.”
“Aw, sweetheart…”
I get a kiss for that.
Then Blake’s back to being focused on his new little buddy.
“It is a great day today, isn’t it?” he baby-talks to the tabby, scratching his chin.
Smiling, I say, “You know, I never would’ve pegged you to be such a cat lover.”
Turning to me, Blake tells me in a serious tone, “I’ve always loved animals, Noelle, ever since I was a little kid. Even now, I sometimes wish I had a pet. But with my crazy hockey schedule, I don’t want to adopt one and not be there for it.”
Annnd my heart melts right there.
Blake Cavaletti is more than just a good man. He’s an outstanding person.
I squeeze his hand and we continue the tour, heading out to the gardens where, of course, we come upon more cats. Each one receives a pet and a scratch, courtesy of Blake.
I dole out some affection too.
After the Hemingway House, both of us are hot and hungry, so we walk down to Kermit’s for another one of their fabulous chocolate-dipped frozen Key Lime pies on a stick.
“I’m going to get fat if I keep eating these,” I tease Blake as we’re walking out of Kermit’s, yummy treats in hand.
“I know,” he replies, chuckling. “I am too. Good thing we’re leaving Key West tonight, huh?”
I nod, but, really, I’m kind of sad it’s already time to go.
The weekend is over, and it’s time to get back to real life.
On the flight back to Vegas that night, I think about our time on the trip as I glance over at Blake, who’s nodded off.
I relive our first night at Sloppy Joe’s, strolling through the vibrant and lively streets of Key West, Kermit’s, and our sexy times at the beach house. I smile fondly thinking of how we spent time on the beach and visited the Hemingway House. I feel particularly touched with how Blake was with the cats.
It was all so perfect, and I’m happier than I ever have been before.
That’s when I realize I’m more than simply falling for Blake—I have fallen completely in love with him.
This romantic and fun Key West getaway has made it crystal clear to me.
That’s another reason why I feel so okay with telling Noel the truth about us.
I kind of want to shout it from the rooftops.
Not to mention, if my brother finds out I’m this serious with Blake, yet neglected to say a thing to him, he’ll be worse than mad—he’ll be hurt.
Nonetheless, I’ll hold off from spilling the news for now, but only because Blake wants to wait a little bit longer.
I just hope waiting doesn’t turn out to be a massive mistake.
The time leading up to the start of the regular hockey season flies by. Between my classes and Blake’s ramped-up training camp, once again we barely have time for us.
We make it work, though, albeit still on the down low.
Grrr, it’s so annoying, all this sneaking around.
Key West showed me that.
That’s why I can’t wait for the season to start so we can come out as a couple, especially to Noel.
When that day finally arrives, at least the start of the season part, the first thing I do is exclaim to Blake, “Yay, it’s finally here. Hockey season starts tonight!”
He chuckles. “Yes, it sure does. It feels like it’s been fucking forever getting to this point, though, huh?”
I scoff, “You’re not kidding.”
Tonight is the first game. The Wolves are playing the Los Angeles Kings on home ice.
The rest of the day, I don’t see much of Blake. He has practice, and then he goes home for a nap.
That’s fine.
I’m too busy with my own crap.
I spend time in the library, catching up on assignments, and attend three classes.
After a stop at my townhouse to freshen up, I pick up Cara so we can drive to the game together.
She and Jaxon worked things out at the spa retreat and are stronger than ever.
Yay!
I am so damn happy for her. Those two are so perfectly right for each other, kind of like how Blake and I are.
And soon Noel will know.
I hope he’s happy for us.
At the game, once Cara and I are seated and the first period is underway, I say to her, “I sure am glad I let Jaxon take my place on that spa weekend.”
Grinning mischievously, she replies, “Ooh yes, so am I.”
Rolling my eyes playfully, I volley back, “I don’t even want to know what you two got up to up there in Mesquite.”
“Ha, wouldn’t you like to know?”
“No, I actually wouldn’t, you perv. I just told you that.”
We’re just being silly, but our attention is quickly diverted to the ice when Jaxon gets the puck and scores a great goal.
Yes!
Noel and Blake both get assists on that one.
The crowd goes crazy, as do Cara and I.
We stand and jump around, high-fiving each other along with a bunch of random strangers around us.
Wolves’ fans really are the best!
When we finally sit back down, Cara snickers.
“What’s so funny?” I have to ask.
“I was just thinking some more about how really, really grateful I am that you let Jax
on go in your place to the spa retreat.”
“Oh no, not this again.” I pretend to be annoyed.
Cara, oblivious to me as she peers down at the ice where Jaxon is, says, “I’m not giving out details, don’t worry. But I do have to say one thing.”
“Uh-oh, what’s that?”
Lowering her voice, she leans in close and murmurs, “I definitely had more fun in that big ole bed with him than I ever would’ve had with you.”
“Hey!” I pretend to be offended, elbowing her away. “How can you say that? I’m a great snuggler.”
Cara snorts. “Sorry, Noelle, but snuggling wasn’t what we were doing most of the time.”
I roll my eyes. “I can only imagine.”
She then whispers, “Hey, you know I’ll give you details if you want. I was only kidding around. And I know you were too. So for the record, let me put it out there that Jaxon is ahhhh-mazing in the sack.”
Pushing her away again, I mutter, “Get out of here. I can live without that knowledge, thank you very much.”
“Aw, yeah, I forgot.” Cara flips her long auburn ponytail to the side. “You’re not getting any lately. Sorry about that, Noelle.”
Here is my perfect opportunity to come clean with at least one of the most important people in my life.
Hmm, this could be like a trial run. I can gauge how it might go with Noel.
Of course, he’ll get the clean version. Not the one I’m about to share with Cara.
But I want to think about it first, so I bide my time, readying to confess as the final minutes of the period tick down.
Finally, the horn sounds and the first intermission is underway.
The people around us get up and run off to the bathroom, or to grab something to eat or drink.
Okay, I’m ready.
Taking advantage of the moment, I say to Cara, “Uh, what you said earlier isn’t exactly accurate.”
“What did I say?” she asks.
“You said something about me not ‘getting any’ lately.” I smile smugly. “I actually am getting quite a bit.”
“Wait, do you mean sex?”
“Yep.”
Cara’s hazel eyes widen. “Holy crap, you’ve been holding out on me. You’re such a bitch! So who are you banging?”
“Uh…”
