Christian Chase is no longer just a great hockey player. He’s a man with love, with a family, with a home. I’m a part of something larger than myself. With both Serena and the Nighthawks. I know what I have, and I know what I want. It’s time for the next step. A step I can’t wait to take. I’m great with stats and plays. What I’m planning is gonna top it all.
Chapter 21
Serena
My break from unpacking comes during an interview, this one about cyberbullying and how it makes women feel. Even strong, independent women. Via webinar, I address my brief bout of weight loss. Having already returned to my normal, healthy size, my confidence is stronger than ever. I make a confession that few know: Chris and I are together despite my weight loss. It wasn’t much, but it frightened him. He was concerned for my health. We didn’t get back together because I was thinner, and therefore more attractive. No, we did so in spite of it. I make sure women know they don’t need to be model-like sizes or Photoshopped to hook a guy. “Be yourselves, accept yourselves, love yourselves.” It’s part of every speech I give now.
I once heard someone say that if your thighs touch, you’re close to becoming a mermaid. I have no idea where the quote comes from, just that I love the notion of it. It’s on a mug that I place on my desk. My pen cup, it serves as a reminder that if my body type is good enough to create the illusion of a mermaid, it’s more than enough for us mere mortals to accept.
With this newfound motivational speaker role, my business is another form of my voice, and it has evolved. Sustainability isn’t just about the fabrics, dyes, and treatments my company chooses. Not anymore. It’s now also about caring for my consumers, caring about who I hire as models, letting women know they aren’t alone. If I can survive the most painful breakup of my life and the publicly humiliating aftermath, so can my clienteleonsumers. Plus, I’m designating a portion of my revenues to nonprofits empowering women.
My company has evolved and survived. That video I recorded with my mom is what did it. Me, sporting every blemish and imperfection, remains on YouTube. It always will. Do I look awful? Absolutely. Ask me if I care, because I don’t. If it helps or inspires one person, it’s worth it to me.
Chris waits for me in his living room, his chin resting on his fist. Although he’s given me bookshelf space, my lack of organization pains him. He stands in front of a group of my books, which take up the shelves in a hodgepodge mixture of colors and sizes, and scratches his beard, which has grown longer with the progressing NHL season.
I’ve adjusted to his hockey lifestyle, to the away games, to the toll it takes on him. I also make his every return home an event, one where I softly massage and kiss and lick each aching limb, sore muscle, and new bruise. It’s become our thing. Sometimes I think I do it more for myself than for him, because I get such an enormous amount of pleasure from our time together.
I splay my palms across his chest from behind. His heartbeat quickens beneath my palm, and his heat emanates from under the fabric. He’s wearing a spicy cologne today, one of my favorites, and I inhale deeply, savoring every second that we’re together. “You want to organize them, don’t you?”
“Nope.” One word. It’s all he can muster.
I smile against his back. “You know you want to. So just do it.”
He shakes his head. “No.”
“Please? For me?” My hand trails lower.
“When you agreed to move in with me, I promised that you can put your stuff wherever and however you want.” He’s adamant, but I know he never expected his precious bookshelves to be in utter disarray.
My hands move to his shoulders, and I round on him, leaning against the shelving. “This looks awful. Only you can organize it. So, I’m insisting you organize the damn shelf, Chase.” Barking at him and calling him by his last name has caught Chris’s attention. His head snaps to me.
“I like it when you assert yourself.” He leans down and nips my lower lip with his teeth, causing my breath to catch in my throat. Sucking it, ever so slowly, he teases me. It’s deliberate, of course. And makes my every muscle, every nerve, pulsate for him.
Our relationship began with strong sexual chemistry. That same sexual chemistry is more intense now than ever before. No matter how our relationship evolves, I’ll never be able to get enough of him. That will never change.
“Let’s make a deal.” I lead him through the sliding glass door, to our private backyard. “You promised me a swim. Swim first, then organize.”
We’ve been unpacking and getting me settled for far too long and my muscles are tight. I need a swim. Chris glances at the shelf. He really wants to organize that mess. But I can give him something he wants more. I walk out onto the deck and untie my little black dress at my waist.
Though it’s October, the sun is warm, and the pool is heated. I turn to him, stripping naked on our deck. His jaw drops. Proceeding to the pool, I glance over my shoulder once more, ensuring I have his complete attention, then I dive in and wait for him.
Sure enough, he strips down in record time, but he doesn’t join me. Instead, I watch as he goes to the bar and grabs something from the fridge. “Seriously? You’re thirsty. What has become of us?” My tone is teasing as I turn toward the sun, leaning against the edge of the pool and closing my eyes.
I’m met with silence. No splashes, no Chris. I’m slightly agitated by his lack of response to my nakedness, when he finally slides next to me in the pool with such grace that there’s barely a ripple in the water. He moves behind me, resting his naked body against my neck, my back, my ass. Brushing my wet curls to the side, he kisses the nape of my neck, licking and nibbling that sensitive spot until I moan. All is forgiven. This attention was well worth the wait.
Seconds turn into minutes, and then I lose all sense of time as his mouth and tongue roam. Here, and there, he explores me, then begins to massage my shoulders, and I vibrate for him. I try to turn, but his grasp holds me in place.
“Are you thirsty?” There’s a hint of humor beneath his question.
“No, but I may need a drink if you deny me what I really want.”
Chris laughs.
“Glad you find this amusing,” I mutter.
He laughs harder, and I don’t try to hide my mounting frustration with him. “What’s so—” I open my eyes and gasp. Placed in front of me is a supersized raspberry blue Slurpee with a sparkling diamond ring dangling from the straw. Harry Winston has nothing on the three breathtakingly large diamonds twinkling in front of me, surrounded by smaller diamonds. “Oh, my God.”
“Have I ever told just how shitty that day was before I met you?” He rubs my shoulders in a soft circular motion. “Then one collision, and one blue raspberry Slurpee, changed everything.”
Chris’s voice is rough, and he clears his throat. I want to hold him and never let go, but he’s calling the shots here. I let him. Because his gravelly timbre tells me that he’s emotional and vulnerable. Just like the night he came to my brownstone asking for forgiveness, unsure if I would ever take him back.
With trembling hands, he splays his palms against my waist, then kisses my neck. After a long pause, he exhales, his warm breath sending delicious little shivers through my flesh, to my heart, to my very core.
“For the first time in my life, I feel whole…and at home. With you. Every night, I thank God for that shitty day that brought us together. Three diamonds. Three promises. I promise to adore you, always. I promise to be your husband, lover, partner, and friend. I promise you a life worthy of you. If you’ll marry me, that is. Will you…marry me?”
Does he honestly think my answer would be anything but a resounding, heartfelt, thrilled-beyond-belief yes? I turn, and his smoky eyes are surrounded by the web of fine lines that form when he’s concerned. We’re each other’s strength, yet he’s still frightened. Of not being worthy of love.
I wr
ap my arms around his neck, tugging him closer to me while I refuse to release his gaze. “I would marry you a thousand times over.”
“Not a thousand. Once is all I need.” His smile conveys that once will be forever. It’s all I could have ever asked for.
Brushing my lips against his, I whisper, “Once. Forever. I’m yours. Your wife. Your lover. Your partner and best friend.” I then kiss him with all the love and devotion I possess. This is a gentle kiss, a soul-fusing kiss that turns passionate and all-consuming. He clamps my ass, and I wrap my legs around him, his erection hard against me. We are magnets after all. Perpetually drawn to one another. And we will solidify that with…
I yank my lips from his. “I want that gorgeous ring on my finger. Now. Before we go any further, I want it to be official.” Before it falls into the pool and gets caught in a filter or some other catastrophe befalls it. I refuse to tempt fate. Nothing is happening to that ring. I’ll wear it. Always.
Chris reaches over my shoulder for the cup with his free arm. I don’t move; I’m still mounting him. I don’t plan to release him anytime soon. He seems to feel the same, holding the Slurpee toward me as I reach for the beautiful ring.
He puts the cup back on the deck. “I didn’t spill it.” We laugh as he takes the ring from me and slides it on my finger. “Marry me, Serena.”
“Yes.” One small, rather simple word that suddenly encompasses everything…my past, present, and future. My love. My dreams. The man I adore completely and unashamedly.
“Did I do well?” He winks at me and my insides flutter. Still. He makes me weak, and hot, and fills me with this intense longing. He means with the ring, but I take it a step further.
“You did great. Who knew you were such a romantic?” I show off my hand, with the diamonds reflecting the late afternoon sun. “Oh, wait. I did. You’re everything I never knew I needed, but always wanted.”
Chris makes slow, hard love to me, like he has numerous times, yet this time is different. His kisses are soft yet demanding, his fingers knead me, his palms scorch my flesh. He flicks and teases my nipples, making them hard for him. All the while, his eyes, now dark with desire, never leave mine. He’s searching my soul, penetrating me deeper, then deeper still. It’s a joining more intense and intimate than our first time without a condom. Because we are one now. With a future we can grasp, and a love strong enough to survive anything.
“I’ll never give up on you.” It’s my promise to him. One of many. “I will always be your true north.” With each of my passionate admissions, he rewards me with more pleasure than I could have imagined.
His warmth fills me, as his tongue explores every recess of my mouth, claiming each spot as his own while tremors begin to wrack my body. His muscles begin to shake violently as our climaxes reach new heights. The level to which this man fills me never ceases to amaze me. I can only imagine what our lives will be like. The intensity will continue to grow; I know that. Because among Chris’s many attributes is his ability to love me and revere me like no other.
It has become his mission since our breakup and subsequent reunion. I feel it, too. That appreciation for what we have, and the desire to make it count. Yes, we have one hell of an adventure in our future.
Chris cups my face with his palms, kissing me once more, his lips featherlight, his long beard scratchy. “I love you, Mrs. Chase.”
He never asked if I’d change my name, but he predicted correctly. “I love the sound of that.” I’ll wear his last name like a badge of honor.
“I knew you would.” He kisses my forehead. That same intimate gesture that feels like home. He is my home. His warmth, his kisses and caresses, his intoxicating scent. Yes, our future will be bright. I see it in his smile, in his eyes, and the way the sun seems more vivid whenever we’re together.
“I have one request, though.” I try to hide my sarcasm.
He’s quick to respond. “Me too. Rum at the wedding. Your mom is much nicer when drunk.”
We laugh, and he embraces me tighter. “Soon she’ll be your mother-in-law. Lucky you.”
“Baby, I am the luckiest man on earth, crazy in-laws and all.” Another kiss. Another promise of more, so much more.
Little does he know that I’m the fortunate one.
Epilogue
Christian
Serena and I arrive at one of our favorite restaurants near the stadium to celebrate our engagement. Her family is here, with the exception of her dad. Our friends and my teammates, by extension my family, are also in attendance. Of course, I haven’t heard from my own dad since our last conversation. I never expected to. He lived up to my low expectations. It’s fine with me, though. It gives me closure and is a reminder of who truly cares about me. No one more so than Serena. That’s a W for me. I couldn’t be more fortunate.
“You ready?” I ask, threading my fingers through hers.
She smiles, that sweet yet naughty smile that will forever make me hard for her. “Always.”
We enter together, with a booming “Congratulations!” that is all but deafening. The dining room is packed. Marcus Noble bought out the place for our private party as his gift to us, and Serena’s mom bought out at least a dozen flower shops. She went overboard, but she’s here, and happy for her daughter. Which is all that matters.
“Christian, my darling soon-to-be son!” she squeals, hugging me with one arm as the drink in her other hand sloshes on the carpet. “I love that you love my daughter.”
She’s all smiles, then squeezes my ass. My head snaps to Serena and her eyes widen as she mouths rum? That would be my guess. She and Serena’s dad have separated, and Serena’s mom has been having the time of her life. She’s even enamored with some of my teammates, though none of them will ever do anything more than humor her.
Serena hugs her mom. “Enough rum, pirate. Water. Hydrate, okay?”
I wonder when the roles reversed. When Serena became the mom, and her mother gladly capitulated. Perhaps Kathryn always wanted out and Serena gave her the strength to act on it. That’s my guess. Hell, Serena can take the bull by the horns and mount them to the fucking wall like trophies. That’s what she does for those she loves. I’m the lucky guy who will spend the rest of my life with her.
Nick claps me on the back. “I’m happy for you, brother.”
“Thanks, Nick.” He’s my best man. Since the wedding is happening sooner rather than later, he’s also in charge of the dreaded bachelor party. All of it is planned around our season, of course. I’ve requested tame, but Nick has teamed up with Damon, so I’m slightly nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. I think I may be the only adult in attendance on that particular evening.
Champagne is served by the waitstaff, and Serena and I thank everyone for coming. There will be a formal dinner to follow, but for now, we’re being toasted by those close to us.
Lucas is first. “Congratulations to my sister and her fiancé. You found your soul mate, Serena. It’s clear how much he loves you, otherwise I would never let him near you.” Laughter fills the room as Lucas raises his glass. “To Serena and Christian. To your happiness.”
I kiss Serena’s curls. Her hair is down, like the night I saw her in the bar. So much is the same…nude lipstick and a form-fitting dress that hugs her tight ass in all the right ways. Tonight, it’s a cornflower blue that draws out her eyes. She’s beaming, her smile lighting up the room. The pride I feel standing beside her is something I can’t hide. I won’t hide it.
Nick is next. “We’ve known each other for most of our lives, Chris. I never thought I’d see you find the perfect woman. But you did, and it gives the rest of us hope. Congratulations to Chris and Serena.”
The cheers erupt again, though Nick’s eyes darken as he takes a drink. I wonder what he’s thinking. He blinks, and the jovial Nick is back. Just in time, too. Because Serena’s mom saunters over and plants a kiss on his che
ek. “That was one hell of a toast, gorgeous.”
Once the toasts are completed, and everyone takes their seats, Serena pulls me aside, into the corner behind the bar. “I love you, Chris.”
Though she’s said those words more times than I can count, I never tire of them. I kiss her. In another bar. Just like the first, only we’re no longer strangers. We’re soul mates. “I love you. But I have one suggestion about the reception…”
Serena’s handling all of the details. Except this one. “I’ve reconsidered serving rum. Your mom is a horny woman who has got a thing for my teammates. I don’t want her being a bad influence or distracting them.”
My fiancée’s laughter fills the crowded room. “We promised each other adventure, Captain. This is just the beginning.”
Standing on her tiptoes, in her stilettos, Serena kisses me. Yep, we’re in for a wild ride. This really is the beginning of a wonderful adventure.
Christian Chase is no longer a hockey god. I am a husband, first and foremost. Or at least I will be. Soon. That’s the most important title to me.
Don’t get me wrong. I still want that damn cup. As I sit, I study the large group of people sitting at the twelve-foot-long table. Thor and the Vamp are having an action movie debate, while Lucky is eying Serena’s mom like she is his MILF, which she probably is. I’ll need to shut that down. Guy and Ian are talking strategy, while Becca is chatting with Serena about her bachelorette party, which will include Lucas and Charlie. Savannah has Marcus’s full attention, detailing her upcoming trip to someplace tropical with Serena’s mom. The two have grown closer now that Kathryn and Harrison are separated.
Serena leans into me. “A penny for your thoughts.”
“I’m fortunate.” I caress her cheek.
“We both are. Talk about one hell of an extended family.” Her dimples deepen. “There’s always room for one more, though.”
Serena and I have discussed having kids, but I know she isn’t pregnant. Not yet.
Ice Hot Page 21
