Off the Ice

by L. P. Dover

  “What if he tells me no, just like I told him?”

  She slid her arms around my neck, and laid her head on my shoulder. “What is it you always tell me when I think something’s too hard to do?”

  Holding her tight, I breathed her in and smiled. “You never know until try.” Tears sprung to my eyes. “How did you get to be so smart?”

  She let me go, and smiled. “I take after my mother.”

  “All right, let’s do this. I’ll drop you off at Maw Maw and Paw Paw’s, and then I’ll head to the airport.”

  Squealing, she jumped off my lap. “I’ll be dressed and ready to go in two minutes.”

  Heart racing, I hurried to my bedroom and packed a bag. It was rash, and completely sudden, but it felt right. Ellie was right … I had to try.

  It turned out there was a flight leaving for Charlotte in just three hours. I had plenty of time to get Ellie to my parents and get to the airport.

  “Are you nervous?” Ellie asked.

  My hands shook, but I gripped the steering wheel so hard so she couldn’t tell. “No, not at all.”

  She giggled. “I’m glad you don’t want to be an actress. Justin’s going to be happy to see you.”

  “I hope so, honey. It’ll definitely be a surprise.”

  We pulled down my parents’ driveway, and they were outside waiting on us. I rolled down my window, and as soon as the truck came to a stop, Ellie hugged my neck and hopped out. “Have fun, Mommy. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Ellie latched onto my father’s leg, and he picked her up. They waved one more time before disappearing inside the house. My mother came over to my side of the truck, grinning as if she knew something I didn’t.

  “You think I’m stupid for going, don’t you?”

  She shook her head. “On the contrary,” she replied, leaning her arms on my window, “I’m surprised it took you this long to decide to go. I thought you would’ve agreed to this before Justin left town.”

  “Really?” That shocked me.

  “Oh yeah. I knew the long-distance thing wasn’t going to last. You made it two days.”

  Groaning, I leaned my head against the wheel. “I tried, Mom. I miss him so much. What scares me is uprooting Ellie. I don’t want her life having to change because of me.”

  She tapped my shoulder. “Her life is going to change, and so is yours, no matter what you do. Stay here, move there, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you follow your heart. Ellie will be loved no matter where you go, so don’t worry about her.” Sighing, I leaned back and met her gaze. “Besides,” she said, patting my cheek, “your father and I are moving to the beach house in the spring. We’ll just be six hours away from you. You don’t have to worry about us.”

  That was a huge relief, because they were one of the reasons why I didn’t want to leave Wyoming. It was like a heavy weight had been lifted. “Thanks, Mom. I think I needed to hear that.”

  She winked. “Go get your man.”

  “I will.”

  There was still plenty of time to get to the airport. When I arrived, there was still almost two hours until takeoff. I grabbed my bag and my purse, and walked inside the airport to the airline ticket counter.

  The woman smiled at me as I put my luggage on the scale. “Name, please,” she said. “And I need to see your license so I can get you checked in.”

  “Sure thing.” I unzipped my purse, and reached in, only to find that I didn’t have my wallet. Panic consumed me, and I frantically checked the floor. Then I realized I’d left my wallet on the kitchen counter after I hastily ordered the plane ticket. I’d forgotten to put it back in my purse.

  “Is everything okay?” the woman asked.

  “No,” I groaned, slapping a hand to my forehead. “I left my wallet at home.” It was thirty minutes home, and then another thirty back. Luckily, I still had two hours left. I grabbed my luggage off the scale. “I have to run home and get it. I’ll be back.”

  She nodded. “Okay.” I could see the sympathy on her face. I prayed like hell there wasn’t a traffic jam or a herd of moose trying to cross the road on my way home. Carrying my luggage, I ran as fast as I could out of the airport. It was times like this I wished I hadn’t driven the old truck. I needed my Toyota 4Runner to haul ass down the highway.

  Thankfully, I made it home without any problems. I rushed inside the house, my heart thumping so hard it made my chest hurt. My wallet was on the counter exactly where I left it. I grabbed it up, and ran out the door, my fingers shaking as I tried to lock it.

  When I turned around, it felt like I ran into a brick wall. My wallet fell to the ground, and I almost did as well, but a set of muscled arms held me in place. I looked up, and there he was.

  “What the hell?” I gasped.

  Chuckling, Justin pulled me into his arms. “That’s the kind of greeting I get? Reminds me of the first time we met.”

  I was in shock. “No, that’s not what I meant. I’m just surprised. What are you doing here?”

  His lips pulled back slyly. “I’m here for you. I decided I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  A flood of emotions swirled through me. I couldn’t even think straight. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean,” he said, holding me tighter, “is that I can’t stand being anywhere without you. I’m going to ask to be traded.” A burst of laughter roared out of my chest, and he stared at me as if I’d slapped him on the face. That wasn’t my intent. If he only knew my plan. Brows furrowed, he stepped back. “Why are you laughing?”

  “Because!” I cried, grabbing his hands to pull him closer, “If you must know, I was on my way back to the airport.”

  “For what?”

  “To be with you.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  I brought one of his hands up to my face, loving the feel of him against my cheek. “I don’t want you changing teams, Justin. And I don’t want you moving out this way.”

  His gaze saddened. “What do you want then?”

  Lifting up on my toes, I kissed him. “You. That’s why I’m moving to Charlotte. I was getting on a plane so I could tell you face to face. Seeing you here, and your willingness to change your life for me and Ellie, only makes my decision that much easier.” I kissed him again. “Please say you’ll let me do this.”

  At first, he seemed open to it, but then he shook his head. “What about your parents and Ellie? I don’t want you leaving your family.”

  I placed a finger over his lips. “Ellie is more than excited about the change, and my parents are moving to Nags Head. It’s all working out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He closed the distance, and I melted against him. “More than sure. I want to be where you are.”

  “You have no idea how amazing it feels to hear you say that.”

  Crushing me to his chest, I didn’t care if I could barely breathe. It felt good knowing he was there. “Don’t you have hockey practice tomorrow?”

  He kissed the side of my neck. “I do. James is at the airport, waiting to take me back on the jet.” Slowly, he pulled away, his gaze landing on my lips. “But I have a couple hours to spare. I figured we could go find Ellie and tell her the good news.”

  I bit my lip. “We can do that, but there’s one thing I want to do first.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

  Fisting his shirt in my grasp, I pulled him down to me. “I think you know.”

  “Let’s not waste any time then.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up, kissing his way down my neck to the tops of my breasts.

  With my legs around his waist, he carried me inside and slammed the door, ripping my shirt off before we could even get to the bedroom. Giggling, I looked down at the tattered garment on the ground and then up to him. His gaze was raw.

  “I’ll get you another one,” he assured me.

  Leaning me against the wall, Justin lifted my bra and cupped my breast i
n his hand, shifting me up so he could suck my nipple between his teeth. Closing my eyes, I moaned and held him close, my insides tightening. I could feel the blood rushing to the spot between my legs that ached to feel Justin’s touch. Only one gentle stroke and I would be completely lost and at his mercy.

  “Justin,” I breathed, arching my back.

  Chuckling, he reached around behind my back and unclasped my bra, letting it fall to the floor. He stood back and looked up and down my body as I straddled him, his cock getting harder between my legs.

  “You are so beautiful, Meghan,” he murmured, sliding a strand of my hair off my forehead. “I promise I’ll give you everything you want.”

  “I’ll have everything I want if I have you,” I answered him softly.

  Slowly, he leaned forward and placed his forehead to mine, breathing me in. “And you do. You have all of me.”

  “And you have all of me.”

  He was a dangerous man on the ice, yet so gentle in his touches. My God, I was so in love with him. I shouldn’t have let it happen, but I couldn’t fight it. I didn’t regret it one bit. He was the best worst decision I could’ve ever made for myself.

  He carried me down the hall to my bedroom. Plucking at his shirt, I demanded, “This needs to come off.”

  He smirked and lifted one arm. I promptly tugged his shirt over his head, and he let it fall to the floor. I ran my hands over his arms and down his washboard abs as he gently laid me down on my king-sized bed.

  Starting at my lips, he trailed his finger down my neck, in between my breasts, and on to my shorts, which he slid down my legs and tossed to the side. His hands were warm as he ran them up my legs to spread them, caressing my thighs.

  Smirking, he lowered his shorts to the floor and slowly climbed onto the bed. Biting my lip, I spread my legs as he slowly crawled up my body. He rested off to the side, his thick length pressing into my thigh as he turned me to him.

  “Most people don’t know the real me, Meghan. But with you … I’ve never been afraid to show you.”

  “I’m glad,” I murmured wholeheartedly. “I love the real you.”

  Spreading my legs with his knee, he smiled down at me and covered my body with his, leaning on his elbows to keep his full weight off of me. I was utterly at his mercy, and I loved it.

  “You’ve made me so happy, angel,” he claimed, brushing his fingers down my cheek.

  “I have?” I asked, kissing his fingers as be brushed them over my lips.

  He nodded. “I know you love it here in Wyoming, and leaving it is giving up a part of yourself.”

  “I’d do anything for you, Justin.”

  He lowered his lips to mine and I closed my eyes, loving the way my lips tingled every time they touched his. “And I’d do anything for you,” he answered. “That’s why I’ll make sure we spend every bit of free time and the summer doing exactly what you want. If you want to spend it here, we can. If you want to spend it with your family, we can do that too. I want you to know that I’m at your mercy. Whatever you say goes.”

  Looking at him, I smiled and wrapped my legs around his waist, feeling his cock jump in anticipation as I rubbed against it. “I like the sound of that. You might regret saying it.”

  He bit his lip. “Not at all.”

  “Then make love to me, Justin. That’s what I want you to do.”

  Ever so gently, Justin unhooked my legs and slid his hand up the inside of my thigh, opening my legs further. Lowering his head, he flicked his tongue across my clit. I gasped.

  When he chuckled, his breath fanned across my body, making it even more sensitive. His tongue worked wonders. Every time he pushed it inside of me, he rolled it around, tasting me while nuzzling my clit with his nose, keeping me stimulated.

  “Justin,” I moaned, fisting my hands in his hair. I was so close.

  “That’s right, angel. Let me make you come.”

  I screamed out his name as the force of my release had me arching off the bed, my hands still tangled in his hair. Slowly, I released my hands and brought them to my chest, where my heart thumped wildly.

  “I think you’re ready now,” he claimed, licking his lips.

  I lowered my hand and wrapped it around him. As I glided my hand up and down his cock, Justin pushed his length through my hand, biting his lip as he watched me. I loved seeing that wild, primal look in his eyes.

  “Mmm … that feels so good, angel.”

  The more I rubbed him, the more he trembled, twisting in my grip.

  “That’s enough, Meghan. I’m a little too worked up to be played with.”

  “Next time, then,” I teased.

  He lowered himself onto my body and bit my lip, tugging on it. “I look forward to it.”

  He rocked his hips against mine, and his arousal moved between my legs, rubbing along the slit, getting nice and wet. Then the tip found its mark, pushing inside, stretching me. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and felt a tender kiss before he slowly pressed in the rest of the way. The pain of it made my eyes water, but it was a good pain. In fact, I needed more.

  Capturing his face in my hands, I bit his lip and sucked on it as hard as I could. “Harder. I promise I won’t break.”

  He growled low and gripped the edges of the pillow beneath my head. “Fuck, you’re killing me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  I was ready to feel the heat, the intensity. Most of our lovemaking had been passionate and gentle, but I wanted it hard and raw. “You won’t. Now stop holding back.”

  Almost immediately, his breathing picked up and his eyes darkened, the intensity building in the room. I shivered in response and gripped my legs tighter around his waist, rocking my hips hard against his. That was his undoing.

  Fisting his hands in my hair, he pulled my head to the side and bit down on my neck, his thrusts growing deeper and faster. I screamed out in pleasure, but Justin silenced me by closing his lips over mine. The harder he pushed his body into me, the closer I was to losing control. I could tell he was close. As soon as I started to clench down on him, he released my hair and brought his hands down to my face, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

  Digging my nails into his skin, I rode wave after wave of pure bliss as the longest damn orgasm of my life rocked through my body. It only intensified when Justin growled in my ear, biting down on my lobe as he too released, pulsating inside of me.

  Breathing hard, he lifted up on his elbows and smiled down at me.

  I smiled back. The morning was everything I could’ve wanted and more.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I was more than okay. However, looking down at his lips, he definitely wasn’t. His bottom lip was red and swollen. I pointed at it and chuckled. “I’m perfectly fine, but I can’t say the same about you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Biting my lip, I looked down at his and cringed. “I kind of left a mark on your lip. It’s going to be embarrassing when we go to my parents’ house to get Ellie.”

  He didn’t seem to care by the grin on his face. “Is it bad? We can tell Ellie you accidentally punched me when I startled you.”

  The thought made me laugh. “That could very well work. Unfortunately, my parents will know the truth.”

  With a smirk, he tilted my head to the side. “It’s not like they don’t know already. You, however, need a good story for your neck.”

  I waved him off. “That’s what makeup is for.” We both laughed, and I placed a hand over his chest, loving the way it felt. “Think you can handle living with two girls? It’s a lot to ask of you.”

  He shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s what I want. And speaking of which, I need to get one of my spare bedrooms ready for Ellie.”

  “Go with unicorns. That’s what she’s into right now.”

  His smile broadened. “I can do that. You about ready to tell her the good news?”

  I was more than excited. I kissed him quick, and jumped out of bed. “Yep. Let’s
go.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Meghan

  “Are you excited?” Justin asked.

  Ellie squealed. “Yes!”

  She gawked out the window at all the huge houses we passed by. Justin had flown in the private jet to pick us up from Wyoming so he could see my family one last time before we left for good. It’d been two weeks since we’d seen him, but that was only because he had been busy getting his house ready for us. Ellie was going to be in for a treat.

  We’d left all of our furniture in Wyoming, but one day, we’d be back there for good. Until then, we were going to visit as much as we could. Kimberly and Jackson were going to take care of Firefly in the meantime. My nieces loved him. I wanted to bring him to North Carolina, but he belonged in the Wyoming mountains. He’d be happier there.

  In just two days, Ellie would be starting a new school. I was terrified, but she was excited about it. I’d already talked to her teacher, and they were ecstatic to have her. Since I wasn’t in town during orientation, Justin had gone to drop off her school supplies and say hello. Needless to say, it caused quite a few heads to turn, but Ellie’s teacher promised me that everything would run smoothly. It turns out they were going to have a position available after Christmas. I looked forward to getting back to teaching, but it was going to be nice to have a few months to get used to the move.

  We pulled up at Justin’s house, and he pressed the button to open the gate. Ellie’s mouth dropped as she looked up at the huge mansion. “This is your house?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper.

  Justin tapped her chin. “It’s yours now too. Come on.”

  We got out, and she grabbed my hand, still looking stunned. I pulled her inside, and she went straight to the back door. “You have a pool? It’s ginormous!”

  Justin chuckled. “And it’s heated. We can swim in the winter.” We followed her into the kitchen, where she grabbed a grape out of the fruit bowl. Justin nudged her toward the refrigerator. “Why don’t you look in the freezer?”

  Ellie ran over and opened it up. Inside was every single Ben and Jerry’s flavor you could imagine. “Oh my goodness. This is heaven.”