Fighting against Gravity: A Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Sports Romance (An Ice Tigers Hockey Romance Book 3)

by Isabella Cassazza

  “Do you really use each of these?” I enter Michael’s bathroom and point at the collection of bottles and jars in front of the mirror.

  Michael’s head snaps around at my question. If the mirror could bend, it would have with the way he stared it down.

  “Sure, I do. Each of them serves a different purpose.” He picks up a tiny blue jar and opens the lid. “This is my favorite eye cream. No puffy eyes and wrinkles for me.” He dabs his index finger into the rich looking paste and spreads it under his eyes. “See how plump my skin looks now?” He repeats the process and adds a second layer.

  I don’t care about eye cream, but I’m glad Michael’s talking to me again. He hasn’t said a word since our guests left three hours ago and hid inside his room while I prepared Johnny for bed.

  It took all my courage to join him in his room, but I didn’t want to spend the night alone. My sister’s words got me thinking. She’s right, Michael and I won’t last. We’re too different. But I want to enjoy our… affair while it lasts. “It shimmers and looks wet, other than that, I don’t see a difference.”

  Our eyes meet in the mirror and he shakes his head. “You should try it out. Here.” He turns to the right and puts the jar in front of me.

  I wait until his gaze meets mine again in the glass in front of us. “Are you saying I look old?”

  He places one hand on my shoulders and bends down to kiss me. “You don’t look old. I love your skin.” He trails a finger over my cheek.

  I shake my head. “You realize eye cream is a marketing scam. Why would you need to use a different cream under the eyes than for the rest of your skin?”

  He frowns. “It’s not. And it smells wonderful.”

  I sigh. Michael and his… what did Nessy call them, fancy smelling things? “What does the wonder cream cost?”

  “Two hundred dollars.”

  I stare openmouthed at the mini-jar. “That’s nuts.”

  “The quality’s worth every penny.”

  I shake my head again and open my mouth. But before I can say something, his hand travels down between my breasts.

  “Didn’t you want to play with me tonight?” The finger forms slow circles on my skin. And travels up and down. And up. And down.

  I shiver. I get it. He wants to distract me. And I let him.

  My lips touch the skin right where his ear meets his neck. “Why don’t you remove your clothes and lie on your back. I’ll join you in a minute.” Goose bumps appear on his skin while I whisper. Then he takes a step away from me and heads to the bedroom.

  I lean against the vanity basin and try not to lose my balance while brushing my teeth. Since I’m in Michael’s bathroom, I should just make use of his shower stool. But I don’t want to. Not after his revelation of the day we first met.

  I grab the edge of the basin with one hand and dig my fingers in the unyielding stone until my knuckles turn white. It’s safe to say my life was much easier when all I knew was the shallow, arrogant bastard side of Michael’s persona. There’s often more than meets the eye at first glance. Michael King is a shining example.

  Behind his cocky shield hides a vulnerable man. A broken man. A man I could fall for if I’m not careful. Who would have thought that possible after our first encounter?

  Every time I witness his interactions with Johnny, my heart jumps a little higher in my chest. I would do good to remember how much I suffered after Steven left. My sister’s right. One would think I haven’t learned my lesson.

  I have to be careful. I have to think of Johnny. And also of my battered heart.

  I can’t help it. I’ll always be a hopeless romantic and believe that true love exists. Someone is out there for me and I’ll find him. One day. But that someone isn’t Michael King. It can’t be. He isn’t lifelong partner material. Eventually he’ll return to his womanizing ways.

  I stare at myself in the mirror. I was the one who suggested a no-strings arrangement as long as I stayed in his house and I should follow my own rules. There will never be a happy ending for you and Mr. Disaster, Ellie, so don’t even think about it.

  I will enjoy our affair as long as it lasts but do everything in my power not to get attached. Michael doesn’t do relationships. And even if he did, him and me, we would never fit.

  My gaze falls on the countless bottles that are lined up before me. Michael has everything when it comes to face care, from eye serums to vitamin boosting concentrates to face creams I’ve only ever seen up close and personal in the overpriced women’s magazines I buy from time to time, while all I ever treat myself to is a jumbo-sized container of the cheapest all-skin-type moisturizers I can find.

  And let’s not forget his outrageous collection of overpriced designer clothes. I’m still not over the fact that he paid three hundred dollars for one shirt. I could buy a whole new wardrobe for Johnny for that kind of money.

  As if he can sense my thoughts, Michael’s voice rings through the door. “What’s taking so long? I thought you wanted to torture me tonight?”

  “Just a minute.” I brush my teeth in record time and check my appearance in the mirror. Then I square my shoulders and reach for my crutches.

  The countdown is ticking. My days away from the real world are numbered.

  But I’m going to enjoy every single one of them.

  Chapter 18

  Michael

  “Mmh… I could get used to this.” A slow smile spreads over my face while I enjoy the way Ellie scratches my back. Waking up next to her keeps getting better and better. So do the nights.

  “Enjoy it while it lasts, Your Majesty,” Ellie whispers right next to my ear.

  I chuckle and open one eye. “Are you referring to my last name?”

  “What else would I be referring to?” She raises an eyebrow.

  I push up on my elbow and bend over her. “If I’m your king, then you’re my queen.” I drop kisses on her neck and face while I pull the blanket down. I’ll never get enough of her breasts. And now that I know how to massage them, I could spend hours just doing that. This slow lovemaking thing is growing on me.

  She moans when I take one nipple in my mouth and caress it with my tongue. Now is my time to torture her. It’s still dark outside and I’ll use every little second until the sun rises to drive her to madness. Just as she drove me to insanity last night when she kept me on the brink of an orgasm until I didn’t know my own name anymore.

  Ellie shudders when I kiss a trail down her belly and land on her soft mound.

  I tremble. I want to please her. More than anything else.

  I shift on the bed until I’m settled with my head between her thighs. Our gazes lock. She shivers and opens her mouth, but I don’t want to talk. Instead, I lower my mouth until it meets the wetness between her legs. I kiss her there. Slow. Deliberate. Mimicking how she taught me how to arouse her in other places.

  Her body tenses. I swallow. Then I lick over the button on the top.

  Her hands twist the bedsheets until she pulls them from under me. I lick again. A slow lick all the way from the bottom to the top. And down again.

  Ellie trembles under my mouth. I smile against her skin and suck her clitoris between my teeth. Carefully. Playfully. Testing what reaction I can coax from her. She tenses even more. If I could, I’d slap myself on the shoulder right now.

  “Guide me,” I murmur against the soft skin of her inner thigh while I adjust the raging hard-on beneath me. I’d never would have thought it possible, but attempting to make her come with my mouth turns me on like nothing else before. But this isn’t about me.

  “Blow a little. Then lick.” Her hands find my head and keep it where she wants it most.

  I do as told. I’m the one carrying out the motions, but she’s the one in charge when she moves my head up and down her center and lifts her hips in the same rhythm.

  My hands find her thighs. I hold on to them while I lick faster. Blow deeper. And suck harder. Then I enter her with my tongue.

  Elli
e’s hips shoot up from the bed and her thighs squeeze my head until I’m afraid it’s about to pop off. I couldn’t care less. I brought her fulfillment. Nothing else matters.

  While she finds her way back down to Earth, I hold her close to my heart and stroke her hair.

  Much later she shifts in my arms and reluctantly rolls out of bed. “Are you sure you want us staying another two weeks?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I like having you here.” And I’m sure as hell not denying myself the chance for more nights with her.

  Last night was… unbelievable.

  This morning was unbelievable.

  Ellie is unbelievable.

  And I’m not ready to let her go yet. How would I sneak into her sister’s apartment for more rounds of mind-blowing sex? And who knows how many times a week we can see each other once she’s rid of the cast and can move back into her own shithole again? I’d rather she never went back there. The more time I have to convince her the place isn’t a good home, the better. Let’s wait and see what she thinks of the surprises I have in store for her today.

  She pauses halfway around the bed. “You seemed a bit overwhelmed yesterday.”

  I rub my eyes. “Nessy’s kids are a handful, aren’t they?”

  Not to mention Ellie’s sister and her husband. I’m not used to having so many people in the house again. It might have been a little too much for me. Not that they aren’t nice. Ellie’s sister is as warm a person as Ellie is, and the husband has a great way with kids, similar to Nessy.

  But I didn’t belong. My knee made sure I couldn’t partake in their games as much as I wanted. And even if I could have… they reminded me that I’m not family-man material. I know by now how to interact with Johnny, but having three kids running around, screaming at the top of their lungs, and messing up things was too much for me.

  “They’re vivacious.” Ellie chuckles.

  “That’s a nice way of saying it.” I shake my head.

  “Let’s say they have a lot of energy. It was nice of Nessy to visit us. And it probably gave his wife a break.” She winks.

  The doorbell rings and saves me from further explanation. I can’t play soccer with Johnny anymore. I don’t want to watch hockey with him right now. But I can take care of him in other ways.

  “Are you expecting guests?” Ellie calls after me as I head for the door.

  “Just a couple of deliveries,” I yell back. Let her wonder what the day has in store for her. I had a lot of time on my hands when I waited for the others inside yesterday. Rather than succumbing to a self-pity party, I organized a few things.

  “Deliveries? What kind of deliveries?” Her voice rings loud and clear through the house.

  “You’ll see.”

  I press the intercom to open the gate, show two workmen inside, and set them to work in the guest room first.

  “What are they doing in here?” Ellie peeks inside the room while the workers are out retrieving more things from the truck. Someone put her shirt on the wrong way.

  “You’ll see. Why don’t you change your shirt? It’s a surprise.” I wink.

  “Oh my God. I really don’t like surprises.” Ellie’s face turns red, and she retreats to my bedroom.

  “It isn’t even for you. Why don’t you and Johnny go to the living area and read a book?” I say out loud so she can hear me down the hallway. She’s fast on the crutches these days. I can’t wait for her eyes to light up when they’re done working on Johnny’s new bed.

  Ellie looks over her shoulder and frowns. Then heads inside my room. I inwardly rub my palms together. Boy, I can’t wait for her to see the finished product.

  “The bed goes here? And the fence around the pool, right?” One of the workmen approaches me when I let them inside again and points to the corner of Johnny’s new room.

  “That’s right.” I leave the men with instructions and join Johnny and Ellie in the living area.

  “Wat are t’e man doin ’ere?” Johnny looks up from his picture book when I round the corner.

  “It’s a surprise.” I walk over and stroke his head.

  “What a su’pris’?” He tilts his head in his typical Johnny-move.

  “It’s when you do something unexpected for someone else. To make them happy.” At least that’s my made-up definition.

  “Hmm….” He tilts his head even more and hangs half over his mom’s lap. It’s fair to say Johnny doesn’t like surprises either.

  The doorbell rings again.

  “There’s more than one surprise?” Two lines appear on Ellie’s forehead.

  I shrug. “This one is more of a necessity.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t seem like yourself today.” The lines deepen.

  “I’m fine. Making progress, actually.” And I am. The lines on her forehead don’t bother me anymore.

  She raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything before turning her attention back to Johnny’s picture book.

  There will be time later to talk about my progress, but first I need to deal with it on my own. I shuffle down the hallway again and press the intercom for a second time today, tapping my foot against the floor.

  I’m sure I’m making the right decision, but exchanging my sports car for a family van has some finality to it. It marks an end to an era—an era I’m still not yet ready to let go. An era I might never be able to revisit without a funny feeling in my chest.

  Hockey had been part of my life for so long, I didn’t know how to live without it for the longest time. But I’d rather move forward than look back. I want to move on. Desperately. Though I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life. With more than enough money in the bank, there’s no rush. For now, my main concern will be about how far I can improve my knee. I want to be able to live like a normal person again, and my knee is hindering me. Yesterday was more than enough proof of that. Right now, I only feel like half a man. And I don’t like the feeling at all.

  I watch as the silver SUV turns around the corner. The color reflects the sun and blinds me for a moment when a man opens the door and climbs out of the car.

  “I’m here to collect the Porsche.” He jogs around the car.

  I cringe. God, to be able to do that again. “Let me get the key. The car is in the garage.”

  My gaze drops back to the SUV. Then I turn around. Today isn’t about dwelling on the past but about new beginnings, I scold myself. As fast as possible, I retrieve the key for the Porsche and exchange keys with the guy. A split second later, my pride and joy is gone, turning around the corner with the roaring sound of its powerful engine. An abrupt end to an era. Just like the moment Towler crashed into me. I shake away the unwanted thoughts. No dwelling on the past today, Michael.

  I look at the key in my hand and walk over to the car that marks my new beginning. Opening the door, I place one foot inside, amazed at how little effort it takes to climb in. As beautiful as the Porsche looks, it was always a pain in the ass to get in and out of it.

  The smell of new leather and other materials infiltrates my nostrils—the fresh smell of new possibilities and newfound freedom.

  Today I brought some kind of independence back into my life. I’m no longer a passenger but have taken over the steering wheel again.

  I start the engine, grab the steering wheel, and enjoy the smooth vibrations. I’m back. Let’s see what the future holds.

  “You can’t buy him a new bed.” Ellie takes a step back from me.

  “I just did, and he loves it.” I scuffle closer again. What’s her problem? It’s just a bed.

  She takes another step back. “Michael, my sister is back, and… there is no need for us to stay longer. I know you said it’s fine, but… maybe it’s better if Johnny doesn’t get used to all of this.” She motions around the newly furnished child’s room.

  I sigh. “I want you to stay. And you can take the bed and the other things with you when you leave.” Whenever that’ll be. I don’t want her to leave right now. Why wou
ld she want to go back to that shithole if she can live here and have me in her bed every night?

  “Michael… I’m not sure how to say this… but I don’t have enough space for so much furniture. His room isn’t even half as big.” She motions around again while she leans on the one hand she’s holding the crutches with.

  “You shouldn’t be living in that dump, anyway.” I place a hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s our home.”

  “It’s falling apart.”

  She sighs. “Only on the outside. It… it’s the best I can afford.”

  There’s a finality to her tone I don’t like at all. “You—”

  “Mommy look. Tere’s… tere’s a triceratops. An’ an iguanodon. An’ ofer ’ere… tere’s… tere’s a dimetrodon. An’… an—”

  “Take a breath, Johnny,” we say at the same time and laugh. The little guy has the tendency to talk way too fast when he gets excited.

  “Rexi tan play wit’ all off tem.”

  “He sure likes the bed.” I make sure Johnny is occupied; then I frame Ellie’s face with my palms and bend down to kiss her. A quick kiss, one that leaves me wanting more. But I don’t want to confuse Johnny.

  “It isn’t right.” She turns away from me.

  “Wait, Ellie.” I place my hand over her shoulder again. “My reasons for buying him the bed… they’re pretty selfish. He normally sleeps in his own room, doesn’t he?” I lower my voice. No need for the little guy to overhear our conversation.

  She nods.

  “I don’t want to worry about him waking up and interrupting us because you aren’t in the bed anymore. You said it yourself. We were pretty lucky with him sleeping through the nights so far when you joined me in mine. When he’s alone in a room again, he won’t notice you’re gone. We have three weeks left as it is, and I’d like to enjoy them with you.” I trail my finger over her cheek.

  She sighs. “I don’t want him to get used to all this… luxury.”