Puck Battles: A Complete Sports Romance Series

by Kristen Echo

  The edge of the sink dug into her ass, but she didn’t care. Beth pulled his hair and kissed him as he pounded into her. Each thrust broke another brick in the wall she’d been using to keep her distance. He slammed their bodies together until there was nothing left but love.

  Her hand fisted in his hair as she came. She moaned into his mouth as he continued to pump his hips. The orgasm twisted its way through her as every inch of her tightened.

  “I love the way you squeeze me like a vice when you come. Elizabeth, we’re only getting started,” he said as her legs loosened their grip and her body went lax. He pulled out, lifted her off the countertop and turned her to face the mirror. “Hold the counter and look at me in the mirror.”

  She gripped the counter as he pushed back in. His eyes darkened to the color of cognac and she was mesmerized. He ground his pelvis against her ass, filling her completely. “Do you feel how much I love you?”

  She felt every inch. The sound of skin slapping echoed in the small space. He moved faster and faster until she was seconds from another orgasm. He pressed harder, lifting her onto the tips of her toes as he reached her G-spot. “I feel it.” She clenched her muscles. “I love you!”

  The words prompted her release and his. He covered her back with his front as he emptied himself inside her. His heavy breaths heated her neck, blowing her hair to the side of her face. A shroud of happiness dropped over her. Beth finally understood. It didn’t matter what city they were in or what they were doing as long as they were together.

  Unfortunately, they weren’t in the right place to bask in their new love. Benny pulled out and his cream leaked down her leg. He bent over and kissed the bottom of her spine, running his hands over her ass cheeks. “I guess we should clean up and get out there.”

  She reached over and grabbed tissues from the dispenser. She turned on the faucet, wetting them in the sink before handing them to Benny. “Would you mind? I don’t want to deal with the authorities twice in one week while I have sticky thighs.” Beth laughed.

  Benny pulled up his pants and refastened his belt before he took the tissues. “I like when your smooth, perfect skin is sticky with my cum.” He dropped to his knees and cleaned between her legs, following the wet trail with kisses. Her body trembled when he neared her clit, but he was gentle. “You’re all set. Keep in mind, I plan on getting you dirty again. Soon.”

  It was a promise she couldn’t wait to have delivered.

  “I’ll look forward to it.” She straightened her stance. “I’m sorry I made you come out here tonight. We should have been out celebrating your win, not dodging fists and pointy objects.” Beth grabbed more tissue and cleaned the cut on her side.

  The tiny incision had already stopped bleeding. Benny inspected it and kissed above the mark. “I want to be wherever you are. Although, I’d be happy to never set foot in this dump again.” He traced the outline of the cut with his finger. “You’ll need a tetanus shot. It’s better to be safe than sorry. We’ve got a physician I can call instead of waiting around at the hospital. If you’re all right accepting my help.”

  “Fuck. I hate hospitals. Ever since Dad… both blood and hospitals give me the creeps.” She shivered and gripped his chin. “I’m done fighting you.”

  Benny raised an eyebrow. Disbelief written all over his face. “What happened to teaching our kids you do everything on your own?” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

  “We’ll teach our kids to work hard and accept help when it’s offered. You’ve got money and connections. I’d be stupid not to let you help me. Call your doctor. Once we finish giving the police our statements, I want to take you to bed and not let you go until we absolutely have to. I want to tell you I love you a million times and show you exactly how much I appreciate this second chance we’ve been given.”

  “St. Patrick’s Day is my new favorite holiday,” Benny exclaimed.

  She smiled. “Why is that? Because you got lucky.” Beth picked up her pants and panties and got dressed.

  Once she finished zipping them, Benny wrapped her in his arms. “That might be part of it. It’s mostly because we’re the luckiest people in the world to have found love once; lost it and found it again. After I tracked you down in this city, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to win you back. It would take a miracle to get you to love me again.”

  Beth hugged him close. “It didn’t take a miracle for me to fall in love with you again.”

  “No. It took a trade, a lot of exercises and the luck of the Irish.”

  Her eyes locked on his. They both smiled before their lips joined again. There was so much love between them. It had grown from the past. Become stronger with the present. And had endless potential in the future.

  Chapter 19

  The media ate up the story of the NHL hero and demanded more. Benny Wilder’s face was splashed across newspaper covers and online articles for days. Not only had he saved the team from defeat in a shootout, he’d saved his girlfriend and countless others from knife wielding gang bangers. Beth got a kick out of how exaggerated they reported the facts.

  In the week following her last shift at the pub, things between her and Benny had settled into something special. She couldn’t say their routine was normal because dating a professional hockey player wasn’t living a normal life. It was a balancing act, and they were making it work.

  The seasons had changed and spring had taken the chill away. Love was in the air and all around her. The anxiety she’d carried around for weeks no longer existed. Had she known saying those three tiny words would be so freeing she would have said them a lot sooner.

  When her last class of the day finished, she headed over to Benny’s and used her key to let herself into his condo. The team had an evening hockey game, and she was meeting up with Carly and Sylvie beforehand for dinner. But that was several hours away.

  Walking through the empty living room, she suspected he might be napping. She stripped, leaving a trail of clothing clothes along the way to the bedroom. Benny was lying in the middle of the bed, snoring. The sheets only covered his lower half. She admired the new four-leaf clover tattoo he’d added under the hockey sticks on his chest. A permanent reminder of how lucky they were to have each other.

  She pulled the sheets down, revealing more of his chiseled naked body. Even at rest his cock was impressive. Beth crawled onto the bed and admired her sleeping boyfriend. She lifted her leg over his hip and snuggled in next to him. Her fingers traced the new ink as she licked along his collarbone.

  He groaned and stirred but didn’t wake. She kissed his neck, working her way towards his lips. The tips of her fingers trailed down his sternum, following the line of hair. She rubbed her mound against his leg. His arm was trapped between and it twitched. She suspected he was awake when his erection grew the closer she came to it. By the time she circled the tip he was fully erect.

  Beth leaned over him and kissed his lips. She licked along the seam and yelped when he twisted, flipping her over and onto her backside underneath him.

  “Hello, Elizabeth.” He kissed her hard, thrusting his cock into her hand.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Wilder. Did you sleep well?” She used her hand to move him between her open legs. She was so wet.

  With a subtle push he was in, but he didn’t penetrate all the way. She opened wider and moved her hands over his ass, coaxing him deeper. He gave her a few inches and then retreated, teasing her.

  “I slept great. There is no better way to wake than being inside you.” He pushed the rest of the way, filling her.

  She moaned, loving the fullness; loving him. He let her adjust before moving again. They kissed, and she circled her hips to match his thrusts. The bed creaked and slammed against the wall from the power of their lovemaking. Within minutes, they were both panting and sweating. He fired into her like a piston and she roared when he rubbed her clit with his fingers. Once he zeroed in on her tight bundle of nerves, there was no holding back. Her climax exploded.
r />   “I love you,” she said. The phrase rolled off her tongue easily and frequently.

  He adjusted their position and thrust a few more times, drawing out her orgasm before finding his. “I love you too.”

  They both collapsed, wrapped around each other. She listened to his heart beat and smiled. “Do you think we should cancel our session with Brenda tomorrow? I like her and both meetings went well, but—”

  “We should keep the appointment. I like the confidence you’ve gained from those sessions, he said, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger.

  “You think we still need couples therapy. Are you not happy?” She sat up and reached for the sheets to cover herself.

  He sat next to her and took her hand. “I don’t think we need anything except each other. But, I appreciate the value of therapy. A few more sessions won’t hurt our relationship. Do I think we need to see her forever? Hell no. One or two more times, can only give us more ways to strengthen what’s already as close to perfect as it comes.”

  How had she been so lucky? Not only had she found him once, but he’d chased her across North America to be with her again. Their love was infinite.

  “I don’t know about perfect, but that makes sense. We’ll keep the appointment and see her tomorrow before you fly out,” she said, patting his hand.

  “Don’t remind me.” He let go of her hand and flopped back against the mattress. “I am not looking forward to being away from you for three long nights. Are you sure you won’t move in with me?”

  Beth smiled and kissed the side of his mouth. “Not happening. Carly and I are roommates until we graduate. Living on campus is convenient and I can stay here as often as we want.”

  “I want it every night. It’s not too soon either. If you combine our dating history we’ve been together for almost two years.”

  She got out of bed and stretched. “If we hadn’t taken that break, we would probably be married already,” she joked.

  “Exactly. I’m glad you see things my way. Move in,” he said, getting out of bed and stalking towards her.

  “I was kidding.” As much as she loved Benny, she didn’t want to rush into any major changes. They had a lifetime to move in, get married and have kids. For now, she wanted to focus on dating, school and hockey.

  “Think about it. That’s all I ask.” He kissed her, sucking her bottom lip between his teeth. “I have to shower, eat and then kick it. Want to join me? I’ll wash your back and you can get mine.”

  She smacked his ass as he turned away. “Tempting. All of it,” she added. “But I’m going to go for a run. Then I’m meeting the girls before we head to the arena. Since we have a positive sighting on Kimber and Jonah, Caroline is hell-bent on hiring an investigator sooner rather than later. We’ll be talking over dinner. I promise, I’ll be in the stands rooting for you when you step onto the ice.” Beth picked up her bra off the floor and searched around the room for other pieces of clothing.

  “I play my best when you’re near. Everything is better with you in my life.” Benny winked, kicked her panties towards her and walked out of the bedroom. His sculpted ass daring her to follow him.

  She couldn’t think of one good reason not to. Beth tossed her bra back on the ground and raced after him. She could run later.

  Epilogue

  “I can’t believe you did that?” Benny closed the door behind her as they walked into the hotel room. “Are you sure you have no regrets?”

  Beth looked down at her ankle and could hardly believe it herself. The tattoo was covered with a bandage, but underneath the layers of gauze was an intricate vine of shamrocks with a four-leaf clover in the center. She was lucky to be alive and lucky to have found love; not once but twice. She wanted the permanent reminder not to take it all for granted.

  “No regrets. The design is feminine, and I love everything about it. Why? Don’t you like it?” She stopped mid-step, and he bumped into her back.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her against his chest. “It looks great. My concern is your happiness because this was a spur of the moment decision.”

  That was true. She’d fallen asleep on the flight and had a dream about the tattoo on Benny’s chest and when she woke up, she wanted one of her own. Two hours later, she sat in a chair while the needle permanently marred her skin. It may have been spontaneous, but she’d always wanted to get ink. This was the first of many.

  They were addictive. Just like her boyfriend. Her hand covered his, and she leaned her head back against his shoulder. Twisting to face him, she used her other hand to bring his face closer for a kiss. Their lips pressed together. She loved him more each day and with every kiss.

  “Sometimes you just know when it’s right.” She felt that way about the tattoo and her relationship with Benny. They were solid. Otherwise she never would have agreed to go with him back to the city where it all began and where it all fell apart.

  The memories had bombarded her hard as they got off the plan. Benny had been to Vancouver countless times since they broke up, but this was her first trip back in over two years. She’d been apprehensive at first, but it was the last step in the healing process. Brenda, their counselor, suggested it would help finally put the past to rest.

  “I don’t have to be at the arena for another couple of hours. What else would you like to do today?” He burrowed his nose in her hair and inhaled as he moved his hand lower, pressing against her mound.

  Her body responded on instinct. She wiggled her hips and opened her legs, giving his hand free rein. “As much as I want to pursue this activity, we have one stop to make before we can settle.” Beth stilled his hand.

  “We don’t have to go there,” Benny spoke next to her ear.

  “We do, actually. And we need to go together. He would have wanted that.” Beth stepped out of his arms and held onto his hand, threading their fingers together. She could tell going to her dad’s grave was hard for Benny. He never visited his own father’s grave site. This was difficult for her too.

  He blew out a heavy breath. “Let’s get this over with so I can make happy memories in this city with you. I want to start by kissing every inch of you.” He lifted their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her wrist.

  “Once we go pay our respects to our dads, we can come back and I promise to make it worth your while.”

  “I really don’t want to do this, but I’ll do it for you.”

  She grabbed a sweater from her bag. “For us.”

  The tattoo had been a distraction. A stall tactic to avoid causing them both pain. She had no doubt the tears would flow, and she wasn’t looking forward to that, but they needed to do this. Benny had to hold her hand as they grieved two of the greatest men who ever graced the earth. They had to do it together.

  It was time to do what should have happened over two years prior. Benny’s fear of death and goodbyes had destroyed their relationship. Doing this together was the final step to repairing the damage.

  They left the hotel, and he drove the rental car to the cemetery. The only stop along the way was to grab flowers. Once they crossed the arches in the graveyard, Benny’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. Beth watched him transform from a strong, larger than life, professional athlete into a scared, little boy. Within the blink of an eye, he’d turned pale and sweat broke out on his brow.

  “I’m here with you, Benny.” She reached over and placed her hand on his leg. The solid muscle flexed under her fingers. “I love you. Let’s go tell our dads the same thing and then we can go.”

  “This is so stupid. They’re gone and have been for years. But the closer we get, the more it feels like my heart’s being ripped out all over again. Why the fuck does anyone visit gravesites?”

  “They come to remember the people they lost,” she said with a strained voice.

  “But I remember them every day. I don’t need a depressing row of headstones to remind me they aren’t with me anymore. I fucking lost them. In here, though.” H
e pointed at his heart. “They live forever.”

  The tears she expected made their appearance. “I thought it was impossible to love you more than I did while you held my hand through the tattoo, but I was wrong. You are such a great man. You need to let them go. We both have to. Stop the car, we’re here.”

  He put the car in park and pounded the wheel. “It’s not fair. I… How do you ever accept the people you loved more than anything have gone?” Benny let go of the wheel, placed his hand over hers and stared out the window. “I don’t know how to do this.”

  Another tear slipped down her cheek. “You’re right; it’s not fair. We’ll get through this together. You are not alone.” She wiped away the moisture and opened her car door. “It’s time.”

  Their fathers weren’t buried in the same section. Mr. Wilder, Benny’s father, was near a row of trees on the opposite side of the cemetery.

  Benny lingered in the car for another minute before he got out and slammed the door behind him. She stared at the bronzed moniker and wept. Her dad was only forty-seven. Beth dropped to her knees and placed the flowers next to his name.

  “I’m sorry Daddy. I didn’t mean to stay away this long.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes again. “I came with Benny. You were right all along. He’s the one.”

  He knelt beside her, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. “Elizabeth, he can’t hear you.”

  She looked at the man she planned to marry one day and smiled. “He can hear us.” She pointed at her heart, mimicking his action from the car. “They always hear us no matter where we are.”

  “I love you.” He swallowed hard. “After our first date, I told your dad I would marry you one day. Did you know that?” Benny dabbed under her eye with his finger.

  Beth shook her head. “He never told me that.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, well he laughed and told me to get in line. Seems I wasn’t the first guy after you. But, as the weeks went on, I kept telling him I’d take care of you. Then one day he stopped laughing at me. Even gave me his blessing. We were too young, but he welcomed me into his family all the same. He was supposed to walk you down the aisle and give me your hand. That won’t ever happen, and I hate that. I fucking hate we were robbed of that moment. I’m angry he won’t get to see our first son skate for the first time. Elizabeth, tell me when I’ll stop feeling this way.”