by G. K. Brady
“It might have started that way, but we got to know each other, and … Voila!” Quinn flung out his hand.
Nelson narrowed his eyes. “Voila?”
“It’s French for ‘ta-dah,’” Quinn and Sarah said at the same time. She folded over with mirth. Her contagious laughter soon had Quinn chuckling. God, he’d missed hearing her laugh, laughing with her.
“See, Bro? I told you he and I had a lot in common.” She tried to get herself under control, but she continued to bubble over.
Damn, she was adorable! The possibility she had come to Canada just for him about blew him off the rooftop. Was she ready to put the unbearable limbo of the last few months in the rearview mirror like he was? Fuck, he hoped so. He reminded himself it was up to her, and he reined in his optimism.
Nelson stood like one of the hotel pillars.
“I like you, Nelson. Always have,” Quinn said. “But whatever happens between your sister and me is totally her call, and you’re gonna need to get over it. Yell, take your best shot, let me have it. Let’s get it out of the way now.”
Nelson’s shoulders eased, and a smirk formed. “I think I’d rather wait until we’re on the ice and I have a bag of pucks at my disposal.”
“Shit. You wouldn’t.”
“Better believe I would, Sparky. Nothing I’d like better than to rearrange your pretty face.” Nelson jabbed a finger at Sarah. “That’s my sister, and I’ve always thought she was smarter than me, but clearly I was wrong. I have no idea what you did to make her lose her mind.”
More like she made me lose mine. And I don’t regret it one bit. “So are you kicking me off your line?”
“Not up to me, but I hope Coach doesn’t move you. I’ll be able to take more shots at you on my wing.”
“Um, Gage, don’t you think Lily’s done ‘freshening up’ by now?” Sarah wore a devilish smile that had Quinn’s insides hip-hopping. “Her suitcase was crammed with new lingerie she was dying to show you, but I wouldn’t wait too long. She might nod off— neither of us slept well last night.”
Nelson blew a breath through his nose, clearly torn between leaving his sister behind and following his dick to Lily waiting in his room. Quinn nearly hissed a “Yes!” when Nelson gave into his baser, sex-deprived self.
He glared at Quinn. “Keep your hands off my sister, understood?”
Only if she says so. “Understood.” Now get the fuck out of here!
Gage gave Sarah a warning look and finally left when she made a shooing motion. The guy practically raced toward the elevators, and Quinn corralled a laugh.
“So,” she said. “Want to have a seat, or do you have someplace to be?”
“No place to be, although I’d prefer some privacy.” He dropped into the seat beside hers.
“What do we need privacy for, Sparky?”
“So we can talk without being interrupted by your anal brother or my dumbass teammates?” On cue, Hunter and Wyatt strolled over. Quinn suppressed a groan.
“Hey, Gage’s sister. You’re looking mighty fine.” Hunter stood beside Sarah with a lewd grin, and Quinn could have sworn he was looking straight down her neckline. Which made Quinn see red.
He stood to his full height, stepped between Sarah and Hunter, and wrapped his hand around her bare upper arm. “We were just leaving, boys,” he growled. She rose even as he lifted her from her seat. Apparently, she was ready to leave too.
“So where do we go?” she asked as he steered her inside.
Her fragrance filled his nose, and he lost his bearings for a moment. “My room?”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“Why? Afraid you can’t keep your hands off me?” He was pushing his luck, but he couldn’t contain his delight.
“More like my brother won’t keep his hands off you,” she tossed back. “Good to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”
They rode downstairs and wound up by the curtained testing booths, where he pulled her into an empty one. “This’ll do for now, huh?”
“As long as they don’t find us and try to swab our brains through our sinuses.”
He drew in a deep breath. “First things first. You know I didn’t sleep with that waitress, right?”
Sarah folded her arms across her chest. “Mmm. But you knew her.”
“Yeah, I knew her from before, but I wasn’t interested last night.” He rushed to add, “Or any other night. In fact, you’ve kinda wrecked me for anyone else, Sunshine, so I sure as hell hope you’re here to put me out of my misery.” Shit, that didn’t come out right.
Her delicate eyebrows inched up her forehead, but she remained quiet.
He shoved his hands in his shorts pockets to keep them from wandering to her arms, her back, her hair. After all, he still didn’t know why she was here.
“I can’t believe you told your brother.” The thought had him suddenly verging on giddy, and he schooled his features.
She shrugged her creamy bare shoulders. “I should’ve told him a while ago. I just hope I didn’t screw up your line chemistry. That was a gorgeous game winner you scored the other night, by the way.”
He knew it was a gorgeous goal—he’d watched it on the highlights—but hearing her say it had heat rushing up his neck. “Thanks. Uh, so you were watching?”
“Of course I was! How do you think I got here?”
“How did you get here? Wait. Let me rephrase. What, specifically, made you come?”
“Great playoff hockey?” Her eyes glittered with amusement. She was toying with him, the little minx.
“Or was it to tell your brother about our ‘attraction’?”
She laughed. “Never gonna let me live that down, are you?”
A sigh eased his shoulders a fraction. “I’ve missed hearing you laugh.”
Her eyes suddenly misted, and her smile slid. “I’ve missed you. I wanted to tell you in person. That’s why I came.”
She about knocked the wind from him. “You came all the way to Canada to tell me you missed me? You could’ve done that on the phone or in a text.”
“No, I couldn’t have. It needed to be face-to-face.” After an awkward little cough, she raced on. “So did you get yourself settled back in your condo before leaving Denver?”
The sudden switch confused him. Maybe she’d traveled here just to tie up loose ends. “I tried, but I couldn’t do it. I extended the lease on the house and had Paige list the condo instead.”
Her hazel eyes popped wide. “So you’re living in that big-ass house by yourself?”
“Dad’s buddy wanted his place back, so Mom and Dad moved into Mom’s wing—your wing—after I came here.”
“I thought you loved your condo?”
“Yeah, well, I realized when I went back that that love affair had run its course.” I want what I had at the huge house. You. “So how’s the job hunting going? Moving to Texas anytime soon?” He held his breath.
She brushed her hair behind her ears. It had grown longer, and a thick, touchable curl called to him from where it nestled on her shoulder. “No. I sort of took a break while I helped Lily get settled in their new house.”
“You in the guesthouse?”
“Yeah,” she sighed.
“You don’t sound happy about that.”
“It’s just … It’s not my place. It’s theirs. I felt more at home in that ridiculous house of yours than I feel there.”
Killing me here. His hands twitched, and he found himself looking around for something to juggle. “So what are your plans?”
“Now or future?”
He tucked his hands under his armpits. “Yes.”
“Well, for now I plan to stay and cheer from the stands as long as you guys are in the hunt. After that, I guess it depends on you.” She peeped at him from under her dark lashes.
His eyes darted to the ceiling while he tried to puzzle out what was she was telling him. He decided to help her along. “You flew up here to tell your brother about us and to tell me you mi
ssed me. What else am I missing?”
Unwavering eyes fixed on his and filled with tears. It took every ounce of willpower not to pull her into his arms.
“I, um, came to a few realizations I wanted to share.” She paused a moment to dab and sniff. “First, my independence means a lot to me. I love my career, I like supporting myself.”
His heart sank. “Thought we’d established that and that I’m good with it. It makes you who you are. I just had a hard time with the notion of you living so far away when I wanted you with me. Selfish, I know, but—”
She let out a teary laugh. “Would you let me finish? This is hard enough to say as it is.”
“Why? Since when have you been shy about saying what’s on your mind?” It was one of the things he loved best about her. “Just spit it out.” He would have gone for light with a smile, but he couldn’t marshal it. He braced himself against a table instead in case she was about to level him with something he didn’t want to hear.
“It’s harder when it comes from the heart.” She blinked back tears, and he swallowed hard. “What I’m trying to say is that the career and taking care of myself are important, but with you gone, I realized there’s something I care about more. I wanted to be with you more than I wanted those things. I guess that means I have to turn in my badass badge.”
He stood motionless, recycling her words to be sure he fully understood their meaning.
Unchecked tears were spilling down her cheeks in a free-for-all. “Don’t you get it?” she said. “I’m in love with you, Quinn.”
That he understood, loud and clear. He just couldn’t get his mouth to work.
“Aren’t you going to say anything? ‘Too bad, Sarah. You’re too late.’ Or—”
A single heartbeat, and he had her face cradled in his hands. “Or how about I fucking love you, Sarah, and I don’t want anybody else? Or I like me better when I’m with you, so let me be with you?” His eyes searched hers while his thumbs stroked her soft skin. “Let me love you, Sarah, and I’m not talking about sex. I want all of you.” There. He’d said it. It was out.
Her hands covered his, and she returned his gaze with such tenderness he nearly lost it. He forged ahead despite the tears clogging his throat and brimming his lower lashes. “I like that you know the real me, that you know my past, what I’ve done and what I’ve been, and you accept me. I can be me with you. You trust me. Do I have regrets? Lots. But the biggest regret I have is not meeting you sooner.”
One side of her beautiful mouth curled up. “You weren’t ready for me, Sparky.”
“I still might not be ready for you, but that sure as hell won’t stop me.”
“Sparky doesn’t do things halfway.”
“Not when it comes to you, babe.” He kissed her with all the pent-up fervor that had been building inside of him during these long months, taking charge of her mouth in a way that left no doubt he was in all the fucking way. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling him close until the heat of their mouths and bodies practically fused them together.
Though he stood in a COVID-19 testing booth surrounded by flimsy metal frames holding flimsy blue curtains, he was home.
He broke the kiss and nuzzled her neck. She smelled so fucking good he wanted to inhale her. Bottle up her fragrance and take her with him everywhere he went.
A deep throat-clearing made them both jump. When Quinn looked toward the source, he realized a large, unamused health worker was watching them.
“Did you miss every single message on social distancing?” the man said dryly.
Quinn put up a hand in surrender and maneuvered himself beside Sarah to hide his raging boner. “Sorry, we just—”
“Get a room! Better yet, get a room and quarantine yourselves.” The guy shot them a thoroughly disgusted look.
“Shit, I hope neither of us gets him for a tester,” Sarah giggled as they scurried toward the elevators.
“He’s just jealous.” Quinn leaned down to her ear. “You heard the man. He said we need to get a room.”
“I believe we have a choice between two.”
Quinn punched the elevator up button with his elbow. “You didn’t check out of Lily’s and your room?”
“No, I kept it. I didn’t want to assume you’d want me in yours.”
“Babe, assume I’ll always want you in mine. And speaking of mine, wanna come upstairs and have a look?” He flashed her both dimples.
On cue, the elevator doors opened, and they stepped into the empty car. He pressed the button for his floor.
She stood on tiptoe and purred against his ear, her warm breath shooting tingles through him. “Does it have mirrors?” His boner had eased into a semi, but her closeness and throaty voice turned it rock hard again.
“There’s one in the bathroom. Bet we can figure something out, being the creative team we are.”
Breathless, she pulled back and ran her fingers through his hair as she stared deep into his eyes. “Is this just sex?”
“Hell no. This is ‘I love you’ all the way. You good with that?”
“I’m more than good with that.”
Inside his room, he hung out the do-not-disturb sign and locked the door. Enfolding her in his arms, he relished her silky hair against his cheek, her pliant body beneath his hands. She pecked his lips, and he caught her mouth with his. Tightening his hold, he drew her closer. Her mouth parted when the tip of his tongue touched her lips, and soon they were tasting, rediscovering, then consuming each other with unbridled hunger. Unable to hold back another second, he picked her up and carried her to the bed, deposited her on its pillow top and followed her down, settling into her welcoming arms, where he wanted to stay forever.
Chapter 40
The Winning Score
Months later, on a cool fall day in a sunny Denver park, the season-ending team picnic was wrapping up. The boys were clustered together, some still lamenting their Stanley Cup loss in a seven-game run against Tampa. But Quinn had gotten over it—it helped to have distractions, like a smoking-hot, sassy girlfriend you were nuts about who’d agreed to move in with you—and house-hunting for that just-right place with her.
Wyatt, apparently, had no such distractions. “I still say that if that motherfucker hadn’t run Hadley and boarded him, Hads would’ve been on the ice and gotten us the winning score instead of sitting in the training room waiting for repairs,” he groused.
Sarah was cleaning up picnic tables with Lily and some of the other WAGs, and Quinn caught her eye and crooked his finger. She ambled over and wrapped her arms around his waist, tucking herself under his arm, where she fit so perfectly.
Quinn smiled down at her. “I did get the winning score.”
His teammates obliged him with exaggerated eye-rolls, groans, and a few choice snide comments. Nelson went into a coughing fit brought on by fake hurling.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you’re cute, so I’ll kiss you anyway.” Sarah raised on tiptoe and pecked Quinn’s lips.
“Jeez, not in front of the kids, please!” Nelson protested. “Shit, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.”
Ignoring him and the rest of his teammates, Quinn tapped Sarah’s nose. “Ready to go meet Paige and look at houses?”
“Let’s go!” She bounced in place. Sarah loved looking at houses, could spend hours studying them, but today, he’d whittled down the choices to three he’d already checked out. He was especially excited for Sarah to see the last one.
“Buying a new house, Hads?” one of the guys asked.
“Yep. Time to downsize to something less ostentatious,” he quipped.
After touring the first two places, he and Sarah followed Paige to house number three, which was a stone-and-timber affair that sat on a golf course with spectacular mountain views.
Paige unlocked the front door and ushered them in. “Quinn, why don’t you show Sarah around? I’ll be in my car making calls if you need me.” She sent him a wink.
They stepped into an open entryway, and Sarah gasped. Yeah, she likes it. In the center of the entry, an enormously thick chain was suspended from the vaulted second-floor ceiling to the walkout basement level. It twisted its way through railed openings in the stone floor on each level, and water skittered over its links, giving it an old-world, rusted look.
Sarah craned her head upward. “This water feature is amazing!”
His chest swelled with pride as she walked around it. He could practically see the calculations zipping through her brain as she took it in and disassembled its secrets.
“There’s lots more to see.” He took her hand and led her toward a series of NanaWalls—glass walls that opened completely, letting exterior living spaces blend with the interior.
“Oh my God! I love these movable walls.” Again she paused, transfixed as her eyes scanned the wall systems, and he had to pull her away.
“So the house has six bedrooms, two family rooms, a wine cave, a billiards room, a gym, and this.” He led her into a vaulted, two-storied master bedroom with a marble bathroom that was straight out of a luxury spa.
Her head on a swivel, eyes wide as pucks, she didn’t see the room until he opened the door. She peered inside. “Is this another bedroom attached to the bathroom?”
“Nope. Guess again.”
She shook her head.
“It’s a big-ass closet. Now imagine every surface covered in mirrors, white fur rugs on the floor, and a leather lounge for two.” He grinned and stood back to enjoy the transformation in her expression. She didn’t disappoint.
Her hand flew to her mouth, but not in time to stifle a raucous laugh. “Oh. My. God! This would be perfect! Can you say mirror room?”
“Yes, I can, and I can also say ‘scorching-hot sex.’ It’d be a great room to shelter-in-place. Or shelter-in-lace.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
“And here I thought you liked this house because you can step right onto the golf course and play through,” she chuckled. “Now I know the real attraction.”
