She leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. She was babbling, couldn't find the right words again, but at this point, it didn't matter. She wanted him, she wanted to be with him, and that was what mattered. She was scared and she knew it would be hard work, but Kyle was worth the risk.
Chapter 12
The sun peeked through the curtains of the window, shining down on Emma. There was a weight on her waist and she smiled, knowing it was Kyle. She had spent the night wrapped up in him, forgetting about her dancing and her mom drama. She had called her father and been upfront with him about where she was and what she was going to do, that she wouldn't be home, she needed time to process this, that she was with Kyle and that she was safe. He didn't sound too pleased but he was understanding and told him to bring Kyle over for breakfast the next morning by nine so he could meet Kyle Underwood, Emma's boyfriend, not Kyle Underwood, the hockey player. Emma agreed and so did Kyle, even though he hadn't prepared to meet her father as a boyfriend so soon.
They had connected in a way she hadn't thought possible last night. Well, perhaps that statement was a bit dramatic. But sex had never made her feel the way Kyle made her feel. She never believed she needed a man to feel complete, and she still felt that way. If her mother had taught her anything, it was that Emma had a knack for surviving that most didn't possess. Her father was the light of her life and the most important person to her (although Kyle was soon increasing in rank) but if anything happened to him, she would survive. She would be sad, of course, devastated and traumatized and emotional, but she would get through it. She would carry on just the way she always had. Kyle was special to her. He made her feel butterflies and electricity and good about exactly who she was. She would be able to sing Taylor Swift in her car without him making fun of her or talk to herself without thinking she was weird. He made her want to be better and to take risks and to believe in something as crazy and as beautiful as love. But if they didn't stay together for whatever reason, she would still be a complete person.
Kyle was just the cherry on top.
The fact that he had agreed to meet her father just added bonus points to his increasing collection.
He was also good in bed.
She smiled just thinking about it. There was a soreness in her pelvis she wasn't used to. She hadn't had sex since her freshman year in college with an ex boyfriend she barely remembered. Sex was fun and exciting and made her feel good but it wasn't a requirement for her to feel good about herself. Regardless of whether or not she actually took part in the physical activity, she knew she was desirable and worthy. But sex with Kyle was better than she could ever had imagined.
He took his time with her, like there was nowhere else he needed - or wanted - to be. He made her feel like she was worth being worshipped, like she was something special he had never seen before. She was able to reciprocate by teasing him, taking him in her hand, her mouth, and when he finally entered her, it felt as though he was coming home to him, that all was right in this world and that nothing could touch her at all.
Kyle was the first person that made her come multiple times. By the time he found his own release, she was already exhausted. Her legs shook, her pelvis throbbed with both desire for me and the slight thrum of pain. It felt perfect. He made her feel perfect.
He said her name when he came. Emma was almost regretful that a condom was a barrier between them but she knew it was logical and would protect them both. Perhaps when they were more serious, they could broach the topic of her being on birth control and not necessarily needing that sort of protection.
But, again, she was thinking too far ahead.
'Slow down, Emma,' she thought to herself. 'You're going to scare him off and you're going to get super hyper and happy but then the honeymoon phase will come and go and then you'll get over it. Just enjoy the moment you're in. Enjoy his arm on your waist and his breath on your shoulder.'
"I can hear you thinking from here," Kyle mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep. "Anything on your mind?"
Emma shot Kyle a surprised smile, her eyebrows shooting up past her bangs. He still hadn't opened his eyes but he was facing her and he had yet to release his hold on her.
"I'm thinking how happy I am right now in this moment," she told him, "with you."
His eyes fluttered before his clear blue eyes locked with hers. "Yeah?" he asked, slowly quirking a brow. "I thought you might have regretted it."
"Never," she told him. "Although, since you did get lucky, I feel as though you should probably take me on an actual date and not a place where you've taken everyone else. Although, that place has amazing sushi."
Kyle chuckled, clearly still tired. "How do you talk this much this early in the morning?" he asked, and though he was teasing her, he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.
She shrugged, turning her body so she could face him. "I talk a lot when I'm happy," she explained.
"So if you're quiet" -
"Then you fucked up in some way," she said.
He nodded. "Good to know," he replied. "Anything else?"
She shook her head. "I think I want to keep you on your toes, although..." She let her voice trail off before gently biting down on her bottom lip. Her cheeks turned pink and she had to look away.
He raised a brow. "Although?" he asked curiously as he placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head up.
"I kind of want to do it again," she admitted.
---
After another foray in bed together - this time with her on top controlling the pace and really making Kyle moan with pleasure - the two hopped in the shower together and scrubbed each other up. It would have been easy to get caught up on the moment and fuck against the shower wall with the hot sprays of water hitting their bare bodies, but now wasn't the time. They had a breakfast to get to with her father - to be honest, her father loved to cook. It was something he did as a way to de-stress after a long, hard day at the office or if a case was really getting to him.
Well, that and watching hockey.
Emma had never had better home cooked meals than when her dad cooked for her in the throes of a stressful situation.
"What do you want to wear?" Kyle asked, a slight press to his brows. He had a towel around his waist, giving her a raised brow and glancing over at her. "Unless you want to wear what you wore last night and only make it obvious where you were."
Currently, Emma was behind him, staring at his back. She couldn't help but be in awe of him. He was a little pale, to be honest, but his skin was stretched taut with muscle and she couldn't help but be in awe of his beauty, paleness and all. And she couldn't talk, either. It wasn't like she didn't wear sunscreen or went out of her way to tan. She was pretty pale as well. And he seemed to think k she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen before.
Emma shrugged. "There is something you should know about me," she murmured, her lips turning up as she sat on the edge of the bed in her towel. "I tell my father everything. So he does know I spent the night with you. If I showed up in one of your t-shirts, it would scream sex. I would rather just show up in my clothes from last night so he's not bombarded with the fact that I got naked at your house."
Kyle grinned, walking over to her. "Isn't that what your wet hair will do on its own?" he asked, reaching out and twirling a damp strand of it around his long finger.
"Showers are much more acceptable to him than bed head and men's shirts," she told him.
She stood and dropped her towel so she was naked in front of Kyle. Immediately, his eyes darkened and he couldn't resist placing his hands on her hips. It was as though he needed to touch her in some way, like he couldn't be around her without physical contact, especially if she was this naked. He had slipped on a pair of boxer briefs and jeans but his feet and torso were bare. His short hair also was filled with water and she loved the way it clung to his face.
"So this thing," she said, stepping closer to him, "between you and me." She cocked her head to the sid
e. "Do we label it yet? Is it too soon? Should I even question it?"
He chuckled, pushing her wet bangs to the side so they didn't tease the top of her eyelids.
Emma felt her cheeks turn pink. She was thinking too much, talking too much. She wouldn't be surprise if she scared Kyle off.
"What do you want to do?" he asked her, cocking his head to the side and staring at her with warm blue eyes. He was leaning the majority of his weight on his right palm, pressed down into the bed, thrusting his shoulder up by his ear. His fingers reached out so they could caress hers.
Emma shrugged, keeping her hand in place. She didn't want him to move it, didn't want him to leave her without his touch on her body in some way. Her eyes dropped down to their connecting bodies. It was interesting how even the slightest of butterfly touches made her heart thrum against her chest, Luke her skin was fully magnetized and he was this conductor of electricity. She didn't understand why he had such an affect on her, but she didn't immediately reject the idea. Not when it made her feel so good. Not when it felt so right.
"I don't know how this works," she told him honestly, her brown eyes unable to leave his blue ones. "I've dated around, I've had a couple of serious boyfriends, but I don't know what I should do versus what I could do..." She shrugged her shoulders again, helpless to find the right words. It was the only way Emma could ever be helpless.
"I've had less experience than you," he pointed out, "but from what I learned, there are no rules. People assume there are, and they give power to these rules. The problem is, those rules take away power from you and me. We should get to decide how this works. I know this couple who got together after a month. They had sex the second date but they were crazy with each other. He's ten years older than her with two kids from a previous relationship and a bitch ex. They tease each other and work at the romance because it doesn't come naturally for them. But they care about each other. They got married under a year, eloped to Hawaii, and have two kids together. They've been together for five years and counting and they come from two different cultures. It works for them because they followed their own rules." He paused so his words could sink in. "So I'll ask you again, Emma, what do you want? Because that's what we should base our rules on. What we both want."
Emma took a moment, then two. What did she want?
"Honestly?" she told him. "I'm pretty open to anything. But, if I am investing this time in you and this relationship, I want monogamy. I want your commitment. I want the freedom to dance and not worry about neglecting you. I want your support when I apply to schools in New York. I don't want who I am to change because I'm dating you."
His smile widened, crawling across his face. He removed his hand from her touch only to cup the back of her head and bring her onto a kiss.
"I want exactly what you want," he told her. "Which means, I guess, that I'm your boyfriend, that this is a little more serious than just dating, and that I'm yours."
She smiled and kissed him quickly on the mouth. Maybe Emma had a rough time at finding the right words, but Kyle didn't seem to have that problem.
Thank God.
"Now, come on." Kyle stood up and headed back over to his walk-in closet. "We can't leave your father waiting. I'm sure he's ecstatic to meet the man dating your daughter."
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Acknowledgments
This book wasn’t even supposed to exist, if I’m being honest. It wouldn’t be here without my betas - Angi, Cindy, and Summer. They’re amazing ideas, insights, and edits have made this novella even better than it would be - but helped design it in the first place.
The Anaheim Ducks because they’re my team no matter what.
My family
My friends
The work squad
Susanna Lynn, for your beautiful cover. It’s amazing and stunning and perfect!
Frank & Kylee, Josh & Jacob, for your continued love, support, and understanding
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Grace on the Rocks: A Slapshot Prequel (Slapshot Prequel Trilogy Book 2) Page 11
