When I’m back in his arms, I place my hands on his shoulders.
“This reminds me of when we first met,” I say. “Remember that? Dancing with me on the dancefloor of Barrel Boots?”
“How can I forget?” He leads the dance. “Although Barrel and Boots was a little bit less glamorous than this.”
I laugh. “True.”
“I seem to recall a lot of grinding that night.” He smirks.
“I need several more refills of champagne before you’ll see that again.”
“Is that a challenge?”
I playfully push him as we continue to dance. I can feel the champagne kicking in as I giggle at all of Jack’s little jokes. As we dance, I can’t help but stare into his beautiful brown eyes. He looks handsome as hell in his pressed suit and blue tie, specifically chosen to match my dress. His carefully styled hair is a bit disheveled from the snow but it still looks good. He smells like expensive clothes and aftershave.
As he looks at me, I can see the admiration for me in his eyes. I can see that he wants to hold me and protect me.
“This isn’t so scary,” he says. “Is it?”
I smile and shake my head. “Not at all.”
He smiles. “Good.”
I lean in and kiss him as his hands slither around my waist.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe you guys should get a room,” Logan calls out from off the dancefloor.
“We have a room!” Jack calls back jokingly.
We laugh and walk over to Logan to congratulate him.
“Now we’ll just have to figure out who’s next,” Logan says.
“That’s obvious, isn’t it?” Jack asks.
I bite my lip.
“Connor and Daisy.” Jack points at the two who are dancing on the opposite end of the dancefloor.
Connor is in a dark brown suit while Daisy is wearing a stunning red dress. They’re looking lovingly into each other’s eyes.
“Love is in the air,” I say.
“And how about you guys?” Logan asks. “Any future plans?”
“Slow down there,” Jack says. “I don’t want to scare her away.”
I laugh and squeeze his arm. He knows he can’t scare me away.
“Fine,” Logan says. He looks at me. “It’s weird not seeing you around the training facility.”
“I know I’m not around to teach yoga anymore but I’ll be coming to more Blades events. You’re going to see me more whether you like it or not.”
Logan grins. “Great! The more the merrier. Hey! Coop!”
He gets distracted and disappears into the crowd.
Jack is simply smiling at me. I give him a quick kiss on the nose.
“Hey!” Daisy calls out. She grabs Connor tightly and dances over to us. “We’d love to have you over for dinner when we’re all back in Seattle. I’ll be home until January!”
Jack looks at me.
“That’d be great,” I say.
“Wonderful! Oh, Jack… it’s too bad you’ll be moving out so soon. With my school schedule and your hockey schedule, I feel like I’ve barely had time to get to know you.” She pushes her large glasses up her nose.
A waiter comes by with a tray of champagne flutes. We all take one.
“I’ll still be in the city,” Jack says. “Once you’re done school, we can make this a more regular thing.”
“Have you found a place yet?” Connor asks, sipping his champagne.
“I have a few places in mind.”
“You do?” I ask. I know he looked at one bachelor apartment near the water but I haven’t heard any updates on how his real estate search was going.
“Yeah, just a few places I saw online while browsing the other day.”
“Oh.”
“Hey, Rory!” Connor pulls away to say hi to someone else. Daisy tells me it’s nice to see me as she joins him.
I look at Jack. “What are these other places you were looking at?”
“Come, let me show you.” He takes my hand and leads me to a private corner of the large banquet hall. We sit on a love-seat next to a small fireplace. We’re next to the window where snow is lazily drifting down in large fluffy flakes as the sky darkens to a purplish-pink.
Jack pulls out his phone and navigates to a luxury condo overlooking the water. He hands me the phone and I start swiping through the pictures. The place is absolutely gorgeous and beyond nicer than anything I’ve ever stepped foot in.
“Three bedrooms? Are you crazy? This place is huge!”
“I thought maybe it’d be nice to have some extra space.”
“For who?”
“If I have extra space, maybe you’d be more likely to come over more often.”
I smirk. “I don’t need an extra bedroom if I’m going to be sleeping with you.”
He puts his arm around my waist. “I know.”
“So… why do you need so many bedrooms?”
“The extra room is for Lilith.”
I laugh. “Lilith gets her own room? You sure spoil her. And what about the third room?”
He shrugs playfully. “Room to grow.”
“Room to grow? What exactly is going to grow?” I ask even though I already know the answer.
“Us.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You want us to grow?”
“I want us to have the possibility to grow.”
I smile as I look back down at the pictures. “I see.”
“And I’m not pressuring you or anything. You can keep your apartment. I would use the extra room as a place for my mom to visit when she’s in town. But if you move in with me, you can turn your apartment space into a massage parlor and extra yoga room just like you wanted.”
I look up at him in shock. “You remember that?”
“Of course! I remember everything about you, Jemma Reeves.”
Suppressing a smile, I stare out the window at the snow falling on the trees. As I think about it, he kisses my cheek.
“It’ll be a lot of work,” I say.
“I can help you.”
“It might fail miserably.”
“But you won’t know if you don’t try.” He moves my hair out of the way so he can kiss my ear. His confidence is contagious.
I pull back and look at him for a moment.
“What?” He asks.
“Okay,” I say.
“Okay?”
“I’ll move in with you.”
A look of confusion comes over him. “Did I ask you to move in with me?”
“Don’t play games with me, Jack Lalonde.”
He laughs and kisses me again, this time on the lips.
“We’re moving in together,” he whispers.
I smile. “We’re moving in together.”
The night progresses. After the cake is cut, everyone shifts into party mode. The lights dim and the disco ball starts to turn. Austin is the first to loosen his tie and fasten it around his head of blond curls like a makeshift bandanna. This causes the rest of the guys to loosen their ties and get just as crazy.
Jack and I let loose too as we dance in a manner much more reminiscent of our first night together. We’re all eyes and hands. We try to avoid being complete degenerates to keep the night classy but it’s clear that this is an all-out party.
“Bouquet toss!” Riley calls out. The music starts to play ‘Single Ladies’ as the guys clear off the dancefloor.
I look at Jack.
“It’s okay,” he says. “You don’t have to do it.”
I smirk. “But I want to.”
He smiles as my hand leaves his. I strut out onto the dancefloor with Daisy and the rest of the women.
“One… two… THREE!”
Riley tosses the bouquet and although it lands nowhere near me, I have fun trying to catch it with the rest of the ladies. Riley’s maid of honor, Jane, ends up the lucky winner. Although I don’t catch the bouquet, I know the universe has a path for Jack and me. I trust the universe to guide us on that journey, whereve
r it leads.
After the party starts to fizzle out, Jack and I stumble to the elevators to make our way up to our beautiful suite.
“I’m impressed,” Jack says as he leans back against the elevator wall. His tie is already loosened and the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone. We both worked up a sweat on the dancefloor. “We were the last couple standing.”
I laugh. “It’s the shoes.”
I raise my foot to show off my black kitten heel. The heel is barely a quarter of an inch tall.
“High heels can ruin a night. That’s why I rarely wear them. I want all my nights to be amazing.”
Jack smirks as he grabs me and pulls me closer. He’s about to kiss me when the elevator doors open. He kisses me anyway while trying to guide me out into the hall. We giggle as we bump into a wall and nearly fall over.
“Shh!”
“Come on.” He takes my hand and leads me to our suite. After fumbling with the key, we stumble into the room.
The small fireplace is on, heating the room so much it feels like a sauna—a stark contrast to the chilly night outside. Jack sets his jacket and tie aside as I walk over to the window. Soft snow is quietly falling like a blanket over the mountains and lake.
“It’s so beautiful,” I say.
Jack sneaks up behind me and slips his hands around my waist.
“Yes, you are,” he breathes into my ear.
He kisses my neck slowly. I try to emulate the stillness and quiet of the scene outside by being mindful of Jack’s every movement. I close my eyes and lean my head back against him as his hands find their way around my waist, holding me firmly against his body. I feel his warm breath and the touch of his lips on my neck as he kisses me.
He moves my hair over one shoulder so that he can unzip the back of my dress. I feel the vibration of the zipper as his hand moves down my back. Pushing the fabric off my shoulders, he slips the dress off as it pools into a pile of fabric on the floor. I’m in nothing but my underwear.
He turns me around so that I’m looking at him. His messy hair falls into his eyes as he unbuttons the rest of his shirt. He pulls it off, exposing his chest. He’s about to lean in and kiss me again but I stop him and look up into his eyes.
“Jack.”
He looks down at me and presses his nose against mine. “Yes.”
“I love you,” I breathe.
Lowering his head, he kisses me slowly on the lips.
“I love you too,” he says.
We kiss each other again, more ravenously this time. He lifts me and carries me to the bed. Gently pushing my bra strap off, he kisses my exposed shoulder. The fire pops and crackles as Jack’s hands warm my skin. He breathes against my neck, causing all my hairs to lift on end.
“Jemma,” he breathes.
I run my hands through his hair as my lips find his ear.
“Yes,” I whisper.
Tightening his grip on me, he tugs at my bra and pulls it off. Using his effortless strength, he turns me around, flipping me onto my back. I find myself staring up at him as he kneels over me. He unbuckles his belt.
I admire how sexy he is as he undresses. Once he’s naked, he lowers himself down onto me and kisses me. I kiss him back, taking my time as I enjoy every second of this.
When he pulls back, he playfully presses his nose against mine.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hmm?” He looks down at me with a look of lust.
“I want to live with you.”
A slow smile spreads across his face.
“You already said that earlier,” he says. “Remember? Or did you have too much champagne?”
“I know I said it. But I want to say it again. And again and again.”
He laughs. “Okay. Let’s do it. Again and again.”
I smile. Jack lowers himself on top of me so that I can feel the full pressure of his weight. I wrap my legs around him as I pull him in for a kiss. The fire crackles.
Am I completely crazy? Maybe. But, for the first time in forever, I feel free and excited about the future. Not only will I get to build my business, but I’ll build a future with Jack. I’m excited to share a home with him, to spend more time together. I’m excited to be there when he gets home and to see him when I get home. I’m excited to see Lilith curled up in his arms as they fall asleep on the couch together.
And I’m excited to see what kind of person I can become if I open up and put unconditional love out into the world. The universe can only be better because of it.
“Come on, my witchy goddess,” Jack whispers into my ear. “The night is young.”
EPILOGUE - JACK
The spring tulips are blossoming and the breeze is starting to get warmer with each passing day.
Hockey’s regular season is over and the Blades fell just short of making the playoffs. We put in a good effort but we couldn’t get those last few points. There’s nobody to blame even though rumors are circling that Coach Murphy might get fired.
Although I’m sad for the team, I’m happy with my personal performance during my rookie year. I broke my own points record in both goals and assists. And I’ve got my sights on surpassing those numbers next year.
After our season is over, I spend my days working out at the training facility. A couple of the other guys show up from time to time but most of them are already on vacation or out golfing.
“Hey, brother.” Austin walks out of the locker room. His usual grizzly beard is gone and he’s completely clean-shaven.
“Wow, look at you. Looking like a handsome devil.”
We clasp hands and give each other a bro-bump.
“Thanks. I’ve got a date tonight.”
“That’s my man. Who’s the lucky lady?”
“I met her after our end-of-season party. She was there taking photos with one of the magazines.”
“That’s great! I’m happy for you, bud.”
“Hey, did you hear the latest news about the team?” Austin looks at his phone and starts navigating to a news article.
“About Coach?” I ask.
“No, about Rodney, the GM.”
“What about him?”
“Balder fired him. We’re gonna have a new general manager next year.”
“Seriously? I guess that means Coach Murphy is safe.”
“Yeah, thank goodness.”
“Do you know who’s going to be managing the team now?”
“Someone named Dylan Rogers.”
“I’ve never heard of him.”
“He’s young. Twenty-six, I think. He’s some mathematical and statistical genius. He graduated with his Master’s degree when he was nineteen.”
“Wow.” I run my hand through my sweaty hair. “Twenty-six. That’s younger than half the guys on the team.”
“Yeah, well. We’ll see how it works out.” Austin shoves his phone into his pocket. “Anyway, how have you been? How’s Jemma?”
“Great. We’re finally all settled in the new place.”
“I’m happy for you. Man, you really lucked out.”
I smirk. “Yeah, I did. I can’t complain.”
“Meanwhile I’m still looking for a place so I can move out. Leo’s snoring is starting to get to me.”
“Keep looking. I know you’ll get there.”
“Thanks, man. Listen, I gotta go but I’ll see you around? We need to meet up for a beer at A Hard Shot again. I still dream about those wings.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, man. It’s a plan.”
We bro-shake one more time before heading our separate ways.
Checking my phone, I call Jemma. She picks up after the second ring.
“Hey,” she says. Her soft voice is welcoming and full of warmth. She makes me smile every time I hear her.
“What are you up to? Should I pick something up for dinner?”
“Sure. Your choice—just as long as it’s not sushi. I’m just at the studio approving the final touches for the steam room.”
“I can’
t believe your old kitchen is a steam room now.”
She laughs. “It definitely looks different here. I’m a bit sad because of all the memories we had here…”
“But we’re gonna make new memories,” I say.
“That’s right.”
“Like that time you dropped the olive oil all over our new kitchen floor a few weeks ago.”
“Jack!” She exhales. “You said you’d stop bringing that up.”
“I can’t help myself sometimes.”
“Clearly!”
I chuckle to myself. “When will you be home?”
“About half an hour. Oh, by the way… my mom might be there. She said she was going to swing by to drop some stuff off.”
“She’s not going to pinch my butt again, is she?”
She laughs again. “I told her not to but she plays by her own rules. Just don’t turn your back on her.”
“My back wasn’t even turned last time!”
She laughs.
I shake my head. “Now I know where you get it from.”
“Stand across the room. That’s all the advice I can give you.” There’s a voice in the background. “Okay, I’ve gotta go. Talk to you in a bit. Love you!”
“Love you.” I smile as I hang up.
After finishing up at the gym, I pick up some food and head home. Twenty minutes later, I’m pulling into the garage of our new place by the bay. It’s been three months since we moved in. It’s been a mess considering Jemma had to move the stuff out of her old place so that she could renovate the new spa-yoga hybrid studio.
With a bucket full of fried chicken and a bouquet of wildflowers, I walk into our place.
Our place.
It feels good knowing I have a place to come home to in between games. It’s not just a place to sleep, like Connor’s basement was. This is a home, a place to celebrate holidays, a place to make memories. And it couldn’t be a more perfect place.
At night we can hear the waves crashing on the distant shores. We have a small backyard where Lilith can roam freely and chase the butterflies. And Jemma has her own little space where she can do her spells or enchantments, or whatever it is that she does. All I know is that it involves a lot of crystals, candles, sage, and tarot cards. Sometimes she’ll bring in a feather or a branch. Either way, it didn’t take long for the fresh paint smell to be overtaken by the scent of incense, candle wax, and sandalwood. It smells like home.
Jack: An Enemies To Lovers Sports Romance (Bad Boys of Hockey Book 2) Page 26
