Hold Me Forever (A Hockey Romance)

by Layla Hagen

  "Oh, you two, give it a rest," Reese said. "I'm going to get a marker and the posters."

  "Okay," I said, feeling so enthusiastic that my face exploded in a huge smile. Now, what should I write on it?

  Looking at the ice, I watched Tyler move between the pipes like a lion in a cage. The last thing I wanted was for him to lose focus.

  Reese returned with the paper and a marker a few short minutes later. I had a blank moment just looking at the paper, unsure what to even write on it. It wouldn't make sense to just write something like "Go get it." The fans could do that. I wanted to write something personal, something I knew he'd like.

  With a smile, I decided to keep things simple. I wrote “TYLER” in huge letters on the first row and a comma, and then on the lower one, "I LOVE YOU."

  "I like it," Travis shouted. "Sweet and to the point."

  I realized he'd been looking over my shoulder, standing between me and Reese. Reese was also looking at me and making no secret of it.

  “Should we go too?” Declan asked loudly.

  Luke raised a brow. “Dude, let her go. Don’t be a—”

  I didn’t hear the next word, but I had a hunch it was “cockblocker.” I quickly averted my gaze to Reese, whose eyes were so wide that it was obvious I’d heard right.

  With a nervous laugh, I got up from my seat. I went all the way down to the first row off the ice, not caring who was looking at me or what they were going to think. I just held the poster up above my head. I turned slightly so the fans could see it, and they all cheered at once, like a chorus, calling Tyler's name.

  He cocked his head toward us, and I was probably imagining it, but I thought that even from here, I could see his grin. The goalie’s mask hid everything, but when he nodded at me, I knew for sure he saw it.

  My heart was about to burst. I might not know a lot about hockey, but I felt a shift in energy the next second. Something about the way Tyler moved was different. The pacing wasn't angry anymore. It was just agile and energetic.

  I was rocking back and forth on my heels and tiptoes, too full of energy to stand still. But I was holding my arms up in place. They were starting to get tired, and I could barely feel my left hand, but I was determined to keep it up as long as I needed to.

  My breath caught when the Dogs came with the puck near our goal again, and I almost looked away when they shot it. But I didn't.

  "Yes, yes, yes," I chanted along with everyone else when Tyler blocked it. Then Steve got the puck, and the Blades passed between them, all the way to the Dogs’ side of the rink.

  And scored.

  "Yes, yes, yes," we all chanted again. The energy was infectious.

  Everyone seemed to talk and shout at the same time, and I was happy I'd come down here to the ice because everyone was up on their feet. I probably wouldn't have seen anything from my own seat anyway.

  Both my arms were now numb, and I lowered them just for a bit, putting the poster under my arm and rubbing my palms together before stretching them back up.

  Two minutes later, time ran out, and the Blades won, 2-1. Our section of the arena seemed to be out of control. I finally brought the poster down because Tyler was being hugged by his teammates, and he wasn't going to see it anyway.

  I saw the Maxwells come down to where I was.

  "Okay, I need ideas," I said. "I want to get to Tyler. Is there any shortcut around here?"

  "I'm afraid not," Reese said.

  "A distraction technique would be great about now," Luke said, rubbing his jaw, "but I have no idea."

  Declan patted his shoulder. "Mark the calendar, okay? The day I had more ideas than Luke."

  "One idea," Reese said. "One."

  "Yeah, we won't let it get to your head any time soon," Travis said.

  The team went to the locker room, and I knew it would take a while for them to shower and maybe even discuss the game. We left the arena, heading to the lot where all the players parked, waiting there along with everyone’s families. They let a few superfans in as well—apparently they bought special tickets that included meeting the team. Five security guys patrolled the area, and there was a roped section that kept the fans confined to a certain perimeter.

  When the team appeared, the fans started cheering. Travis chuckled.

  "Tyler’s elbowing his way to us. Literally. Look at him."

  I followed Travis's gaze and realized he was right. Tyler came inside the parking lot first, but instead of greeting the fans and signing autographs, he just kept pushing forward. His teammates trailed behind him, taking pictures and signing everything in sight. Not Tyler, though. He was making a beeline for us.

  I held my poster above my head as he came closer. He was smiling brilliantly. Without a single word, he cupped my face with both hands, sealing his mouth over mine.

  His kiss electrified me. I dropped the poster the next second, needing my hands free so I could touch him and hug him. I put my hands on his shoulders, but I wanted to feel him, so I moved my arms to his neck and put both hands around it.

  He was breathing life into me with this kiss. I was so aware of his body and his connection between us, and it filled me with joy in every cell of my body.

  "Okay, I was joking. Obviously he was elbowing his way to Kendra. I mean, Maxwell who?" Travis said.

  I felt myself flush as we tore apart to draw a breath.

  Tyler was totally oblivious to what Travis said, and when he pinned me with his gaze, I became oblivious to everything else too. Only Tyler mattered.

  He still had his hands on my cheeks, and the skin-on-skin contact was addictive, as was the luminous, happy look in his eyes.

  “Babe, let’s get out of here,” he said.

  “But what about celebrating with the team?”

  “I can do that another time. Right now, I just want to be with you.”

  “And the fans—”

  “Kendra, babe.” His voice was strong, filled with that dominant streak I loved so much. Part of me wanted to stall on purpose, just to see what he’d do. But I wanted to be alone with him too much.

  He just wanted me. He didn’t care about anything else.

  “He’s not even aware we’re here, is he?” I heard Travis ask, and I burst out laughing.

  Tyler snapped his head up, glancing straight at his brother. “Sure I am. I was actually thinking you four can probably help us make a quick escape.”

  “Sure we can. But first, I got a question: Anyone feeling used?” Luke asked.

  Travis shrugged. “I don’t mind being used. As long as it’s for a good cause.”

  Declan cocked a brow at Luke. “So, master of ideas, can you come up with an actual idea today?”

  “Bro, it’s still not a competition. You had one idea today. I’ve had a million of them.”

  Tyler took my hand, kissing it before interlacing our fingers. “It’s one of those times when the Maxwells are too busy bickering to actually be of any use.”

  I grinned from ear to ear. “That’s okay. They more than make up for that in entertainment value.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Kendra

  I will never be totally certain how we got home that evening. To his credit, Luke tried to distract the fans, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. They ambushed Tyler, who spent about half an hour chatting with them and signing autographs. After that, it was all a bit of a blur. But now we were in his condo, just the two of us.

  The second we stepped into the living room, Tyler put one hand at the side of my waist, the other on my face.

  “Babe, tonight was crazy.”

  “I know.”

  “But you were amazing.”

  I laughed softly. “Me? You’re the star goalie, remember?”

  “You had me at that poster. It means a lot to me.”

  “I love you, Tyler. And I know I’m not the best at expressing it, but—”

  “You were amazing.” He kissed my mouth hungrily, making me hum. But then he stopped, looking at
me intently. “During the break, I felt you pull away. It scared me.”

  I swallowed hard, searching for the right words. “I think the old me would have done exactly that.”

  “The old you?”

  “The pre-Tyler Kendra. My fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, thinking I was in trouble. Or maybe it was self-preservation, I don’t know.” Squaring my shoulders, I made myself taller. “But you’ve changed me so fundamentally, Tyler. With you, I’m not afraid to feel anymore.”

  With him, I felt like my heart was finally in the right place, as though the shift inside me was physical.

  “Babe, I love you so damn much.” He kissed me again, deep and fast and wet. From the desperate strokes of his tongue, I knew he wasn’t going to stop at just exploring my mouth.

  My knees weakened as he deepened the kiss, pushing one hand under my sweater, circling my navel with his thumb. I moaned against his mouth, greedy for him.

  Stepping back, he took off my sweater. I immediately undid my bra, wanting it out of the way. Groaning, he stepped closer.

  “I’m going to take off everything else.” His voice was strong, sexy, and brooked no argument. And my knees weakened even more.

  Taking my hand, he led me into the master bedroom. His eyes were hooded as he pulled me closer. Feeling the back of his hand press against my skin as he undid the button of my jeans was like an intimate touch. It sent sparks of heat through my body.

  He pushed them down to my knees and yanked my panties down too. I lost my balance for a second and steadied myself by clasping his shoulders. Then he sat me down on the edge of the bed and tugged my jeans, panties, and socks out of the way. As soon as I was free to move, I stood up. He cocked a brow, but I just flashed him a smile in response.

  The plan was to take his clothes off exquisitely slowly. What happened was that I got him naked so fast, I was surprised I didn’t tear something.

  Tyler skimmed his hands from my waist up to my shoulders, pushing me down on the bed before kneeling in front of me. Moving my legs apart, he kissed up my right ankle. Midthigh, he parted them even wider. He took his time, placing hot, wet kisses on my right inner thigh. I fisted my hands in anticipation, sucking in a breath, then groaned when he moved to the other thigh, totally ignoring my pulsing center. He was teasing me again, but I loved everything he did to me. He started with the left thigh, moving up and up and up until he reached that apex again. But this time, he didn't ignore my pussy. Instead, he planted his lips on my bundle of nerves. I thought I would break out of my skin.

  He brought a hand up, touching my breasts while his mouth was between my legs. He kept his eyes trained on me, and I melted from the sheer intensity in them. Not a split second later, I squeezed mine shut. He darted his tongue inside me, pressing his nose on my clit, and a shot of pleasure coiled through me. I momentarily forgot where I was and what was happening. It made my world completely spin on its axis. My back arched, and I bent my legs at the knees, shuddering. I rolled my hips back and forth into him, loving the feel of him between my legs.

  Then he gripped my hips tightly, lifting my ass off the bed just a few inches. He was taking control, and I wanted nothing more than to surrender to whatever he had in mind. His mouth was relentless. I felt the orgasm forming deep in my body, tugging at my center, starting from my bundle of nerves. But even though it started slowly, it spread like wildfire, and my climax slammed into me, knocking the breath out of me. I squeezed my eyes shut again, seeing stars behind my eyelids.

  "Tyler," I cried out, thrashing on the bed, tugging at the pillow and everything in my reach.

  I felt him move up my body, kissing me and running the tip of his nose on the side of my torso. He reached my breast, circling the nipple before looking up at me, staring me straight in the eyes. He was resting on both forearms and knees. Our limbs were intertwined on the bed. His erection pressed against the side of my body. I could barely breathe. The moment wasn't just sexual tension. It was more. It had always been more with him. He made me feel so alive and so loved when we were together.

  He reached for the nightstand, but I interrupted him, catching his arm and putting it back on my chest. I cleared my throat.

  "It's been a month since I started birth control.”

  “No more condoms?” His voice was almost a growl.

  I nodded, and his gaze turned feral. And just like that, I knew he was close to losing control again.

  He lifted his hips slightly off me, and we both looked between us. I reached down, gripping his erection, and then I looked up at him playfully before pushing him onto his back. I only managed it because I took him by surprise, since he was much bigger and stronger than me.

  He propped himself on his elbows. "What are you doing?"

  The next second, I settled between his legs, forming an O with my mouth and pressing my lips around the tip of his erection.

  "Kendra, fuck," he exclaimed before a groan tore from him.

  I took a page from the Tyler Pleasuring Book and lowered my mouth slowly. He was so huge that I needed a few seconds to accommodate him. I couldn't go all the way down, so I fisted my hand around the base where I couldn't reach. Then I moved my mouth up and down.

  “Kendra!” His voice was low and rich and so damn sexy.

  I tried to watch him, but I couldn't really, so I just focused on giving him pleasure. When I felt him pulse in my mouth, I pulled back, kissing up his body, stopping first at every ridge on his abdomen before reaching his chest.

  He gripped the back of my head and my waist, regaining control, then kissed me hard while he rolled me on my back, settling straight between my legs. I felt him slide in only halfway before he groaned against my mouth. He'd never made such a sound before. I was sure of it. It was long and drawn out, like this couldn't possibly feel so good. And I was right there with him. The skin-on-skin contact, knowing this barrier between us was gone, was almost too much.

  "Fuck, babe, this feels so good. Fuck. Fuck." He stopped moving, interlacing our fingers. He pressed his forehead against mine, his hot breath landing on my upper lip. "I want to do this every day with you. Be with you, love you, have you. I can't get enough of you."

  He moved again, and I rolled my hips, meeting him halfway. To my astonishment, he pulled out, kissing down my body.

  "No, come back." My voice was pleading. I wasn't even going to pretend that I didn't need him badly. There was no pretending with him. It was an open book, and I liked that.

  "I need to pace myself, babe. You feel too damn amazing," he said, kissing down my body.

  Far from relaxing me, it just increased the tension. Feeling the tip of his nose draw a straight line between my breasts and then to my navel only heightened my senses. I was aware of wherever he touched and kissed and even of his breath against my skin.

  I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted him.

  And I was going to have him.

  I nudged his shoulder, pulling him back up, inching my legs around him. He smiled cockily right before he thrust into me. His smile instantly turned into a frown, his mouth open and his eyes pinched closed like pleasure was already overwhelming him. We were both desperate and frantic.

  I pressed my feet on the mattress, moving my hips as hard and as quickly as I could. My left leg skidded off the edge of the bed. He held my thigh, stabilizing me, bringing it back on the bed. He gripped my right ass cheek, lifting it a bit until the angle was so perfect that every time our lower bodies collided, his pelvis pushed against my clit. Little shocks of pleasure erupted inside me each time. I ran my hands down his arms and then gripped his ass, pushing him farther inside me with every thrust.

  My orgasm slammed into me with such an intensity that I gasped, shoving the back of my head against the pillow, lifting my upper back. I didn't let go of his ass, just kept pushing him inside me, wanting every drop of pleasure. He thrust harder in one long push, and then he exploded.

  We both collapsed and lay side by side, drawing in our breaths in short pants
.

  Tyler pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, looking me straight in the eyes.

  "You’re amazing, Kendra. You're my woman, my partner.”

  I smiled, inching closer to him. “I’m so happy we got home early.”

  “Why?”

  “I planned this whole thing to help you relax. The list was so long that I could only fit in a few things. But now we have time for so much more.”

  “Like what?”

  I grinned. “You’ll see. We’ll start with a shower, of course. And then you’re all mine. The whole night.”

  He rolled on top of me the next second, pinning me to the mattress. Tipping his head, he drew his nose up the side of my neck. “The way I see things, you are mine.”

  “Semantics,” I teased, tugging at his hair until he moved back a bit. “But either way, tonight will be epic.”

  “Babe, it already is.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Tyler

  Two weeks later

  Several things were true in the Maxwell family.

  One: birthday parties were huge events.

  Two: Gran’s birthday party was not. She always insisted we keep it in the family. She chose a different way to celebrate every time. Sometimes we went somewhere outside the city, or we went to a restaurant. This year, she wanted a cookout in my parents’ yard. It was cold, two weeks before Christmas, but what Gran wanted, she got.

  I arrived alone, later than all my brothers. Sam was here too, and he was staying over Christmas. Reese wasn’t here. She’d gone to Paris to visit Kimberly and was supposed to fly in this morning, but her flight was canceled, so she was returning tomorrow instead.

  Kendra texted me that she was running late because of traffic.

  My brothers were at the huge bar in the living room as usual. Travis was behind it, mixing drinks. Declan, Luke, and Tate were standing in front of it.

  Gran, my parents, Sam, Lexi, and Paisley were sitting around the dining room table. I went to greet them first.

  “Happy birthday, Gran.”