Chapter Twenty

Matthew

One more period till I'm off for three days. One more period till we can leave and just be us. One more step till she meets my parents. As soon as Karrie found out about the party, she tried to get out of it. She went as far as trying to call her father and asking if it was okay. That made me do one thing, confiscate her phone. She didn’t talk to me for the whole night. She went as far as going into the other room to try and sleep. Well, that only ended in me carrying her back to my bed where I whispered sweet nothings to her, and she vowed to kill me in my sleep.

I look up at her now in the booth with her father next to her while she watches the play. We are winning by one, but the whole team is on shaky legs. We are down one defenseman, who got hit in the head behind the net. We keep getting penalties after penalties. Max especially takes stupid ass penalties. The coach is reaming his ass as we speak.

“Keep playing with that head up your ass, I’ll fucking scratch you the next game.”

He doesn’t say anything because when it’s his line’s turn to go on, the coach yells my name. “Grant, you’re on.”

I don’t wait to see what he says. Instead, I swing over the board, catching the puck in the neutral. I’m almost to the blue line when the defenseman behind me starts coming in on me, but I push harder, faster, and right when I’m about to shoot the puck I’m tripped straight into the goalie, my leg hitting the post.

The referee blows his whistle, pointing his arm to the middle of the rink, which means penalty shot. I get up, my knee stinging. I flex my legs back and forth to shake the pain out. Once I skate around a couple of times, the pain is gone. I skate to the middle of the ice where the captain is trying to argue with the referee about the call.

“It is what it is. He was all alone and you tripped him.” He blows his whistle, skating backward so he can give the lines man the puck. He places it in the center of the ice. All the other players are already at the benches, leaning and watching.

The referee blows the whistle. I skate around the puck till I move it with my stick, the sound in the arena almost deafening with boos. I skate to the right, cutting to the left, my eyes never leaving the way the goalie comes out of his crease and then goes back in. His eyes watch the puck on the blade of my stick. I move the puck from the front of my blade to the back, his eyes still following it. I move the puck back to the front of the blade, winding up a bit, the goalie coming out of his crease a little, giving me just enough space to put it back on the back of my blade, lifting it just over his shoulder, hitting the back of the net in the top corner. The crowd gets louder with the boos as the siren sounds. I skate to my bench where I give everyone a high-five, except for Max, who stands there glaring at me instead of putting his glove out.

The rest of the game goes off smoothly, with us ending the game with an empty net goal. We skate off with a victory of 4-2. I walk into the dressing room, the reporters all waiting outside to come in. The equipment manager comes in, closing the door so Coach can speak.

We all start to undress, throwing our jerseys in the big gray container in the middle of the room. We put all our equipment in the bag in front of us, getting it ready to be shipped to the next arena. “Good game out there, boys. Good effort for the most of you,” he says, looking directly at Max, who stands up and starts to walk out of the room. “I won’t tolerate someone pulling a tantrum on my bench because he doesn’t get his way.” Coach then addresses the room. “That goes for everyone. I don’t care if you are the star of the team. You don’t pull your weight, I’ll put someone who will.” He nods at the room. “Have a great few days rest.” And he walks out while I sit down to untie my skates. The door opens and the media comes in, most of them walking to where I’m sitting. I don’t get up. Instead, I do this sitting down.

“Great game out there, Matthew. Can you tell us how it felt being upped from the fourth line to the first line?”

My response is almost robotic. “I just play where I’m told to play, whether it’s the first line or the fifth line. I’m just happy to play.”

“Matthew, your game has blown up. Is there a reason that it’s sticking this time, instead of when you got drafted?”

I laugh as this guy is a fucking asshole, and always is. “Well, I was seventeen and didn’t know how good I had it. Now I know what I want and I’m going to get it.”

“Matthew, you got twenty-nine minutes of ice time tonight. Do you expect to stay at that pace or get cut down for the next time?”

I laugh. “Good question. I’m not the one to ask, though. Coach decides that.” I get up after my skates are off. “Thanks for the questions, guys.” I turn and walk out of the room while they go and interview other people. I walk out into the hallway. Karrie is leaning against the wall on her phone. She looks up.

“I scored a goal tonight,” I tell her when I get close enough to her. “I need a celebration.” I smile at her while she puts her phone away.

“I think I can manage to whip something together,” she says while she crosses her arms over her chest. “So my father says I don’t have to accompany you to the party. That Cooper will be there and there’s no need for me.”

My eyebrows pinch together while my hands go to my hips. “Really?” I ask her, almost taunting her.

“Really,” she counters, her eyes almost gleaming with mischief.

I turn away to walk back into the room when her hand reaches out, grabbing me. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go call your father and ask him if he knows of a good strip club around here since I won’t have a chaperone. Maybe take some of the guys.”

Her hand drops. “You wouldn’t.”

I walk to her. “You seem to forget there’s almost nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure you're with me, by my side.” I lean down and whisper in her ear, “I even packed the cuffs.”

“You are a barbarian,” she says with her teeth clenched shut.

“Meh.” I shrug. “I’ve been called worse.” I smile at her. “Give me thirty. I’ll be done.” I turn to walk away. “Oh, and, Karrie, don’t dare me either.” I walk away while she curses and starts talking about me under her breath, nothing good by the way.

We make it to the hotel where Mom and Cooper are staying. I booked us one room. The front desk greets us by Mr. and Mrs. Grant. Something about that makes me want to puff out my chest and bang on it. Karrie, on the other hand, sneers at me, waiting for me to finish. We have about two hours before we have to meet up with everyone. We walk into our suite that’s all windows.

“Hmmm, I want to see you bent over in front of those windows while I fuck you.”

“Seriously, that’s what you think about?” she asks, putting her bag on the floor while she grabs her phone and keys. “Okay, I’m gone. See you later.”

“Where are you going?” I ask her, confused.

“Shopping. I need a dress.” She turns to walk away with my hand slamming the door closed right before she goes to walk out. I reach around, grabbing her cell phone and her keys. “You don’t need these to shop for a dress.” I also grab her purse, taking out her wallet. Once I have her wallet I walk to the wall safe, throwing everything inside and arming it with a code. “There, that’s settled. Besides, I already bought you a dress. It’s hanging in the closet.”

“You are really going to keep me here against my will?” she asks while she leans against the door. “I don’t want to go.”

I walk to her, taking her face in my hands while my thumbs rub her smooth cheeks. “Baby.”

“What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m not good enough for you?” she says quietly. “What if we don’t get along?”

“Babe, number one, how won’t they like you? If I think you're good enough for me, it’s all that matters. The question is, am I good enough for you? I know I'm not, but I’d fucking die before I let someone prove me right.” I kiss her lips while I squeeze her face. “How can you not get along with them? You are already on their good side. You make me happy. That’s all my parents want for me.” I smile. “Now go make yourself beautiful.” I kiss her, walking to the closet, taking out the dress I bought online and had delivered. “Here.” The only thing is I wasn’t ready for the sight that was before me when she stepped out of the bathroom two hours later.

She looks amazing in her figure-skimming white dress. The top is off-the-shoulders with sexy little sleeves that cling to her biceps, and the dress hugs her in all the right places as it tapers down her thighs to stop just above her knees. Her thick hair hangs loose around her bare shoulders. “Fuck me” is the only thing I know to say because she is beautiful beyond words, beautiful beyond anything I could expect, beautiful beyond my wildest dreams.

“Don’t you dare come near me, Matthew Grant. I’m not going to show up to meet your parents with you making my hair all crazy and wrinkling my dress.”

I look down at her shoes, gold high heels with three bands, one at her toes, one around her middle and another at the top. “Tonight just those shoes.” I wink at her. “Now come on before I lift your dress, move your panties to the side, and slide into you.” My cock hardens with the picture of doing what I want to do to her.

She walks out of the room while I hold the door to let her walk out, her hips swinging to the side, my hand itching to leave my palm print on her. We get into the car that Cooper arranged for us. Sliding in next to her, she places her little purse on her lap. “Oh, Matthew”—she leans in—“I’m not wearing panties.”

I don’t say anything because the driver floors it, having me jolt back while she laughs at my face.

We get there and see that the press is there. “Fuck.” I shake my head. “I’ll get out and lead the way. Hold onto me.”

She nods her head while I get out and hold out a hand for her and lead her inside while the reporters call my name. I smile and wave at them, walking into the club that’s lit up and the music is pumping.

“Matthew!” Mom shouts, waving me over.

I look over my shoulder and see Mom waving. I grab Karrie’s hand to guide us through the crowd to my mom and Cooper. I zig-zag through, letting go of Karrie’s hand when we are almost at my mom, so I can grab her and hug her. “Hey, Mom, Coop,” I greet both of them with a hug and a kiss for Mom.

“Where is Karrie?” my mom asks, so I turn around, assuming she is right behind me, but I can’t see her till I spot her a couple of feet back talking to a guy with more grease in his hair than Danny Zuko. He’s kissing her fucking hand and laughing with her. I knew that dress would fucking kill me.

I walk up to them, not even smiling. Instead, I grab her hand that’s at her side, pulling her away from him.

Right before I get to Mom and Cooper, she pulls me to a stop. “Seriously, you need to stop that. He was just saying hello.”

I walk over to her smiling, pushing the hair off her shoulder to lean in and whisper in her ear, “If you continue, I’m going to take you into the bathroom and fuck you so hard, this whole club will hear.” Then I lean down and kiss her. I’m so fed up of fucking hiding everything. I don’t give a shit who snaps a picture. I’m done. I finally let her go. “You get me?” I finish while she nods at me.

“Well, that settles that.” I hear Cooper say under his breath as he sips the beer he is holding.

When we finally make our way to them, Mom is the first one to greet her. “Karrie, you look beautiful.”

Cooper gives her a once-over and smiles at me. “Good luck, son.”

I glare at him. I look back at Austin, who is Cooper’s friend from college or even before that. They played hockey together. I’ve met him a few times over the years. He was always solo.

“Austin, this is my girlfriend, Karrie.” I pull her to my side, wrapping my hand around her waist.

“I’m not his girlfriend. I’m his chaperone.” She holds out a hand to Austin and then to Lauren, who I was informed is Austin’s girlfriend. Austin and Cooper both bust out laughing at me, and I’m now glaring at her.

“I’ll show you a chaperone.” I stare at her, and she glares back at me.

“Good luck finding me,” she quips. “I don’t have to be with you until next week.” She tries to pry my fingers off her hip.

With that, I laugh at her and grab a beer off the tray from the waiter who is walking past us. “Try to run. I dare you,” I challenge her. “Remember the last time you tried that.” I take a pull of my beer.

Her cheeks turn a shade of pink while her eyes turn a dark shade of blue.

“Lauren, do you dance?” my mom asks when Rihanna’s “This is What You Came For” comes on.

She nods her head and then downs the rest of the champagne, handing the empty glass to Austin.

“I love to dance,” she says while the guys, including me, all groan.

“Let’s go get a booth.” I turn to Karrie. “The dance floor looks cramped.”

“I’m going to dance. Who is coming with?” she says, heading for the dance floor, not even acknowledging my comment.

Mom follows her, and Lauren follows Mom.

“You pissed her off, and now,” Cooper says, looking at me then at Karrie and the girls starting to dance in the middle of the dance floor, “we all suffer.” He slaps me on the shoulder, laughing while he walks up the stairs so we can keep an eye on the women.

What the women don’t realize is they are attracting attention—a lot of attention. Cooper is in the middle of Austin, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed practically to slits. And me, I stand next to him, growling every ten seconds, and I wouldn’t be surprised if steam starts pouring out of my ears. The only one calm about all this is John, Austin’s business partner, who is leaning against the railing, looking at us. “Suckers.”

We all turn to glare at him.

Cooper leans forward. “Um, you mind explaining what you’re doing with Karrie?” he asks, turning his head to me.

“Nope. She’s mine.” I now sip water, having only the one beer. “She’s just fighting the inevitable.”

“She tried to leave you once. What makes you think she won’t try it again?” Cooper asks.

“I handcuffed her to my bed for four days.” I smile at the memory. “I dare her to try it again.”

“You know that’s kidnapping, right?” Cooper grins.

“Would you let Mom leave?” I ask him, knowing full well that he wouldn’t even let my mom leave for four hours. “Just get on a plane and take off for God knows where?”

“I hope you used comfortable cuffs.” Cooper laughs.

“Exactly,” I state. “Now, I’m going back down there, because I’ve given her enough space.” I walk down the stairs and onto the dance floor, going straight to her. I move in right behind her, my hand landing on her hips as I bring her close to me. She doesn't move until I whisper in her ear, “You drive me crazy,” my hips moving with hers. “I can’t not touch you. I can’t stand here and not have you in my arms.” I lick her earlobe. “Will you dance with me?”

Her arms move up my chest and around my neck.

“I want to spend the rest of the night worshipping your body. I want to spend the rest of the night buried in you. I want to spend the rest of the night loving you.”

She turns in my arms.

“Want to leave?” I ask her while she nods.

I wink at the guys and wave at my mom while she continues to dance. “Let’s go, baby.” I grab her hand, leading her out to the sidewalk where a couple of reporters take our picture while I usher her into a waiting cab.