Twenty-Six

Max

We walk into the arena together, first day back after the Christmas break.

We got back last night after spending three days in the country. It was fucking bliss. No outsiders. I could touch her when I wanted, kiss her when I wanted, and make love to her when I wanted. And let me tell you, I wanted it every single second. Driving back home, I asked her to pack a bag and stay with me. I just wasn’t ready to let her go and I don’t think she was either. So it took her fifteen minutes to pack a huge bag and when we got back home, she set herself up in my closet. Seeing her things hanging with mine made me smirk. I have her. She’s here and she’s with me.

When we get to her office, she walks in and turns her head to wink. “Skate hard.”

I shake my head as she dumps her bag and I walk to the locker room. Half the team is there, so I nod at them and then stop at my place, shrugging off my jacket. I listen to the other guys talk about their holiday when Phil comes in.

“Merry Christmas, you filthy animals,” he says and dumps his bag on his seat and shrugs out of his jacket also. “Hey, Max.” He sits down and takes off his shoes. “Did you enjoy the woods?”

I laugh at him. “It was perfect,” I say as Matthew comes in with Luka. The team is almost all here. I get up and go about my workout, leaving the guys in the room.

When I meet up with them about an hour later Phil is in front of his hook stretching.

“I swear Aly looks different,” he says to Matthew, who is taping up his hockey stick. I don’t say anything as I go to sit down, finishing off my protein shake. “I saw her before and she’s glowing.”

“I think she’s in love,” Matthew says, not looking at anyone. “She left the family for the first time ever to spend Christmas with this punk,” Matthew says and I take my T-shirt off.

“Do you know who he is?” Phil asks while Matthew shakes his head. “You think it’s someone we know?”

“Nah,” Matthew says. “No way anyone is that stupid that they are going to go and date my sister.” He puts his stick down. “I’m sure he’s some stockbroker or something, maybe even a banker who doesn’t get his hands dirty. Fuck, he probably doesn’t even know what hockey is.”

“Knock, knock, knock.” I hear Allison’s voice at the door as she holds her hands in front of her eyes. “Please put all penises away. I’m coming in.”

I laugh and Matthew groans.

“Three, two, one,” she says as she opens the door. “Hey, everyone, just checking in to let you know that everything is set up for Buffalo. We will be having the team dinner with whatever families make it down. All rooms have been booked and they are officially sold out, so if you didn’t get an extra room and you needed it you’re shit out of luck. We leave as soon as the game ends, so if your family is not coming on the plane but meeting you there, please make sure to tell me so I can have some extra cards made for you.”

Phil raises his hand. “You bringing your plus one, Aly?” he asks with a big ass smile while Matthew glares at him.

“You never know, maybe he just might show up.” She shrugs her shoulders. “I mean, I need to have someone to kiss at midnight.” She shakes her head, smiling.

Charles and Nico, both rookies, raise their hands.

“I can help.” Charles smiles while Matthew throws his roll of tape in his face. “Ouch, I don’t want her to feel left out.”

I snort, get up, and start putting my things on. “The only thing you need to worry about is getting your ass on that ice and making a difference,” I tell them both, pointing at them. “Head in the game.”

“Okay, well, this was fun. See you guys after the game.” She nods and ducks out.

I close off the chatter and get myself ready for the game and dreading the fact that we are leaving again tonight. I get ready and am bouncing on my skates by the time it is ready to skate.

“I’m so fucking tired,” Matthew says. “All this holiday bullshit and the eating. I am ready to sleep for a whole nine hours without someone kneeing me in the balls.” He runs out to skate.

I follow suit, hearing the fans cheer. I look around, seeing that the arena is only half full for now, which isn’t new since it’s pre-game. I skate out, testing my blades, going left to right as I look up at the families pouring in now. I see Allison by the glass again, with Matthew’s kids. I skate to the glass as little Vivienne smacks the glass while Allison stands behind her. I put my glove on the glass while she hits it, as I wink at Allison and she whispers something in her ear, then the little girl blows me a kiss. I throw my head back and laugh as Matthew pushes me out of the way.

“Stop trying to get my girl to send you kisses.”

I laugh at him. “I was just standing here. She was the one who sent the kisses.” I take off then, accepting the pass from Luka in front of the goal where it lands on the back of my blade and I tip it up over his pad.

“Fuck you!” he yells as he slams his stick down.

The game is pretty slow for both teams, both of us just basically figure skating and not even caring, till they snow Luka in the face after the whistle. I knock the guy back and the referee calls a penalty for me, leaving the fans to boo. I sit out in the box for two minutes, but my team doesn’t let me down by scoring a short-handed goal. One of the rookies, Nico, taps in a rebound. When I finally get out of the box and get back on the bench he leans in.

“How’s that for making a difference?” He smirks at me as I squirt him in the face with my water from the bottle in front of me. By the time the end of the game comes around, we skate off with a victory. I take my gloves off, tossing them in my travel bag in front of my bench, taking off my jersey, and tossing it in the big basket in the middle of the room.

“One hour, folks. That is when the bus leaves and the plane leaves in ninety minutes,” Allison yells and then walks out. I finish getting dressed in forty-five minutes and walk to her office where I see Cooper and Parker sitting in the chairs in her office.

“Hey,” I say, looking down at my phone, pretending to read something, but I’m not.

“Hey,” Allison says softly and sits in her chair, putting her laptop away. “I forgot my bag in your car. Do you think you can give me a lift there?” She looks up at me.

“Sure, we can get going whenever you’re ready.” I smile and nod at her parents. “Are you two coming?” I ask them.

Cooper says, “Yes, but we are flying in tomorrow with the whole crew. Should be fun.”

Allison picks up her bag and comes to kiss her parents goodbye. We walk out, going straight for my car, and driving over to the private plane area where I park the car and carry the bags to the plane.

“How many are we going to be?” I ask, looking at the huge plane that is waiting for us.

“About a hundred and fifty, give or take. Doug refused to say no to anyone so some are even bringing their in-laws.” She climbs into the plane ahead of me and I swear I’m going to bite her ass tonight.

“Aunty Aly, Aunty Aly.” I hear as she walks in and Cooper runs to her. “We take the plane,” he says as she throws her bag in the first seat she finds open as I put her bag in the overhead bin.

“You sitting with me?” she asks me and I just nod.

I go in, sitting by the window while she goes in the back and speaks with Karrie.

I have my earphones in when she comes back and sits down next to me.

“Whatcha watching?” she asks as the bus gets here with the rest of the team. They slowly start coming on the plane, and it’s an hour later by the time everyone is sitting down and buckled in. Thank fuck the flight is only an hour and fifteen minutes.

When we get to Buffalo three buses are waiting for us. We walk off the plane with her following me in the back as I walk to the first bus and look back and see people carrying kids off the plane. It’s a nightmare and I just want to get to my room.

“What’s wrong?” Allison asks from next to me as I put our bags under the bus.

I look around, seeing that we are the only two on the bus. “What’s wrong is that I haven’t kissed you in about seven hours and I’m about fucking done,” I huff out. “And I don’t give a fuck if we have connecting rooms or not, I’m not sleeping without you.”

She puts her purse on her lap as she watches the people outside. “You are so cranky, and”—she leans in and pecks my lips fast—“it’s been nine hours, but who is counting, right?”

I grumble out as people get on the bus and the hotel is another shit storm. I go up to my room and see that there is a door on the side wall. I text her, asking her where she is, when a soft knock comes from the door. I swing it open to find her standing there still with her coat. I don’t give her another minute as I grab her face with both my hands and kiss her like I haven’t tasted her in a week. Her hands go to my waist as we stand here and just fucking kiss. “It’s too long,” I say as I pull my lips from hers, and I pull her in my room, and yank her jacket off of her. “Too fucking long,” I say desperate to feel her on me, desperate for her to be under me, and I don’t think I’m the only one because her hands are gripping my shirt while she rips the buttons down.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she says with a smirk. “I hope you brought another one, but I don’t care.” She gets up on her tippy toes and bites my bottom lip while my hands rip her bra cup down and I lean in, sucking it in, and then biting her next to the nipple. I pick her up and toss her on the bed as she lands on her back. Her hair is all over the place as she rises on her elbows to look at me, one tit out, my red mark showing proudly. Her black tights are molding her body, as she sits up then takes off one of her black-heeled booties and tosses it to the side, doing the same to the other one. “You coming to get some of this?” she says and I pounce on her and by the time we are finished, the sheets are wrapped around our legs, our bodies have a sheen of sweat, and we are both panting. “I can’t move,” she says. “I want to get up and go. My mind is telling me to get up, but my body is like, nah, tomorrow.” She yawns.

I curl up, grabbing the tangled sheets, and toss them over us as I lean over her as she tries to keep her eyes open but fails miserably. I kiss her neck as I roll to my side. She turns over, cuddles into me, and we fall asleep with her face in my neck, her hand on my heart, and my hand on top of hers.

I wake up the next day, looking around at the empty bed as I hear the water running and then shutting off. I grab my phone, checking to see that is it almost noon. There is no skate today, so it’s a relax day.

She walks back into the room, her hair wrapped in a white towel, and a white towel wrapped around her body. “Morning, sleepyhead.” She puts her knee on the bed as I grab her and yank her on top of me.

“Morning, angel,” I say, leaning up and kissing her.

“Want to go grab some lunch?” she asks as the towel from her hair comes down. “I’m starving.” She rolls over and gets off the bed.

I do the same, going to the bathroom, and starting the shower. “I’ll be ready in ten,” I tell her as I jump in the shower and she does her hair.

I get out and grab a towel as her phone rings.

“Hello,” she answers. “Really? Okay, but I was meeting up with Max for lunch, so if that’s okay, we will join you guys,” she says to whoever is on the phone. “Perfect, we’ll meet you there.”

I look at her.

“So my family is having a family brunch and we are going.”

“Isn’t it going to be weird?” I ask.

“No, we are friends. You drive me to and from the game all the time, so…” She shrugs while she grabs her black tight yoga pants and puts them on over her white lace thong. The pants mold her every fucking curve. “Don’t even think about it, Max. My family is waiting.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask her, hiding my smile.

“You look like the cat right before he pounces on the bird.” She points at me as she puts on the matching white lace bra with a big knitted sweater that’s falling off the shoulder. I grab my own boxers and get dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and slip on my jacket and a scarf. I take my beanie hat, throwing it on. “You look hot.”

I grab my phone and put it in my pocket.

“Don’t even think about it, Allison,” I mock her as I open the door and walk out and straight into Karrie and Matthew. I stand here almost with my mouth open, trying to think of a reason why I’m walking out of her room when Allison opens the door.

“Oh, hey, you guys,” she says then looks at me. “Thanks for returning my gloves. I almost forgot them again.” She saves us as she puts her hand up with the gloves. “Are you guys headed down?”

I see Karrie look at Matthew to see what he is going to say and we are so lucky because Vivienne cries because Franny pulled her hair. I look back at Allison, who looks at Karrie as she says, “Dodged that bullet.”

We all get into the elevator as Matthew presses the button for the lobby as he cuddles Vivienne and tells Franny to be nice. We get downstairs the same time as the rest of my family and we walk around the corner to the restaurant that we are going to be eating at. We don’t make it two steps before some fans come up to us and ask Matthew and me for autographs. We sign them all and walk to his family that is waiting for us. I sit down next to Allison and I feel out of place, almost like I’m not supposed to be here. I look around at the table, who are all looking at their menus, and I’m one second away from bailing. I don’t know how she does it, but she must know because she grabs the hand that is on my leg next to her.

“Did you hear that they have to redo the ice for the game?” Matthew says as he looks at his menu.

“No,” I say, “but what do they expect? Outdoor hockey isn’t like in the rink.”

“Did you ever play outside?” Cooper asks, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was keeping in. I can talk hockey.

“I did, I still do,” I say as I take a sip of water that the waitress has just put down. “My cottage is set near a lake, so if I’m down and it’s cold enough I lace up with the kids up there.”

“I tried to do a rink in the backyard one year,” he says, shaking his head. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing the wife owns one that is covered.”

I nod at him as I look at the menu and we all place our order.

“So, Aly, is your guy coming to meet you for that midnight kiss?” Cooper says as he puts his fork down.

“I don’t know. He said maybe, so I’m excited,” she says next to me, and I turn and watch her smile at her family.

“Max, you drive her home all the time. Have you seen this guy?” Cooper asks as Matthew looks at me, waiting.

“Nope, but I usually just drop her off and leave, so…”

“He’s probably one of those stockbrokers who has clean hands and wears polo shirts and pink pants. He probably goes fucking sailing,”

Matthew says and I laugh.

“There is nothing wrong with any of that,” Allison says from beside me. “I love him. He treats me like a princess and that really is all that matters.”

“Did you get a PI and do a background check on him?” Cooper asks as Parker gasps beside him and he looks at her. “It’s for her own safety. What if he owes the mob money or he killed his last girlfriend?”

“Dad, you really need to stop watching Dateline and 48 hours,” Zoe says laughing. “He’s probably hot,” she continues.

“Okay,” Allison says as she gets up. “I’m out. I need to go to Macy’s.”

“For what?” Matthew asks and she turns and smirks at him. “For lingerie. You know, just in case.” She winks at him as he groans and Cooper throws his head back.

“Parker,” he says, “talk to your daughter.”

“I’d go for red,” Parker says as she hides her smile behind her coffee cup. “You know, for the holidays.”

I get up also. “I need to go also. I need a shirt.” I take out my wallet and look for the waitress.

“My parents paid already,” Allison says from beside me. I thank them and say bye to everyone as I walk out, following Allison. “See, that wasn’t so bad, right?” she asks as we flag down a cab and make our way over to Macy’s.

“I just, I felt weird.”

She grabs my hand again and kisses the top.

I turn to her now. “Are you really going to buy lingerie?” I ask her as she shrugs her shoulder.

“I don’t know. Am I getting a special present at midnight?”

I pull her close to me. “Oh, I’ll give you that something special all right.”