Chapter 21
It’s three in the morning, and I can’t sleep. Willow is warm and naked and dreaming peacefully next to me, and I don’t want to wake her, so I ease out of bed, careful not to disturb her.
I’m restless.
And my brain won’t stop moving.
So I pull on a pair of sweats and then pad down the hall to my office and step inside. The lights from the city cast a glow, guiding my way to the chair behind my desk. I sit and look around the room. There’s no computer on the desk, because I took all my electronics to Montana. So the desktop is empty.
This is the only room that I’ve designated as a hockey-career memorabilia space. Photos, trophies—anything special from the past fifteen years is displayed on the walls around me, including a photo of me with Mom, Dad, and Gideon after my first Stanley Cup win.
I fucking love that photo. That was the only Cup win that Mom got to see. She passed a month before we won the second.
She’s staring up at me in this picture, so tiny next to all of us big men, smiling so bright and proud, it makes me want to puff my chest out, even now.
Christ, I miss her.
That woman is the one who taught me that it’s okay to love people. To let them in and show affection without holding back. To trust. Aside from my biological mother, Debbie James is the first person I ever told that I love them. She was the tiniest person in stature, but she loved so big, she might as well have been eight feet tall, and she was not afraid to shower all of us with that love. She left a gaping wound behind when she departed this world.
I understand why Dad never got over it.
Because now I have a woman in my life who’s so much the same. She loves big, and the way that I love her would be terrifying if I hadn’t had Mom in my life as a young man. Because Willow deserves all of me, and everything I can give her, just the way Dad did with Mom.
And if I ever lost Willow, it would fucking kill me.
I let my gaze roam around the space, pulling out memories of a career that I’m damn proud of. It was everything that I could have ever hoped for. Being here, in the city that’s been my home away from home for so many years, has been great this week. I loved being on the ice with my guys, and showing my gratitude to my team, the coaching staff, and the city as a whole was the closure I needed.
Because although I was already considering retirement, I didn’t get to go out on my terms. I left the sport because of a tragedy.
And this week, I got to say goodbye.
I’ll keep the penthouse for now because I’ll need to come here periodically for the foster kids charity that I’m now working with, but I’ll likely eventually sell it.
It’s not home anymore.
Montana is home.
The Triple Creek Ranch is where I belong.
And wherever Willow is? Well, that’s where my heart is. Because that woman owns me, body and soul.
I’m ready to go home, with Wills and Aiden, and get back to work. Sure, this has been great, but waking up with the sun, working my land, breathing that air—that’s what I need.
I glance over to the doorway as Willow steps into it.
Speaking of what I need.
She leans her shoulder on the doorjamb, crosses her arms over her chest. She grabbed the shirt I wore to the party tonight and only fastened two of the buttons to close it around her. It’s way too big on her.
“You okay?” That sexy voice is soft and makes my cock come to life.
She’s so fucking beautiful. Her hair is down, around her shoulders. Her face is clean of makeup, and her lips look so fucking kissable.
“Come here,” I say. “Close and lock the door behind you p>
She lifts an eyebrow but does as she’s told and then pads across the room to me. I push the chair back so she can get between me and the desk, and then she sits on it, and I scoot up between her legs and wrap my arms around her ass. When my forehead lands on her chest, she pushes her fingers into my hair and kisses my head, and fuck that feels good.
“Hey,” she says softly. “I’m still your best friend, you know p>
“Yeah. I know p>
She scratches her nails along my scalp, and it makes me groan.
“You can talk to me p>
“I’m okay p>
She kisses my head again, and I soak her in. “If you’re ever not okay, you’ll talk to me p>
“Yes, baby.” I unfasten the two buttons and part my shirt, exposing her soft, creamy skin, and lean in to kiss her breastbone, right between her spectacular tits. “You’re fucking incredible. I love your body. Every inch of it p>
She hums and kisses my head again, still combing through my hair with her fingers.
I drag my hand up her side, over her breast, and then up until it circles her throat. Seeing my tattooed hand around her neck does things to me.
I run my thumb over her plump bottom lip, and then she gets sassy and pulls it between her lips, grazing it with her teeth, and I can’t help the smile that comes as an idea forms.
I stand, but before I can turn her around, her fingertips drag over the tattoo on my ribs.
“Why this tree?” she asks quietly. “It’s beautiful, but what’s it for p>
With a frown, I skim my knuckles down her cheek. “Are you serious p>
Her blue eyes jerk up to mine, and she frowns. “Yeah. I’m serious p>
“It’s a willow tree, sweetheart p>
“You got it because it’s strong p>
This woman.
“No, baby, I got it because it’s you.” I lean over and plant my hands on the desk at her hips and brush my lips over hers.
“Me p>
“I wanted you, right here. At my side and by my heart p>
Her breath hitches. “When did you get it p>
I hook her chin on my finger. “About a decade ago.” I kiss her nose. “I have Mom and Dad and Gid on my arm, but the tree is you, sweetheart p>
Her eyes, almost silver in this ambient light, shine as she stares at me.
“Ry p>
“No more talking.” I shake my head and step back from her so I can push her back onto the desk. “I’m going to fuck you, here in my office p>
She bites that lower lip.
“And I’m going to start with your mouth.” I gently push on her chest. “Lie back for me p>
She does as she’s told, and I circle the desk and slide her toward me until her head tips back off the edge.
“If this gets uncomfortable, you tell me p>
“Okay p>
I bend over to look in her eyes.
“Promise me, Trouble. If you don’t like anything that I’m about to do, you’ll tap the desk twice, and it stops immediately p>
“I trust you p>
Those three words are almost my undoing.
I push my fingers into the soft hair that hangs over the side of the desk, and she hums happily in her throat. Bending farther, I drag my tongue down her neck, and then over to her breast, where I suck her nipple into my mouth so hard, her back arches up and her fingers dive into my hair.
“I’d really love to restrain you for this,” I murmur as I pull back and watch as her eyes blow wide. “But I won’t, not this first time p>
That doesn’t seem to turn her off at all.
“This is an interesting view,” she says, and she reaches over her head to slide her hand up my inner thigh and then cups my balls, her fingertips rubbing against my taint, and it makes my eyes cross, even though her hand is over my sweats.
“Jesus, your hands.” I drag my own hand up her belly, between her breasts, and then I hook my thumbs in the elastic of my sweats and tug them down my hips and kick out of them. My cock is already hard as fuck, and my girl licks her lips.
Licks her fucking lips.
Her hands immediately grip onto my hips, urging me closer, and I let her take the lead for a minute. I’m curious where my little vixen is going to take this.
She wraps those fingers around my shaft and pumps up and down twice, opens her perfect mouth, and sticks out her tongue, and that’s all I can stand.
“You want this cock, sweetheart p>
She wiggles on the desk and moans in anticipation, and with my hand cupping her chin, I guide the tip inside her mouth, and she licks the precum already gathered in the slit.
With another moan from her sweet throat, my eyes close, and I give her another inch. She’s sucking me so perfectly—her hand cups my balls and rubs my taint, and if I thought it felt good over the sweats, that was nothing compared to this.
She opens wider, trying to take more of me, but I pull back, checking to make sure she can breathe.
“Are you ready for more, baby p>
“Yes.” She opens, and I feed her my dick, and she greedily sucks it in, and when I hit the back of her throat… she doesn’t gag.
This perfect woman pulls my cock into her throat, and it has my balls lifting and tightening, and I see goddamn stars. I can see my cock moving in and out of her throat, and it’s gorgeous.
“Jesus fuck, Wills p>
“Hmm p>
I push my hand down her torso, over her smooth pubis, and into her dripping wet slit, and she moans again.
If I don’t stop her, she’ll make me come, but when I try to pull out, she sucks harder and holds firm, and the next thing I know, I’m shooting ropes of cum into her throat.
She licks me clean, every single drop, and then smiles up at me triumphantly.
Taking her face in my hands, I bend over and kiss her upside down, tasting myself there, and then I walk back around the desk, sit in the chair, and press the insides of her thighs wide so I can plant my face in her juicy pussy.
“Ry.” It’s a whisper-shout, because she’s afraid of waking Aiden, but there’s no way. He’s clear on the other side of the penthouse.
But I love it when she struggles to stay quiet.
Her hands tugging my hair, her thighs around my ears, she tastes like fucking heaven.
She tastes like mine.
Pressing two fingers inside her, I feel her walls already quaking, on the precipice of her climax.
“Ry,” she whispers again.
“Do you need me to stop?” I ask her.
“Fuck, no p>
I grin against her clit and then flick it with the end of my tongue. “Good, because I’m going to keep you busy for a while p>
She squirms, clenches her fingers tighter in the strands of my hair, and starts to ride my face.
“There you go. Take what you want, baby p>
Fuck me, she’s perfect. She’s not shy about wanting me, about taking what she needs. She’s my sexual match in every way.
“Right there,” she says, and I hold steady, sure not to change a goddamn thing. I keep the tempo of my fingers exactly the same, and the next time I brush that tight bundle of nerves with my tongue, her hips buck, and she comes so hard, and so long, it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.
When her hips have stopped circling, I stand once more. My cock is already hard for her again, and I know she’s more than ready for me.
“Look at me p>
She doesn’t open her eyes, so I reach out and cup her face.
“I said look at me, Willow p>
Her eyes meet mine, and I push inside her, not stopping until I’m balls deep. Her mouth is open in a silent O, and with my hand on the back of her neck now, I pull her up to sitting and kiss the fuck out of her as I start to move in long, smooth strokes, in and out.
Her arms wrap around my shoulders, and we cling to each other as I fuck her. Our ragged breaths are the only sound in the room, and when I feel like I can’t hold on anymore, when I’m about to explode, she hits me with “You’re so fucking mine p>
There is no holding on after that.
No chance in hell.
I jerk inside her and grind against her, coming harder than ever, and with my chest heaving, I fall forward, holding her firmly in one arm and catching us with my other so I don’t crush her.
“Jesus, Wills, you’re going to be the death of me p>
She huffs out a chuckle and kisses my shoulder. “I’m pretty sure I’m the one who’s already sore, Captain p>
I grind against her once more, then lift her with me and sit back in the chair, Willow in my lap, and cradle her to me.
“Was I too much?” I ask her.
“Never. I told you, I trust you.” She brushes a piece of my hair off my forehead, and then her fingers drift down my face. “You would never hurt me p>
“No.” I kiss her forehead and then her nose. “I wouldn’t, baby p>
“Do you feel better p>
I frown down at her. “I didn’t feel bad before p>
“You looked so… pensive when I found you. Like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. But you don’t have to carry it by yourself, you know p>
Is it any wonder that I’m crazy about her?
“I’m sorry, Wills p>
She lifts her head. “For what p>
“That it took me so long to see you like this. To really see you, and how good we’d be together. To fight for this p>
“Hey, our lives were very different for a long time, Ry p>
“I could have brought you and Aiden here, with me. We’ve lost a lot of time p>
She shakes her head and kisses me so softly, so tenderly, it’s as if she’s kissing my heart itself. “This is how it was supposed to be. We can’t change it now, so I don’t want you to beat yourself up anymore. Not for one more minute. I haven’t been unhappy, you know. We weren’t struggling. I’ve done okay for Aiden and me p>
“You’ve been amazing. I’m so proud of you p>
Her whole face lights up at that. “You are p>
“Hell yes. For how well you raised that kid, for your amazing career. I listen to all your audiobooks, you know p>
She narrows her eyes. “You do not p>
“Every single one. You’re so talented, and you have such a sexy voice. It always made me feel close to you to listen to your work.” I push her hair over her shoulder. “I love being close to you p>
“Same goes.” She nestles in against me. “We should go snuggle in the bed before we both fall asleep and Aiden finds us in here in the morning p>
Grinning, I kiss her on the head. “Are you ready to go home today p>
“Yeah. I am. I need to get back in the booth, and I want to go back to a routine. But I’ve loved every minute of this trip, and I know I said it before, but I’m proud of you, Ry. For a million reasons p>
I kiss her again, unable to hold back. Everything about today and tonight has felt so damn intimate with this woman. And now, here in my office, in the quiet, after some pretty intense sex, with both of us sated, I can’t keep the words to myself anymore.
“I love you, baby. More than anything p>
She blinks slowly, her eyes filling with tears. “I love you too p>