Page 129 of Uniquely in Love

Her breath shuddered as I stepped closer. Like even she couldn’t deny how affected she was by the physical contact. “But do you still love me?” I knew the answer. I just wanted to hear it.

“Yes,”she whispered, looking more beautiful than ever. Standing in my jersey, adorned with hundreds of sparkling fucking rhinestones, with her blonde hair tumbling down her shoulders and her eyes bright.

“Are you going to leave me again?”

She shook her head. “No.”

I curled my hands around her hips. “Say it.” I pressed our bodies closer together.

Her eyelashes fluttered, a small whimper slipping from her lips. “Say what?”

“Say you love me. Tell me you’ll stay with me forever. Tell me you’re mine. That I never have to wake up without you ever again. That I’m yours.”

“You are,” she agreed, nodding mindlessly. “You’re mine.” I captured her lips with another punishing kiss, and then she wrapped her arms around my neck. Dug her fingers into the back of my blond hair, even as she pulled apart to look into my eyes. “I love you, Owen Ryan Harper. More than anything in this world, I want to be yours. Always have. Always will.”

“Fuck,” I muttered, wishing I didn’t still have two periods of hockey to play and I could take her back to my roomalready. “I love you so much. I hate that you ever had any doubts about that.”

Ellie sighed. “I hate that you ever thought I wanted to move out.”

“I’m sorry,” I said—something I should have said from the beginning. “You tried to explain, and I didn’t hear you out. That’s on me. I was hurt and scared, and that wasn’t fair to you.”

She leaned up and kissed my cheek. “We both messed up. Let’s just promise not to do it again, okay?”

That I could agree to. “Okay.”

I bent my head down again, ready to steal another kiss, when—“Oi!” That was Reid’s voice. “Harper! Stop kissing your girl or else you’re going to miss the start of the second!” When I turned, I saw him with his arms crossed, fully decked out in his goalie attire.

“Fuck.” I gave her another soft kiss. “I love you. I’ll see you after the game?”

She nodded. “Before I go, I—I don’t exactly have somewhere to stay tonight. Do you think I could stay with you?” My girl fluttered her eyelashes.

I chuckled. “Like I’d let you stay anywhere else.”

Ellie smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

After one last kiss, she pulled away. “Now go out there and win the game for me, baby. I’m rooting for you.”

“You’re the best damn thing that ever happened to me, baby. Every point I score—they’re all for you.”

FORTY

Ellie

Leaning my forehead against his chest, I inhaled deeply. He’d always smelled like mountains and clean air—like theice, and like man. The scent comforted me, steadying me.

The Seals won their game against D.C. tonight, and I was pressed against Owen in the back of the hotel bar, because the guys had decided they needed to celebrate their win. I wasn’t complaining, but I was desperate to be alone with him.

Sophia was across the booth from us, stuck in between Maverick and Rhodes, the latter of who hadn’t stopped looking at my friend. Her dad had been surprised when she’d called, but apparently, Owen had been in such a shitty mood over the last few games that he had immediately agreed to let us fly out. Apparently, team morale depended on it. Considering they’d won tonight, I was trying not to question that.

“Are you having fun, baby?” Owen murmured in my ear. He’d ordered me a whiskey sour when we got here, the same thing I’d ordered whenever we went to the Penalty Box, because he never forgot anything when it came to me.

“Yeah,” I agreed, though I’d stopped paying attention to the surrounding conversation over twenty minutes ago. Hishand was wrapped around my middle, resting on my stomach, and I’d been doing my best not to squirm for the last few minutes. Truthfully, every brush of his skin against mine was setting me off.

Owen pressed a kiss to my neck. “Whenever you’re ready, we can go back to the hotel.”

I practically sprang out of my seat.Yes.I was definitely ready to go. Owen chuckled as he slid out behind me. “We’re heading out. Y’all have fun.”

Sophia winked at me.

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