Page 44 of The Love Penalty

All of these thoughts are heavy on my mind as I slowly pace around the hotel lobby. I don’t hear her calling my name until I turn and see her walking towards me, her equipment bag rolling behind her and a backpack dangling off one shoulder. The smile she gives me is pure happiness.

I walk over to her and grab her face with both hands, giving her a lingering kiss. She’s startled for a moment but she kisses me right back. It’s so reminiscent of our airport kiss, that I become dizzy for a moment.God, that kiss.I’ve thought about it every night since then. How perfect we fit together, how she melted in my arms at first and then gripped me hard and pulled me in, like she never wanted to let me go.

We’ve learned our lesson about making out in public though, so I keep this kiss short and sweet. At least until we get somewhere more private. “Want some help with that bag?” I ask with a smile.

“Sure. I just need to check in first before we head up.”

Thankfully there is no line at the check-in desk and Olivia is able to quickly get her key card. On the way up to her room I ask, “How was your flight? How is Grams?”

“The flight was good, I listened to the playlist you sent me, by the way. I expected you to be more of an ‘80s music fan, not modern pop.”

“I like all music, there are few genres I don’t listen to,” I respond.

“And Grams is fine, she says hi,” Olivia says as we arrive at her door. She turns to look at me and assesses me for a moment.

“Do you want to come in?” she asks a little nervously.

I swallow hard. Of course I do. I’ve wanted nothing more than to be alone with her for two weeks. “I don’t know if that is wise,” I say hesitantly. “I think we should talk, before we take things further.” Her eyes widen a bit and I realize how I’ve made it sound.

So I quickly add, “Not that anything more than what has happened needs to happen. Not right now, anyway. I just—” Shit, I’m rambling. “I just mean—if I go in right now, I’m going to want to keep kissing you and for the first time in my life I might not want to leave and play hockey.”

She’s looking at me with a smile on her face and I’m blushing like a fucking teenager. “Well, I definitely won’t let us miss the game if that’s what you’re worried about. And if we need to talk, shouldn’t we do that somewhere private?”

I nod and follow her inside, mind still spinning at all the possibilities of the two of us alone in a hotel room.

Keep your hands to yourself, Robbie.

Olivia drops her backpack somewhere on a chair and I leave her equipment bag by the door and we both take a seat at the edge of the bed.

“So,” Olivia says, nervously twirling one of the rings on her right hand. I gently grab it and interlace our fingers together.

“So,” I lamely add. What is wrong with me? I’ve been thinking about this conversation for weeks, but now that we’re here, I’m speechless?

I squeeze her fingers and turn my body towards her, bringing my knee up to rest by her thigh. “Olive, I, um, wanted to talk about us.”

“Okay. That’s a good idea,” she says softly, her thumb brushing mine back and forth. “Can I say something first, though?”

I nod and she continues, “I’ve had feelings for you for a while now, even though we basically only met two months ago. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you. I admire you so much—your patience and loyalty and kindness. You’re amazing, Robbie,” she says tenderly and my heart soars hearing those things.

“I know I’m not the easiest person to be around sometimes?—”

I interrupt her, “That’s not true.”

“It is, but you seem to like me despite that. You’ve gotten to know me really well, better than most people, actually. It’s not easy for me to trust people, but I trust you, Robbie. Completely.” She watches my face and lingers a bit on my mouth before saying, “So, full disclosure, I’ve never been into casual dating or sex. If we decide to be together, I’m all in.”

Fuck, that’s exactly what I’ve wanted to hear. I let out a relieved breath and reach up to cup Olivia’s face with my free hand. “Ohlove, I want nothing more than to be all in with you. I just want you to be sure. Because we have some decisions to make when it comes to our jobs, and the last thing I want is to pressure you into anything you don’t want to do.”

She nods and says, “I’ve thought about that too. As much as I don’t like it, we’d probably want to keep our relationship a secret for a bit, until the end of the season. I can ask to be transferred to a different region next season.”

“No,” I say quickly. “Remember how I told you I was considering retiring? I think I’m ready to do that after this season. I would even do it now if it didn’t hurt the team.”

Olivia is quiet for a beat then quietly says, “I don’t want you to retire for me. What if you end up resenting that decision? Resenting me?”

“Olive, I could never resent you. I already told you I want to try something different. I would have made this choice whether or not you were in the picture. And I really want you in the picture, for the record,” I say, giving her a grin.

She smiles back and rests her head on my shoulder. “If you’re sure about this, then I am too. We can keep it under wraps until the end of the season.”

“Sounds like a plan. But now that I’m officially your boyfriend, you need to let me help you with stuff. Like plane tickets, so you can visit me more often.”

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