Page 134 of Bagging the Blueliner
There was a twinkle in her eyes, and I silently vowed to work day and night to keep it there.
“Jobless, you say?” I teased. “I’ve got a job you can do.” I gripped her hips and ground her ass down on my growing erection.
“Think of how disappointed my father will be when he learns I’ve resorted to prostitution. Just to keep a roof over my head.”
“Who said we have to tell him? It can be our little secret.” My voice grew husky with the thought of our bodies reconnecting after the time spent apart.
Twisting her lips, she hummed. “I am highly qualified.”
“Hell yeah, you are.” I leaned in to nip her neck.
She moaned, shifting on my lap. “Tempting, Mr. Berg. But what else have you got?”
Licking a path up the column of her neck to tug an earlobe between my teeth, I offered, “How about we trade Nashville for LA?”
Shocked, she pulled back, eyes wide. “LA?”
“Holden sent me your demo.”
Hannah’s sharp inhale betrayed her nerves. “And?” she asked cautiously.
“I might be biased, but he said you had star quality. If you’re serious about pursuing music, he could help.”
“And if I don’t?” Her eyes searched mine.
“Then I will support you in any way that you need. Wherever you go, I go. My career might be over, but you’re just finding your path. I can’t wait to see where it takes you.”
Eyeing me, she tentatively asked, “If I want to go home, would that be okay?”
I smiled. “Of course. You know . . . if there’s any way you can cancel your resignations, I may have been offered a job on the local Comets broadcast. I was going to turn it down, but I can think of nothing better than going back on the road with you. Even if I’m not the one on the ice.”
“Really?” Hannah’s face lit up.
“Really,” I confirmed.
“Yes!” She squealed, hugging me around the neck.
Laughing, I countered, “You do know that involves moving in with me since you’re homeless and all. Might want to take a second to make sure that’s what you really want.”
“Sometimes, it’s better when you shut up and look pretty,” Hannah taunted in my ear.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Our mouths met, our joy overflowing. As long as we had each other, we had everything we needed.
Zoe was right. Hannah was worth fighting for, and I would spend the rest of my life fighting for us. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. There would almost certainly be days when we would want to tear each other’s heads off, but we’d make it through to the other side.
I would never give up on her—on us—again.
Epilogue
Cal
Two Months Later
The sights and thesounds were the same as every other year, but everything had changed.
The annual Comets pre-season barbeque was in full swing once again. I’d traded in my skates for a microphone and currently had the sassiest brunette I knew tucked safely against my side. There was no more hiding, no more sneaking around. Our love was out in the open for everyone to see.
