Page 79 of Pucker Up
His eyes were the bluest I’d ever see them and they shimmered with tears. “I’m sorry for being such a dick.”
I smiled. Ace had his own way with words, and I loved it. “There’s just one thing.”
“What’s that?” He tilted his head and the cute lines between his eyes deepened.
“If we’re together, and I’m in love with you, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the hockey games. If I don’t…love you, I can help you become a star. I’m not changing the future, I’m just seeing it, but still, if you know what’s going to happen, it will help you.”
Ace let go of my hands, wrapped his arms around me, and lifted me up off the ground. “Marigold Swanson, the only thing I heard in that sentence was I love you.”
A tear fell from my eye. “Does that mean you’re okay if I can never tell you about the games?”
“Goldie.” He brushed the tear from my cheek with his thumb. “Baby, I love that you helped me get my confidence back, but the biggest thing I learned is that I need to trust my own guts. All I care about is having you by my side.” His bottom lip quivered. “I love you, Goldie.”
“I love you too, Ace.”
He kissed me gently, his lips soft on mine. Then he pulled back and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Goldie, will you date a player?”
I grinned. “Only if you’ll date the coach’s daughter.”
EPILOGUE
Six MonthsLater
Sunbeams streamedthrough the floor to ceiling windows. We needed to get some blinds or curtains if we were ever going to sleep in past dawn, but both of us loved waking up to the sunrise and the light sparkling off the ripples on the lake.
I rolled over ready to bury my face into Ace’s back and wrap my arms around his body. We had made love every morning that summer, but today my hands met cool sheets. “Ace?” I sat up.
“Down here.” Cupboards banged downstairs in the kitchen. I slipped out of bed and padded to the edge of the loft.
“What are you doing up so early?” I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s not even seven.”
“Get back into bed,” he shouted. His footfall was heavy on the treads of the log stairs and Morton’s claws clicked as he followed behind him. I hopped back into bed, sliding under the orange and black tiger striped sheets I’d bought Ace as a housewarming gift. They were hideous and he loved them. We were spending the summer together in the A-frame cabin on the shore of Lake Casper that Ace had bought after the hockey season was over.Lake Casper is a big clear lake located outside of a small town called Laketown. Instead of the massive cottage in Muskoka, Ace decided he wanted something a little more rustic. It didn’t hurt that his hockey heroes, Jake McManus and Colton King, to name a few, had cottages on Lake Casper.
“You aren’t supposed to be awake yet. I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed.” He handed me a cup of coffee.
“It’syourbirthday Ace. I should be the one up and bringing you breakfast in bed.” I sniffed the coffee and took a sip. “I can’t think of a better way to start the day.”
Ace grinned. “I can, and it’smybirthday.”
I squealed as he ducked under the sheets at the foot of the bed. “Ace, I’m going to spill my coffee.” I clutched the mug and tried to drink more as Ace’s stubbly cheeks raked up my inner thighs.
“Then you better not move.” He peeked out from under the sheets and then the warmth of his breath was on the front of my panties.
There was no way I could get through an Acegasm, as he liked to call it, without moving. I downed the coffee and set it on the nightstand. Ace tugged my underwear down my legs. I inhaled sharply as the warmth of his mouth, and then two of his fingers teased, not one, but two Acegasms out of me. It didn’t take long, and left my body a quivering mess. The striped sheets were heavily wrinkled from being balled up into my sweaty hands.
“It’s your turn,” I panted and reached for the waistband of his track pants.
“Later, G.G.” Ace kissed my cheek. He had put his own spin on Mel’s nickname. “We’ve got company coming and I have a few things to do before they get here.” He tucked the sheets under my body, pinning my arms to my sides and then padded across the hardwood floor to the ensuite bathroom. His graysweatpants tented in front of him, as though the bulge was leading the way and the rest of him was following.
Steam billowed out of the bathroom. I ripped the sheets off the bed and ran into the ensuite.
“What are you doing?” he laughed as I burst into the bathroom. The sweatpants were gone and he was in his full naked glory.
“Like I said earlier, it’s your birthday.” I ran my fingertips down his eight pack. I took an exaggerated step, as though I was mounting a horse instead of his cock, and squeezed him between my thighs. He groaned and his hands fell to my ass.
“You’re the best birthday present ever.” He buried his face in my neck.
“That’s debatable.” I gave his cock another squeeze with my thighs. “I’m the lucky one - I got you for my birthday.” We had celebrated my twenty-sixth in the city a month earlier.
