Page 72 of The Slapshot and the Single Mom
Once inside her room, I set her gently on the bed, wasting no time stripping out of my clothes, nearly overwhelmed by the need to be inside her. And it’s not just lust—though that’s certainly present, just like it always is where Maggie’s concerned. It’s more than that, though. It’s a bone-deep need to join myself with her, to impress on her that she’s not alone,that I’m with her, that she doesn’t have to carry all these things herself anymore.
She rummages in her bedside table, coming up with a condom and grinning at me. I pluck it from her fingers and set it on the table, reaching for her shirt and pulling it up. She raises her arms to help me get it off, then immediately reaches behind her to unhook her bra.
I make a noise to express my disappointment. “I was gonna do that.”
Laughing softly, she drops her arms. “Do it, then.”
Bending, I kiss her, reaching behind her to undo the hooks one handed, helping pull the straps off her shoulders. She tosses it aside, her hands going to my shoulders as she lies back, taking me with her. Lifting her hips, she shoves off her pants, and I help strip them all the way off her, pausing on my knees to look down at her. “God, you’re sexy,” I murmur, trailing a hand down her sternum, caressing her belly, and stopping at her hip. Meeting her eyes, I stretch over her, shaking my head gently. “What’d I do to deserve you?”
“Must’ve pissed someone off somewhere,” she quips, and I shake my head again.
“Don’t do that,” I whisper, nipping and kissing the skin at her collarbone. “Don’t talk down about yourself like that.” I gather her against me, rolling us so she’s on top. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Sitting up, she shifts so my cock is nestled against her warm pussy, and the feeling almost makes my eyes roll back in my head, but I manage to stay focused on the conversation.She chuckles, shaking her head. “Says the professional hockey player.”
I dip my chin. “Exactly. Says the professional hockey player.” I stroke her thighs and hips. “I thank my lucky stars every day that you agreed to give me a chance. I don’t know who took pity on my sorry ass to put you in my path, but I’m glad they did. And I’m gonna do my best not to fuck this up.”
She looks up at the ceiling for a moment, blinking rapidly. When she looks at me again, her eyes are a little red, and she sniffs like she’s trying not to cry. “You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met,” she says on a choked whisper. “I’m not sure why you think I’m worth all this trouble, but I’m really glad you do.”
With my hand on her back, I nudge her closer, and she lies down on top of me, lining her face up with mine. “You’re not any trouble,” I whisper before kissing her. “And you’re worth taking time for.”
We kiss, slow and languid like we have all the time in the world. I know we don’t. Not really. But we definitely have time for this to last as long as we want.
After a few moments, she reaches for the condom, sitting up and shimmying back. Then she gives me a wicked grin, rips open the package, and rolls the condom on before rising on her knees, lining us up, and sinking down.
“Jesus Christ,” I breathe, thrilled to be inside her again.
She moves over me, and I let her set the pace, doing my best to let her take what she needs, happy to give it to her.
She speeds up, but seems to have trouble keeping the pace, and I use my hands to help her, moving her over me, and I feel her start to pulse around me, and she shudders as she comes.
I keep her moving, letting her ride the wave of her orgasm down the other side, until she’s slumped over me, barely able to hold herself up. Pulling her down on top of me, I kiss her cheek, her neck, then slowly roll us so I’m on top.
She gazes up at me through glassy, sated eyes, her arms splayed over her head, hair spread around her like a halo. “You ready?” I ask. She nods once, and that’s all the permission I need. I’m so primed and ready from watching and feeling her come on me, that I know it won’t take me long to get there.
She wraps her thighs around my hips, and I start to move, not holding anything back until I empty myself, giving her all of me, knowing she’ll hold and cherish it the same way I do to her.
I never knew what I was missing before. Not really. But now that I’ve found it, I don’t ever want to let her go.
EPILOGUE
Maggie
I walkthrough Jack’s door and almost immediately collapse into his arms.
He rubs my back soothingly. “That bad?”
I shake my head. “It actually went better than I could’ve hoped. But mediation is stressful. Especially when I really wasn’t sure how stubborn he’d decide to be. It seems that he’s come to see reason. I could wish that hewantedto be a more involved father, but at least he’s willing to acknowledge the limits of his willingness and abilities and that it’s not fair to constantly bail on Liam and leave me to pick up the pieces.” Stepping back, I give Jack a smug smile. “It helped a lot that I brought my records of all the times he’s canceled or ended his time early. The mediator took that to him and basically told him that I had him by the balls. That he could make this easy and be reasonable by agreeing to my very generous offer, or he could drag us all back to court where the judge might decide he’s an unfit parent and give him nothing. Or only supervised visitation, which wouldcost him a lot more money in the long run than just increasing his child support and actually showing up when he says he will.”
A low laugh rumbles in Jack’s chest, but his face still projects his concern. “At least we’re not the only ones who thing your ex is a deadbeat.”
I chuckle, leading us to the couch. Jack’s in sweats because he went to morning skate today and has a game this evening, but luckily it’s a home game, and I got done early enough that I could just come straight here as planned. I took the whole day off of work, which Molly assured me wasn’t a problem even though I’ve only been with the Emeralds for a little over a month now.
“Anyway,” I continue, “he agreed to continue following through the way he has since I filed the petition to revise our order. And he agreed to a substantial increase in child support to go along with the official increase in my parenting time.” I shrug. “Part of me still wanted to go after him for backpay for the years that he spent having fifty-fifty on paper but leaving me to shoulder the full time and expense of raising our child. But it’s better this way. And Liam’s been happy about getting to see his dad more regularly.” I hold up one hand, my fingers crossed. “Hopefully that continues.”
Jack gives me a doubtful look. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”
I hold up my hands palm up. “No one knows better than me how good Kyle is at saying what he thinks everyone wants to hear and then doing whatever the fuck he wants in the end anyway. But I think he also realizes that I’m not just going to let him get away with his bullshit forever. If he wants to reduce his time from twenty-five percent to ten, then we’ll do it through the courts and he’ll have to pay more in child support. If he wants to keepchild support where it is, he needs to be consistent with actually taking his parenting time.”
