Page 94 of Racking Up Penalties
My pulse quickens as I stand outside Tessa’s apartment, a bundle of nerves and excitement tightly coiled in the pit of my stomach. I raise my hand and knock on the door, each tap echoing like a drumbeat.
The door swings open, and there she stands—Tessa Montgomery, with her gorgeous hair cascading over her shoulders. A smile dances across her lips, playful and inviting, her eyes sparking with a light that sends a jolt of electricity through me.
“Hey, Ethan,” she greets me, her voice a melody that tugs at something deep inside my chest.
“Hey,” I reply, my throat tight with anticipation. “You look… amazing.”
Stepping aside, she gestures for me to enter. “Come in, it’s freezing out there. I’ve been waiting for you.”
As I cross the threshold into the warmth of her place, Tessa’s gaze lingers on me, heavy with want.
I have an idea for a gesture. One that will seem silly at first but is the best way to prove to Tessa how much she means to me.
“Get in the car. We are going back to my place,” I say while grabbing her coat off the hook and putting her into it.
Tessa laughs and runs her hand down my chest. “Why would we do that? You’re already here.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “I’ve never had a girl in my bed before.”
Tessa’s eyes widen. “What? You’ve never had sex.”
I cough to hide my laugh. “No, I’ve had sex but never in my own bed. It was a boundary to keep girls out but I want you inmybed. Tonight. Now. You mean everything to me and this is me proving it.”
“That sounds great.” She looks shocked but puts her coat on and locks the door, following me out to the car.
I try to make small talk in the car and fill the space.
“So, big game tomorrow,” I say, trying to sound casual even though the thought of playing without her watching feels hollow. “I was hoping maybe you’d be there… cheering us on?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she replies, a twinkle in her eye. “You don’t even need to ask that.”
“Good, baby girl.”
Tessa laughs, her exuberance filling the room like sunlight breaking through clouds. “I’ll cheer extra loud when you score.”
“Promise?” I ask, the word hanging between us, weighted with more than just talk of hockey.
“Promise,” she confirms, her eyes locking onto mine.
There’s an undeniable charge in the air, a current of desire that hums just beneath the surface of our skin. As I sit in the driver seat at a red light, I drink in the sight of her and all I can think about is how much I want to close the distance between us.
“Good, because I plan on scoring… a lot,” I say, letting the words hang with a double entendre that makes her cheeks flush a delightful shade of pink.
“Confident, aren’t we?” Tessa teases, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper that wraps around me like a warm blanket.
“Only when it comes to you,” I confess.
The warmth of Tessa’s hand in mine sends a current through my body, grounding me to this moment. I lead her across the threshold into my bedroom, my fingers gently squeezing hers.
We settle onto the edge of my bed, close enough that the heat from her body teases the coldness from my skin. Her presence is a tangible thing—vibrant and alive—and it takes all my self-control not to close the gap between us.
“Tessa, when I’m with you, it’s like the rest of the world fades away. And I…”
“Tell me,” she urges, her gaze locked with mine, a silent plea for honesty that I can’t deny.
“Being here with you, talking, laughing… it’s the highlight of my day.” I confess, each word is a step closer to her, a bridge over the chasm of doubt and fear.
Leaning in closer, the words I whisper are barely audible, a tender litany meant only for Tessa. “You’re the brightest part of my day,” I murmur against the softness of her ear, a truth wrapped in the simplest of phrases. A shiver courses through her, visible in the delicate tremble of her shoulders, and the knowledge that my voice can elicit such a response from her kindles a thrill deep within me.
