Page 89 of The Penalty Shot (Totally Pucked 5)

“You are the only woman I’ve ever loved. The only woman I willeverlove, and I wanted to carry you with me, wherever I go, right here.” He places my hands on his chest. “My heart is yours.”

When he finishes speaking, I’m full-on crying, snotty, ugly tears that I know isn’t attractive, but I’ve never felt so overwhelmed with love in all my life.

“A-sher…” I sob, throwing my arms around his neck. “I love you. I love yousomuch.”

His arms are tight around my back as he holds me to him, his nose buried in the side of my neck, breathing me in.

This big hulking,romanticgiant. I can’t believe that he’s mine.

“If you only knew how much you’ve changed me, Asher. How much you’ve changed our lives. This,” I gesture to his tattoo, “is the most romantic, soul-shattering thing I have ever experienced, and I’m not as good with words as you are, but I love you with everything that I am. You’re my best friend, my protector, the love of my life.”

His lips find mine before I can even take a full breath, while his hands fist in my hair. He swipes at my lips with his tongue, and I open for him, whimpering when he kisses me so fiercely that my knees feel weak. It’s only his touch that is keeping me upright.

Like always, his touch is strong and steady. My strength.

His forehead drops against mine, “You pierce my soul, Auden. I’m nothing without you and Alex. Half a man. And because of you, I’m whole. I never want to know a life without you.”

“You never will.My heart is, and always will be, yours.”

Epilogue

Auden

Two months later

“This isamazing,have I mentioned that?” MJ says, eyes wide as we watch the Avalanches kick the Predator’s ass.

I grin. “Only twelve times? I think? Honestly, I lost count somewhere in the second quarter.”

Seems fitting that my man has been on fire the night I bring my friends to see him play. Such a show-off. But so sexy.

“Yeah, this is incredible. I’ll have to take Asher out for another guy's night soon,” Elijah adds, tossing another piece of popcorn in his mouth.

Tyler nods in agreement. “Perks of being a puck bunny.” He winks and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

As if. Turns out, I actually do love hockey, and even more, I love watching Asher play. He’s incredible. Like a quiet giant, fighting for the puck, gliding over the ice with precision and grace. What I really love is how amped up he is after a game. It keeps me up well into the night, and I’m deliciously sore for days, so no complaints from me.

At first, I was worried that his job would interfere with our brand-new relationship, but honestly, it only strengthened it.

He’s on the road a lot for away games, and of course, I miss him, but he goes out of his way every single day to make me feel his love. Even from thousands of miles away.

He sends me outrageous bouquets of flowers with poems proclaiming his love. While he’s gone, I find notes all over our home, tucked into places that I frequent. My favorite coffee mugs, in between the La Perla lace that he can’t seem to stop buying, in the spot where his cologne usually sits on our bathroom counter. All promises of what he's going to do the moment he’s home. I usually snap him a selfie with flushed cheeks since he loves it so much.

Distance has only made us stronger.

Because he’s gone so much we’re more intentional about our time together, more communicative, and I’ve never felt more secure.

We find new ways every day to show the other our love, and it’s been the best months of my life.

“He’s the best.” I sigh dreamily, my eyes never leaving him as he blocks yet another shot from the left winger.

“Oh damn, look at that!” MJ screams, jumping to her feet so quickly she almost knocks her nachos onto the floor. “Hell yes, Hart!”

I’m going to have to get her a foam finger, that one. Asher is convinced she and his teammate Chaney are meant to be, but I told him to stop playing matchmaker. I am kind of interested to see what happens when they meet, though.

Pulling out my phone, I take another video for Alex and text it to him with a string of emojis, including a hockey stick and a fist pump. I wish he was here, but he decided to spend the night at his new friend Michael’s, so they could play a video game that was released today, so I promised I’d send videos all night of Asher playing. It’s my fourth game, but my first without him.

The clock is running down, seconds away from the buzzer, and Reed scores, shooting the puck directly into the net through the goalie’s legs. The crowd erupts around us, everyone flying from their seats as the team piles on top of each other in the middle of the ice.

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