Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 52355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 262(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 262(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
She groans. “No, I don’t want your piss funnel on the bathroom counter.”
“I’ll counterbalance the pissing by waking you up with my face in your pussy every day I’m home.”
“I can live with that.”
I want her so fucking bad right now. Why are there so many miles between us?
“I told you about…you know…because I thought you wanted it,” she says.
“I don’t.”
“Okay, that’s…I’m happy you called to tell me. I miss you.”
“I miss you too, babe.”
“I’m about to shit my pants!” Ben yells into the bathroom. “Your five minutes are up.”
Assholes. It’s impossible to have any privacy on road trips.
“I have to go,” I tell Mila.
“I can come to Vancouver tomorrow for the game, if you want me to.”
Ben stomps into the bathroom, glaring at me. “I’ve been holding in a shit brick since the second period.”
He goes into a stall and shuts the door, groaning as he drops his pants, sits down and farts loudly.
“I definitely want you to,” I say, feeling lighter than I have in a long time. And happy. Really happy. “I can’t wait.”
Sal comes in next, both middle fingers in the air as he looks at me. I shake my head.
“I’ll see you soon, then. Have a safe trip to Vancouver.”
“Okay, and…” I clear my throat. “That thing we were talking about a little bit ago…not disgust but the other thing…I feel it too.”
“I want to hear more about it tomorrow, when you aren’t in a bathroom with your teammates.”
“You will.”
“Good night.”
“Night.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Mila
“We’ll be fastening our seatbelts for landing soon, Mrs. Harrison. Is there anything you need?”
I smile at the flight attendant on my plane, liking the sound of Mrs. Harrison. “No, thanks.”
I’ve had butterflies since waking up this morning, knowing I get to see Colby tonight. I was surprised when I got his call last night, and I cried happy tears after we hung up.
What we have is completely different from the no-strings-sex arrangements I’ve had with other men. Those were always on my terms, when and where I wanted to get together. No feelings. I never could have trusted that any man wanted me for anything but my money anyway.
It’s different with Colby. We’ve had good times and bad, but the bad ones have brought us closer. He knows me in a way no one else ever has, and I don’t want to let go of that.
The plane lands and a black SUV picks me up on the tarmac, taking me to the Vancouver arena. I’m wearing my jersey with Colby’s name and number on the back, black leggings, and tennis shoes, my hair freshly blown out.
Vancouver’s team owners, a couple named Tony and Julia Lawson, invite me to sit with them in their owner’s box. We have dinner before the game, served buffet style, and I sit next to Julia after filling a plate.
“Congratulations on your marriage,” she says, beaming. “You sure picked a handsome one, girl.”
“He is, isn’t he?”
She arches a brow, amused. “I can tell you at least one teenage heart was broken to see Colby Harrison off the market. Our seventeen-year-old daughter, Bea, moped for a whole day over it.”
I laugh. Colby’s blue eyes, blond hair, and classic good looks have always gotten him features in magazines, usually shirtless. A famous photographer took a nude photo of him for a big body image article, Colby grinning and holding a hockey glove over the family jewels.
He’s so much more than a hot body and good looks, though. I’ve been daydreaming about the possibility of us making our relationship work. Taking trips together and making dinner on snowy winter nights. There are so many things I’d love to do with him. Dancing lessons. Snorkeling. Riding camels and seeing the pyramids. Maybe even having a family.
It wouldn’t be right away. The two of us need to be sure we truly want what we have together. If I ever have children, it’ll only be when I know I can raise them in a loving home, completely different from the way I grew up.
Julia tells me more about her daughter and her other two kids, her husband on the other side of the booth but still looking over at her and smiling every few minutes.
“You guys are really in love, aren’t you?” I say.
“Twenty-one years ago, on our wedding day, I thought I loved him as much it was possible to love another person. But I can honestly say I love him more now than I did then. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.”
The lights go down for the pregame video show and we move to our seats in front of the glass, Julia sitting in between me and Tony. He reaches for her hand, stroking his thumb over her knuckles.
I want what they have. A love that grows deeper and stronger with time. Someone I love so completely that I don’t know if I can live without him.