Page 145 of Breakaway Hearts
Reese and I break apart quickly at the sound of Violet’s voice. I adjust my t-shirt and put my hands against my burning cheeks as we turn to face his sister, who leans against the doorframe, grinning.
“Violet.” Reese scowls, giving her the most brotherly glare I’ve ever seen. “When did you get here? How long have you been standing there?”
“Good to see you too.” She rolls her eyes, pushing herself away from the door frame as she flips her blonde ponytail over her shoulder. “I told you I was gonna arrive around twelve-thirty. And guess what?” She checks her watch. “It’s one. So technically I’m late. And clearly, you forgot about me. Understandable, I guess. You seemed a bit… preoccupied.”
She winks at me, and my face grows even hotter, hoping she didn’t come upstairs in time to hear me saying filthy things to her brother. But she doesn’t look traumatized, so I’m guessing she missed that part. And I really am happy to see her.
“It’s been too long,” I say sheepishly as I step forward to give her a hug. “I’m sorry you had to walk in on us like, uh… that.”
“Ha. Don’t worry about it.” Violet leans back a little, smirking at her brother over my shoulder. “It’s not the first time I’ve cock blocked Reese, although I certainly hope it will be the last.” Reese snorts, but there’s a hint of amusement in the sound, and his younger sister grins as she shifts her attention back to me. “Anyway, I’m glad he finally stopped cock blocking himself and got his head out of his ass so he can be with the best woman he’ll ever know.”
Reese steps forward and pulls his sister into a one-armed hug as she and I break apart.
“I’ll give you that one,” he says. “I’m definitely very lucky. Thanks for coming out to visit, little sis.”
“Of course! Callie was right, it’s been too long.” She jerks her thumb over her shoulder toward the door. “I have to pee, and then I’m going to steal something from your kitchen. Your game is tomorrow, right? Are we going out for drinks with the guys tonight? What about dinner?”
“Go do what you’ve gotta do,” Reese says with a laugh. “We’ll talk details once you’re done.”
“Perfect!” Violet rushes down the hall and slams the bathroom door shut. Reese winces, but then his expression transforms, the hunger from a few moments ago returning in a rush. He tugs me into his arms, dropping his head so that his lips brush the shell of my ear.
“Don’t worry,” he murmurs, his voice a low rumble. “We’ll finish what we started later. For dessert, I’m gonna devour that sweet pussy of yours and make you come so many times you won’t be able to walk afterward.”
Fuck, I might come without even having his mouth on me if he keeps talking like that.
My legs wobble, and he tightens his grip on me, keeping me steady and upright. He chuckles, nipping at my earlobe as he adds, “Honestly, I was thinking too small when I said I wanted to christen your new studio. I want to christen the whole damn house with you.”
I can’t stop the grin that overtakes my face.
“I like the way you think.”
Chapter51
Reese
We’re up one-zero, and at the risk of sounding egotistical, I’m playing like a god. I’m on top of my game, commanding the ice and skating around our opponents as if they’re standing still. And I know it’s because Callie and Violet are in the stands, cheering me on.
There’s really nothing more I could ask for than their support. I don’t know what I would be without them in my life. That’s probably why the short time Callie and I weren’t together felt like a hollow imitation of existence.
Now the vibrancy has returned. And it feels fucking amazing.
After that post-game interview I gave, there was a swell of online support for the two of us, and negative attention about Callie’s and my fake relationship died out pretty quickly. I also hired a lawyer to go after the tabloid who printed that shit about her, as well as someone to monitor social media channels to delete negative or bullying comments about Callie if they pop up.
Haters aren’t going to be swept under the rug, I’m well aware of that. Some people are always going to want to tear us down—Sienna is the perfect example of that fact. Being a professional athlete has meant I live my life under a bit of a microscope sometimes, but if Callie doesn’t want that, I’ll do everything in my power to protect her from the bullshit that is public scrutiny.
I won’t let them mess with her self-esteem. I’ll tell her every goddamn day just how beautiful she is. How fucking perfect. And I’ll make sure she never doubts that she is loved.
Theo calls out to me, the two of us coordinating our movements as we race across the ice. We're outplaying the Wolves, and it's definitely starting to get under their skin. In the heat of the action, Theo delivers a solid check, dropping one of their players to the ice. Predictably, the guy retaliates by clocking Theo right in the face. That's all it takes to drop the gloves and start a scrap.
A whistle blows, and when the fight gets broken up by the refs, the Wolves defenseman is sent to the penalty box. We set up for the power play, ready to take advantage of the situation.
Domination has a sweet, sweet taste. Noah scores a second goal during the power play, which lowers the Wolves’ morale even more, allowing us to control the ice up until the very end of the game.
After the final whistle announcing the end of the third period, my team huddles on the ice, celebrating, and then we shake hands with the Wolves, exchanging pleasantries and a few hostile glares. I glance over at where Violet and Callie sit near the bench and skate that way with the rest of the guys. Before stepping off the ice, I press my gloved hand against the glass, and Callie rests her hand against it on the other side.
“Congrats!” My gorgeous girlfriend is beaming, her jade eyes dancing with excitement. “That was an amazing game!”
“How could we lose?” I call back through the glass, unable to contain my grin. “I had my two lucky charms here cheering me on. Plus…”