Wild About You (Wildcat Hockey, #2)

by Rebecca Jenshak

“Move in with me, Pipes. Not because I need help with Everly, but because I want to live with my super hot girlfriend.”

She nods. “Yes, really. I love falling asleep with you every night.” “And waking up with me?” “I would if your alarm went off about two hours later.”

He drops the tablet to his lap and sits straighter in his seat. “I’m serious. We’re a team, a family. I don’t know about you but it’s a hell of a lot better family than I had growing up. So it’s no big deal, Ty. If you need something, we’re here. No tally. No judgment. We’re just here. We look out for one another and we do it without a second thought because we’re all used to doing what needs to be done.”

I think back over it, trying to see it with fresh eyes. “I was trying to give her time off.” “From spending time with her boyfriend? If it were reversed, would you want to have time off?” My jaw drops, and I suddenly feel like a giant asshole. “Just realizing you screwed up?” Ev asks with a smirk. Well, fuck. “See?” She shoves a pointy finger in the middle of my chest. “You need me around as much as I need you.”

“Oh, I think you know.” Jade smirks and gives me a slow once-over that feels downright sensual. She laughs, and in case I didn’t pick up her hint, she says, “Take off all your clothes and lie on top of him.” “Sex?” Scarlett asks with a snort. “Your answer to this is sex?”

I laugh. Small laughter that builds. “I’m going to seduce him until he forgets he wants to break up with me?”

“You can thank me later,” Jade says. She grabs another white lacy number from her purse and hands it to Scarlett. “You can both thank me later.”

An hour later I head back across the street. I pull at the lacy material underneath my sweatshirt. Jade insisted I put it on before going over so I could attack him the second I see him.

His eyes bulge and his back goes straight. “Well, hello, wet dreams.”

“How do I get this thing off?” he asks, nipping at my lower lip and running his big hands along the lacy material at my stomach.

“How often do you and Scarlett have sex?” Leo’s brows raise and Declan almost spits out his beer. Ash cackles and rubs his hands together. “Finally, some good happy hour conversation.” The five of us are at Wild’s after a meeting at the arena. Piper and Everly are still at school. Everly has had long rehearsals all week leading up to the theater performance tomorrow night. “Hit a dry spell, Rookie?” Jack asks with a smirk. “No, the opposite. I can’t keep her off me. We’ve had sex six times today.” Ash chuckles and makes a low whistle. “Damn.”

As the applause dies down, Ash leans over. “Tell me why we came to see a play that our girl wasn’t actually in?” “Because that’s what family does,” Jack says, eyes still on the stage. “They show up.”

Scarlett gives me a reassuring smile. “It isn’t just him. I have never seen them all look so dejected over something non-hockey related.”

“That look.” She shivers. “It’s the same one he gets on his face during sex.” She says the last word quietly so Everly can’t hear. “Sexy death glares do it for you, huh?” “Everything about Leo does it for me.”

“I think that one was for you,” I tell her.

This time she rolls her eyes. “Are they trying to guilt trip me in to staying?” “They think you’re leaving,” Scarlett tells her. “It’s their way of saying goodbye.”

A small laugh escapes. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about all week. I mean, I want you to go to Madison if that’s what you want. We’ll find a way to make it work either way.” “You weren’t planning to break up with me and ship me off against my will?” I pull her against me. “Fuck no, but I was prepared to let you seduce me all week to keep you from realizing it.” Her mouth falls open. “You knew?!”

“I’m sorry that I let you believe that I was pushing you away. It took me a little bit to figure it out. Though to be fair, every time I opened my mouth the past few days, you shoved your tongue down my throat.”

“Because I wanted to share that moment with you, and I couldn’t. And when I realized that, I just knew you were my end game. I used to think relationships were all about timing, but since you came back into my life, I’ve had to accept that maybe there is no such thing as the right time. There is always going to be something I can’t give you or some event during the season I’m going to miss because I’m traveling. But I promise you that no one has or will ever love you more than I do. I love you, Piper. I’ve loved you since I was eighteen years old. Fuck yeah, we belong together, always. Marry me, Pipes?”

“Yes.” She nods. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“I love you so damn much,” he whispers into my mouth. “But why did you have to wear jeans tonight? My access points are severely limited.” “When have you ever backed down from a challenge?”

Tyler looks like he might want to object, but Jade shakes her head. “No, you get her for the rest of your life. I’m stealing her for thirty minutes.” “Thirty minutes.” He taps the face of his watch.

Jade laughs good-naturedly. “Fine. Take your hot fiancées back. I need to go find my man and attach his ball and chain.” She gets a serious look on her face. “Where do you buy those? Target? The Container Store?” “Ikea,” Leo and Tyler say at the same time.

“Good. She owes me years of babysitting for looking after her. You know, I found a gray hair today. That’s definitely from her.”