One good thing is the boost I’ve gotten. I’ve tripled my follower count, and I’m getting more money and more brand deals. I’ll be able to pay off my parents’ mortgage sooner than I thought.
I glance over my shoulder and spot Briar in the stands. My heart hammers in my chest when I see her wearing my jersey.
I skate over to the glass in front of her.
She steps over to me. “Hey. You look really hot out there when you’re stretching on the ice.”
I grin. “Oh, yeah?”
She nods. “Especially that hip thrust thing you do when you’re lying face-down on the ice.” She leans closer to me and lowers her voice. “We need to incorporate that into a video for your account.”
“You’re the brains. And the beauty. I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”
She blushes. “You’re the hot one.”
I shake my head. “You’re way, way hotter.”
She giggles. “So how many goals do you think you’ll get tonight?”
“Three.”
Her eyes widen. “That’s ambitious.”
“I’ve got a pretty fantastic incentive.” My gaze drifts to below her waist. Her cheeks turn even redder.
She rolls her eyes, still smiling. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Whatever you want, naughty girl.”
She bites back a shy smile. My heart slingshots around my chest. I love this. I love flirting with her before I play. I love looking up and seeing her in the stands, cheering me on. I love having this private dirty game that only the two of us know about. I love calling her my girlfriend.
Yeah, it took a while for us to get here. But the wait was worth it.
Warmup ends, and I skate off. When the game starts, my focus sharpens. I zero in on the puck, skating hard to assist my teammates.
Nick manages to steal the puck from an opposing player, then takes off toward the net.
Their defense is all over him, so he passes it back to me. Before they can come after me, I shoot the puck. It ricochets off the crossbar and lands at the back of the net.
I pump my fist as the home crowd goes wild. My teammates surround me, celebrating my goal. But there’s only one person I’m focused on.
I turn and look at Briar, who’s on her feet, cheering and screaming.
She catches eyes with me. I wink at her and hold up my gloved index finger. “One down,” I mouth.
Even from all the way across the ice, I see her blush. She beams, and her eyes light up.
My heart beats faster in my chest, and not just because of all the filthy things I’m going to do to her.
But because I can’t believe she’s mine. My best friend. My girlfriend. The woman I’m crazy in love with. My heart.
I can’t wait to go home to her.
Epilogue
Briar
5months later
