This is worth it. She’s worth it.
“Feel that?” I say against her ear. “That’s me. That’s us. Nothing else matters right now.”
“Nothing else,” she agrees, and I can feel her starting to build again.
“You’re going to come one more time.” I shift the angle and hit something that makes her gasp. “Going to come with me inside you. Going to scream my name.”
“I can’t come again.”
“You can. Touch yourself, Marnie.”
I angle my hips slightly so she can reach between us. I desperately want this—want her falling apart around me, want to feel her come while I’m inside her.
My rhythm gets harder, more desperate.
She breaks around me with a cry that I feel everywhere, her body clenching so tight I nearly lose it.
I follow a few thrusts later and for a moment everything is perfect.
We stay like that, both of us trying to remember how to breathe.
When I finally lift my head, I can’t help the satisfied smirk.
“What?” she asks, voice hoarse.
“That’s called a hat trick, Moxie.” I’m grinning now. “And I’m awarding myself first star of the game.”
She stares at me for a second, processing, and then she’s laughing and it’s the best sound I’ve heard all night.
“You did not just?—”
“Oh, I did.” I’m ridiculously pleased with myself. “Three orgasms. All mine. First star: Captain Roman Varga.”
“You’re impossible.”
“You love me anyway.”
“Unfortunately.” She pulls me down for a kiss. “You cocky hockey player.”
“Your cocky hockey player,” I correct, carefully rolling off to deal with the condom before returning to pull her against my side. “And you’re stuck with me now.”
“Good.” She curls into my good side, fitting perfectly. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”
I press my lips to her forehead. “Neither am I.”
And watching her fall asleep in my arms, I know I’ve never meant anything more in my life.
25
MARNIE
Three placesI’m supposed to be, all at once.
Arena. Hospice. Roman’s bed.
I’m failing at all of them equally, which feels like an achievement in its own terrible way.
Mom’s having more bad days than good ones now. The hospice nurse keeps using phrases like “making her comfortable” and “when the time comes” and I want to scream at her that the time isn’t coming, it’s already here, it’s been here for weeks and I’m just pretending I don’t see it.
