Page 119 of Hot As Ice

“We had sex last night!”

“That was forever ago, princess.” I kiss her throat, placing my hands on her tits. She’s wearing way too many clothes, but it’s going to be fun peeling them off her. I rub her nipples, making her moan, then capture her mouth in another deep kiss. “You’re so fucking hot.”

She smiles against my mouth. “You’re hot.”

“You’re hotter.”

That makes her giggle. She leans in to kiss me again, but I gently hold her back.

“Hey, thanks for letting me trauma dump on you.”

She frowns. “Stop. Don’t call it that. I’m glad you told me. I’m here for you. I’m the goalie, remember?”

I tuck her hair behind her ear. “You’re the hottest goalie I’ve ever seen.”

She smiles and snuggles against me, sliding her arms around my back. Her head rests on my shoulder. “I want to protect you. You’ve been protecting me since day one.”

I kiss her temple, hugging her tight. “I have to tell you something about that day.”

She lifts her head. “What?”

“I didn’t just happen to drive by when you were closing.”

“Then what?”

“I came back on purpose to ask you out after your shift.”

Stevie’s mouth makes an adorable O. She blinks, like I’ve told her a secret of the universe. “You wanted to ask me out?” she says.

I nod.

“But instead you saved my life.”

“And then made you sign a sex contract.”

A small smile plays on her lips. “I wanted to sign it.”

I run my fingers through her hair. “That’s all behind us now.”

“Yes,” she says. “We’re starting fresh. And I’ll be protecting you as much as you’ve been protecting me.”

She doesn’t know it, but I feel more protected with her in my arms than she could ever guess. This last week, with her staying at my place, I’ve felt more content and peaceful than I can ever remember. And I’ve been sleeping like a baby.

“You do protect me,” I say. “Trust me.”

I want to say more, but something holds me back. Instead, I hold her as tightly as I can, hoping my touch says it all.

thirty-eight

stevie

SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS with my mom was so much fun.

On Christmas, we exchanged gifts, watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation three times (yes, three), baked cookies, and prepared the Christmas turkey together. I gave her an amethyst lariat necklace I made with rose quartz accents, and she gave me a wool scarf and this perfume I’ve been wanting forever.

On New Year’s Eve, we stayed home, drinking champagne (I only had one glass) and watching the ball drop. It was nice and low-key, and exactly what I needed after so much happened this semester.

I didn’t tell my mom all the gritty details, of course, because she would faint from shock. However, I did tell her more about Hunter, how kind he’s been to me, how much I like him, and how safe I feel with him. She liked that very much. I showed her a picture of him and she definitely approved. “He better treat you right,” she kept saying over and over like a broken record.