There are twenty cheerleaders crammed into the front row beside the Carter U player’s box, screaming at the top of their lungs as the third and final period of the game begins, and pounding their palms against the boards as the Rangers burst their way back onto the rink. My heart thunders wildly as the puck flies across the ice, the Rangers weaving it fast and furiously around the Michigan players until all of the guys are crowding around the goal, trying to slap it under the goalie’s shields. It takes a lot of braced thighs and shoulder shoving but, after Hunter’s roommate Caden flicks it to Tanner, Tanner smashes it into the top corner.
The giant scoreboard dings as the number 5 turns into a 6, and the crowd goes crazy, knowing how hard it will be for Michigan to catch up when Carter U is four points ahead of them.
Tanner didn’t play during the first and second periods and now that he’s being smothered with love by his teammates I can see why. Even as he claps them back I can see the strain on his face, the way that he’s holding his body at a slight angle as he limps back into position.
Tanner’s obviously still recovering from an injury but with the prospect of winning the NCAA tournament within reach no way is he going to miss the chance to be a part of it.
“I think I’m gonna throw up,” Aisling says, her face blanched of all colour and her eyebrows arched high. Ash is the only cheerleader who isn’t wearing their cheer outfit, due to the fact that she’s on the comp team, not the events team, so she didn’t take part in our home-pride pre-game performance just now.
The fact that she decided to come anyway has me peeking over to her with curious eyes and a little knowing smile.
In the second period Hunter scored his second goal of the game and the crowd went crazy as he threw his stick down and raced across the ice.
All of the Carter U supporters knew what that meant.
It meant that Hunter Wilde had just become the highest goal scorer in Carter U ice hockey history, and we were here to watch him take that title.
I could barely contain myself as he skated right up to our section yelling, “You see that, baby? Did you fucking see that?!”
And now we’re in the final minute of play, with the Rangers dominating possession of the puck, and my heart is about to burst as the last countdown begins on the screen. Hunter has already scored a third goal during this round but as I watch him whip across the ice I know that he’s going to try and get one more point for Carter U.
Tristan hits the puck towards another Ranger and they all begin flying down to the opponents’ goal, the big screen above the centre of the rink showing that there are thirty seconds left before the tournament is over.
Everyone is pounding on the boards as the Rangers begin passing the puck, before Tanner gets it, raises his stick, and tosses it at lightning speed towards Hunter, who slams it right into the centre of the net.
We’re all screaming, the whole arena on their feet, and the Rangers can’t help but celebrate as the clock moves into the final ten seconds. The audience begins a deafening countdown as the referee moves the players back into position, even though we already now know exactly who the championship winners are about to be.
“Three! Two! One!”
And as the crowd shouts “one” the final whistle blows, and every Ranger on the ice throws down their helmet, celebrating victoriously as they smash their bodies together. The Carter U substitutes in the booth beside us jump their gate and flood the ice, hurtling over to the rest of the Rangers as we scream our lungs out in the stands.
As the commentator announces the winners of this year’s national championship Hunter’s eyes find mine and I push my body up against the clear board, hands on my cheeks because they hurt so much from smiling.
His eyes are sparkling the brightest that I’ve ever seen them, and he hits me with his signature smirk, making my heart skip a beat.
I have a million things that I want to say to him but the ref rounds up the teams so that they can go through the protocols of handshakes and other formalities before they’re allowed to fully revel in what just happened. So I wait my turn, bouncing up and down with the rest of my squad.
As soon as they’ve gone through all of the red tape and regulations, the Rangers are celebrating all over again, but Hunter tears straight over to the player’s bench on our right, ripping off his gloves so that he can open up the gate beside us.
Once I realise that he’s trying to get to me I squeeze my way through the crowd of squealing cheerleaders until I’m up at the miniature border that separates the stands from the ice, hovering on it like a precipice because I’m pretty sure it would be seen as illicit behaviour if someone from the audience got onto the rink with no blades.
But that doesn’t stop Hunter. The second that I’m within touching distance he grabs me by my hips and hauls me up against him, albeit keeping me dangling over on the audience side of the border, and making me laugh as my feet wiggle above the floor.
“Baby,” he rasps, his voice the most hoarse that I’ve ever heard it. “Baby, I’m sorry, I’ve got so much explaining to do–”
I cup my shaking hands around his stubbled jaw and lean up as high as I can so that I can kiss him.
He groans, long and low, and hunches around me, shielding me from the view of his teammates and those ever-looming ice hockey cameras.
“You don’t have any explaining to do,” I say breathlessly, letting out a little yelp as he yanks me higher up his chest.
This moment – Carter U winning the championship – is incredible and Hunter doesn’t need to apologise for anything.
His eyes drop between us, to where my front is crushed up against his, and his mouth tilts up into a handsome smirk because our outfits completely match.
Then he shakes it off and looks down at me with a serious expression.
“I was really fucking stupid, Fallon. I wanted to help you but I didn’t wanna come on too strong, so I withheld the truth like a goddamn idiot. You told me that you needed to be independent and I still couldn’t stop myself. That’s not okay, Fallon. I don’t expect you to be okay with me doing that.”
I kiss him again and this time he doesn’t hold back, his palms gripping roughly at the back of my thighs as he slides his tongue inside my mouth.
I can’t help but laugh as I realise what he’s doing, pulling back from his firm strokes because I’m about to have a full-on giggle fit.
“What?” he rasps, his expression unbelievably anguished.
I press a few more kisses against his mouth because I can’t believe what’s going on inside of his head right now.
“Hunter,” I finally whisper when I pull back from his beautiful face.
“Yeah, baby?” he asks, burying his face in my neck.
I stroke my fingers through his hair as I whisper, “Did you think that I was about to break up with you or something?”
When he grinds his forehead more desolately against my skin I begin pressing kisses against his messy post-game hair.
“Hunter, I’m not mad at you, and I’m not breaking up with you,” I admit, rubbing consolingly at his shoulders as I feel his breathing become unsteady. I can only imagine how overwhelmed he is right now. “Hunter, look at me. You just captained Carter U into winning the national championship. I am so proud of you. I’m not freaked out about what you did for me. If anything, I’m grateful.”
That makes his head lift up, so tan and strikingly handsome that butterflies flutter wildly in my belly.
“You’re not freaked out?” he asks quietly, looking behind him to check that no-one’s listening.
Which is obviously not the case, because half of his team is standing behind him, arms across their chests like we’re in a group therapy session.
“Jesus,” he exclaims, clutching me tighter. “Give us a minute, okay guys?”
Most of them back away grinning, but Tanner doesn’t. He locks his eyes in with mine and then spits out his mouth guard.
I give him a long intense glower as he gets comfortable on the seat beside us.
“I’m not freaked out,” I murmur quietly, wiggling my feet nervously. “I was a little at first, but that’s because I don’t know how to handle affection. It’s all so new to me. I left the diner last night because I was sort of in shock, and then I ended up having to go to a last minute cheer practice for our performance tonight… and I was just thinking about how lucky I am to know you, because you’re willing to do what’s best for me even when I don’t know what’s best for me. And as much as I’ve been afraid of letting people into my life, I realised that if I continue avoiding good people then I’m perpetuating my own vicious cycle. And I don’t want that. I want… this. I want you. And I’m going to want you for, like, ever, so I hope that – even after a mild freak out – you’re going to still want me, too.”
Hunter’s eyes are wide as he looks at me for a few seconds, but then his chest is heaving and he crashes his mouth down on mine, one hand firmly caressing the back of my neck and the other sliding even further up my thigh.
“Thought you were going to break up with me,” he pants. “Thought you came here out of, you know, pity or somethin’.”
I breathe out a laugh and wrap my arms tighter around the back of his neck. “Even with that big red number 9 on my back?” I ask him, grinning. “I came here to support my big, strong, sexy boyfriend, and to thank him for giving me all of the love that I’ve never had before.”
“Oh Lord,” he murmurs, hunching down to kiss me again. It’s soft and sweet, the kind of kiss that really turns Hunter on, and he pulls away with a grunt before pressing his forehead against mine. His chest moves in quick pumps as he says, “Should probably stop doin’ that before I get carried away.”
I press a happy kiss against his jaw and he groans quietly.
“Yeah, we probably should. Especially considering who’s in the crowd,” I tell him, unable to hide my smile.
He looks down at me for a beat, before following the direction that I’m pointing in with his eyes. His chest almost doubles in size, his hands becoming vice-like as he realises who else is here for him.
“Baby,” he chokes out, his amazed gaze flying down to mine. “Did you do that for me?”
His eyes are shimmering dangerously, his beautiful cheekbones a ruddy red. He drops his head back into my neck and my heart tears a little as his shoulders gently shake.
“First time they’ve ever seen me play,” he says hoarsely, and I squeeze him all the tighter.
I glance down at Tanner who has been impassively watching our entire exchange, and when he meets my eyes we have a little secret of our own.
It isn’t exactly easy to get tickets to the national ice hockey championship final but Tanner has his ways, which is why Hunter’s family is in the stands, for the first time ever.
I squish my cheek against Hunter’s soft messy hair and then wiggle myself free, dropping gently to the floor as Hunter’s hands slide up to cup my ribcage.
“I love you so much,” he murmurs, after scrubbing his dampened cheeks against the shoulders of his jersey. “So fucking much, Fallon.”
I grin up at him and ask, “Enough to secretly employ me at your family’s business?”
He smirks down at me and gives my ass a rough squeeze. “Hell yeah, baby.”
I jump up so that I can press a kiss to his cheek and he breathes out the world’s most beautiful laugh.
“Well, that’s good,” I say, “because I love you so much too.”
Hunter crushes me against his chest and covers me in kisses.
“First time that you’ve ever said that to me,” he murmurs, not pulling back for air as he smothers me in his love.
“First time that I’ve ever said that to anyone,” I whisper back, giggling happily when he claims my mouth with his.
I think this is the happiest that I’ve ever felt in my whole entire life.
Hunter’s large palms hold me securely against his chest and he kisses me adoringly, my arms tight around his neck.
“Can’t give you a proper introduction to my parents tonight,” he says gruffly when he finally pulls back, easing himself over the barrier as someone hands him a pair of skate guards. He releases me only until he’s finished slipping them on. “Gonna need a good week’s worth of just you and me time before we make that happen.”
Warmth spreads in my belly as I imagine what he’s thinking about right now.
He gives me an appreciative once-over and then murmurs, “Actually, let’s make that a month.”
I hide my face in the nook between his biceps and his pecs, and Hunter smirks as he squeezes me against his body.
“You want some you and me time, baby?” he asks when I finally lift my face to peek up at him. He smiles smugly, palming me possessively over my skirt.
I move so that I’m in front of him, walking backwards as I rub my hands up over his chest and batting my eyelashes flirtatiously. His grin gets even cockier and he hauls me up by my ass, grunting quietly in satisfaction when I wrap my legs around his middle.
My feet waggle happily above the floor as we join the large crowd of Hunter’s teammates who are all making their way back to the locker room. The corridor is lined with their closest friends and family members, although most of the supporters are still in the stands. The celebrations for their huge win are nowhere near even starting yet.
“Heading back to our place,” Tanner announces loudly to the exodus, and he’s met with cheers and knowing smirks, probably because, with Tanner being Tanner, every pretty girl at Carter U will already be at their place.
Tanner claps Hunter on the back and says, “That includes y’all, by the way. No sneaking off to her condo on win night.”
“Doesn’t matter where we are, as long as she’s with me,” Hunter says.
My heart thunders in my chest and I hold onto Hunter more tightly.
When we reach the entrance to the changing room Hunter helps me dismount from his body, jerking his chin at his guys to say give us a minute.
He walks us just past the doorframe and cages me protectively against the wall.
His back is to the locker room, shielding us from view, and he pulls me up against his body, smiling self-assuredly.
“This has been the best year of my life,” he says, and my heart bursts in my chest. I duck my chin to hide my blush but he tips it back up with two warm fingers. “Wouldn’t be where I am right now if I hadn’t had you by my side. Making me want to do better. Making me want to be better. All of this right now, it’s all because of you.”
I shake my head although I’m still smiling. He grins down at me and rubs the apple of my cheek.
“You okay coming to our place tonight? ’Cause it don’t matter what Tanner said – if you wanna go straight to your condo, I’m down as fuck for that.”
I laugh at his countryism and nod my head excitedly. “I want you to celebrate with your team, Hunter, of course I’m okay with that. I am very, very happy to come to the hockey house with you. If you want me to.”
He squeezes my waist, yanking me closer. His eyes are so molten that they’re making me dizzy.
“I really want you to. And I’m gonna give you a real thank you for how fucking beautiful your performance was tonight.”
I’m so happy right now that I can feel my dimples puckering my cheeks. “You liked it?” I ask, toying with the front of his jersey.
“Liked it?” he asks, his eyes on fire. “Watching you up there on centre stage, showing everyone how talented you are with my number on your back?” He huffs out a laugh and borderline growls, “Yes, Fallon. It’s safe to say that I liked it.”
I kiss happily at his stubble and he cups the back of my head in his hand, a content rumble happening deep in his chest.
“We practiced some of those positions together,” I remind him when I drop back down from my tip-toes.
“We’ll be practicing a couple more tonight.”
Oh Lord.
As I stumble and swoon dizzily up against his chest, one of his teammates clomps out of the changing room and says, “Uber’s here in three. You gonna get changed before we head?”
Hunter turns his head and gives him a nod before refocusing on his limp girlfriend who has just lost control of her knees.
He smirks, pleased, and tries to help me steady my feet.
“You don’t need to get changed,” I say breathlessly. “You’re just going to be taking your clothes off in ten minutes anyway.”
He looks even more pleased now, his eyes dropping to my chest as he contemplates my very rational, not at all biased comment.
“I’m gonna have the world’s fastest shower, so that I’m all clean for you,” he says.
I howl in anguish and he laughs quietly.
“And then,” he adds, “when we get home, we can work together to get all dirty again.”
Oh, he’s good. He’s very good.
“Fine,” I say, shoving him off of me, knowing that it’s only going to make him grip me harder. He buries his face in my neck, scratching me up with his stubble, and I try not to go slack as he licks gently at my skin. “And, uh,” I pant, now remembering that I should probably congratulate him on becoming Carter U’s top scorer of all time. “Your goals,” I gasp. “They were very good.”
“Huh?” he murmurs gruffly, just as distracted as I am.
“You, uh, you… you’re the t-top goal scorer in Carter U history. Your goals were s-so good out there tonight and I’m so proud of you, Hunter. So proud.”
Hunter lifts his head up, his beautiful eyes dazzling me senseless. He smiles as he rasps, “It’s because of you, baby. Those goals were all for you.”
I blink up at him, still breathless, and I swallow as I ask, “What do you mean?”
He flashes me his perfect smile before pressing a kiss to my pink cheek. My heart sparkles warmly and I give him a little smile of my own.
“What I mean, Fallon, is that I couldn’t have done any of that if you weren’t out there watching me.” He squeezes me tighter as I stare awe-struck in his arms. “Those goals, Fallon? They were all for you, because nothing feels better than making you happy. And that’s what I’m going to keep on doing for as long as you’ll let me. I love you, baby. You’re the greatest score of my life.”
