Long Shot (Lauderdale Knights Book 3), page 12
I yelped as he stood up and tossed me over his shoulder again.
We didn’t leave the house for two days. Hell, we barely left the bed other than to eat and shower. Jace hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he was going to fulfill all my fantasies. We christened every surface in the house. Walls, floors, counters, couches, desks, and more. He was inside of me more hours of the day than he wasn’t, and even when my brain screamed that I’d had enough, he’d touch me and I’d get aroused all over again.
Maybe I was kidding myself, mistaking the best sex of my life for something more, but with each passing moment I couldn’t picture my life without him in it. It was ridiculous because of the short amount of time we’d known each other. At the same time, the things I felt when we were together were too good to ignore. I wasn’t just talking about the sex, either, though that was beyond my wildest dreams.
The difference was that after we were done, and I’d come over and over, he was still right there with me. He was fully engaged with me, not just in the act of getting me off. He didn’t roll over and reach for his phone or turn on the TV. If he rolled over, it was to kiss me and tell me how beautiful I was. If he got up, it was either to clean up or find a washcloth so he could clean me up. He wasn’t thinking about hockey or his friends or his bank account—he was thinking about me.
I hadn’t had that with Pete. Hadn’t even known it was possible for a man to put me before literally everything else.
Intellectually, I understood they were different men, and our relationships were totally different. But I was also beginning to understand how much had been missing in my relationship with Pete. He’d loved me, but his definition of love had been different than Jace’s. And while they were both good men, there was no doubt in my mind that Jace was the better man for me. When I was with him, it was like I didn’t have a care in the world. All I had to think about was him and surfing. He grounded me in ways I couldn’t explain.
And that was scary considering the disparate lives we led.
Which was why I’d asked him to come with me to Brazil and South Africa. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, not even for a few months. The idea of heading out and competing while he was halfway across the world in Atlanta or Fort Lauderdale or wherever sounded terrible.
I liked Tobias, but he was a live wire, always on the go. Always coming up with new plans, new ideas, new everything. It was exhausting for someone like me, who was happiest curled up with a book or on my surfboard. Everything else that came with being a professional surfer took energy and focus. After I was done with a photo shoot or interview or any number of other things I didn’t enjoy, I needed downtime. Pete had never understood that. But Jace did.
He soothed me and excited me while asking for nothing in return.
I wasn’t naïve enough to think it would always be all about me. This was his off-season, so he didn’t have anything else to think about. Once the hockey season started again, he’d have distractions and responsibilities, but I sensed that when we were in bed together—whether he was playing hockey or not—he would be a thousand percent focused on me and our time together would be meaningful.
Today, though we both hated it, we had to face the world again. His friends were leaving tomorrow, so he wanted to hang out with them for a few hours. He also had to pack up his things since he would be staying with me until we left Hawaii, whether it was together or separately. He still hadn’t given me his answer, and I didn’t want to push him. Especially not today when I had a million calls to return and texts to respond to. Most of them were from Eddie, but he was at the bottom of my list. I still had to talk to him about his behavior lately, so I was saving him for last.
“I’ll call you later, okay?” Jace leaned over to kiss me as I pulled up to the house. “Do you want to meet up with us for dinner?”
“Sure. I’d like to say goodbye to them.”
“All right.” He waved as he got out of the car, and I pulled away, heading for Kalea’s. I’d sent her a text letting her know I was on the way since I didn’t want to walk in on anything. She and Connor had been doing much of what Jace and I had been doing the last few days, and I figured they weren’t sticking to just their bedroom.
“Hey!” Kalea looked up from the stove when I came in. She wore nothing but one of Connor’s shirts, which fell to mid-thigh on her, and he had a relaxed smile on his face as he sipped a cup of coffee.
“Morning, Tawny.”
“Hi, guys.” I leaned over to kiss Kalea’s cheek. “Whatcha makin’?”
“Frittata and bacon and cheese biscuits.”
“My favorite.” I grinned at her.
“I figured I’d make us a late breakfast since you probably won’t get any of your favorites in Brazil.”
“You’re the best.” I sank down on a stool at the counter. “So what have you two been doing? Other than fucking like bunnies.”
Connor chuckled. “We went and did our baby registry yesterday.”
“Sorry I missed it,” I said.
“But I have a surprise for you,” Kalea said, turning.
“Oh?”
“Guess who’s going to Brazil with you?”
My eyes widened as I glanced from her to Connor and back again. “Really? On the plane Tobias is chartering?”
“He’s courting me hard,” Connor said, his blue eyes twinkling. “He really wants to sponsor me, and I’m considering it.”
“I was hesitant to use their boards exclusively,” I admitted. “But the money they offered me was too much not to at least try, and I have to say I’m hooked.”
“Yeah?” He met my eyes thoughtfully. “I’m going to check them out tomorrow. I’m going to the warehouse.”
“I think you’ll be happy.”
His phone rang, and he got up. “Excuse me, ladies, while I take this.” He left the room, and I went over to Kalea.
“I have to talk to you.”
“About Jace?”
I nodded.
“Good or bad?”
“I asked him to come to Brazil with me.”
Chapter
Nineteen
Jace
Once Tawny was gone, I threw in a load of laundry. Whether I went to Brazil with her or not, I needed clean clothes to last me until Sunday.
I was still reeling over her invitation.
I wanted to say yes, but I was hesitant. Not because I didn’t care about her enough—I was already half in love with her—but because there was so much at stake in my life right now. I had to focus on hockey. Sure, I’d taken time off to go on vacation and chill here in Hawaii, but how could I just follow her from competition to competition? I needed to work out, train, manage my diet better than I had been the last couple of weeks. There was a lot on the line.
I finally had a chance to prove myself and create a better future both for myself and my family; I couldn’t blow it. My parents had sacrificed a lot for me to play hockey, and I wanted to be able to pay them back in meaningful ways. My dad needed a new truck. The house he and my mom lived in was old and needed repairs. And frankly, wanting to have enough money to enjoy life didn’t make me a bad person. Especially as I stared at my rapidly dwindling bank account.
I was twenty-four, late to be reaching the NHL for the first time, so this might be my last chance to make it. I’d been considering playing in Europe since the money was better than what I made in the minors, but then the Knights had called me up, and I refused to screw up my chance of making the team.
“Hey.” Cam came in and sat on the edge of the bed as I started to pack.
“Hey.”
“You’re staying with Tawny until Sunday?”
I hesitated. “Actually, she invited me to go to Brazil with her.”
Cam’s eyebrows shot up. “For real? That’s fucking awesome. You guys are going hot and heavy, full steam ahead, eh?”
“It’s starting to look that way.” I paused what I was doing. “You think I should go?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“There are so many reasons.”
“Name one.”
“Money, though that’s secondary because all the travel and hotels are covered.”
“Okay, let’s put that aside for now then. What else?”
“Hockey,” I said, putting down the jeans in my hand. “I can’t spend the summer following her around from beach to beach. When and where am I going to get serious about training? I definitely won’t be able to get on skates in those places and—”
“Most of us don’t spend much time on skates in the summer,” Cam interrupted quietly.
“Yeah, but it’s different for me this year.” I met his gaze. “I can’t have a mediocre training camp. I have to get out there and show Coach what I’ve got.”
“You already did that,” Cam said, frowning. “I know nothing is guaranteed, but you need to chill, man. Coach kept you in the lineup through the fucking finals. If you weren’t up to the task, do you think he would have kept you in for the most intense games of the season?”
“Felix is coming back,” I said. “His knee will be a hundred percent by training camp. And Palmer may be back as well. If that happens, I’ll be kicking and clawing for a spot on the roster.”
He shook his head. “You don’t know that. And there are no guarantees Palmer is coming back. Coach was pissed at him after that whole thing with the girlfriend and then the car accident.”
“Everything you say might be true, but what if it’s not, and I spend the summer in bed with my new girlfriend?”
He cocked his head. “Do you think she’s going to stop liking you if you go back to Atlanta?”
“I…” My voice trailed off. I didn’t think so, but I also didn’t know her that well. As close as we’d gotten, it still had been less than two weeks. I was as in tune to her moods and her body as I’d ever been with a woman, but I couldn’t say anything for sure.
“If you think that, then no, you absolutely shouldn’t go to Brazil with her. But if there’s a chance this thing with you is for real, you’ll regret not going for the rest of your life.”
“And what will I regret if I don’t make the team?” I asked.
He paused. “Only you can answer that question, but I don’t think where you spend the summer is reflective of your skill. Most of us don’t do shit except the basics until a month before camp. That’s when we amp up.”
“You think working on strength training and cardio is enough?” I asked.
“Absolutely. Very few of us spend the summer on the ice. As a goalie, I don’t get on the ice until camp. My summer is all about resting my body, healing from a season of bumps and bruises, and working on cardio. We play hard, man. The off-season is meant for healing, both physically and mentally.”
He had a point. One I hadn’t fully considered until just now.
“So you think I should go.”
“I think you’ve met someone special. It doesn’t make sense for you to not try to figure things out before hockey season starts. Come October, you’re not going to be able to follow her anywhere.”
Also a good point.
“And believe me,” Wolf spoke from the doorway. “If you don’t lock it down, whatever it is, she’ll be gone before you know it.”
“Speaking from experience?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I know a bit about dating a pro surfer. They’re like rock stars. Always on to the next city, next competition, next big wave. If you don’t give them something to come home to, they won’t.” He turned and disappeared as quickly as he’d come, and I glanced at Cam.
“Things go south with Scarlett?”
Cam grimaced as he whispered, “Very, very south.”
I didn’t know if that made me feel better or worse.
Tawny met us at a restaurant in Waikiki, and the five of us had a nice dinner. We stayed out late, drinking at the bar and then walking on the beach with a couple of nice ladies Felix and Cam had met. Wolf had been quieter than usual, but I’d warned Tawny not to mention Scarlett, so we’d kept things light.
Tawny hugged Cam and Felix goodbye when they left with their dates, and Wolf tagged along with us as we walked back to the lot where we’d left our cars. I had my things in the back of the rental, so he couldn’t leave until I got them.
“It was nice meeting you,” Wolf told her as I put my suitcase and backpack in the trunk of Kalea’s SUV.
“Likewise.” She hugged him too. “I really appreciated having my own little cheering section at the competition.”
He chuckled. “You’re exciting to watch.”
“Thank you. I look forward to watching you on the ice this coming season. I don’t know much about hockey, but I hope to learn.”
“Jace’ll get you up to speed.” He turned to me and shook my hand. “Glad you came, man, even though you ditched us.”
We both chuckled, and I nodded. “Thanks for inviting me. It was great.”
“You going back to Atlanta first or coming down to Lauderdale?”
“I have to go back to Atlanta for at least a little while. If nothing else, I’ll need to pick up my car and drive it down. I can’t be in Lauderdale without wheels.”
“Right. Well, then I’ll see you when you get to town. You gonna crash with Cam and Felix?”
I nodded. Cam and Felix were roommates and they’d invited me to stay with them when I was in Fort Lauderdale, both during training camp and beyond. They had a big four-bedroom townhouse, so there was plenty of room. And they didn’t even want rent money unless it became permanent.
“You tear it up in Brazil, you hear me?” Wolf said to Tawny, pointing at her.
“I’ll do my best!” She waved, and I slid my arm around her waist as Wolf drove away.
“I can’t believe the guys are gone,” I said as we got into Kalea’s SUV. “Our big vacation is over.”
“It’s funny,” she said, starting the engine. “I haven’t been on vacation, but it’s kind of felt like it. Being able to sneak away to the house, just the two of us… hanging out with you and your friends. Making love all day and night.”
“It’s a great way to spend a vacation.”
“It’s a great way to spend any period of time,” she countered. “You know, in six years together Pete and I never went on vacation.”
“Never? Not even locally?” I glanced at her in surprise.
“Nope. I mean, we traveled for competitions, so we visited a lot of cool places, but we never went anywhere specifically to relax and have fun. He said we traveled so much for work he just wanted to stay home when we could.”
“Have you had fun the last two weeks, babe?” I asked, running my fingers along her forearm. “Even though you had to work?”
“So much fun,” she whispered.
“You shouldn’t have to go on vacation to have fun. Fun should be part of your life. Not all day, every day, obviously, but in doses. There are always going to be hard times, bad times, but fun isn’t optional. Not for me anyway.”
“What do you do for fun in Atlanta?”
“Lots of things. We go to baseball games, rock concerts, golfing… a couple of my teammates are married so we go to barbeques at their houses. Don’t you do stuff like that? Don’t you and Kalea do girl things… shopping or spa days or whatever?”
“Not really. She’d gone to California for college while I was turning pro, and when she moved home she brought Connor with her. He and Pete didn’t get along, partly because they were big rivals and partly because they just didn’t like each other, so we didn’t hang out that much. There wasn’t much time for fun in my schedule back then. And then there was the grief. Handling Pete’s estate. Trying to figure out how to move on without him. I didn’t remember fun. Until you.”
“There’s more to us than fun,” I said.
“I know, but I’m still struggling to move past my last relationship, Pete’s death, all of that. And I don’t want to lead you on, but I also don’t want this to end.”
“I’m a big boy, Tawny, and I don’t want it to end either.”
We were both quiet for a few seconds.
“Then you’ve given thought to the idea of coming with me?” she asked finally.
“I’ve honestly thought of little else.”
“And?” She kept her eyes on the road, but I felt the tension in her body as she waited for me to respond.
“Let’s do it.”
“Wait, really?” She whipped her head around. “You’re serious?”
The joy in her eyes was all I needed to see.
“Yup. We’re going to Brazil, babe.”
Chapter
Twenty
Tawny
The flight to Brazil was long, but we were a loud, rowdy bunch. Tobias had brought along some advertising executives and public relations people from Shine On’s L.A. office, and they partied as hard as they worked. Connor and Kalea kept to themselves somewhat, but Eddie was all over the place, making a nuisance of himself since Scarlett was also with us. There were three other surfers I didn’t know, all from the junior tour, each with a parent, and of course, Les Mackey.
“Really glad you’re here, Jace.” Tobias sat next to us after we’d been in the air a few hours and had eaten dinner. “I’ve been getting lots of great feedback about the ad images we got from that photo shoot, and I’d like to do another one in Brazil.”
“Another photo shoot?” Jace cocked his head.
“Actually, a video shoot this time. For a commercial. It’ll run in small, targeted markets, but there’s a lot of interest in our products. And in you.”
“I’m not a surfer.”
“No, but that’s the whole point.” Tobias rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Look at our amazing surfboards—anyone can look like a pro on them. Even a hockey player.”
Jace chuckled. “I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
“Okay, that’s not the ad copy we’re going to use, but you get my drift.”
“I’ve never even been on a surfboard,” he said.
“Who better to teach you than one of the best in the world?” he demanded, looking at me.
