Rush: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 1)(125)

I rarely see my mother get angry, but something passes across her face that tells me now isn’t the time to go into that.

“Are you ready to order?” the waiter asks, thankfully interrupting.

I glance over at James and stare at him a little longer. He’s very handsome, just like I thought he would be. He’s taller than my mom, probably as tall as Kingston.

“You want the usual, Bianca?” my mother asks.

I nod, still staring at James. I need to get my phone so I can text Gabby and tell her what’s going on. I can’t believe I’m sitting here with my mom and my dad for the first time in my life. I watch as James glances over at my mom and smiles. I think he likes her.

I look at my mom. She’s smiling, too.

Oh, my God! I hope this is real. I hope I’m not dreaming.

I thought that meeting my dad would be the greatest thing in the world. And it’s definitely great. But I think Gabby’s right… What would be even better is if my mom and my dad would fall in love and get married.

That would be the best thing ever.





52

Kingston

Saturday, February 4th

Tonight’s game was a far cry better than I anticipated.

For us, that is. I can’t say how Heath’s night is going.

Somehow, I’ve managed to block out anything and everything for the past couple of weeks. At least when I’m on the ice. It showed tonight. I’m happy with how things went. Not ecstatic, but I think I’m working my way back to normal. A new normal, that is.

Now, as I sit at a table in the hotel bar watching some of my teammates act like asshats, I can honestly say that I’m breathing a little easier.

“Mount Rushmore?”

I glance over to see a cute little brunette standing beside me. She’s biting her knuckle and twirling her hair with her other hand. She looks all of twenty-one. Maybe. I lift my eyebrows, waiting for her to say something.

“Mind if I join you?”

I glance at the empty seat beside me, then back up to her.

I place my beer bottle on the table and offer a smile. “I was actually heading back to my room.”

For some godforsaken stupid f*cking reason, that makes her smile more. As though I offered an invitation. In order to ensure she doesn’t take it the wrong way, I add, “Alone. Good night.”

Without looking back, I head to the bank of elevators, then head up to my floor. The team is heading back to Austin first thing in the morning, and if I’m lucky, I’ll get a good six hours of solid sleep before then.

I swipe my key card in the door, then step inside. After flipping the security lock, I turn to see…

“Holy. Fuck.”

The air rushes out of my lungs as I take in the woman sitting on my bed. She’s not naked, nor is she even dressed provocatively, but the sight of her there… It’s the best sight I’ve seen in so long.

“Ellie.” I want to ask why she’s here. I want to ask where James is. I want to ask what she needs, but I can’t bring myself to say anything because I really don’t care.

She’s here. That’s all that really matters.

I walk over to her, studying her face, trying to read her mind. She says nothing, gives nothing away in her expression. When I’m less than a foot away, she stands up and smiles.

“I—” I have no clue what I was going to say, but it doesn’t matter because she quiets me with a finger over my lips.

“No talking. Not tonight.”

In a perfect world, this would be my greatest fantasy. Finding Ellie in my hotel room unexpectedly… I’m supposed to be ecstatic, but for some reason, the pain in my chest drowns out any of that. I can tell by the look in her eye that—despite what I know is about to happen—this is not going to be one of those visits that fixes everything and we live happily ever after.

She pushes my suit coat off my shoulders. “Make love to me, Kingston.”

I swallow hard and nod. I can do that. I want nothing more than to do that.

And though I sense this is probably going to be the absolute last time I get to make love to this woman, I can’t refuse her. My body craves hers; my heart is desperate for a little fix, something to tide me over for as long as it will last.

I remove my jacket and allow her to start working the buttons on my shirt while I cup her face and kiss her with everything that I am. I will her to feel the emotion that’s trapped in my body, desperate to get out. I need her to know everything, but I refuse to become her burden. I love this woman. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, but I’ve come to the brutal conclusion that she will be happier with James.

“God, Ellie.” Her hands make their way beneath my shirt, and I suck in air as her cool fingers slide over my hot skin. “I need you.”

“You have me,” she says. “For as long as you want me.”

I want her for the rest of my life, but I know that’s not possible. Although I probably look pathetic, I’m willing to take what she’s offering. It’ll give me the chance to memorize everything about her, and maybe, just maybe, something will change between us. I’m not holding my breath, though. I’m moving forward with the rationalization that this will be the last time I make love to this woman.

And I’m almost okay with that.