Hockey With Benefits(110)

My dad came with his new wife.

Cruz’s mother and sister came.

It’d been a whole celebration, and I never would’ve imagined that I could’ve been as happy as I had been that night. But I was just as happy today. I got happier every day with Cruz, and he kept zipping around the ice.

They’d opened up the rink to the public for the day. I thought Cruz would’ve wanted to steer clear, but nope. Not my man. When I asked what he wanted to do, skating with me was his immediate answer. It was his first year on the team, so he didn’t get recognized that much in public. Being on the ice was a different matter. I knew he’d be signing autographs once we slowed down. People were eying him as soon as we showed up, gazes skirting to where I’d been on the bench when he was waiting for me, and now I saw a handful of phones aimed at us.

Those videos would end up on social media. Cruz was getting more and more attention in the hockey and sports world.

We stayed on the ice for another thirty minutes, with the last ten skating next to each other. Or I was skating. Cruz held my hand, my elbow, my hip, my ass as he did circles around me, but he loved this shared time together.

Once we were done, a few teenagers came up, asking for his signature. That started the wave of fans approaching him. Little boys. Little girls getting autographs for their older and “too cool” brothers. Teenage girls. Older people. A few parents came over to share their support and thanks that he joined The Javelina.

I waited by the concessions, within eyesight of Cruz, because that was important to him whenever these situations happened, and I was enjoying the hot chocolate I got. He stayed until someone from the rink’s staff approached, and after that, the worker was herding people away. Cruz came over, his head ducking, and an adorable grin on his face as he dropped down next to me, except he didn’t face the table. He faced me, pulling me into his chest, his arms wrapped around me. He leaned in, nuzzling my neck. “I love you.” One of his hands moved up to my face, touching my chin and turning me his way as he lifted his head.

I melted. He sounded so carefree, and I reached up, my hand covering his before I leaned in. My lips found his, and right there. Insta love. Insta lust. Insta warmth. Insta fuzzies. I was totally gone for him. “I love you too.”

“Hmmm.” He went back to kissing me before lifting his head a little. He gave me a pat on the ass. “It’s our day. What do you want to do?”

The team had been given a very rare day off, so we were taking advantage of it.

What did I want to do? I gave him a look, and he started laughing. “What?” he asked.

I just wanted to stay in bed with him. That’s what I wanted to do, but Cruz knew those were my comfort days. I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Okay.” His hand took mine, his fingers sliding against mine as he linked our hands and he stood, pulling me up with him. “How about I plan something for tonight?”

I almost stopped, but he only laughed and tugged me after him again.

He pulled me to his side, his arm wrapping around me, sliding into my back pocket, and he took my hot chocolate. It was almost gone so he wagged it back and forth. I nodded, letting him know he could finish it. He did, tipping his head back before tossing it into the recycling as we walked past.

“Let me plan something for tonight.” He brought it up again once we were outside and heading for his truck.

I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicion lurking. “You already have something planned, don’t you?”

His eyes cut away. He was fighting back a grin. “Maybe.”

Maybe my ass. He totally had something in the works.





He did. Once we walked inside our house, I walked into the kitchen and it was full of pink and cream balloons. Pink roses, peonies, baby’s breath, and orchids filled the room. I gaped. “Wha–” I walked farther in, seeing them in the dining room.

The living room.

“Oh my God, Cruz. Who did this?” They were in the second living room.

The hallway.

The front entryway.

I went up to the bedroom, and they were in there.

I went through the whole house. Every inch was covered.

“This must’ve cost a fortune.” I was walking back, still in a daze, when I braked because it took a second for me to fully register what I was seeing.

He was kneeling down, holding out a box toward me.

“Cruz,” I whispered, feeling tears in my throat.

He opened the box, and a ring. A diamond ring. A sparkling diamond ring was there that he was now holding to me. He took a breath, his eyes shining, but a little clouded over. “We’ve been through a lot. You put up with me with all the intense pressure that comes with my job, the blogs, puck bunnies–”

Oh. I wanted him to stop.

He kept on, his voice dipping, “—when my mom had her accident, and you helped take care of Titi during our holidays.”

None of that had been a hardship. I loved his mother. I loved his sister. They took one look at me, and both started crying as they wrapped their arms around me. It’d been an emotional night for the first introduction.

“When Labrowski almost quit school that one time. When Barclay was arrested and went through his dark shit. When Keys got hurt. When Atwater messed with those bikers. I mean, my guys weren’t the easiest to put up with, and I’m saying that as one of their brothers. But you were there. Every day. You took care of us, of them. And now this, moving here with me. I know some girls would want to start on their career, but you came with me.” He blinked a few times, his eyes shining. “You think you’re one way, but babe, you’re not. You’re another way. You love and you support, and you do all the shit in the background so no one notices. I noticed. I notice. I’m fucking lucky to have you, and I don’t want to wait another day before telling you that I want to wake up every morning with you beside me. I want to hold your hand during movies for the rest of my life. I want to smell you, hear you laugh, get texts when you tell me to win or you won’t jerk me off anymore.” He laughed. “But I just want you, Mara. Will you be my wife?”