Chapter 30 "Nick said you're going to some sort of book convention after this," Shep says to Ruby. "That's right." Her smile widens. She's been nothing but big, happy smiles all night long as the guys pepper her with questions about what comes next for her. The poker game was abandoned long ago, and we moved outside to the back patio. Ruby's on my lap and the rest of the group is sitting around us in a circle. "Sucks that we have camp." D-Low tips his beer up and takes a drink before adding, "I'd love to go to that." "I'll get you tickets to another one," she says. "If you want." "Definitely," D-Low and Trav say at the same time. She rests her back against my chest and I soak it all in. It's been the perfect night, but it's coming to an end and I'm not ready. "Did you figure out what you're going to write next?" D-Low asks. She lets her head fall to the side and stares up at me. We share a smile before she glances back at him. "I did." "What's that look? I don't like these secret looks," Travis says, waggling a finger between us. I flip him off behind her back and pull her farther onto my lap. "I took your advice," she says to D-Low. He thinks for a second and then his face lights up. "You're writing a sequel to Love Bites?" "Yep." "Badass." He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, giving Ruby all his attention. "Tell me everything." "Well..." she starts, grinning back at him. "I kept thinking about what you said. It's so obvious. I don't know why I didn't think of it." D-Low waves it off but he's smiling. "You'd have come up with it eventually. Xander's alive then?" "I'm going to grab you another drink," I say softly, pressing my lips to her temple. "Okay." She turns to kiss me proper before moving off my lap. I stand with her empty glass. She settles back in my spot, and I head inside and fill her flute with champagne. On the way back out, I pause in the doorway and take in the scene. My closest friends are all here tonight: Trav, Shep, D-Low, and Penn. All of them wanted to say goodbye to Ruby and they've given her a hell of a send-off. They went in together and bought her a pair of skates, complete with sparkly laces. Travis also brought her a jersey-his, of course. D-Low brought his copy of Love Bites for her to sign, Penn showed up with Dom Perignon in a blinged-out, diamond encrusted bottle that made Ruby smile bigger than I've ever seen, and Shep pulled her into a bear hug that had them both blushing. Earlier, Aidan sat outside with us and played guitar for us. He was even taking requests, although my friends were nice enough to ask him to play songs they knew he could do. He's come a long way this summer. Dad has even stopped wearing his headphones while he practices. I'm not sure I've ever been happier. Or sadder. Travis stands from the rest of the group and walks over to me. "You good?" "Yeah," I say, unconvincing even to my own ears. My body is wound tight with too many warring emotions. I'm so glad for the time we had, and I wouldn't change a thing, but it sucks that she's going. Every minute, every conversation is leading toward it, and I can't stop it. "She's really leaving, huh?" "Of course she is." As much as I hate it. "I really thought..." "What?" He hesitates a beat, head bobbing to either side. "Look, I know. It's crazy. You barely know each other, blah, blah, blah. But I really thought you two were endgame." "I thought you were determined to be her endgame." "I decided to let you have this one." I bark out a laugh and a smirk appears on his face. "How nice of you," I say with a shake of my head, but despite the joking nature of our conversation, I'm filled with a sinking sensation of dread throughout my body. "It is. Very nice. So don't make me regret it." He backhands me square in the chest and then leaves me standing by myself. He makes a beeline to Ruby, draping an arm around her shoulders. I think my friends are as in love with her as I am. Fuck. I'm in love with her. Of course, I am. How could I not have fallen for her? I drag two fingers over my chest to loosen the tightness that's worked its way there. Is there really a chance she might stay if I asked? It feels like too much to ask someone to give up. Especially her. She deserves it all. I can't leave my family and career so how could I think she'd do that for me? Laughter fills the air as they all guffaw at something Ruby said. She looks up and scans the deck until she finds me. I move toward her. She shifts to let me sit behind her and I hand her the champagne flute before taking my seat and gathering her back into my lap. She stares at me for a beat like she's analyzing my expression. I can't guess what she sees. "Thank you for this," she says quietly then presses her lips to mine. "You're welcome." I glide one hand around the side of her neck, fingers combing through a section of her hair. My gaze drops to her chest and up. Her lips lift and twist with amusement. "Your eye twitches every time you look at Travis's jersey." "You just had to put it on, didn't you?" "It would have been rude not to," she insists, but she has a devilish glint in her eyes. I close the distance between our faces until my lips cover hers. "I think you're full of shit, Red. I think you like pushing my buttons." "Is that what I'm doing?" I nip at her bottom lip, then, because I can't fucking resist her, even in Trav's jersey, slant my mouth over hers and kiss her hard. She leans into me, resting a hand on my chest, as she kisses me back with the same fierceness. All week it's been like this. Every kiss feels more frantic than the last. "I think I'm going to head out," Penn says. He stands slowly, aiming a smile at Ruby. "Good luck with everything." "Thank you." "You're coming back next summer, right?" Trav asks, voice almost a whine. She laughs. "I just might." "I hope so," he says. "Me too," Penn adds. She gets up to hug the big goalie and that sets off a chain reaction. Shep and D-Low say their goodbyes next, then Trav. "I'm going to text you the next time I'm in Arizona," he says, rocking side to side as he hugs her way longer than necessary. "You better," she replies. When he pulls back, my best friend looks almost as heartbroken as I feel. He looks over to where Aidan has wandered back outside and is trying to catch lightning bugs between his hands. "A-bomb. You want to stay at my place tonight? I got a new video game and I need someone to teach me how to play it." "Really?" Aidan's eyes widen and he looks hopefully toward me before flinging himself across the deck to stand in front of me. "Yeah, it's okay with me. Behave yourself." "I will," he says. "I was talking to Trav." I rustle his hair. "Say bye to Ruby. She's leaving in the morning." Aidan's smile drops and he moves over in front of Ruby. She squats down to his level. "Thanks for being my writing soundtrack all summer. I couldn't have finished the book without you." His smile lifts back in place. "Thanks for teaching me how to make cookies and being so funny on the ice." I fight a laugh, but one slips free from Ruby's lips. "You're welcome." He steps forward until his body is nuzzled against hers, and she hugs him around the waist. My throat closes up and I swallow thickly. As Aidan and Trav head out, Ruby turns to me. "Did he just burn me or was that just honesty?" "The latter, I think. You brought us all a lot of joy this summer." "By falling on my ass?" "Among other things." She drapes her arms over my shoulders, and I bend down to swipe my lips across hers. "How do you want to spend your last night?" "Just like this." She rests her head on my chest. "Do you still need to pack?" She groans. I guess that's my answer. "You pack and I'll clean up over here," I suggest. "Okay." Neither of us moves. "Meet you in ten?" She nods and with a reluctant sigh, steps back from my embrace. "Better take off that jersey too, Red." "Why? I think I look cute." "Fine. Don't, but be prepared to crawl on your hands and knees later when you're begging me to fuck you." "Ooh. I pick option two." Fucking hell. She tosses a sassy smirk at me as she swivels around, practically prancing toward the cabin. I head back inside, cleaning up quickly and finally feeling like I can see a path forward. I want more of this, whatever she wants that to look like and for as long as she wants. We'll figure it out. I doubt it's even been five minutes when I'm jogging down the back steps and cutting across the yard to the cabin. I haven't worked out how I'm going to ask her, but I know what I want. I hope she feels the same. She's still packing when I get there. Her suitcase is overflowing and she's shoving more inside. "How did I end up with more stuff than when I came?" "Maybe you should leave the jersey here then." "Oh no. I'm wearing this home." She pulls on the hem of it. I go to her, stopping a foot away and tugging her the rest of the way to me. "Maybe don't go at all. Problem solved." "I wish." "Me too." The smile she aims at me makes me think maybe this could work. My pulse quickens and my heart hammers in my chest as I lace my fingers through hers. Can I really ask her to stay? Does she even want that? Living this life during the summer is one thing but once the season starts, I'll be gone more than I'm home and Aidan's schedule will pick up too. "I was thinking..." I stop and clear my throat. Her phone pings before I can finish the thought. "Go ahead," I say because I need another minute to figure out what to say. She pulls it out of her front pocket and then pauses. "It's from Molly. Probably just confirming my travel." Her gaze roams over the screen and her thumb scrolls. A tiny divot forms between her brows. "Is everything okay?" "Yeah," she says, unconvincingly. "What is it?" Ruby's expression is dazed and her tone hard to read as she says, "They've increased the print run, and two bookstores have asked to do a special edition." "I don't know what any of that means, but I'm guessing that's a good thing?" I seriously can't tell by the shocked look on her face. Slowly it morphs into a huge smile. "Better than I could have imagined." "I told you they'd love the book." I've seen how hard she's worked this summer, and I know how good the book is - at least what she let me read. I binge-read damn near the whole thing in one sitting. Would have finished it too if the rest had been ready. She left me on a cliffhanger. It feels sort of fitting. Not knowing the ending until after ours. Poetic even. Or maybe that's my current sappy mood coming through. "They want to add a tour, possibly including international stops." She's still smiling but looks genuinely baffled by it all. "That's fantastic, Red. You deserve it." "I think I'm in shock." I watch as the excitement finally hits her full force. "I can't believe it. I'll be traveling nonstop. I'll have to make sure none of it interferes with Olivia's due date. I can't miss that. And my grandma's seventy-fifth birthday is coming up and we're throwing a big party for her." She prattles on as if she's thinking through her schedule for the next six months and reimagining it. "I've never been to Italy though. That would be fun. Pasta and wine and..." She stops and shakes her head. "I'm sorry. This is all stuff I can figure out later." "No, Red. It's great news. I'm really happy for you." And I am, but it hits me again how big of an ask it is to suggest she stay. Maybe after she's done all these incredible things, she'll come back. But it needs to be on her terms. I'm not going to be the guy to hold her back. "I couldn't have done it without you." "Sure, you could have, but I'm happy I got to be a part of it." "What were you going to say before?" "More sappy musings about not wanting you to go." "About that..." She lifts one shoulder and grins. "I was thinking about what Travis said." "Which thing? Because he talks a lot." She lets out a quiet chuckle. There's a pause before she continues, and my heart is hammering in my chest. "Maybe I could come back next summer or even visit some weekend and catch a hockey game." "I'd love that." "Really?" She seems surprised by my answer. "Hell yeah." "And you have an open invitation to Arizona too. It's gorgeous in the fall and winter. You could meet my family. They'll love you. My sister refers to you as the 'hot hockey player' though, be forewarned." She talks fast and animated. "I'm sure I'll love them too," I say, and what I mean is I'll love them because I love you. Is saying the words before she leaves cruel or romantic? I can't decide. "Let's make a plan right now." Her eyes flash with that determined optimism I recognize from the day she showed up at the rink to ask me to help her. "That way we'll know we're going to see each other again." "All right." I like this game. "We have several home game weekends in October and November, but the first long break I'll have is December." A little of that optimism drains from her expression. "December?" It's a kick to the gut to admit it'll be that long. "Yeah, and I'll have Aidan so I probably can't come to you." "I don't mind coming back here." "It'll be cold," I warn her with a grin, but the logistics of it all is making my gut swirl with unease. "Real cold." "Then you better make it worth my while." She closes the distance between us and tips her head back, an open invitation to kiss her, which I do. "December, then?" "December," I agree. Four months away. But I'd wait longer, if it meant holding on to her. "If for some reason you change your mind and this doesn't work, this was the best summer of my life." "Yeah, me too." I brush her hair back from one side of her face and kiss her again. It's smart to leave an out for either of us, but I can't help but wonder if she's the one that needs it. Who knows what she'll want once she gets back home. She has her entire family there and this incredible opportunity at work. I'm not going to put it all on her shoulders because I can't go anywhere. That isn't fair to her. It reinforces to me how selfish it would be of me to ask her to stay. She nods and we fall quiet, perhaps both realizing this isn't likely going to work no matter how much we want it to. After a few seconds of silently staring at each other, she asks, "What should we do now?" I take a breath, releasing thoughts of the future for later. I want to be here with her. For as long as I have her. "For starters, take off this fucking jersey." I fist the material in one hand. With a playful smirk, she lays a hand on my chest and pushes me back. It catches me off guard and I fall back onto the chair. My grip on her jersey loosens and she steps back a foot, then two more. There's a glint in her eye that tells me she's up to something, but before I can ask, she lowers herself to the floor on her hands and knees. Fuck me. Slow and deliberate, she crawls to me. My dick presses against my zipper, eager as he's ever been. When she reaches me, she sits back between my spread legs. "Now what?" I grip her chin between my thumb and finger. "Take my cock out and wrap that gorgeous mouth around it." She doesn't waste any time obeying me. I'm already leaking for her. When her tongue flicks across the head, I guide her down over my length. "Eyes on me, baby." Her gaze flicks to mine and holds as she sucks me. Up and down, torturing me in the best fucking way. Trav's number on the side of her arm catches my attention and I let out a low growl, then gently pull her off me. I lift her onto my lap and then pull his jersey over her head. "I didn't even have to beg," she says, looking all too pleased with herself. "You'll beg, all right." I take the jersey and tie her wrists, one at a time, so she's effectively bound with it. Ruby's face flushes and pupils widen. Standing with her in my arms, I walk her over to the bed and lie her down on the mattress. I move her suitcase onto the floor and then strip. She shifts onto one elbow and stares intently as I take my time removing my shoes, socks, shirt, pants, and finally boxers. "So many inside thoughts," she says, gaze locked on my dick. "What'd I tell you about those?" I pull off her shoes, then her shorts and panties. "Sometimes I can't believe you're real." "I'm real and I'm about to fuck you so hard you can't look at this jersey without thinking about me." I move onto the bed over her. She falls back, grinning up at me. I raise her arms over her head. The movement has her tits straining and spilling over the top of her black bra. I hook one finger in the lacy material and pull until one nipple peeks out the top. I cover it with my mouth, nipping and sucking. I do the same on the other side. I had plans to drag this out all night, but the sweet little moans coming from her tell me she's already as needy for me as I am for her. I peel her out of her bra and toss it with the rest of our clothes. "Nick," she says my name on a ragged breath as I trail kisses over her chest and stomach, then lower. "Hmm?" I hook one arm around her right leg and push her legs farther apart. "Please fuck me." My dick twitches in response, but instead, I flatten my tongue over her center. She gasps and her body jolts, then she pushes her pussy against me for more friction. I keep going until she's grinding all over my face. When I pull back, she mewls in frustration. "Please?" "I don't think you're ready yet," I tease. Her expression is predictably annoyed. "I'm so ready I could come just looking at you." "Now there's an interesting challenge." She gives me another haughty, exasperated glare. "But not tonight." I crawl back over her, inadvertently the head of my cock nudges her entrance and we both still. Her expression pleads even before she does. "I'm begging you, Nick." I push into her tight pussy, just the tip. Holding back is probably torturing me more than her. I keep it up, giving her just enough to have her climbing toward an orgasm but not enough to get there. "Nicholas Galaxy!" She screams my name more like a threat than a beg, but it gets my attention. "There you go, Red." I drive into her. "Really? Your name was the magic word?" She starts to laugh but when I push fully inside her, the sound is lost to a whimper. "Needed to make sure you knew which hockey player you were fucking." I find her mouth and communicate all the things I want to say but don't through kisses that feel soul deep. She keeps begging. "More." "Harder." And again, "Nicholas Galaxy." I never want to stop. My heart is in my throat and my pulse pounds in my ears. We come together in a scream of words and moans that make little sense. She clings on to me as we catch our breath. I bury my head in the nape of her neck and I breathe her in, promising myself I'll remember all of it. By the time we pull apart, I'm wrung out physically and emotionally. And judging by Ruby's heavy lids, I'd say she is too. I get up and go to the bathroom, then come back with a washcloth to clean her up. When I'm done, I untie her hands and throw Trav's jersey in the direction of her suitcase. I probably just guaranteed she'll wear it again, if only to get a reaction. That's fine. I'd gladly fuck her wearing every single one of my teammates' jerseys to get the message across. She belongs with me. I leave her once more, this time to grab something I left in the kitchen. When I reenter the room, she's sitting up. Her cheeks are flushed and lips puffy. I toss it into her lap, and she holds up the jersey I brought with me in front of her. Mine. "Maybe next time I should tie you up." She tries for a smirk but the sadness in her expression doesn't quite allow for it. If there's a next time, she can have whatever she wants. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!