Mature On and Off The Ice

After their first loss on the road trip, his coach took him aside and had a long talk with him; not as player to coach but more as man-to-man. Sean had tried to brush it off, but found he did need to talk to someone impartial to it all.

"Have you tried just calling her?" Coach asked at one point.

Sean shrugged. "She told me not to."

Coach laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. "You always do what people tell you?"

Again, Sean merely shrugged.

"Don't tell me you're so superstitious that you won't even call your girl if she tells you not to?"

Something about Coach's question got through to Sean then and he scowled. Was that it? He was afraid that calling her would jinx their relationship? It was a staggering thought and he didn't like it one bit. He thanked Coach for the conversation and skated off to practice before the game the following night.

It was a terrible road trip. He couldn't focus no matter what he did. Coach tried talking to him again, then he tried lecturing him, and the other players started to get on his case. He managed a couple lucky goals during one game in New York but nothing spectacular. The press was beginning to pick up on it and during the interviews in the locker room, he was bombarded with questions about losing his edge.

Then someone asked him about Amelia.

"Would you say Amelia Clarke's absence from these games is affecting your concentration?" the reporter asked from right in front of Sean following a loss in New Jersey.

There seemed to be a collectively indrawn breath around the room. Everyone fell silent and Sean narrowed his eyes at the reporter.

"I think that isn't a relevant question," he replied in a flat tone.

Well, didn't that just open the flood gates. Suddenly they were all firing questions at him about his relationship with her, how it was affecting his game, why she wasn't around, were they broken up? He could only shake his head, deflecting the questions as best as he could. After a short while, Coach stepped in and said that it was enough. The press corps was asked to leave the room.

Left alone in the room with just his fellow teammates, Sean hung his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees. After a long moment, someone sat next to him; Max, whose spot beside him on the bench had been occupied by reporters during the Q&A session.

"Don't let them get to you Sean," he said quietly.

Sean let out a short, harsh laugh and shook his head.

"I'm sure she's doing fine," Max added, patting his teammate on the shoulder.

Jumping to his feet, Sean whirled around to face a surprised Max with a scowl. "I wouldn't know," he snapped. "She couldn't even call me to tell me she arrived safely. Apparently she doesn't care to even let me know if she's ever going to talk to me again." He paused and gave a short laugh, throwing his hands up in the air. "Even the press has figured out that my game sucks because she's not here. I'll tell you something, Max, I don't know if I even care anymore if she's all right."

With that, he stalked from the locker room. He was angry. Angry with the reporter for bringing it up, angry with Max for trying to placate him and furious with Amelia for leaving him in the lurch. He stalked the mostly empty hallway outside the locker room for a long while, fuming. Then he stopped, sat down on the floor with his back against the wall and heaved an enormous sigh.

He'd tried calling Amelia again earlier that day but she didn't answer. Her mailbox was full, so he couldn't even leave a message. He thought back over his time with her and wondered how he could have let himself get so attached. At the time, he'd been happy so he'd thought, where's the harm? Well, here it was; he was desolate, useless and alone in a hallway after letting his team down yet again.

How can I get past this? he wondered, rubbing his closed eyes. I need to get her out of my mind.

He'd been telling himself the same thing for weeks and it was beginning to lose all meaning.

He didn't know what he needed anymore. And that scared the hell out of him.

Amelia blinked back tears as she watched the disastrous interview following Sean's loss in New York. She'd been watching the game in her parent's house, with her resting father and inquisitive brother sitting next to her. No one said anything after the 5-2 loss and they didn't mention the questions the reporters had fired at Sean in the locker room. Amelia sighed and stood up, leaving her father and brother in the TV room.

She didn't know what was keeping her from calling Sean and after that display on TV, she felt even more guilty for leaving. She wandered to her guest bedroom and closed the door. As she sat down on the bed, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the pocket schedule for Sean's team. After New York, they had another two road trip games before heading back to Pittsburgh. They'd be in Montreal in another two days and then Toronto two days after that.

Slowly, she ran her thumb over the printed picture of Sean on the front of the schedule, the bright 'C' on his uniform standing out. Sighing again, she tossed the schedule aside and flopped back on the bed. A knock sounded at her door and she told whoever it was to come in.

"Are you all right, honey?" her father asked, seeing her lying across her bed.

"What do you think?" she asked without lifting her head.

Her father shuffled over to the bed and sat down next to her, patting her on the knee. "I imagine you're very confused right now and feeling guilty for ditching your boyfriend to worry about an old codger like me."

"Don't you think I'm a little old for a heart-to-heart about my boyfriend, Dad?" she asked with lifted eyebrows.

He chuckled and shook his head. "You're never too old to me, sweetheart. You'll always be my little girl."

Amelia felt tears well in her eyes again and bit her lip to keep from crying. Her father tugged on her hand until she sat up. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a surprisingly strong hug. A few tears slipped out and she brushed them aside in frustration.

"I don't know why I'm so upset," she muttered as her father released her. "It's not like we were together for a long time. It wasn't serious."

Her father gave her a look. "You got an apartment in his hometown and traveled with the team to most of their away games. I think that's pretty serious."

"Dad, he's way too young for me!" she blurted out. "It was probably the best thing for me to leave when I did."

"Why? So he could lose enough games to keep them out of the playoffs altogether?"

She glared at him. "He shouldn't be counting on me to be at all his games anyway. He was a superstar before he ever met me. It's all in his head."

"Maybe he needs to hear that from you."

"I don't think he'll ever want to hear from me again, Dad. Not since I've ignored him for the past three weeks."

"Amelia, don't be so stubborn. You care for him and I'm sure he cares for you. You'd be a fool to let this chance slip by."

"What chance, Dad?" she burst out. "What kind of relationship could we possibly have?"

Instead of giving her a direct answer, her father shrugged and smiled at her before standing up. "Maybe you should find out for yourself before giving up entirely. You might be surprised."

Amelia watched him head for the door, a frown on her face.

"There's a game in Toronto that you could make it to," he said over his shoulder as he paused in the doorway. "I'll even pay for the flight."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "You just care about the team winning," she commented, her heart already pounding at the thought of seeing Sean again.

"I care about my little girl," her father replied. "His team winning would just be a happy side effect."

Laughing, Amelia shook her head as her father walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts again. She wondered if it was true; if her presence at the games affected the way Sean played. Then she shook her head, glancing down at the schedule again. It was Sean believing that she had an effect on his game.

Her father was right; she ought to see him once more, if only to properly end things. She owed him that much at least. If she was lucky, maybe he wouldn't want to end things after all.

Having decided, she stood up and went in search of a phone to book her flight to Toronto.

"I have a good feeling about tonight, Kid," Max said to him as they skated next to each other in Air Canada Center.

They were playing in Toronto that night and Sean was trying to keep his head in the game and on the ice. They'd had a narrow victory over Montreal two nights ago and he was beginning to feel that he was getting over his slump. He'd even scored once and assisted twice. He purposefully avoided all thoughts of Amelia, including the memories that swept through him whenever he spotted a coffee shop.

"Yeah?" he said aloud to Max.

"Yeah," Max replied with a nod. He skipped a step ahead and spun around, skating backwards as Sean continued forward. "This is the last game on the road and we've beat these guys so many times, I've lost count."

Sean smiled and reached out with his stick between his hands, giving his teammate a shove. With a grin, Max spun back around and took off across the ice. Sean watched him go as he coasted to a stop near the bench where a couple of the other players were taking a break.

Sean had a good feeling about this game as well. He was moving on and, as much as it pained him to admit it, he could win without Amelia there. He didn't know why he'd let his superstitions get the best of him. Still, he had the tiniest nagging doubt in the back of his mind that stayed with him until they took to the ice later that night for the game.

It started out well enough; he won the initial face-off and they played hard throughout the first half of the period. Then he sort of slipped on one of his shifts and went down for a second. He popped right back up but it was like the fall had jarred something inside him. He wasn't hurt but something just wasn't meshing after that. Then he lost sight of the puck altogether when his teammate Kris sent him a pass. Toronto stole the puck and went on to score twice in three minutes.

What the hell is going on? Sean wondered as he skated off after the period ended. Maybe he really was losing his touch. He couldn't seem to play well no matter who was or wasn't in the crowd.

That was a useless thought. He was letting his own mind get in the way of his game. He couldn't deny it any more. No matter what he told himself, he still worried for Amelia and wanted her close to him. Not for luck, but just because he wanted her.

Amelia felt terrible as she watched Sean and his teammates skate off the ice following the first period in Toronto. She was sitting about twenty rows up in the lower section of the arena and she'd cringed with each missed opportunity and turnover. She knew Sean must be furious with his performance so far this game.

As the team made their way along the bench to disappear down the tunnel to their locker room, Amelia rose to her feet, straining to pick out Sean's face. Instead she spotted Max, who was looking right back at her. She smiled, wondering if he was able to see her. Not wanting to call attention to herself, she refrained from waving. Instead she reached into her pocket, ensuring that her cell phone was turned on.

If Max had seen her, she would put money down that he'd be calling her. Her heart lifted at the thought. If Max called her, maybe she could speak to Sean. Then she wondered if that would be a good idea. Her presence might even make things worse. Her gaze drifted to the scoreboard and she chuckled to herself. Sean's team was losing 3-1 already. How much worse could she make it?

Even as the thought crossed her mind and she sat back down, the phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered it.

"What are you doing here?" Max asked her without preamble.

Her heart plummeted. Max didn't sound like his usual friendly, chatty self. Had she destroyed all her chances? "I came to see you guys play," she said, glad that everyone close to her seat had left during the intermission. She at least had some privacy for this conversation.

"To see us lose?" Max asked sharply.

"Of course not. I'm just here to support you all, win or lose."

There was silence on the other end of the line, then she heard a noisy sigh. "Sean isn't doing well, Lia. Have you been watching any games?"

"Every chance I got," she replied honestly.

"Ah, shit," Max swore. "I'm sorry, Lia. How's your father?"

Amelia laughed. "He's fine, Max. I wouldn't be here if he wasn't."

"Then why haven't you called Sean?" Max asked then, point blank.

"I was scared to. I didn't think he'd want to talk to me."

"It's all he's wanted to do since you left. He's been worried sick about you."

At his words, Amelia felt her guilt rise to the forefront and she swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry," she murmured.

"You don't need to apologize to me, Lia," Max told her and she knew that was the truth as well.

Another silence fell between them.

"Listen, I've got to go," Max said a moment later.

"OK," Amelia agreed. "I-" she started to say something but cut herself off. Anything she wanted to say wasn't for Max to hear. She needed to see and speak to Sean.

"Stay for the whole game, OK?" Max told her.

She agreed and ended the call. She looked around herself and saw a few of the people returning to their seats. Down on the ice, the Zamboni circled and she chewed on her lower lip as she watched the big machine move.

A million thoughts ran through her mind; mostly what she might say to Sean, to apologize. Mere words didn't seem like enough to make up for the way she'd just cut herself off from him. She didn't even know if he'd want to talk to her at all.

As the second period started and the players all took to the ice again, Amelia couldn't calm her roiling stomach. All she could do was cheer for her team and hope that she'd have even a single chance with Sean again.

Sean still felt off as he skated just before the second period. He couldn't put his finger on it. All through their time in the locker room, he'd been ignoring the coach and instead spent his time running through all the games he'd played in since meeting Amelia. In the end, he still couldn't figure out if her presence affected his play. He thought about the times he'd tied his laces wrong and then gone on to win games, or the times the trainers had misplaced a pad and he'd lost a game.

Does any of it matter? he wondered as he gnawed on his mouth piece and crouched low for the face-off at center ice. As the puck smacked the ice, he lost his train of thought and disappeared into the game for his shift.

Coming off the ice less than a minute later, his mind returned to his previous thoughts.

Am I just using it all as an excuse? he asked himself, catching his breath and swallowing some water. If I have an off night, it's so easy to blame the laces or the pads or the fact that my hat got washed.

The game wore on and before he knew it, he was on the ice for the last shift of the period. The crowd was standing, cheering for the Maple Leafs.

At least they didn't score again, Sean thought as he bent over for another face-off. The score remained at 3-1.

The puck went down and he slid his stick beneath his opponent's, sweeping the puck across the ice to his teammate. He took off across the ice, his vision narrowing as the puck skipped back across the ice towards him. He saw the puck, the expanse of ice and the net. It loomed large in front of him and he swung his stick, acting purely on instinct.

Smack!

The puck sailed through the air. The goalie jerked his arm up a second too late and the water bottle behind him popped off the net as the puck sailed into the mesh.

Sean's arms shot into the air when he realized he'd scored. His teammates sailed into him, embracing him and yelling. They cheered and tapped helmets before skating off for their bench. A few seconds later, the period was over and while some of his teammates headed towards the bench, Sean skated in a wide circle across the ice, grinning like a fool as he removed his helmet. A movement behind the glass across the rink caught his eye and he turned away from the bench to see a woman standing on the other side of the boards.

All Sean saw at first were her bright green eyes. Then the rest of her came into focus; her slight figure, her long dark hair and her beautiful smile. Before he even knew what he was doing, he skated across the ice until he was right in front of Amelia. She was proudly wearing his jersey and grinning at him, her green eyes glistening. She lifted her hands and pressed her palms against the glass, her eyes never leaving his face.

Amelia, he breathed and reached up, touching the glass. Amelia. He lowered his head and pressed his forehead to the glass where her right palm rested on the other side. Heat flooded his body and he didn't feel or see anything else but the woman in front of him.

I'm sorry.

He didn't know if she'd shouted it or not, but he didn't care. He forgave her and fell in love with her all over again.

"Amelia," he mouthed and looked up at her.

She was still holding her hands against the glass and tears lined her cheeks now. Their eyes met again and Sean grinned. Amelia burst out laughing and smacked her hands against the glass, lifting a cheer from all those sitting nearby. The cry rose until Sean couldn't hear anything else. But he saw her lips move and knew he'd be OK.

Win or lose, she loved him too.

They won the game and Amelia was elated, even though she knew it had nothing to with her. Sean didn't score another goal in the third period but his team came together, ending it with a 5-3 lead.

After the display they'd put on for the crowd and for the hundreds of flashing cameras, the game had shifted. People around her cheered for Sean and his team and when the game ended, her neighbor had lifted her off her feet in a bear hug. She laughed and hugged the enormous man back, so happy for Sean and the others.

A little while later, while she wandered the arena, killing time until Sean was done in the locker room, Amelia wondered what the fallout from their little display might be. The cameras had been turned in their direction the entire time but Amelia didn't care. She was just so glad to have seen Sean again, to see the love in his eyes and to know that they had a chance after all. She hadn't ruined everything and she was glad that every photographer in the arena had captured the moment for them.

She grinned as she turned and headed towards the locker rooms, ready to brave the throngs of reporters. She'd walk through fire to get to Sean now; nothing was going to keep her from him again.

Max was the first player she saw and he grinned broadly at her. His expression turned the reporters' attentions away from him and they all swiveled around to see the reason for his smile. Then she was surrounded by the press, dodging the microphones being shoved in her face and trying to answer the questions as best as she could.

"Hey," a familiar voice called over the din a few minutes later. "Can I get in here?"

The crowd of reporters parted, giving Amelia a glimpse of Sean, her Sean, before he moved forward and swept her up into his arms. Her body protested at his viselike grip but she hugged him back as hard as she could, savoring the strength of his arms around her. Flashes went off around them and the reporters continued to ask questions as Sean set her back on her feet with a brief touch of his fingers to her cheek. Then they faced the press together and after a couple minutes, the coach broke in, saying that the question period was over for the night.

"Glad to see you again, Amelia," the coach said to her as he herded the reporters away.

"Me, too," Sean added as he pulled her close again.

"Sean, I'm so sorry," she whispered and sighed as she slid her fingers through the damp, dark curls at the back of his head.

"I know," he replied. "I love you," he blurted a second later, as though he couldn't contain himself anymore.

Amelia laughed and squeezed him. "I love you, too!"

"And I love both you guys!" Max added, crashing into them and throwing his arms around them both.

Laughing, Sean and Amelia pulled apart and turned to face Max and the rest of the team.

"Coach wants us all on the bus right away, Sean," Max told him and winked at Amelia. "Our flight leaves tonight."

"OK," Sean agreed with a nod.

The other team members filed out of the locker room, bumping fists with Sean and offering friendly smiles to Amelia. She was glad to see that none of them appeared to dislike her after all the time that had passed.

She and Sean began to walk together, trailing some distance behind the rest of the team as they headed through the building towards the waiting bus. Neither of them said anything and Sean kept his arm around her shoulders. They paused outside the building, looking at the bus as the guys all climbed inside.

"Are you going back home now?" Sean asked, not looking at her.

Amelia smiled and gave him a squeeze. She knew what he was really asking. "I am," she said. "My flight doesn't leave until late tonight."

"Oh," Sean said and nodded. "When will I see you again?"

"I guess around three in the morning," she replied. "Or earlier?" She shook her head ruefully. "I can never figure out the time zones."

Sean did look down at her and she grinned.

"I thought you said you were going home," he said with a slight frown.

"I am," she whispered and reached up with one hand, laying her palm against his cheek. "Home with you."

Sean's face split into that adorable and sexy grin that she loved so much. He bent low and kissed her hard, sliding his tongue inside her mouth and teasing her until her knees buckled. He caught her up in his arms, keeping her pinned to his body as he ruthlessly explored her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers. When he finally set her back on her feet, they were both breathless and Amelia felt her face burning. A distant noise reached her ears and they both glanced over at the bus to see several of the windows open and the guys leaning out, hollering at them.

Laughing, Amelia waved and blew them all a kiss. Sean flipped them off. Then he leaned down, kissed her again and told her in a low voice that she'd better wake him up when she got home.

In spite of her immediate urge to slide into bed naked with Sean, Amelia refrained when she arrived at her apartment in the middle of the night. She set her bags down near the door and looked around the dim apartment with a frown. There was far more stuff in the small area than when she'd left it; boxes, extra furniture and dirty dishes in the kitchen. It looked like someone had been living here the entire time she was gone.

Shaking her head, Amelia quietly made her way through the apartment to her washroom to clean her face and brush her teeth. She combed her hair out, freeing the tangles she'd gained during her flight from Toronto. Then she undressed, heading across the hall to her bedroom wearing nothing but her hockey jersey.

The bedroom was even darker than the main room but she could just make out the large lump beneath the covers on her bed. Grinning, she crossed the room carefully and lifted the corner of the covers, easing herself onto the bed and doing her best not to disturb Sean. It was later than she thought it would be and she was exhausted. Sean was out cold, so instead of reaching for him, Amelia settled with her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

When Sean first woke up, it was still dark and inside the bedroom there was the faintest glow from the street lights outside. He sighed and rolled over, squinting at the clock on the nightstand. He blinked a few times and groaned when he saw the time was just past six in the morning. Then he rolled again, bumping into something warm and soft beside him. Immediately his mind woke up and he smiled when he felt Amelia's breath on his arm.

He flipped over, sliding his arms around her and pressing a kiss to the exposed part of her neck. She murmured something in her sleep but didn't open her eyes. Sean kissed her again, sliding his tongue out and tasting the silk of her skin. Still, she kept her eyes closed. Slowly Sean ran a hand down her body, lifting the bottom of the jersey she wore and groaning when he felt nothing but skin beneath; she wasn't wearing any underwear.

Lucky for her, he wasn't either.

He decided she need to wake up now.

"I said 'good morning,'" she said, her voice raspy with sleep. Her eyes were puffy from what had to be a short sleep; if she'd been right about her flight arrival, she'd only been home for a couple hours. Her hair was tangled and stuck out all over her head at odd angles. She smelled slightly of sweat and woman and Sean had never found her so sexy as he did right then.

"I told you to wake me when you got home," he whispered and bent his head to lick her bottom lip.

"It was late and you were out cold," she replied as she looped her arms around his neck.

"Doesn't matter," he said. He trailed his lips across hers before kissing her cheek and moving to whisper in her ear. "I'm going to have to punish you now."

A shiver coursed through her and Sean groaned when she shifted, rubbing her thigh against his cock.

"I do deserve it, I guess," she murmured and planted a hot kiss to his chin. Her tongue darted out and traced a line along his jaw, ending with a nibble at his ear lobe.

Sean growled low in his throat and pushed his hand between her legs. He was delighted to feel her legs part beneath him and swallowed hard when he felt the slick wetness of her. She was so warm, so soft and he wanted to make her come apart. He stroked her, parting her lips with his fingers as he kissed her face, her nose, her eyes and her mouth. He pushed two fingers up inside of her and swallowed her moan. He moved his hand again, thrusting his fingers into her and coupled it with a stroke of his thumb over her swelling clit. Her body reacted almost instantly. She groaned and twisted her face out from under his. Gasping for air, she lifted her hips and pushed against his shoulders with her hands, shuddering as he stroked her faster.

As she came down from that high, Sean moved against her, jerking the hem of the jersey and pulling it up. She twisted so he could pull the single article of clothing off over her head. Then he lay down against her, loving how soft and pliant she felt beneath him. He lifted a knee to nudge her thighs apart, choking a little bit when her little fingers circled his aching cock.

"I want you now, Sean," she murmured, giving him a squeeze.

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He had so little control around her and now was no exception. He leaned down, capturing her lips with his and thrusting his tongue inside her mouth as he pushed himself inside of her wet, welcoming heat. They moaned together and Sean thrust rapidly against her, grasping her thigh firmly as she lifted her legs to wrap around him.

God, he could die right here, right now, with her so hot and wet around him and her tongue dancing erotically inside his mouth. She lifted her hips and met each one of his frantic thrusts and Sean couldn't make himself slow down. He couldn't, even if he'd wanted to. He just kept going, bringing their bodies together hard, over and over until he thought he'd explode.

Amelia raked her nails over his back and down until she was cupping his ass and her legs lifted higher, drawing them even closer together. With a shout, Sean let go. He came hard and fast, dying a little bit as Amelia kissed him hard, tightening around him as she did.

A few minutes later, or it might have been hours, Amelia kissed his lips as she held his head in her hands.

"That," she whispered, her breath still coming a little fast. "Still didn't feel like a punishment."

Sean laughed and pulled himself out of her with a groan. He lay on his side beside her, one arm draped across her middle as he looked down into her face. "That's because I don't want to punish you, Lia."

She didn't say anything for a long moment and Sean smiled, stroking her side in the silence.

"You should," she replied.

"Why?"

"Because of how I treated you. I'm surprised you don't hate me now."

"I could never hate you, Amelia," he told her honestly and punctuated it with a deep kiss. "I won't lie, I was angry with you. But I love you."

Her eyes filled with tears and Sean felt his heart constrict at the sight. He kissed her again, pulling her close and tucking her into his arms. He didn't ever want to let her go.

"I love you, too," she murmured, her breath tickling his chest.

They lay silently like that for some time, holding each other and breathing each other in. Then Amelia stirred against him, lifting her head with a sexy smile on her lips.

"What's with the boxes and mess in the main room?" she asked.

Sean felt his cheeks flush and was grateful for the darkness of the room. "I, uh, brought a few things over when your keys came in the mail."

"Why?"

"When it didn't seem like you were coming back any time soon, I thought it'd be easier to take care of the place if I just stayed here." In fact, he'd just wanted to feel closer to her after she'd gone. It had also worked out since he'd been wanting to find a place to live on his own for a while now. His landlord was a great guy, and he'd always felt like a part of his family, but he'd been ready to move out for some time now.

"So you moved in?" she asked, direct as always.

"Is that all right?" he asked, terrified that she might tell him to take a hike.

"Of course," she answered and snuggled against his side again.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sean pressed his lips to the top of her head and held her close.

"We're going to have to set some ground rules," she said after a moment.

"Like what?" Sean asked with a chuckle.

"Well, you're definitely not allowed to bring your stinky hockey gear in here at all," she said.

"It all stays at the arena anyway."

"Good. And no wild parties with all your hockey buddies."

He laughed outright. "Don't you read the papers? I'm one of the good guys."

She snorted and Sean laughed again, rolling so she was pinned underneath him again. She was grinning up at him.

"Am I going to be punished again for that one?" she asked innocently.

"Maybe," he replied and leaned down to kiss her wetly on the neck. "Or maybe I'll have to thank you."

She cocked her head to one side. "Thank me for what?"

"For curing me of my superstitions," he said.

"Really? You're cured? Does this mean I can wash that ratty baseball cap of yours?"

He gaped at her before pressing his mouth to her neck and blowing hard against her skin. She shrieked and batted at him with her hands. He did it again, easily fending her off until she gave in, taking back her words.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said breathlessly when he lifted his head. Her eyes were sparkling at him. "I won't touch your hat."

"You'd better not." He tried to sound stern but knew he was failing miserably. He didn't care. "You can touch anything else you want to," he added with a grin.

She laughed and squeezed her arms and legs around him. "I intend to, Kid."

"Good," was all he could manage when he looked into her eyes. God, she had him entirely in her grasp. He loved it.

He said as much to her, several times over the next few hours and days. He didn't stop saying it to her and was thrilled when she seemed just as eager to do the same.​