Chapter 17

At the end of the final buzzer, instead of flying off the ice, Zeke turns toward us and motions for me to bring Elsie down to the gate where he can reach her.

"Daddy!"

"Elsie! Come here, baby!" I help lift her over the gate into Zeke's arms, grinning at how tiny she looks against his padding, and then pull out my phone for a quick picture.

"You want to skate with Daddy?" Zeke asks her.

Her little face lights up. "Yeah!"

Carissa, Tate, Rory, and Kinsley join us coming up behind me. "We'll take Ada with us and meet you downstairs," Carissa tells Zeke.

"Alright."

I wave and we turn to head up the stairs but Zeke stops us.

"Ada."

I pivot and look back over my shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Thank you," he tells me with a beaming smile. "Thank you for this." His eyes slide down my body and I'm not sure if he's thanking me for bringing his kid to the game or if he's thanking me for the view of my ass I'm giving him as I climb the stairs."

"You're welcome. It was a great game. We had a blast."

"And my girls looked fuckin' adorable."

"Daddy!" Elsie takes Zeke's cheeks in her hands so he has to look at her. "You said the bad fuck word."

My jaw drops dumbfounded but Zeke just laughs and takes it all in stride. "No, you said the bad fuck word."

She giggles. "You just did it again."

He scrunches his face. "I know. I'm sorry. I promise I'll watch my mouth, okay?"

"Okay Daddy. Spin me!"

"Okay let's go."

We watch as Zeke spins Elsie around a couple times and then skates across the ice to the exit gate carrying his baby girl with him down through the tunnel and out of sight.

Carissa whistles once we reach the top of the stairs and we're all together. "He's got it bad."

"Yeah he does," Rory snickers. "It's super cute."

"What's cute?" I ask, feeling like I'm missing something.

"Zeke's crush on you."

My cheeks blush at the mention of Zeke's feelings for me because the feeling is mutual. "You think so?"

"Think so?" Kinsley scoffs. "Did you not see the way he was checking you out back there?"

I may have noticed, but I keep my comments to myself and simply smile at my friends.

When we finally make it down through the tunnels to the hallway outside the locker room I spot Zeke's parents standing along the way.

"Mr. and Mrs. Miller, how great to see you both."

Zeke's mom recognizes me but her brow is furrowed and a look of worry is evident on her face. "Elsie isn't with you?"

"Oh, no." I tell them, shaking my head. "Zeke took her onto the ice after the game. He's got her."

"Oh, thank Heavens." She clutches her chest. "I got worried for a moment."

"Well, no need to worry. She's in good hands."

She laughs and gestures to the locker room door. "With the guys in there? We shall see."

As we're laughing over a toddler commanding a bunch of professional hockey players in their locker room, Zeke steps out with Elsie on his shoulders.

"Pappy! Nana!" Elsie exclaims. Zeke stops short, surprised to see his parents lingering in the hallway, his brows pinching together, he cocks his head.

"Mom? Dad? Is everything alright?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Uh, because you guys rarely ever come to a game let alone down here to see me."

"Well, we didn't have Elsie with us like we used to so we had the time and wanted to watch you play," his dad says.

"Plus, it's your birthday and parents should want to see their kids on their birthday, right?" his mom asks. "It was a great game, Son. You should be immensely proud of yourself." She kisses Zeke's cheek and whispers, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Mom. Yeah. And after being off a week I was glad to get back on the ice."

"Well, you two kids should definitely go celebrate with your friends," she explains. "So, we thought we would take Elsie back to our house for the night."

I'm about to shake my head and tell them that's not necessary since I can take her home but then it hits me. If they take Elsie for the night, that means I could have Zeke all to myself.

Hell yes!

Thank you, Jesus.

Please say yes, Zeke.

Please say yes.

"Uh, yeah. That's fine. Elsie is that okay with you?"

"I'll make you pancakes in the morning," his dad tells her. "And you can help add the chocolate chips."

"Yeah! Let's go! Bye, Daddy!"

Elsie's enthusiasm for her grandparents, or rather chocolate chips, makes me laugh. Zeke leans over and gives her a big kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight sweetheart. Be a good girl and sleep well, okay? I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"Okay Daddy. Bye Ada."

I too give her a quick peck on the cheek. "Night night sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow."

Zeke says another thank you to his parents and watches them walk away with Elsie. For the first time since I got here, I'm grateful, if not even a little excited, to be spending the evening with Zeke. Or at least, I assume that's what's happening.

But maybe he has other plans.

"Soooo that means you two are coming with us to Pringle's, right?" Tate asks with a smirk.

I catch Zeke's gaze and bite my bottom lip. I don't know what he's thinking exactly, but something inside me boldens enough to speak up.

"Yeah. Zeke deserves a night out on his birthday."

His eyes pierce mine and something in my chest flutters. "Only if you're coming with me."

I would love to come with you.

Or before you.

Or after you.

Whatever you prefer.

"Of course, I'll come with you."

He nods and I can tell he's trying to hold back his smile. "Yeah. Okay. I guess we'll be there. I just have to umm…" He gestures behind him with his thumb. "Jason wants to stretch me and then I just need to shower." He holds his hand out to me. "Come with me?"

"For your stretch?"

"Yeah."

Is he serious?

I raise my brows. "Uh…is that…okay?"

"I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't." He chuckles. "Come on."

He slides his warm strong hand over mine, entwining our fingers, and leads me down the hallway. And I'm just here wishing I won't ever have to let go. The girls wave at me, a few of them winking as Zeke directs me toward the physical therapy room. When we reach the third room on the left we find the room empty.

"Good," I hear him mumble before he rounds on me, his hands grasping the sides of my face, and crashes his lips to mine, literally taking my breath away. His lips aren't soft and supple as they were the last time we kissed. This time he seems hungry. Needy. Like my lips are his lifeline.

"I've been wanting this since I saw you up there in the stands," he says, his tongue swiping through my mouth. "You're wearing my name, Ada. My name and my number. Do you know what that does to me?"

My hands climb up his chest as his smooths down my back and sneaks under the hem of my jersey, his warm fingers tickling my bare skin. God it feels good to have his hands on me. He's suddenly all possessive and protective all in one and I allow myself to get lost in him for however long he'll have me. I have no idea how many minutes we stand here, tongues dancing, bodies shifting, tasting each other before there's a clearing of a throat at the door behind us.

I jump away from Zeke but he just smiles lazily and starts taking off his pads.

"You know puck bunnies aren't allowed down here, Miller," a man says.

Oh shit.

We're in trouble.

Something he said must piss Zeke off though, because he steps up against the man, his eyes steely and cold. "She's not a fucking puck bunny and if you ever refer to her in that way again, you'll be walking out of here with a box of your fucking belongings. She's with me and that's all you need to know. Do I make myself clear?"

The man nods and now I'm the uncomfortable elephant in the room. "I can," I gesture out the door and step back, "wait outside or…maybe meet you—"

"No, it's fine," the man in the polo shirt says to me, shaking his head in amusement. "I apologize. We haven't met yet." He offers me his hand. "I'm Jason. The physical therapist."

I offer him a kind yet nervous smile. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Ada. The uh…well, I'm Elsie's…his daughter's uh…nanny." I mumble that last word because now that I'm saying it out loud I realize how inappropriate I must sound, confirming to a stranger that Zeke Miller was, indeed, making out with his nanny. I don't miss the look Jason gives Zeke. The one that says "Really? You're fucking the nanny?" Maybe that's not what he's really asking, but they're clearly having an unspoken conversation because they both smirk at each other and break out into a laugh.

"Alright man let's do this," Jason says, patting the exam table. "Everything still feeling good? No pain?"

"Nope. All good. Scout's honor."

Jason palpates Zeke's inner thigh, poking, prodding, I assume looking for any sign of a weak muscle.

"OUCH! FUCK! SON OF A BITCH!" Zeke shouts, grabbing his leg as Jason lifts his hands, his eyes bulging.

My heart sinks.

Ooh no.

"What? Where does it hurt?" Jason asks, his brows pinching together. "Is it tight? Did it snap? What?"

Zeke winks at me and then grins at Jason. "Nah, I'm good. I'm just kidding."

Jason huffs. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

"That's what you get for interrupting our kiss."

He laughs. "Yeah well if I hadn't interrupted I'd still be standing in the doorway waiting."

Even I can't hold back my giggle, but I cover my mouth with my hand anyway.

"God, I ought to punch you in the nuts for that stunt, asshole."

Zeke laughs. "Oh, fuck. Don't do that. I might need them later."

No, I might need them later.

Jason shakes his head in complete disbelief of Zeke's little prank and then gets back to work. He pulls his leg out to the side and adds resistance as Zeke brings his legs together. It may seem like nothing is going on here with these stretches but I can already see the change to Zeke's expression. He takes his job very seriously. As does Jason.

"That okay?"

"Yeah. It's good."

"Alright, how about this?" He bends Zeke's knee up to his chest and then unfolds it out to the side, stretching his thigh muscle completely.

"Good," Zeke tells him. "Zero pain."

"Alright. That's what I want to hear. Keep stretching every day, even tomorrow when you're off, and we'll see you back here early Sunday morning."

"Thanks Jason."

Zeke picks up the pieces of his uniform and leads us out of the therapy room down the hall to the locker room.

"I'll wait out here for you."

"Like hell you will," he tells me with a smirk. "Everyone's gone by now. I'm almost always the last one out. Get in here."

"Zeke, what if—"

"We won't." He answers my unasked question and holds the door open for me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me close to him. "Look, Elsie's gone for the night. This opportunity doesn't happen often. If that means I only have eighteen hours with you, then so be it, but you better believe I sure as hell am going to take advantage of every one of those eighteen hours. So, get in here. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

I want to scoff and tell him he's being ridiculous.

I want to shake my head and stand my ground.

But I can't.

Because I would be lying if I didn't spend many moments watching him tonight fantasizing about what could or would happen between us if we were to have time alone together.

My heart rate picks up and a devilish smile spreads across my face. "Alright."

I watch as Zeke puts away his gear and takes off his skates. Then he tears off his sweaty t-shirt leaving him standing in nothing but a pair of black compression pants, his taut abs and rippling muscles on perfect display.

Hooooly hell.

"Come here," he says, curling his finger at me.

I step up to him as he pulls up a song on his phone and then sets it down on the bench. He gently lifts my purse from around my head and body and deposits it in his locker and then turns back to me. His one hand grips my waist, the other curling up and around my back as he pulls my body against his and then he starts to sway to the sounds of Taylor Swift.

We dance for several long seconds right here in the middle of the deserted locker room.

My heart pounds inside my chest as I twine my arms around his neck, breathing him in. He's this perfect mix of earthy woods, sweat, and something distinctly Zeke. Honestly, it makes me weak in the knees. Thankfully, his hard body is here to support mine—and I do mean hard. The compression pants he's wearing tell me he's every bit as into this as I am.

Anticipation thrums through me as I imagine all of the unusual ways our night could end.

"There's something I never knew about myself until tonight, Ada," he murmurs in myear as he pulls me in even closer, our bodies moving together in sensuous harmony.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I'm apparently a very jealous man."

I tip my head back so I can see his face. He's not smiling but he doesn't look angry either. I feel him inhale a slow deep breath and release it in a contented sigh.

"And what do you have to be jealous of?"

"I've never wanted to be a big feathery red bird more than I did watching you dance on that jumbotron with Remi tonight."

His confession makes me chuckle lightly. "Aww, if I had known you were jealous, I would've told him no."

"I'm glad you didn't."

"Why?"

"Because I liked watching you."His seemingly innocent reply sends a bolt of lust straight through me.

"You did?"I ask, silently wondering what else he'd like to watch me do.

He nods and places a soft kiss on my temple. "You were so carefree. Happy. Genuinely smiling. And I stood there watching you but picturing us and that's when I knew."

My brows furrow. "Knew what?"

"Knew I would unequivocally break my own rules for you."

"Rules? What does that mean?"

"You were the nanny," he says. "You were only ever supposed to be the nanny. But I knew at that moment that I wanted you. I want that kind of happiness and I want it with you."

"Zeke…I…" My words trail off, because while I'm over here thinking about sex, he's thinking about…happiness.

"I want you, Ada." He ghosts his lips over mine, a whisper of a kiss. "And if you'lllet me, I'll spend the rest of the night showing you just how much I want you." He groans, as if holding himself back pains him. "I crave you. Desire you. I need you." He gives in, punctuating his declaration with a searing kiss and then brings his forehead to mine.

"Say yes, Ada," he murmurs, dragging his lips from mine to whisper in my ear. The pure want in his voice makes my insides flutter. "Please for the love of Christ say yes because I don't think I can keep myself away from you for one more night. I'm aching to touch you. I'm dying to taste you. I'm desperate to make you mine."

He leans in, brushing his lips over mine, his kiss all consuming. Our tongues tangle together as I tunnel my fingers into his hair, tugging it softly before pulling away. "Who would I be to deny an aching, dying, desperate man his biggest wishes?"

"Thank fuck," he mutters and spins me around. Kissing me as his hand slides under my ass so he can lift me up and wrap my legs around his waist. My heart is beating faster than any puck to ever fly down the ice as anticipation of what's to come courses through my veins. We're all tongues and teeth and lips, and moans and groans. It's hot and I feel my desire for him, for this, for us, pool between my legs.

Thoughts of Luke invade my mind, but I try my damnedest to ignore them.

This is fine.

We're fine.

I'm fine.

I don't need to feel bad about this.

I'm allowed to feel good.

Zeke lowers himself down to the bench, his hands kneading into the soft flesh of my ass through my leggings as he slides my center down over his straining erection and groans into my ear in response.

"Fucking hell, Ada. You're so goddamn beautiful. How did I get so lucky?"

Yeah, he knows just what to do and just what to say to make me quiver with need. There's no way in hell anything can be wrong between us when it feels this right.

"I'm the lucky one, Zeke."

He rocks me against him like he did that night in his bedroom, his cock hitting me in just the right place to make me want to take the reins and ride forth to my happy ending. He lets me go, free to chase what I want. What I so desperately need. And I don't hold back. I buck against him as he drags his tongue through my mouth. I imagine what that tongue would feel like swiping across my breasts, teasing my nipples, circling my clit.

"Oh God, yes." I'm so close. Almost there. I lean my head back, my mouth open in anticipation of the end I know is coming.

But it never comes.

Zeke grabs my hips and slides me off of his lap so he can stand up.

I don't know what's happening.

Why did he stop?

Did I do something wrong?

Isn't this what he wanted?

"Zeke?"

He doesn't say a word. Only leans into his locker and pulls out a white towel.

"What… why'd you stop?"

"Need a shower," he rumbles, his voice deeper than usual. My brows lower in confusion. How did we go from dry humping to talking about showers? Plus, I'm the one who's dripping wet.

"Are you taking me to the showers?"

He wipes his towel down his face. "God, I fucking wish. But not this time sweetheart."

Unexpected disappointment waves through me. "Why not? We're alone, aren't we?"

"We are, yes. But no fucking way am I allowing our first time to be during a five-minute shower." He shakes his head, pinning me with a hard stare. "You deserve so much more than a quick fuck, Ada. I want tobe able to lay you down and marvel at this beautiful body of yours that I've been dreamingabout since your first days in my house." He brushes his knuckles over my cheek and down my jaw. "I want to take my slow sweet time pleasuring you,watching as you come apart beneath me, over and over again."

"That sounds…nice."

"Nice?" His brows shoot up and he chuckles.

"Yeah. What's wrong with nice?"

"Sweetheart, there's nothing nice about the things I want to do to you." He tugs me closer, rubbing me over his erection. "I want you writhing in pleasure and screaming my name until you're hoarse."

His comment catches me off guard, a light gasp sneaking from my mouth that makes him smirk.

"Yeah. I think we can come up with a better word than nice." He sets me down on my feet and gives my ass a light spank. It feels like a promise of what's to come. "And I'll give you time to think about it, to make sure you really want this, while you sitright here on this bench and wait while I grab a quick shower." His lips curl into a devious smirk. "That is, unless you want towatch."

"I thought watching was your thing," I say, licking my lips and playing coy. Because hell yes, I want to watch this god of a man shower, but I rein in myraging hormones and sit down like he asked.

"Seeing the Zeke Miller taking a shower is the newest addition to my bucket list," I tell him. "But I like anticipation, so I'll wait right here."

"That's my good girl," he murmurs before kissing my forehead and walking toward the showers, leaving me staring after him, utterly dumbstruck, like those four little words didn't just upend everything I thought I knew about myself. Seriously, who knew that something as simple as that's my good girl, would have me ready to offer myself up like a buffet. Because as I watch him walk away, all I can think is, I'll do damn near anything to hear him say those words to me again.