Chapter 18

I’ve been telling Lili that a month apart is nothing. That she’ll be back in my arms before we know it. We’re only halfway through that month and I’m desperate to see her. We call, Facetime, and text all day every day but it’s not the same as having her here.

Fuck, my cock gets hard at just the thought of being able to touch her again.

The next two weeks cannot come fast enough. The time difference means I’m staying awake later, just so I don’t miss her calls. The lack of sleep, the ache I feel in every fiber of my body from being apart from her is messing with me.

It’s also messing with my game. Which is fucked. Nothing has ever affected how I played before. I didn’t know falling in love would impact every aspect of my life.

Would I change it if I could? Stop myself from falling so hard, so fast? Fuck no.

“You look like shit,” Logan says as he plops his ass down next to me on the bench. We’re in the second period, playing against the Knights on our home turf. We have no fucking chance of winning this game, and knowing that fucking sucks.

“How about you focus more on staying upright on your blades and less on what I look like?” I counter.

“Fuck off,” he says while shaking his head.

“O’Neil, you’re up,” Coach calls out from behind us, and I propel myself over the boards.

I purposely shove Monroe into the Perspex at full force, not slowing down a bit.

“Fucking asshole,” he grunts at me as we fight for the puck.

It takes everything I have, but I’m finally able to speed off in the opposite direction with that little black disk in my possession. I break away, Logan on my right and two fucking Knights coming up behind us. Pass to Logan and speed up to get into position. I’m in front of the net when he slaps it back to me. I line up my shot and hit the puck through the small opening between the goalie’s legs. I jump and pivot, my stick in the air as my line joins me in celebrating the goal. The whole arena roars along with us.

“Fuck yes!” I yell out.

“You got lucky. It won’t happen again,” Monroe says as I pass him.

“That’s called skill, not luck.”

A wicked smile crosses his face. “How’s Liliana?”

My spine straightens. I know Lili says they’re just family friends. But something about the way he asks that question turns my blood cold. “What the fuck did you just say?” I push up against his chest.

“I didn’t stutter. How’s Lil? We have a weekend off next week. I might head over to the estate in Italy and find out for myself,” he says.

My stick drops to the ground, followed by my gloves, before my right hand connects with his jaw so fucking quick his head snaps to the side. “Keep my girlfriend’s name out of your fucking mouth,” I hiss at him.

“Or what?” He shoves back at me.

“I don’t care who you think you are, Monroe. I will fucking end you if you so much as think about her.”

He laughs. “Good. Keep it that way, because if you fucking hurt her, I’m going to enjoy hunting your ass down,” he says before skating back across the ice.

“What the fuck was that about?” Logan asks as I make my way over to the penalty box.

“Nothing.” I close myself inside without having to be told. I knew it was coming.

That fucker didn’t even retaliate. He didn’t hit back. Why the fuck not?

“I miss you.” Lili’s voice fills my ears as her face lights up my laptop screen.

“Two more weeks, babe. Make sure you don’t have any plans, because I’m not letting you out of my bed,” I tell her.

She smiles. “Sounds like heaven.”

“It might not be heaven, but I’ll definitely make you see stars.” I smirk.

Lili chews on her bottom lip. “So… I had an interesting phone call earlier today…”

“Really? With who?”

“Gray,” she says, and I roll my eyes. I hate the familiarity that she has with that asshole.

“What he want?”

“First, to brag that the Knights kicked your asses tonight. And then to tell me that you need to learn how to hit harder,” she says.

“Hit harder, huh? I’ll be sure to knock a few teeth loose next time.” I laugh while shaking out my right hand. My knuckles are still bruised from the blow I landed on him.

“I watched the highlights. What’d he say to you to make you hit him?”

“Nothing,” I grunt.

“Travis, what’d he say?” she pins me with a glare, and I groan.

“Lili, I get very limited time to talk to you. I’d rather not waste it on discussing some other guy. Now, how was your day?”

“Same, same. I ate, drank wine, and shopped. What else is there to do in Italy?”

“I wish I was there with you,” I tell her.

“Me too. Two more weeks and I’m all yours.” She smiles.

“Anything else happen?”

“Nothing at all. It’s weird. Feels like something is going to happen, but no one is saying anything.” She sighs. “I’ve been dropping hints about Canada by the way.”

“We don’t even know if I’m going yet, babe. We shouldn’t be poking the beast with uncertainties,” I tell her. It goes without saying that the beast isher father.

“You’ll get it. You deserve it. I’ve never seen a better hockey player in my life.” Lili smiles at me.

“You’re biased, but thank you,” I tell her.

“So… I was thinking… when the season’s over, we should take a trip of our own.”

“Yeah? Where do you want to go?”

“If it’s with you, I’d go anywhere,” she says.

“Name a place in the world you haven’t been and always wanted to see,” I tell her, “and I’ll take you there, Lil. Our season is almost over. We’re not going to the playoffs.”

“Mmm, it’s going to sound boring,” she says.

“Nothing with you will ever be boring. Where do you want to go?”

“I was thinking of renting a house, upstate. In the suburbs. A normal, run-of-the-mill house. No frills. Just the two of us… doing everyday, mundane things. Like grocery shopping and cooking and all that,” she says.

I smile. “That sounds awfully domesticated.”

“It’s stupid. Don’t worry about it,” she says while waving a dismissive hand at the screen.

“It’s not stupid. I love the idea. Let’s do it. I’m going to find a house, and as soon as I’m free, I’m taking you away,” I tell her.

“Are you sure? We can do something else, anything really.”

“I’m sure. Nothing sounds better to me than being domesticated with you, Lili.” It’s the fucking truth too.

“Okay.” A huge grin brightens her face. Who would have thought such a simple thing could make her so fucking happy?

“There is one condition, though,” I tell her.

“What’s that?”

“I’m doing all the cooking.”

“I can cook, Travis.” She rolls her eyes.

“Mhmm, you can. But I can do it better.” I laugh. I watched her burn ramen before. I mean, how the fuck do you burn ramen?

“Fine, I don’t like cooking anyway,” Lili says.

“How long do you give it before your family comes looking for you?” I ask out of curiosity more than anything else.

“So there’s this rule…” she says. “We’re not supposed to travel alone. Anywhere.”

“Ever?” I lift a questioning brow. “Besides, you’re not alone. You’ll be with me.”

“We’re supposed to always have a family member with us, but I have an idea.”

“You really have never been anywhere without a family member with you?” I attempt to clarify. That sounds a little insane.

“It’s for our own safety. But it’ll be fine. They’re going to just have to let me go. I’m not giving them a choice,” she says.

I smile. “Why do I get the feeling you’ve never had a rebellious stage, Lili?”

“Because I haven’t. I’ve always done what was expected of me… pretty much. The only time I’ve ever been in trouble has been because of someone else, one of my cousins or Alessandro.”

I laugh. “I like that you’re a good girl.”

“I’m not always good,” she hums.

“Yes, you are.”

“Really? So last night when I slipped my hands into my panties with thoughts of you on my mind, I was being good?”

“Fuck yes, you were,” I grind out as my own hand reaches for my cock.

“And if my hand slips beneath the sheets now…? If I push my fingers inside myself, is that being good too?”

“You’re such a good fucking girl. Tell me how you feel, Lili.” I stare at her on my screen. Her face is flushed, her eyes clouding over with lust.

“Wet, I’m so wet, Travis,” she moans.

“Mmm, that’s my good girl. I want to watch you come, Lili. Press your palm down on your clit while you thrust those fingers in and out of your pussy. Imagine that it’s my hand, my fingers bringing you pleasure.”

Lili closes her eyes. “I wish it were you. You’re so much better at this than I am. Your fingers always feel better than my own.”

“It’ll be me before you know it, babe.”

“Mmm, I want your cock to fill me up. I want to feel you stretching me. I want to feel the weight of your body on top of mine. I want your lips on me. I want your…” Her words die off as her head tips back. “Fuck. I want you so bad,” she hisses through clenched teeth, and I know her orgasm is close.

“Come for me, babe. Show me how much you want me,” I urge her, and she does just that.

Lili’s mouth falls open on a silent scream. My own orgasm follows hers, my cum spilling out all over my stomach. She slowly opens her eyes and stares back at me.

“As good as that was, it’s not the real thing,” she says.

“I know. Two more weeks,” I remind her.

“Two more weeks,” she repeats. “I love you.”

“I love you too, babe. Sweet dreams, Lili. Think about me.”

“All my dreams are about you, Travis,” she says right before she ends our call.