50. Sawyer

CHAPTER 50

SAWYER

"Go stand over there!" I point to the giant sculpture of a cherry on a spoon. "Should I pretend I'm popping it?" I wag my brows and Leah's eyes turn the size of saucers when she slaps my chest with the back of her hand.

"Sawyer Clark!" she scolds me before running over to pose in front of it, sticking her tongue out to look like she's licking the cherry.

We stop at every sculpture in the garden taking photos, but my favorite is the one of us in front of the bronze LOVE sign.

"This place is so cool. I'm so glad you brought me here." Leah smiles as we walk hand in hand towards the parking lot.

"And I started with the least interesting place first. We still have two more stops to make while we're here." I smile and catch a playful look from her. "But this is all for today. Let's grab some food and go back to the hotel for a bit before the game tonight." I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer to me to kiss the top of her head.

Leah is fast asleep on my chest, curled up in my Badgers hoodie with a pair of black sweatpants while sitcom reruns play on the TV in our hotel room, but I couldn't sleep if I wanted to. I have been wanting to show her my favorite place in Minnesota ever since…well, ever since I found it if I'm honest. I wanted to call her that same day and show her but as we all know that wasn't going to happen. But ever since she told me she'd give us a real chance; I've been dying to bring her here.

My alarm starts to go off letting me know it's time to head to the rink and I see her face immediately scrunch in disapproval.

"We just fell asleeeep," she whines.

"I know baby, we'll have plenty of time to sleep when we get back tonight." I kiss the top of her head and gently shake her arm. She pushes to sit up in the bed, letting out a yawn and stretching before letting her hand plop down on the bed beside her. When she picks up her phone from the table beside the bed, she looks up at me with a frown.

"The game isn't for hours ."

"Correct."

"Would you be super disappointed if I text Lyssa to see if we can ride there together? That will give me a little more time to get ready." She gives me a pleading smile. Lyssa found out Leah would be at this game and managed to move her schedule around to be here too, or so I was told. Which I think Leah was really excited about so she wouldn't be in the stands alone.

"Could I ask you something first?" She perks up a little more and crosses her legs.

"Anything."

"Well, as I'm sure you know from the simple fact that I've used the same color tape for my stick for over ten years, that all athletes have their game day rituals?"

"Yeah, like not washing your socks or wearing the same underwear," she explains, as I bob my head from side to side.

"Yes, but none of mine are nasty like that."

"I just meant, yes. I'm aware," she laughs, shoving my shoulder for teasing her.

"Well, I want you to become part of my game day ritual."

"Seriously?" There's a glimmer in her eyes as she asks, and it makes the nervous shake in my hands settle down a bit.

"Hell yeah, seriously." She bites down on her lip and smiles.

"Yes! Of course I will. I would love to! But what should it be? Or do you have something in mind already?"

"Not necessarily, but it could be anything. Showering together, getting coffee, dancing, you coming early with me to watch me warm up…" I trail off as I continue thinking.

"Let's do it then!" She jumps up from the bed, holding her hand out to help pull me up.

"Which one?"

"All of them." She shrugs, like the answer couldn't possibly be anything else.

"You're amazing you know that?" I smile, pulling her closer to wrap my arms around her.

"Get naked, hockey star. We have a shower to take." Then gives me a quick peck on the lips, pushes out of my arms, and strips off her sweats with me hot on her trail.

I check my phone before heading to the ice for warmups and see a text from Leah saying she and Lyssa are grabbing drinks before heading back to their seats.

"Hey man, I'm really glad our girls became fast friends. Lyssa really needed someone like Leah," Matty says from where he's starting his stretches next to me.

"Well, I'm glad to hear you're happy about it. Because when she became friends with Leah, she got four bonus friends too." I give him a playful warning look.

"So I heard," he laughs. "It's good." The tone of that last sentence hits a little different, but before I can ask if everything is okay I hear her .

"Have my babies' number thirteen!" I snicker at the remark, remembering how someone said that while we were out not too long ago. Leah looked like she wanted to scratch that girl's eyes clean out of her head. When my eyes land on her, time stops around me—the way it only ever does with Leah— because she's wearing a pair of skin-tight blue jeans, a gray beanie over her loose, wavy hair and she's pointing to her back. Where on a bright-green jersey are my name and number. She must have had Lyssa bring it for her so she could surprise me, since we came here early together.

"Yes ma'am," I yell back. When she turns around with the brightest smile on her face, I return it with my own and give her a wink. She takes her beer from Lyssa, and they head back up the steps to their seats and I'm left wishing the game was over before it ever starts.

We're tied with only ten seconds left in overtime, with the puck way too close to our net for my liking, when someone takes a shot that ricochets into the air. Swatted to the ground by their center, I pick it up and take off down the ice with Javi and Matty on either side of me. I pass to Javi, who takes his shot—blocked by the goalie who sends it right to my blade—and I slap it into the net right before the buzzer sounds. The noise from the crowd is deafening as the team piles in on us to celebrate.

As soon as I'm out of the locker room and round the corner, Leah is running full sprint towards me. She jumps into my arms and wraps her legs around my waist, and I pull her lips down to mine.

"That was amazing!" The elation on her face is everything I've dreamed of for my entire career. Having not just a girl that loves me by my side and excited about a game like this one, but having the girl. The one I always wished would love me back and be proud of what I'm doing. "Are we celebrating?"

"Hell yeah we are." I kiss her again and slap her ass before placing her feet back on the ground.

"Where are we going?" I wrap my arm around her and bring my lips down to her ear.

"The room."

"I thought for sure you'd want to go out and celebrate. That last play was incredible." I press the keycard to the door and the light turns green.

We barely make it through the door before I drop my bag on the floor and wrap her in my arms, pinning her to the wall. Her eyes fall to my lips as her breaths pick up in speed.

"You know what will be more incredible? Burying myself inside of you while I watch you come apart with my name on your lips and on your back." Those green eyes finally land on mine, and she nods impatiently.

I drop to my knees and make quick work unlacing her sneakers, pulling them off before unbuttoning her jeans. I slide them down her legs, kissing a path up her bare skin. I rub my nose teasingly along her clit, inhaling her scent because I can't get enough of her. I have never starved for someone the way I starve for her. I take advantage of the fact she's wearing lace tonight, rip her underwear from her hips and kiss her everywhere I can—along her thighs, her hips, her stomach, her clit—if I never did anything else but kiss this woman, I'd consider myself lucky.

"You're soaked for me, Dove." I slide my tongue along her slit, moaning in satisfaction and savoring her sweet taste. She reaches down and tilts my chin up to look at her and it's one of the hottest things I've ever witnessed.

"Sawyer, I need you inside me," she whispers.

"You are so gorgeous when you tell me what you want." I stand up and wrap her bare legs around my waist as she begins unbuttoning my blue dress shirt.

She finishes about the same time I set her ass down on the dresser across the room and she slides the shirt down my arms, letting it fall to the floor. I have my belt off and pants down within seconds, standing in only my gray boxers, which my dick is already peeking out of.

She runs her hand along my length, sliding her finger over my head bringing it to her lips to lick the precum from it, causing my hunger for her to deepen. She slides my boxers down and pulls out my cock, stroking me as her eyes stay locked on mine.

"Spread your legs wide, baby." When her knees are as far open as they'll go, I pull her to the very edge and sink into her. The way she holds onto me, letting her nails dig into my flesh as she welcomes me with a moan is absolutely electric.

Her touch, her sounds, her taste—everything about her pulls me deeper and deeper into her orbit. I'm no longer my own, I am hers—heart, soul, and body—every fiber of my being exists for her.

And I've never been fucking happier.

"Harder," she whispers, sending my heart racing with excitement. I grip her tighter, railing into her harder, as I see my name on her back through the mirror on the wall above the dresser.

"You look so sexy with my name on your back, Dove. You look more like mine tonight than you ever have before."

"I am yours. Only. Always. Forever." A wicked smile spreads across my face.

"Mine," I growl just before our lips collide. I can feel her tightening around me, her back arching as she chases her release. I lean back to slide a hand between us with plans of playing with her clit to send her over the edge, then she stops me.

"Flip me around." I frown slightly. "So you can see your name on my back and still watch me scream your name." The devilish smirk she gives me almost does me in.

"Fuck, I love you." I kiss her once more before pulling her down from the dresser, flipping her around so her hands are flat on the surface and she's facing the mirror. The gasps when I slide back in, biting her lip as I rub her clit.

"Yes, right there." Her eyes fall closed. "Oh, I'm gonna come."

"Eyes on me, Dove," I demand, leaning over to kiss her neck the way she loves. "Let me see that pretty face when you come for me, baby," I growl into her ear just as her eyes find mine in the mirror.

"Atta girl."

"Oh! Sawyer, yes!" she cries out. Her pussy squeezes around me, milking me for everything I'm worth, and a moment later, I find my own release.

She stands up, pressing her back to mine, caressing my cheek with her hand as she watches us in the reflection.

"You are everything I've ever wanted, Sawyer Clark."

"You're everything I'll ever need, Dove."

I run a warm bubble bath for her in the suite's jetted tub—that she demands I join her in—and spend what feels like an hour holding her, kissing her, touching every perfect curve of hers and forging them to memory. That way, when I'm old and gray I'll still have the memory of what it feels like—falling in love with her right now.