Off Season (Off #6) (10 page)

Hate that this is
so short, baby, but I’m exhausted. We played like shit tonight,
so you didn’t miss much. Talk tomorrow like we planned.

Love,

Zane

Yup… I
decided to match her “L” word for “L” word in
the signature. We may not have declared our love for each other, but
I was pretty sure it was there. I mean, I know damn well that I love
her. It’s something that didn’t become clear all at once,
but rather as every day passes and Cady becomes more a part of my
life, the burning desire and care for her just grows exponentially.
It’s just more of a deep understanding within me that I love
this girl and even though every day without her is painful, I know
that deep down, we are going to figure a way to make this work.

I just haven’t
figured out the details yet.

Cady

December 24, 2014

I’ve done some
crazy things in my life, but none crazier than this.

It was crazy when I
switched all of my da’s underwear for ones that were two sizes
smaller than what he normally wore, and even crazier when I serenaded
Jimmy O’Shea in front of the entire school, and the craziest of
all was when I had a one-night stand with a gorgeous hockey player.

But yup… this
takes the cake.

Our plane landed at
JFK right on schedule, and I followed behind Mam and Da as we made
our way down to baggage claim. I stood by the carousel and watched
the luggage go round and round. I thought to myself how similar this
was to my life. I was going in circles and while sometimes, that
produces a delicious spinning sensation, the truth was that Zane was
standing to the side… and I kept passing him by.

Maybe because it was
Christmas, and this was a magical time. Maybe it was because every
day that passed, I missed Zane more and more, even as I found myself
falling deeper in love with my man across the ocean. Maybe it was
just time for me to make a bold move with my life.

“I’m
going to Phoenix,” I blurted out to my parents, and both sets
of eyebrows rose up at me in surprise. “I need to be with Zane
for Christmas.”

My parents didn’t
try to talk me out of it. They could tell I was determined, and while
I wasn’t sure they really understood how close Zane and I were,
they above all else wanted me to be happy. Renner giggled and hugged
me hard, and Cillian kissed me on my cheek and wished me luck.

He whispered in my
ear, “You’re doing the right thing. You belong here…
permanently in the States with your man.”

I pulled back in
surprise and looked at his eyes, which were leveled shrewdly at me. I
hadn’t told anyone about my decision to stay… to move to
Phoenix. Oh, I knew I’d have to go back and get things handled
back home before I could make the move, but on the flight over here,
I thought about all the potential ways our relationship could be
ruined, and really pondered the only way it could be saved. And that
would be for me to move.

Yet, I hadn’t
said that… only that I was going to Phoenix for Christmas.

Cillian leaned in
and chucked me under the chin. “I know you, Cady. You’re
staying. Let me just say, love, the happiness on your face speaks
volumes.”

So yes, I grabbed my
bag, went back into the main check-in lobby of the airport, and maxed
out my credit card buying a ticket to Phoenix. I went back through
airport security and patiently waited for my 4:35 PM flight.

I only sent one text
to Zane, to tell him that I landed safely in New York and that I
would talk to him tonight. Little did he know that said “talk”
would be a little more up close and personal than he had envisioned.

The cab pulls into
Zane’s neighborhood, and my skin hums with excitement. It’s
early evening, and it’s getting dark. The houses are lit up
with Christmas lights, and I see sparkling trees in many of the front
windows. The air is a little chilly, but I know tomorrow will be warm
and dry. I think I’m going to like this Phoenix weather.

Zane’s house
looms closer.

“Don’t
pull in the driveway,” I tell the driver. “Maybe just a
little bit down from the house.”

I don’t want
Zane to know I’m here just yet.

The cab driver does
as asked, and then helps me get my luggage out of the trunk. I hand
over the appropriate cash, having no real clue if what he charged me
was reasonable, and not really caring. When he pulls away, I glance
down at my luggage sitting on the edge of Zane’s front yard and
pull my phone out.

I dial Zane’s
number as I walk up the driveway and then to the sidewalk, trimmed
neatly with purple-hued grasses and cacti. He answers on the second
ring.

“Hey
beautiful. All settled in?”

“Not exactly,”
I tell him with a sly grin on my face. “I’d feel much
more settled if I was in your bed right now, wrapped up in a big
blanket of hot hockey player.”

He chuckles and then
sighs, and I can imagine him running his hand through his hair.

“That would
make me more settled too,” he commiserates, and then his voice
becomes frustrated. “I fucking hate this, Cady. It’s
Christmas… we should be together.”

“We should.
Absolutely,” I affirm. “Wouldn’t that be a lovely
Christmas present if that could only be so?”

“It would be
the best,” he murmurs.

I reach my hand out
and touch the doorbell, hearing the soft chime go off inside.

“Hold on,”
he tells me. “Someone’s at the door. Probably fucking
Christmas carolers and I’m totally not in the mood.”

“Scrooge,”
I taunt at him, and I can hear his footsteps as he walks through the
house.

Click of the lock…
a turn of the doorknob, and my heart is about ready to explode from
my chest. It swings wide open and Zane is standing there, looking
unbelievably beautiful in a pair of well-washed jeans and a Coyotes
T-shirt. He has his phone pressed to his ear and blinks at me slowly.

“Hey,” I
say into the phone while I smile at him.

He actually jerks
from the sound in his ear, and then awareness washes over his face.
The phone drops from his hand, where it lands softly on the carpet,
and then he’s lunging through the doorway and out onto the
front porch.

Strong arms wrap
around me. I’m pulled so fiercely into his hug that my phone
bobbles and then falls from my hand, where it falls not so gently
onto the concrete steps. But I don’t care because this moment
is too thrilling, too beautiful, and too magical to let anything
interfere.

Zane’s face
burrows into my neck, while he squeezes me tight and mumbles, “What
are you doing here?”

My own arms are
wrapped tightly around his neck, and I whisper. “Surprise.
Thought you could use just one more Christmas present.”

He pulls back and
looks down at me in amazement, his one perfect dimple on the left
side of his face puckered as he smiles. “Best. Christmas.
Present. Ever.”

“You’ve
clearly been on Santa’s good list this year,” I quip.

He doesn’t
respond but picks me up, throws me over his shoulder, and carries me
inside.

“Wait, Zane,”
I cry out as I balance myself with my hands on his lower back while I
hang upside down. “My luggage is out near the road. I don’t
want it to get stolen.”

“No one will
steal it,” he says as I watch the hallway walls flashing by.
“And if they do, I’ll buy you new stuff.”

His voice is urgent…
raw… needy, so I don’t press the issue. Besides, I’m
feeling those things myself.

I’m thrown
down onto the bed, and then Zane is covering me. His mouth claims
mine in a hard, possessive kiss, and the groan that comes out of
those beautiful lips of his causes my blood to pound. His hands are
everywhere. Pulling at my clothes, stroking my skin, pinching at my
nipples.

I gasp and writhe,
nipping at his lips when they get close to mine. Frantically pulling
the shirt over his head, I see a flash of chiseled pecs and rolling
ab muscles. Then he’s on me again.

The rest of the
clothing melts away; our kisses are deep, wet, and consuming.

He’s hot and
heavy in between my legs, pushing his way inside. Deep inside…
just one push, and then we are melded together.

“No condom,”
I whisper with a smile.

“No fucking
condoms,” he confirms. “You’re on the pill, and
we’re both clean. And fuck, Cady… that feels good,
doesn’t it?”

I nod as my fingers
skim through his hair, clasp behind his neck and pull him back down
again. “Kiss me, Zane.”

And he does. Then he
fucks me… hard and with so much passion, that when we explode,
I’m not sure how we’ll ever get put back together.

Our heart rates
slow, and our breaths even out. The sweat on our skin dries, and he
wraps his arms around me.

“When did you
decide on this little surprise?” he asks softly, one hand
stroking my hip and lower back.

“At the
baggage carousel at JFK,” I tell him, my own hand tracking
patterns on his stomach.

“No shit?”
he says in amazement. “Just like that?”

“Just like
that,” I tell him. “Although, it’s something I had
been pondering on the flight over. And suddenly… I just
decided I had to be here with you.”

“Was your
family disappointed?”

“Not in the
slightest. They want me to be happy and they knew this is where I
needed to be.”

Zane is silent for a
long moment, his hand still stroking my skin with purpose. He turns
slightly to look over at me, touching his lips softly to mine.

“I seriously
can’t believe you’re here. How long can you stay?”

I shrug my shoulders
nonchalantly, lowering my gaze to his chest.

“How about
forever?” I whisper.

I can actually feel
every muscle in Zane’s body freeze. His breath catches.
Bringing one hand up, he circles it around my throat and then pushes
up so I’m forced to look at him.

His eyes are dark,
flashing with intensity. “Tell me that’s not a fucking
joke,” he growls.

“Not a joke,”
I tell him with a small smile. “I’d like to move here…
to Phoenix, if you think that’s okay. I mean, I don’t
want to assume you want me here, but hell… maybe I did assume
that. I can get a small apartment, find a job… maybe finish up
my degree over here. But again, only if you want me too, and fuck…
I should have discussed this with you first before I just invited
myself to your city, but I really think—”

Zane pushes me onto
my back, rolls onto my body, and then he’s pushing inside of me
once again while he stares down at me with victory in his eyes. When
he’s impaled me perfectly and his pelvis is flush against mine,
he leans down to drag his lips over mine for a brief kiss.

“I love you,”
he says with utmost confidence as he pulls back and pins me with his
gaze.

My smile breaks
free, my heart is light, and my destiny is set. “I love you,
too,” I tell him simply, not even the least bit surprised to
hear for the first time that he loves me.

Really, what more is
there to say?

“You’re
not getting an apartment; you’re moving in with me. And you’re
not getting a job; you’re immediately getting into school. And
we’ll have to figure out how to get your stuff—”

I roll my hips and
squeeze my inner muscles, feeling the way they perfectly grip him.
“Shut up, Zane. Let’s talk details later.”

His eyes flutter
closed when I contract again, and when they open back up, they are
burning with lust. He pulls back and then slams into me.

I cry out in
pleasure… love… satisfaction.

“Is this what
you want?” he asks gruffly, starting up a driving rhythm that
soon has his headboard knocking against the wall.

“Yes,” I
gasp. “You… you’re what I want.”

“You have me,”
he groans after a super-deep thrust. “Always.”

“Always,”
I agree, and then I let myself go.

Zane

To: Cady Dunne

From: Zane Kavanaugh

Subject: Off-Season

Date: April 2, 2015

Damn, that game
kicked my ass! Did you see the way Kasparitis hip-checked me? I’ve
got a huge bruise on my right shoulder, and I think I need you to
baby me when I get home. At least we won the game, so playoffs here
we come! I wish you could have come to Tampa with me, but I
understand. Damn schooling!!! LOL! I should be home mid-afternoon
tomorrow.

So listen…
let’s just assume we make it through a few playoff rounds.
Hell, let’s just assume we win the Stanley Cup. After that’s
all said and done and we drink from the silver chalice, we need to
travel somewhere. The off-season isn’t very long and since you
aren’t taking any summer classes, I think this is prime time
for us to do some serious travel. I was thinking a definite visit to
Dublin so I can see your hometown and you can visit your parents, but
maybe we can hop around Europe for a bit. What do you think?

I mean…
seriously, we need to do these things now because once we have kids,
those traveling days will be over. Know what I mean?

Okay, heading to
bed. I love you and miss you so much! Will I get a blow job since my
shoulder’s injured when I get home?

Love,

Zane

***

To: Zane Kavanaugh

From: Cady Dunne

Subject: Kids?

Date: April 2, 2015

Schmids!

Are you freakin’
serious, Zane? You can’t just drop that bomb about kids and
then ask for a blow job! You’re a nutty fruitcake. I’m
logging off my email. We can discuss this tomorrow.

I miss you, too!

Love,

Cady

P.S. And yes…
you get a blow job… but not because your shoulder is injured
but because of that thing you did with your mouth the other day
before you left. Very nice.