lap and do as I’m told.
He lowers his pants while I remove mine, and then I get back on. I slide down as he holds himself up for me, and we both groan at his entrance. I move over him, up and down, and he holds onto my hips as we find the rhythm that’s been missing from our lives for too many weeks.
The connection between us is intense and passionate, and my chest tightens with love as he moves in and out of me. It’s pleasure on top of love, and when his eyes meet mine just before he starts to come, I see all the same emotions reflected back at me. It’s not just desire and lust, but it’s this commitment to each other that formed out of something else entirely.
We’re both in this forever, and as he starts to come, he thumbs my clit and pushes me into my own climax. I yell my way through the pleasure as I fight the contractions of my body, and when I come out on the other side, I’m sated and exhausted.
He lets out a long, satisfied sigh when it’s over, both of us panting as we try to regain our breath after that powerful ride. He slips out of me, but neither of us moves for a few beats. He just holds me in his arms there on the couch, and I never want this moment to end.
I finally have my Luke back, and I just hope he stays this time.
CHAPTER 19
It’s strange sitting in the same suite with the same women but without the fear stabbing my stomach.
My worst fears were realized when Luke got hurt, but he’ll heal. He’ll live. It could’ve been worse, and I’m thankful it wasn’t.
My parents are in the suite this time, too, and we all cheer as the Aces’ kicker kicks off the first quarter against the Cardinals. Instead of watching the game, I watch my husband on the sidelines. He sits on the bench beside the wide receivers, and he points out things on a tablet. He’s not a coach, exactly, but he’s helping out where he can.
“Would he want to coach in the future?” my dad asks, nodding toward the field, and I shrug.
“He told me it’s bad luck to talk about what comes next, so he hasn’t really mentioned it.” It’s so weird to carry on a conversation with my dad like everything is totally normal. I haven’t told them about the baby yet. I’m planning to do it tonight at dinner, but it’s all I can think about.
“Ugh!” Nadine snorts behind us. “My husband says that, too. They all have the same superstition, and it drives me crazy. I’d love some insight into what my future might look like.”
“Right?” I laugh. Part of me wants him to keep playing just because of this club of women I’ve found, but even if he does, this little club isn’t guaranteed. Any number of these players could be traded or cut, and new members could make their way in. The dynamic here will change constantly, and I’m not sure whether that’s something I’m cut out for.
I’m just thankful for a friend like Nicki, someone I know will stick around long after the lights turn off on the field.
“Seems to me he’d make a good coach,” my dad says.
“I think he would, too,” I admit. By the way, I’m pregnant.
“Will he keep playing?”
“I don’t know,” I murmur. But he did knock me up. “Depends on his therapy. He’s doing great, but he has a long road ahead of him.”
Josh catches a ball halfway down the field, and everyone goes wild. I’m thankful for the distraction because I don’t know how much longer I can sit here carrying on a conversation without telling my parents about the baby.
The game is long, and I eat a lot of popcorn, but eventually it ends with a victory and we head toward the tunnel and find our players. They’re still in the locker room when I spot Savannah.
I assume she’s waiting for Tristan, and my blood boils. She doesn’t deserve to be back here, not after the way she betrayed Luke.
She has a lot of nerve showing her face here, and I feel a sudden fierce protectiveness wash over me. Maybe it’s for the baby and maybe it’s for my husband, but something propels my feet in her direction.
I set my hand on my hip as I try to be intimidating, which I’m really not at