Garrett

  I shoot Olivia a quick glance and we grin at each other.

  Maryana throws her phone back in her purse and turns to us. Clapping her hands, she says, "Okay...I'm feeling the need to cook something for my girl. Your mom is here to baby you for a bit. I have the best new herbal tea I found that has natural immune-system boosters."

  Olivia rolls her eyes. "You don't have to cook, Mommy. And no thanks on the tea. I've tasted some of the vile concoctions you've made before."

  "Nonsense. I'm cooking...your favorite meal too."

  "Veggie lasagna," I say automatically, realizing that I know what her favorite food is.

  "Exactly," Maryana says with a smile, and then walks back up to Olivia. Her hand comes out and she touches her daughter's face, a world of care and concern reflected. "How are you really doing, sweetheart?"

  Olivia practically melts back into her mother's arms and says, "I'm fine, Mom. Better now that you're here."

  The scene is touching, and I realize that this is probably my cue to make myself scarce. Olivia hasn't seen her mom since Christmas, and I'm sure they have a ton of catching up to do. I know that they talk on the phone a few times a week, but they need some alone time to talk about Olivia's condition.

  "I think I'm going to head on home," I tell them as I walk toward the door. "Give you two some time together."

  Maryana pulls out of Olivia's arms and levels a stern look at me. "Nonsense, Garrett. You're going to stay and eat dinner with us, and of course, you'll stay the night too, if you want. I'm sure you two want to pick back up on what I so rudely interrupted."

  I suck in a surprised gasp of air and nearly choke on my own saliva. Olivia just rolls her eyes and says, "Jeez, Mom."

  "What?" Maryana says as she looks between us in confusion. "You're a grown woman, he's a grown man, and were you or were you not in the middle of doing very grown-up things to each other?"

  "Yes, but--" Olivia starts to say, but her mom rolls right over her.

  "I was young and in lust with your father once, so I know how great the sex can be at this stage in your relationship."

  Olivia winces and I snort in amusement.

  "Okay, Mom...enough of the sex talk." Olivia groans and then turns to me. "But yes...I'd really like you to stay. Unless you have to get home?"

  I shake my head with a smile. "I'd love to stay for dinner, although I think I should head home tonight. I've got an early-morning team workout and then a drills practice."

  "Excellent," Maryana says as she grabs her purse. "I'm just going to run to the grocery store and get the stuff we need."

  "No, you're not," I butt in. "I'll go to the store and get everything you need. You stay here with Olivia and get caught up."

  With eyes shimmering in gratitude and tenderness, Olivia smiles at me, and I feel fucking on top of the world.

  --

  Groaning, I push my plate away from me and slide my chair back just a bit so I can stretch my legs out, giving a little relief on my stomach. I ate two plates of Maryana's lasagna and I'm thinking it now may be my favorite meal.

  I spent the majority of time just watching Olivia and her mother interact. They're extremely close, but then again, I already knew that, based on what Olivia had told me. I see where she gets her free spirit from, although her mom borders a little on the wacky side. They are both women that express their love through touch and tone. Maryana would reach out to stroke Olivia's hair as they talked, and sometimes Olivia would hold her mom's hand. Their voices were soft and full of tenderness and respect.

  Olivia spent most of the dinner going back over everything regarding her cancer. While she had told her mom most of it, there were still some holes to fill in. It was an emotional conversation, especially when Olivia told her mom about the prognosis.

  "So, Garrett," Maryana says after she takes a sip of her wine. "Tell me more about yourself."

  "Not too much to tell. Midwestern boy, blue-collar parents who are happily married. A younger brother who is in grad school and a younger sister who just graduated college and has no clue what she wants to be."

  "And you a professional hockey player," Maryana says with respect.

  "I've been fortunate," I tell her humbly. "There's a lot of great talent out there today."

  "Bullshit," Maryana says. "Olivia's told me all about your career. Two Stanley Cups, first line on the Cold Fury. You have superior talent, I'm betting."

  "And work ethic and passion," Olivia pipes up with pride. "I'm not sure anyone loves the game as much as Garrett."

  I lean over to sneak a quick kiss from Olivia, but her mom stops me with another question. "So, Olivia tells me you were quite the player before you two met?"

  One eyebrow raises at Olivia, and she snickers. Turning back to Maryana, I rest my elbows on the table and lean forward. "Oh, yeah. What exactly did Olivia tell you?"

  "Just that you were the king of the one-night stand. Never been in a relationship before."

  I cut a smirk over at Olivia, then look back at her mother. "Now...that's not exactly true. I have been in a relationship before. For three years, actually."

  Olivia gasps and lurches forward in her chair to look at me. "What? You never told me that? When?"

  Chuckling, I tweak her under the chin. "My last three years of high school. Kelly McCrimmons. We lost our virginity to each other and then, sadly, she crushed my young heart."

  Sympathy floods Olivia's face, and her mom makes a sound of dismay. "Oh, Garrett," Maryana croons. "Tell us what happened. Is that what drove you to be the man-whore that Olivia says you were?"

  I choke on the water I was sipping when she says that and direct a hard look at Olivia. "You told your mom I was a man-whore?"

  "Maybe not in those words," she says cheekily. "But I did use king of the one-night stand for sure."

  "You're rotten," I tell her with a grin, and then look back at Maryana. "It's not that tragic of a story. I mean, what do people know of love and commitment when you're that young? She cheated on me, I was crushed, and then I moved on."

  "And then you've never been in another relationship since," Olivia points out to me. "What's that been...eight years? You have some issues, baby."

  I snort and reach out to pull Olivia from her chair. She willingly comes onto my lap, and a quick glance at her mom shows her very much enjoying watching her daughter and me interact together. She's a woman who wants her daughter to be happy, and since I can tell I have Maryana's stamp of approval, I know without a doubt that Olivia is happy.

  Wrapping up Olivia tight in my arms, I rest my chin on her shoulder and say, "I don't have issues. I haven't thought of Kelly or our time together in years and years."

  "Then why are you relationship-averse?" Olivia asks.

  "Clearly, I'm not," I point out.

  "But you were," she counters.

  "Actually...I don't think I ever was. My parents have an amazingly long marriage, and I respect that. I honestly think I've just been young and carefree. Sowing my oats, so to speak. It's what dudes do."

  "That is true," Maryana says sagely from across the table. "Men do that. Women do too, but not as often as men."

  "Besides," I say as I give a quick kiss to Olivia's neck and then stand from the chair, dislodging her from my lap, "I was just waiting for the right girl to come along. Now, I'm going to clean the kitchen while you two go in the living room and relax."

  "He's like the perfect man," Maryana says in wonder.

  "Pretty damn close," Olivia agrees with her mom. "But I'm going to help with the dishes too. Mom, you cooked, so go in the living room and relax."

  "Sounds peachy," Maryana says as she picks up her wineglass and practically floats into the living room. Olivia and I grab the plates and leftover lasagna, carrying them into the kitchen. We stand side by side at the sink, scraping and rinsing the plates.

  Olivia bumps into me and murmurs, "My mom likes you. A lot."

  "I like her too," I whisper back. "She's pretty fucking cool."
br />   "Sorry we, um...got interrupted," she says as she fills the sink up with soapy water. "I really, really wanted you in my mouth."

  I suppress a groan. "Stop talking like that. I can't handle another hard-on in your mom's presence again."

  Olivia gives a low, husky laugh that seems to coat my entire body in lust. Apparently, just her laugh is as much of a turn-on for me as her touch.

  Tilting my head down and lowering my voice further, I ask, "So...I know you've got your mom visiting and all, but any chance we're going to get some alone time this week?"

  "Sure we will, although you'll have to stay here. I don't want to leave my mom to go stay at your place." Olivia washes a plate, rinses it, and hands it to me to dry.

  "And she won't mind?" I ask dubiously as I help dry the dishes she washes.

  Olivia turns to me and gives me an eye roll. "Please...you heard her. She said we're grown-ups and she knows we do grown-up things."

  "Yeah, but I thought that was just her being wacky," I say with a chuckle.

  "She is wacky...but she was serious too. So, what days this week do you think you can come over to stay?"

  "Definitely Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but Thursday we have a preseason game in Buffalo. But I'll be back on Friday. And don't forget...we have our first preseason game here this Tuesday night. Will you and your mom come?"

  "I'd love to, and I'm sure she would too," she says as she rinses the last plate and pulls the drain on the sink. She hands it to me and I dry it.

  "Excellent, I'll get you both tickets down on the ice."

  Olivia rinses her hands as I take the dried plates and put them back in her cupboard. "You don't have to get us special tickets or anything."

  Throwing my towel over my shoulder, I turn to Olivia and pull her in to me. We wrap our arms around each other's waists, and as I stare down at her, I become overwhelmed by her beauty. Her eyes, lips...her nose, and smooth skin. Fucking beautiful hair and a body that will always star in my fantasies. And yet the thing that gets me most excited about this moment is that she just said I didn't have to do anything special for her. She doesn't expect anything from me, and that's one of the reasons I'm attracted to her.

  Doesn't mean I'm not going to do special things for her, but the fact that she doesn't need that from me makes her even more stunning, in my book.

  "I want you down on the ice," I say as I lean down to give her a sweet kiss. "I want to be able to see you cheering me on. I've never had someone there just for me...I mean, outside of the times my family comes to visit."

  Olivia squeezes me tight and lays her cheek against my chest. "All right, then...I'll be the one down on the ice screaming the loudest for you."

  I've definitely been anxious for the season to start. I flourish in the adrenaline and competition. Hockey season is the happiest time of my life. But I don't think I've ever looked forward to a game more in my life than the one on Tuesday...because I know Olivia is my biggest fan and will be there to support me. It makes it a million times more exciting to me.

  Chapter 18

  Olivia

  "If you look at your watch one more time with that annoying sigh of frustration, I'm going to smack you," Stevie grumbles as he walks by on his way out to the front to help some customers.

  I sneak another glance and see that it's only three-forty-five P.M. and I have a little more than two hours left until I get off work. It's Friday afternoon and the store is pretty busy at this time of the day. Our order list for the weekend is long so Stevie's been manning the front while I've been doing all the arrangements.

  Garrett flew back in today, and in fact, the team plane should have landed a few hours ago. We made plans to go out to dinner tonight, my mom insisting we go out on a date together since our time has been limited this week. I am so damned excited to see him that I can't stop looking at my watch, which is moving at the speed of molasses.

  This past week has been just amazing. It's been such a comfort to have my mom here, and I'm sad she's going to be heading back tomorrow. She promised to use the rest of her vacation time to come back out during one of my treatments, as she wants to be there for me when things are bad. I figure between her, Garrett, Stevie, and Sutton, I'll be well taken care of.

  Garrett did, in fact, stay at my house the first part of the week. He'd meet me there after I got off work, and my mom would have dinner ready for us. Then we'd talk for a while or watch TV, and eventually Mom would wander off to bed. Then it was on...the race to get inside each other's pants while trying to be as quiet as possible. We learned very quickly that my bed was too squeaky, so Garrett fixed that by pulling my mattress to the floor and tossing me down on it.

  One night, though...after Mom went off to bed, Garrett and I just stayed out in the living room and watched a movie. He lay behind me on the couch and wrapped one arm around my waist while the other cushioned my head. We were quiet for the most part, unless it was to make a comment about the movie, and every so often he would brush his lips against the back of my head. When the movie was over, he murmured, "It's late. Let's get some sleep."

  Then he walked with me hand in hand to my bedroom, where we did nothing more than take our clothes off and slip into bed together. We assumed our usual sleeping positions, with my head on his chest and one of my legs twined between his. It was the first time we didn't have sex before going to sleep, and yet it felt natural too. It made me realize that while our sex is off-the-charts hot, it's not what's at the center of our relationship.

  Garrett did, however, make up for it the next morning by pulling me out of bed and taking me up against the wall. He had to clamp one hand over my mouth to keep me from crying out, it felt so damned good. And yes, I'm very much looking forward to seeing him tonight. I've never thought about sex much, but with Garrett...I think about it a lot. I've never been with someone who is so giving and has made my body feel so good. I think I might be addicted to him.

  I hear the bell over the door out front tinkle on a few occasions and figure Stevie is in over his ass out there, but he can handle it. He'll flit around the store, helping to make efficient decisions, all while never making a customer feel left out or rushed. He's a whiz at that stuff, because he's more social butterfly than human.

  Burying my attention in a set of bridal bouquets for a wedding tomorrow, I become lost to my thoughts of Garrett and baby's breath flowers.

  "How do you get sexier every time I see you?"

  My head does a slow raise up and I'm already smiling before I make eye contact with Garrett. "What are you doing here? Thought you were going to be at my apartment at six-thirty."

  "Just couldn't help myself. Needed to see you," he drawls, and before I can stop myself, I'm shooting off the stool and rocketing toward Garrett. I manage a perfectly aimed leap, he catches me smoothly and I wrap my legs around his waist. We'd so kill it on Dancing with the Stars, I bet.

  I manage to start kissing Garrett as well as flinging my arm out to catch the edge of the door that separates the front and the back, and swing it shut. Garrett just turns his big body and then pins me up against the door, mashing his lips to mine in a brutally hot kiss.

  "God, I missed you," he says when he lifts his mouth to pay attention to my neck. I can feel him hot and hard between my legs, and I'm flooded with wet arousal.

  "Put me down," I gasp. Groaning, Garrett pulls his head up and looks at me with curiosity, but then lets my body slide south. I quickly grab his hand and start pulling him through the shop, back past the floral design area and the coolers. Right into a little room that says OFFICE on it.

  I flick on the light, push Garrett farther into the room, and then shut the door, turning the lock.

  "I'm pretty sure I thought you were the most amazing woman on the planet," Garrett says as he steps toward me in a predatory manner. His eyes are hungry as they roam all over me. "But if you pushed me back here for a little quickie, then I'm going to have to build a temple within which to worship your greatness."


  I snicker, but then reach out to undo his belt. "No quickie. I am finally going to give you a blow job."

  Garrett hisses between his teeth, groans, and then rumbles. "Oh, fuck...most perfect woman in the world."

  "Damn straight," I whisper, and once I get his pants unzipped, I give him a little push toward one of the chairs that sits opposite Stevie's desk. "Sit down in the chair."

  "You're the boss," he says with a grin, and despite our humor, I also see the underlying need in his eyes and in the massive erection that's just beyond that zipper.

  Just as Garrett is getting ready to lower himself in the seat, I say, "Wait. Push your pants down. Go ahead and get that cock out for me."

  "Jesus, Olivia...I don't know if I can handle you dirty-talking right now."

  "Give me something to put my mouth on and you won't be hearing anything from me," I say with a grin as I step up to him. I watch hungrily as he pushes his pants down, and, yeah...that huge shaft comes free and I'm taking it in my hands so I can stroke it.

  Garrett practically falls back into the chair and moans as my hands roam over the soft skin. He watches me through half-lidded eyes as I kneel down between his legs and lick my lips. I lean forward to take him in my mouth, but his hand comes out and caresses my cheek. "I really did miss you."

  My heart sighs over the reverence in his voice, and I give him a sweet smile. "I really missed you too."

  I let our gazes hold for just a moment more, then I bend my head over him. That first soft touch of my tongue on him and both of his hands sink into my hair while he whispers, "Yes."

  Yes is right.

  Yes, this is amazing and beautiful and sinful.

  I love the way he tastes and the way he smells. As I take him farther into my mouth and lightly suck, I love the way his hips flex upward and I know he has no control over his actions. Because I'm making him feel so good.

  "Baby...I'm not going to last long," Garrett says softly. "Want me to push you off?"

  I give a half-growl, half-moan and give my head a slight shake in the negative while I pick up the pace. While I'd love to draw this out, I sure as hell don't want Stevie coming back here and ruining the moment for us.