“Goodness me, that was fantastic.”

Lucas nodded. He then slowly ran his nose along hers before meeting his lips to hers for more of her drugging kisses. As they continued to kiss slowly, he couldn’t bring her close enough to him. He wanted to mold their bodies together and live together as one.

“God, I love you,” he whispered against her lips. He went to kiss her again but she pulled back.

“I’m trying to allow myself to say it, Lucas, I am, but it’s just so hard. I want to, but I’m scared of what could happen. I’m scared you’ll leave me again, and then I’ll be brokenhearted again. I can’t do it again.”

“Fallon I’m not going anywhere. I love you, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I’ll never cheat, lie, or do anything to hurt you. I promise you that, you got to believe me baby, you have to trust me.”

Fallon nodded. “I’m trying Lucas, I am. Just don’t hate me okay?”

Lucas shook his head. He knew she loved him — call him cocky — but he knew. Fallon was his, and he was confident that she wasn’t going anywhere. Things were still a little messy in some spots but for the most part they were good. He didn’t know what else he had to do to prove he would never her hurt again but he would figure it out. Nothing was going to come between them again. He loved her too much to lose her again.

Lucas moved a stray piece of hair out of her eyes and kissed her nose before saying, “Fallon, I could never hate you. I love you too much.”

Fallon closed her eyes, pressing her forehead to his. “I’ve been waiting so long to hear you say that again. It’s like a dream.”

Lucas nodded his head. “I know what you mean and baby,” she looked up and he smiled, “I’ll wait forever for you to make my dreams come true because baby girl, I’m not going anywhere.”

A small smiled tugged at her lips as she gazed up into his eyes.

“Totally devoted?” she asked breathlessly.

He smiled. “Totally devoted sweetheart, only to you.”

Lucas was in no way, shape or form in the mood for hockey. He was in the mood to stay in bed with Fallon all afternoon. He hated saying goodbye to her, and he knew that when he saw her later that night, it would be to say goodbye at the airfield. Lucas wished he could have skipped the practice but there was no way, not with the playoffs starting the next day. He couldn’t believe it was the end of the season and in a way he was glad. He was excited for the summer with Fallon and Aiden, excited about what they would do. Maybe they could go back to California for a little bit or maybe somewhere more tropical. He didn’t care, as long as he was with them.

“Thinking hard there, Brooks?”

Lucas looked over from where he was unlacing his skates to see Anderson smiling at him. He smiled back as he nodded. “I’m ready to win this series.”

“Me too, so ready.”

Lucas nodded again, removing his skate and cleaning the ice off the blade before placing it in his locker. Anderson was doing the same as Lucas and he thought they were done talking but then he said, “So hey, we’re taking Odder out again before we get on the plane. The guy is hilarious when he is drunk. You should come with us.”

Lucas looked over at him, his eyebrows drawn in together. “Odder isn’t old enough to drink.”

“So? We buy it for him. Wanna come or not?”

Lucas stood up, looking across the locker room where Tate sat taking off his goalie equipment while listening to his iPod. It was guys like Anderson that had gotten Lucas in trouble when he was a kid, and there was no way he was going to let it happen to Tate. Tate was a good kid, and he had a bright future ahead of him. Lucas pointed a finger at Anderson and said, “Stay away from him.” Lucas then walked across the locker room and stood in front of the young goalie. When Tate looked up, he pulled his headphones from his ears and smiled.

“Lucas. How are you?”

Lucas nodded. “Good, what are you listening to?”

“Captain, give me, country music. Help my English.”

“For the love of God,” Lucas groaned before turning to look at his fellow teammates. “Does anyone care about this kid?! Country music?”

Everyone looked at Lucas like he was crazy but he didn’t care. He pulled the iPod from Tate’s hands and shook his head, “Country music bad, sad. Make you cry. I’ll get you good music. Stay away from these idiots okay? Stick with me.”

“You?”

Lucas nodded. “Me. Is your family here in the states?”

Tate looked down at the ground, shaking his head. When he looked up at Lucas, his eyes were filled with sorrow. “My family die last year.”

Lucas hadn’t known, and seeing Tate’s face he knew that the death was still raw. Lucas cupped his hand on his shoulders. “My dad died a while back, but my mom is still here and she is great. You’ll love her. Come on, get dress, we’ll go have lunch.”

Tate flashed him a winning smile and Lucas smiled back. He couldn’t help but feel protective over the kid and he wasn’t going to let anyone corrupt him the way he had been corrupted.

Wasn’t going to happen.

Taking Tate out was good idea but a bad one all at the same time. Since Lucas had spent a good part of the afternoon bonding with Tate, he hadn’t packed, which meant he was losing time with Fallon and Aiden. Lucas prayed that Levi had already started packing for him, or had it done, but it was doubtful since Levi probably thought Lucas had already done it. Lucas rushed back to his house and ran up the stairs to the back door, mentally picturing what he needed to pack so he could get it done quicker.