“The NHL app.”

“Oh,” she said, and he almost ignored it, but then he slid it open and his jaw dropped as he read what it said.

JUST IN! Markus Reeves, Bellevue University graduate and star defensemen for the Ninjas, will play in Wednesday’s game.

“Holy shit.”

“What?” she asked, sitting up to look over his shoulder. “Markus!”

“Holy shit.”

He hadn’t even been notified. Jayden had said something, but it wasn’t set in stone. Coach Baxter hadn’t said anything, and neither had Elli. Yeah, he was doing awesome and killing it, but he didn’t think this would happen. He really didn’t think he’d make it!

“Markus!” she yelled, shaking him, which made Mr. Right fall off the bed and hide, but Markus couldn’t pay him any mind. He kept reading the alert. “I’m so proud of you. You did it!”

Tears started to cloud his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath, reading it once more. “Holy shit.”

Shaking him once more, she wrapped her arms around him, falling into his lap as she pressed her lips to his. “Babe! You did it!”

He laughed nervously as he shook his head, still unable to understand what he had just read. His heart was pounding, his stomach was in knots, and all he wanted to do was kiss Mekena.

So he did.

Dropping his phone, he tangled his fingers in her hair as their mouths moved with feverish need. His whole body was trembling, and she molded to him in such a sensual way. As they fell back, their legs tangled while they tried to become one, celebrating this monumental moment in his life. Something he had been working for since he was a kid. He finally had it. It was finally happening, and he couldn’t think of any other way to celebrate than to be with Mekena.

As he pulled back, looking down into her face, his grin was unstoppable. “I can’t believe it.”

Cupping his face, she kissed his jaw. “I can. You’re amazing.”

His phone started to sound, but he ignored it, staring into her eyes as she stared back into his. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered, running her fingers down the back of his head and neck.

He grinned down at her, and their eyes met as he said, “Now it’s your turn.”

She nodded. “It is.”

His stomach clenched. “But if you don’t get it, Mekena, what does that mean for us?”

She ran her thumbs along his jaw. “The same thing as if I do get it. We’ll make it work. Don’t you worry about that, and don’t ruin this with the what-ifs of our life. We’ve got this.”

His fingers dug into her waist as he nodded. “So you want to do this?”

Her brows pulled in. “I told you last night I did.”

“I know, but I wasn’t sure. Took you forever to commit to me before.”

“That was before,” she said with a grin. “Now, I’m done resisting you. I want to be with you.”

“I want that too.”

“Good, because I think we’ve been through enough shit that when I say something, I mean it, and there is no changing that.”

He chuckled as he nodded. “I hear ya.”

“Good, now stop trying to ruin this and kiss me.”

He liked that idea and soon captured her mouth with his. Rolling on top of her, he fell between her legs, pressing into her as her fingers bit into his back, her mouth moving unrestrainedly against his. She kissed like a dream, but then, everything about her was beyond his reality. It was magical. Sliding his hands up over her hips, he squeezed her ribs, her bare breasts teasing the tops of his hands.

Pulling back, he kissed her nose and looked down at her. “Still too sore for round two?”

When his phone sounded once more, she eyed him. “I mean, I can’t even think about getting down with you when that phone keeps going off.”

He rolled his eyes, reaching for his phone to shut it off. But before he could, he saw a text.

From his dad.

His face scrunched together as he sat back on his haunches, looking down at his phone. “Markus, you okay?”

He shook his head as he opened the message, reading it.

Hey, son, we saw the notification that you’re playing for the Assassins Wednesday. We’re proud. We’d love to come to the game. Should we get tickets, or did you get some for us already?

As his stomach dropped, he couldn’t understand what he was reading. He hadn’t spoken to his parents in almost two years, and his dad was acting as if they had chatted yesterday and he was invited to Sunday dinner.

Swallowing hard, he looked to Mekena. “My dad just texted me.”

Her brows rose. “I thought you didn’t talk to them.”

“I don’t.”

“Oh, okay.”

Letting his phone fall to the bed, he exhaled hard as he said, “They want to come to the game.”

She just watched him, probably unsure what to say. But then she asked, “What do you want?”

“I don’t know.”

Reaching, she took his phone and threw it to the other side of the bed before wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing him down on top of her. “Well, why don’t you worry about that later, and right now, focus on me?”

As she bit at his bottom lip, his lips curved. “I’m always focused on you.”

Holding his gaze, she licked his bottom lip. “Keep it that way.”

“Done,” he said, taking her lips with his as he pulled her shirt up and off of her.

He drank in her naked body as she shimmied out of her panties. She was glistening between her legs, wet for him, and that made him throb even harder than before. He had always thought she was beautiful, gorgeous, even, but at the moment, he found her undeniably sexy. And he wanted her more than he could even fathom. Taking her lips with his, he kissed her hard, his hand finding her mound as he squeezed her, causing her to arch into his hand. Hissing out a breath, he pulled away, shaking his head.

“You drive me crazy, woman,” he accused, standing up and throwing his shorts down before reaching for the condoms he had brought in the night before. Her laughter was intoxicating; it was almost whimsical as she watched him, her tongue coming out to lick her lips. He had heard her laugh before, it wasn’t anything new, but her sexy kitten laugh was something he had never experienced. He decided he needed to hear that giggle every day. As he looked over at her, to gaze upon her ravishing naked body, he took his cock in his hand, ready to sheath himself. But he paused when he realized she was watching him. Seeing her study him stunned him completely.