Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) Read online

  “You suck,” she muttered, but he leaned in close, kissing her jaw.

  Then he whispered, “You know it turns me on seeing you in my number. Just think of the things I can suck.” She gasped against his ear, and he grinned as he pulled back. “Now be a good girl and wear your man’s number.”

  Making a face, she shook her head. “Okay. I’ll be in a damn Assassins jersey.”

  “That’s just wrong,” Rachel said with a shake of her head. “Your team is the Hawks.”

  Without even leaving Karson’s gaze, she said, “No, it’s the Assassins.”

  “She’s married to an Assassins player. She really has no choice in the matter,” Nate said, but Karson could hear the venom in his voice. He was pissed his “princess” had come over to the good side.

  “See, he’s coming around,” she whispered, kissing his lips.

  “Sure,” he laughed and she rolled her eyes.

  “Anyway, you’re leaving afterward, right?”

  “Yeah, but you’ll meet me right in the bar of the hotel?” he asked, wishing like hell her family would disappear so he could love on his wife.

  “That’s the plan,” she said with a nod, and he actually felt okay about leaving this time. She seemed ready for it, even though he knew neither of them really was. He would only be gone for a couple days, but still, he didn’t want to leave her. She was leaving the following day, but he didn’t trust Nate not to try to talk her into staying. He may be trying to act like all was well and forgiven, but Karson didn’t miss the way Nate looked at him or the way he didn’t even say goodbye after Thanksgiving. He’d kissed Lacey and left, no word to him or his family. Which was understandable, but he wasn’t on the road to accepting Karson anytime soon.

  Karson knew this. Lacey was still in delusional land about it. She really thought he was coming around, but Karson couldn’t disagree more. Cuddling into her, he said, “What time is your flight tomorrow?”

  “Four.”

  “Why don’t you just stay until Karson gets home?” Rachel asked.

  “Yeah, honey, no reason to be home alone,” Nate said just like Karson knew he would, but he didn’t say a word. It was Lacey’s decision, not his.

  “Um, I don’t know. I have things I need to do at the house, and I think I’m having lunch with his boss on Monday,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll be back in a couple weeks.”

  Karson’s heart pounded with pride as he dropped his mouth to hers. Kissing her long and hard, he didn’t care that he had onlookers. His baby was going to their home and she was adjusting.

  What more could he ask for?

  He could ask for a damn win, that’s what he could ask for.

  Karson couldn’t believe they lost the game in overtime, but what was worse was the look of pure satisfaction when he saw Lacey at the hotel bar. Glaring, he wanted to enjoy the picture-perfect view she was creating, but it was hard. Even with her sporting his jersey, it sliding off her shoulder as she wore a pair of jeans and boots up to her knees, he couldn’t miss the grin on her face. Her hair was in a braid along her shoulder with a purple knit cap angled off to the side. Her eyes were bright with purple eye junk, but that grin told him she was a little too happy they lost.

  “Shouldn’t you be upset I lost?” he asked as she entered his arms, squeezing her arms around him.

  “You see, what had happened was,” she started, laughing, and his furrow deepened, but she just giggled. “I was cheering for you guys. It’s not my fault your team lost.”

  “You’re a horrible hockey wife, woman,” he teased and she laughed as she kissed his chin.

  “Sorry, I bleed Blackhawks’ red and black.”

  “You need to change that,” he said, squeezing her ass. “But we shouldn’t have lost.”

  “Nope, it was Shea’s fault. He let that dude deke him,” she said with a shake of her head.

  Karson nodded. She was right, but he wasn’t going to admit it. “Whatever,” he said and then he waggled his eyebrows. “Wanna go in the bathroom for a quickie?”

  She giggled, her face reddening. “As fun as that sounds, my dad and Sabrina are waiting to have drinks. Plus, I gave it to you earlier.”

  His grin dropped. “Ugh, why are they here?” he whined and she sent him a look.

  “He wants to send you off! He’s trying, Karson.”

  He grumbled as she dragged him to where Nate and Sabrina sat, Nate looking like a high-rolling businessman and Sabrina like his trophy wife.

  Weren’t they adorable?

  Not.

  “Great game,” Nate said with a grin as Karson lowered himself down into the seat. As his gaze met Nate’s, he not only wanted to gouge the guy’s eyeballs out but he had never wanted to skip out on drinks as badly as he did right then. Thankfully though, it was only an hour before Lacey started yawning.

  “You tired, baby?” he asked, rubbing her back as she nodded.

  “Yeah, dead on my feet, but I don’t want to leave you yet,” she pouted and he smiled.

  “We should be heading out soon,” he said, reassuring her so she would leave. He knew they’d had a long day; he, too, was beyond tired. There was a pillow and a blanket with his name on it.

  “Yeah, I’ll wait,” she said, leaning against him, but he wasn’t having that.

  “No, come on. I’ll walk out and get you a cab,” he said, standing up.

  They said their goodbyes to Nate, and Karson was glad to be rid of him as he walked Lacey to the front. With her tucked into the crook of his arm, he kissed her temple before asking a bellman for a taxi.

  “I can manage to stay, just let me lean on you,” she said, cuddling into him.

  “No, go on home and sleep. Call me in the morning.”

  “I don’t want to leave yet,” she complained and he smiled.

  “Only five days, not long at all,” he said, kissing her again. She achieved a smile as the bellman came back to tell them he had a cab for her. After turning Lacey in his arms, Karson’s mouth came down on hers, kissing her with all the love in the world. As her fingers snaked up his chest, resting at the base of his neck, his tongue moved with hers and he hoped she realized how much he was going to miss her.

  As they parted, he kissed her lips a few more times before smiling against them. “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you too. Have a safe trip,” she said and he saw the tears in her eyes.

  “No crying,” he managed to say around the lump in his throat.

  “Not possible,” she said as they started to fall. “I hate being without you.”

  “I know, me too,” he said with a nod. Kissing her nose, he wiped away her tears before kissing her lips. “Off you go. I’ll see you in a couple days. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She nodded, stepping back out of his arms. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you more,” he promised and then she slowly disappeared out the doors. Standing there, he watched through the glass doors as she got into the cab and then she was gone. Feeling incomplete, he started back for the bar and soon fell into step with Shea.

  “They are saying it’s gonna be another two hours before we can leave,” Shea muttered, obviously mad about that or perhaps because he was the reason they lost.

  “Great,” Karson said sarcastically. “Want a beer?”

  “Yeah,” he agreed as they made their way toward the bar.

  When Karson noticed that Nate and Sabrina still sat at the table by the bar, he wondered why. Wasn’t it past their bedtime? “One second, it’s on me,” he said to Shea before heading over to them. “I thought you two had called it a night.”

  “No, we were waiting for you to come back,” Nate said, tapping the edge of the table. “I have something to offer you.”

  “I’m sure I don’t want it,” he answered, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’m not leaving her, Nate. Give it up.”

  “Why not? Just go. No one wants you here,” Sabrina sneered but Karson rolled his eyes.

  “Obvi