Chapter 24

“I’m not going out there with them.”

“I don’t know what you’re so worried about,” he grinned in that confident way that usually she found charming but now she just found mildly irritating. “I love you. They’ll love you. Easy,” he continued to grin, but now he reached for the belt of her robe and started to tug. Making a face, she batted his hand away and pulled her sash tighter.

“They won’t,” she could already tell that his parents still pictured him as their little boy and were shocked to see that their little boy was having an adult, live in relationship. “No, they definitely won’t,” she repeated, crossing her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the door. “I can’t believe that they just showed up,” she hissed, kicking the expensive heels off and pushing them aside. “I wanted to be the picture of a domestic goddess when they got here…not some kind of puck fuck,” she added with a grimace.

“Momma’s little boy would never, ever bring home a puck bunny for Christmas,” Jon purred, reaching out to brush her hair back behind her ear and then, with a salacious growl, leaned in and pressed his lips to the curve of her neck. With a roll of her eyes and clenching her teeth, she put both hands against his chest and shoved, hard. Unfortunately he was tall and strong and despite her best efforts she couldn’t move him a single inch.

“That is exactly what I’m afraid of. You do realize that your mother thinks I’m a tramp, right?” Without missing a beat, Jon grabbed a hold of her arms and pinned both of them up over her head.

“My tramp,” he whispered in her ear, keeping her wrists pinned over her head in one hand while his other hand slid up her inner thigh. “My sexy, dirty little whore.” Edie closed her eyes and bit down on her bottom lip as he slid his hand into her panties and then his long, thick fingers into her. She stood on tip toe and gasped as he slid two fingers up inside of her.

“Your parents are right there,” she reminded him through clenched teeth but she pressed down against his hand, sending a mixed signals.

“You can be quiet can’t you?” he whispered back, his breath moist and warm on her neck. Edie closed her eyes and shuddered. Why was it so hard to say no to him?

“And what do you think they’ll think we’re doing?” she managed to ask before biting her lip again to stifle a whimper as he drew his fingers up to her clit and began tracing small, slow circles around the sensitive bundle of nerves.

“My mom, probably having a nap while she makes my pre-game meal. My dad on the other hand,” he continued with a deep, throaty chuckle, “probably knows better.” Edie bit back a groan as Jon pressed the hard length of his erection against her hip. “You look so good baby…good enough to eat.” She heard the sound of his zipper lowering and knew that she should say no, that at the very least she should make an attempt to talk him out of this, but as soon as he let go of her wrists and instead, slid his hands up the back of her thighs and lifted her off the floor, she knew she wouldn’t…couldn’t resist.

“You are soooo not the good boy they think you are,” she whispered against his mouth as he helped her wrap her legs around his waist.

“You never complain,” he whispered back and then pressed her up against the wall as his first, hard thrust forced the air from her lungs and made it clear that, this time at least, she was only along for the ride.

“Is he asleep?” Edie slid the backing onto her plain silver hoop earrings as she nodded. She’d chosen the simple no nonsense accessories instead of the emerald ones Jon had brought her back from the Hawks’ New York road trip in an effort not give his parents any ammunition. It was also the reason she’d chosen the high waist black wide leg pants and simple soft black sweater. She wasn’t a gold digger, but they didn’t know that; at least not yet. “He’s always been good at falling asleep anywhere any time, le bénisse.” Edie tried her best to hide the smile that immediately tugged at the corners of her mouth when she heard his mother speak softly in French, the same language that her son had just used to utter numerous dirty, sexy things in her ear while he’d fucked her until they’d both slid, boneless to the floor.

“I wondered about that,” Edie stuck a spoon in the thick looking sauce that was bubbling on the stove and then blew across it. “He does fall asleep fast.” She paused with the spoon almost at her lips, wincing as she wondered if she was rubbing in the fact that she was sleeping with their son. She glanced up at his mother’s face and Andree’s lips were visibly pursed. “Sorry,” she whispered and then stuck the spoon in her mouth as she made a beeline for the kitchen table.

“You think I’m being overprotective,” Andree said defensively and Edie winced as she pulled the chair out on the opposite side of the table from where Jon’s father was reading the local Chicago rag.

“He’s your son, I think I’d be worried if you weren’t,” she replied calmly while she nervously held onto the edge of the chair. Bryan looked up from the newspaper and gave her a warm smile but then returned to reading without saying another word.

“He’s not…qui est le mot? Worldy like young mister Kane.” Andree made a face as she said Pat’s name like it was something that tasted sour. Edie didn’t exactly blame her, except that now that she’d been forced to spend some time with him, she had to admit he wasn’t quite as bad as she’d thought. Still, she knew what Jon’s mother was driving at, but that she had her editing the first two answers that came to mind.

“I know what you mean, but if you’re trying to say that I’m trying to take advantage of him in any way….”

“You’re not, are you Andree?” He didn’t even look up from the paper when he said it and it had the tone of a man who had gotten used to corralling his wife. Edie smiled over at him and Bryan looked up, just for a minute and winked. When she glanced back towards Jonathan’s mother, however, Edie’s momentary feeling of wellbeing quickly evaporated.  

“You’re wearing that…ring.” Edie looked down at her hand, at the big rock on her hand. It was a little ostentatious, but she’d gotten used to it. “You said you told him no, but you’re wearing that.” Nodding, Edie took a deep breath and reminded herself that this woman had no reason to trust her or take her word for the fact that she really wasn’t a gold digging pucky bunny whore.

“Jon wanted to get married, in Vegas, about a month ago,” she explained in a calm voice and didn’t look up until she heard the gasp. Only then did she meet his mother’s furious gaze. “I know and that’s part of why I said no, to that. Not to him. Not to being with him. I love your son. I tried not to, just so you know, I really tried not to feel anything for him. The thing is, you’ve raised such a sweet, kind, considerate and loving man that it’s hard not to. Impossible in my case, and I’m definitely not a Hawks fan” she added with a shrug and a sigh. “So I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but I’ve moved my whole life here to be with Jon and I’m pretty determined to make this work but I expect we’ll be seeing enough of each other over the next few months that you’ll find that out for yourself.” Edie took another deep breath and then reached for the bottle of Pinot Noir that had been opened and left to breathe in the middle of the table, pouring a healthy dose of it into a glass for herself.

“Andree,” Bryan’s voice cut into the silence that had filled the room after her speech and Edie stopped, mid sip and stared over the rim of the glass at him. “Do you think we raised our son to make a foolish choice? Or do you think we raised him to make good, sound decisions?” Holding her breath, and still holding the glass up to her lips, Edie turned to look over at Andree who was now staring into the still bubbling pot.

“Les bons choix,” Jon’s mother replied through clenched teeth as Edie took a large gulp of the rich, red liquid.

“Then stop treating the poor girl like she’s robbed a bank,” Bryan said in a tone that made it abundantly clear that the conversation was over, and then he turned the page of the paper as Edie tried very hard not to spit wine across the table. 

“You’ll be fine,” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. “You’ve got all the other WAGs to defend you if my mom starts picking on you again,” Jon added and Edie didn’t need to see his face to know that he was fighting not to crack up right now. She was wishing she hadn’t told him that his father had intervened in their bitch session. Far from being sympathetic, Jon thought it was funny. Digging her nails into his ribs through his dress shirt, she felt his sharp intake of breath and grinned.

“I’ll make you pay later,” she promised and heard his deep, breathy chuckle in response.

“Promises, promises,” he laughed as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

“I’ll remember this Tayzer,” she threatened, digging her nails in harder until she heard his sharp intake of breath. “I know all your ticklish spots,” she added, drawing her nails very slowly upwards and though his suit jacket didn’t allow her to get to the exact spot that she knew would immediately have him squirming and giggling like a six year old girl, he still jumped and gasped. “And I know just what to do to torture you,” she added, sliding her hands around to his back and down until she was groping his ass.

“Yeah, but once I’m done I can still torture you until you cum and cum and….”

“Get a roooooooom!” Kane yelled from across the parking lot and Jon laughed as she jumped like she’d been caught with her finger in the icing.

“I should head over to the Preds dressing room and see if anyone wants a hun spot to send him head first into the boards,” she grumbled as Jon took a step back from her, straightening his tie.

“I doubt you’d have to offer them more than a nickel,” he laughed, “but if you want to offer them a hun not to put me into the boards, I wouldn’t say no.”  

“I haven’t decided if I want to take you off you hit list or not,” she replied, baring her teeth at him which only made him laugh.

“If I’m injured, the only one that suffers is you,” he reminded her, reaching to grab her and pull her back towards him but she only danced out of his reach.

“Your mommy’s here to look after you now. I’ll just poke whatever hurts,” she threatened, holding her hands out like claws, nails towards him.

“Not if you want to keep impressing my mother you won’t,” he grinned a challenge back at her and Edie promptly threw up her arms.

“Not fair,” she moaned, her eyes rolling back in her head.

“Oh c’mon, when I got up for dinner you guys all seemed to be doing great,” he added, his tone more sweet as he put his arms around her and hugged her to him. Was there a more comforting feeling in the entire world? She didn’t think so.

“If by getting along you mean sitting around in dead silence while your father watches his boy on the news and your mother does the white glove treatment around the apartment,” she sighed, shutting her eyes and concentrating on the rise and fall of his chest and the warmth of his body pressed close to hers’. What she’d wanted to do when he woke up from his nap was drag him back to bed and have him fuck her until she screamed so loud she chased his mother away.

“Babe, I have a cleaner,” he reminded her in a tone that she could tell meant he was doing his best not to laugh at her but it was clearly a difficult task.

“Well do me a favor,” she looked up into his dark eyes and batted her eyelashes, “don’t tell her, ‘kay?”

“Ummm sweetheart, she hired my cleaner,” he shrugged his massive shoulders and the corners of his lips twitched. Oh yeah, it was costing him a grand effort not to laugh at her.

“Jeeezus! You are a momma’s boy aren’t you?” she battered his chest with her fists but he didn’t let go of her.

“Well she didn’t want me hiring my maid for the same reasons the Pats hired theirs,” he tried to explain as she twisted out of his arms and crossed her own in front of her, pouting. He held his hands out in front of his chest at an impossible distance.

“Even Barbi’s jugs aren’t that big,” she mumbled, but didn’t recoil when he put his arms around her again, but neither did she melt against him.

“You’re doing fine, I can tell,” he promised her, his voice muffled by her hair. “And even if she still hates you after this weekend, you’ll have other chances to win her over.”

“You!” Edie pinched what little skin she could pluck off his bones, it being mid season and he being in the shape of his life.

“Seriously? Injuring me before I even get on the ice? C’mon babe,” he clutched at his sides and did his best to look honestly hurt but the laughter he was holding in made his chocolate brown eyes dance.

“Are you coming to play tonight Toews?” Coach Quinneville smiled from beneath his mustache at the two of them and though he didn’t seem to mind having one of his two stars loved up, Edie always shrank a little under his shrewd gaze. He looked like he should be a cop and a bad ass forty-five carrying mother fucker of a copy at that.

“I don’t know if I can Coach,” Jon continued to feign injury, “I’m injured,” he added, still holding his side.

“Well, better strap some blades to the bottom of those stilettos then Eden or we’ll be a man short. I’m pretty sure your boyfriend’s jock will fit you,” he added with a wink and then continued into the rink.

“Ouch,” Edie grinned at Jonathan who was now staring after his Coach as if he’d been speared through the heart by his best friend. “C’mere you,” she purred, and pulled on the lapels of his suit jacket. Jon’s eyes suddenly got soft as he turned back to look down at her. “Play good, or I might forget where I put your Christmas present.” She offered him her lips and he took them, softly, moving his mouth gently over hers until the mood threatened to shift to something that would make him even later.

“Right after, you guys all come down and we’ll go home together, okay?” Edie nodded and then, as if he didn’t want to go, he cupped her face in his big hands and smiled down at her. “Love you,” he whispered.

“Love you too,” she whispered back and then he smiled, that crooked, happy boyish smile of his that had, from the first, made her heart skip a beat. “Go,” she said softly and his smile changed to the boy going off to the icy pond with his skates and stick in his hand. As he turned to go she wound up and gave his ass a hard smack.

“Hey!” he cried, turning to look at her.

“For luck,” she told him and blew him a kiss, which he caught, mid air and pressed against his heart before turning and heading into the arena.

(okay, I know some of you are going to be upset by this but this feels like...)

Fin / End

Chapter 23

I was actually pretty sure I was going to leave this story as it had ended in the last chapter and maybe pick it up again sometime in the future of Edie and Jon's relationship in a new story, but then, after seeing JT in the post game interview after the Hawk's win last night...well...I had this dream and...well you decide

It was unusual to get a long home stand before Christmas. Jon couldn’t really remember the last time he hadn’t been flying home Christmas Eve or flying his parents into somewhere. In fact he couldn’t remember the last time they’d had so many home games in December. It must be some kind of secondary prize for winning The Cup, he thought to himself as he snuggled closer to the warm body next to him.

He’d never, ever decorated his place for Christmas either. He never had the time. He wasn’t as bad as some of his teammates at least he did make time to shop for Christmas presents. In fact, he was usually done by now, with nothing but the wrapping left to do. This year he had one more present to get.

“I have to go to practice soon,” he whispered, sliding his hand down into the valley of her waist and up onto her hip. She made a sleepy sort of mewing sound and pressed her ass back against him. Smiling to himself, Jon pressed his lips to the curve of her neck and was rewarded with contented sounding sigh. “What does the lady of leisure have planned for today?” She grunted her displeasure at being teased but didn’t argue the point. It wasn’t her fault that the position promised her at Judge and Dolph wasn’t available until the New Year but that didn’t stop him from teasing her about all of her spare time.

“I have things to do,” she grumbled into the pillow as she rolled over and pulled her knees up beneath her giving him better and easier access to her soft, warm centre. Jon slid his hand over the curve of her ass and then slid his fingers along her velvety folds.

“So what are you doing today?” he asks, pressing his fingers up against her clit while he pressed his lips to a spot between her shoulders that sent a fine trembling through her entire body.

“I have to get groceries,” she gasped, a little breathless as she dug her fingers into the pillow.

“We can order dinner you know,” he whispered into her ear. “You don’t have to cook a big meal to impress my mother,” he added, brushing her hair aside so that he could kiss the nape of her neck.

“I want to,” she whispered, her body leaning heavily against his as she turned to look towards him. “I want her to like me.” Jon pressed his lips to her shoulder as he met her worried gaze.

“What’s not to like?” She smiled at him and then let her head drop down, her hair falling over her face as she let out a long, low groan as he slid two fingers inside of her and bent them up to press them against that spot that made her tip her head back and cry out. A month of waking up next to her nearly every morning and he wasn’t tired of this yet.

“Please,” she whimpered, turning to look at him over her shoulder, her big cat green eyes pleading.

“Please what babe?” he grinned back at her, holding her gaze while he kissed his way down the length of her spine, each caress causing her to shiver beneath him. She groaned and closed her eyes again, letting all of that dark espresso coloured hair fall in front of her face. Reaching forward, he gathered a handful of it, gently moving it away from her face. “What do you want Eden?” She opened those amazing cat like eyes of hers’ and glared. Jon grinned back at her, waiting. She hated begging. He kind of liked it.

“Just give it to me,” she demanded, her full, ripe bottom lip jutting out defiantly and her jade green eyes narrowed threateningly. Feeling playful, Jon opened his eyes wide and stared blankly back at her.

“Give you what? What do you want?” Sliding his hand free, he brought it down on her ass cheek hard enough to make a good sound but not, he hoped, hard enough to hurt. Edie hissed like a snake but didn’t wince. Instead, a mischievous but not at all innocent smile grew on her face as she wiggled her ass at him.

“Do that again…I dare you.” The palm of his hand still tingled where it hand come in contact with her bare flesh as he raised it again only this time as he brought his hand down, she squealed and scooted off the side of the bed, landing on her feet and ran out of the room. Laughing, Jon jumped off of the bed and ran after her.

“Get back here you tease!” he called after her, stopping to listen for the sounds of her foot falls.

“Don’t you have practice to go to?” she called, peeking around the corner from the kitchen.

“Not yet,” he called back, running for the kitchen and skidding around the corner in time for her to disappear into the living room. “Get back here woman!”

“Or you’ll do what?” she yelled back, appearing, for an instant before he could hear her running down the hall followed by the sound of the bathroom door slamming. Jon shook his head and headed down the hall. He tugged on the door. It was locked.

“Edie…Edie open the door,” he sighed, looking down at the handle expectantly. When it didn’t turn he sighed, shook his head again and banged on the door. “What the hell Edes?”

“Just a minute,” she called back and Jon shook his head again.

“Edes, I don’t really have that much time. What are you doing?” Leaning against the door, he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

“Getting this.” She reappeared with what looked like a painter’s box. “I bought new sheets, I thought we’d use these before I wash those and put them in the cupboard.” Jon looked down at the box as she opened it and then back up at her. Edie grinned. “It’s edible chocolate paint. You game?”

“Yeah,” he grinned back at her. “Fuck practice. Let’s paint.” 

“Is that you babe?” Edie tossed that last new throw pillow on the bed and then reached down to loosen her robe. She hadn’t planned on buying him anymore gifts when she was out but she’d walked past a fancy Parisian lingerie store three times while she’d been in the mall and every time the red and white striped satin bustier that looked like a candy cane kept calling out to her. She’d bought the matching ruffled panties and green and red striped thigh highs with red bows on the top. There was no point in saving them for Christmas Eve, considering his parents would be here by then and for some reason Jon didn’t think they should stay at a hotel.

“There’s lots of room,” he’d told her with this puzzled look on his face, like she’d suggested something entirely off the wall.

“I’d never ask my parents to stay here,” Edie grumbled to herself as she took one last look at the bed with its brand new gold, taupe and black Chelsea Frank bedding set, complete with silk and velvet cushions and throws. It was still masculine and dark to go with the rest of his boring brown furniture, but now there was some texture and prints that said a woman lived there. “Babe did you get my text? Did you bring home some wine?” she called as she slipped into the pair of black patent leather Louboutin platform heels that Jon had bought her for Christmas but hadn’t been able to keep himself from asking her to wear them immediately…in bed.

Edie chuckled to herself at the memory of him running his fingers over the long slim heel and then up the back of her calf. She gave a little shiver as she looked down at her legs. They looked two miles long.

“Jonny?” she called and then rolled her eyes. He was probably still wearing his iPod, lighting candles and opening the wine. She strode out of the bedroom and down the hallway and, as she turned the corner into the kitchen, she decided to undo her red satin robe and let it hang loose to let him get the full effect. “Merry Christmas baby,” she purred and then stopped dead in her tracks.

She didn’t have to ask who they were. What other middle aged couple would be prowling around in the semi dark that obviously had keys and didn’t feel the need to knock.

“You must be Andree,” Edie pulled her robe closed as she felt her face burn. The woman stared back at her and didn’t reach out to take the hand that Edie offered.

“Et qui croyez-vous que vous exécutez environ la moitié maison de mon fils nus?”

Jon whistled to himself as he pulled his keys out of his pockets, sliding the bottle of champagne under his arm and the bouquet of roses under the other. One more game and he was a free man for a few, precious days. Plus, this was going to be his first Christmas with Eden, and his parents, which was why he’d brought the roses and the Champagne and not just the bottle of red that she’d asked him to bring home. She was stressed about his parents coming and tonight he wanted to persuade her that everything was going to be okay, that his parents were going to love her because he did.

Pushing the door open, he pocketed his keys and kicked the door closed behind him while he rearranged his bundles in his hands.

“Honey I’m home,” he called as he toed off his shoes and then went back to humming to himself. As a professional hockey player, it wasn’t strictly forbidden to spend his ‘nap time’ having sex, but it was something that was not only frowned upon but also openly discouraged. It was something he knew that Kaner did, if not on a fairly regular basis than at least often enough that it should have affected his game. Jon didn’t think it had, or not enough to discourage him from spending the next couple of hours in bed with Edie doing that Spanish Butterfly thing that Brooksy had been talking about during practice.

He was still thinking about that when he rounded the corner and headed into the living room to find that Eden was not alone and she was definitely not in the mood to get it on.

“Maman, papa…vous n’étiez pas censé être ici jusqu’à demain,” he mumbled, sending Edie an apologetic look which she ignored in a very obvious way. She was wearing those expensive sexy shoes that he’d bought her, some striped stockings and a red robe. He was trying not to imagine what was, or was not underneath, or what he was going to be missing out on.

“Allez-vous nous présenter la jeune fille?” his mother asked, her gaze locked on Edie who was studying the toes of her shoes and, by the look of it, grinding her teeth. “Et maintenant s’il vous plaît me dire que l’anneau n’est pas de vous.” 

“Maman, papa, this is Edie…Eden…my fiancée.” This was going to suck. There was no way around it. Edie was clearly pissed, and she had a right to be. He’d meant to tell them but he’d just wanted to do it face to face. He’d wanted to do it when he picked them up at the airport tomorrow but it was obviously too late for that. His mother….

“Mon fils, nous n’avons jamais recontre cette fille,” his mother glanced at Edie who shot him a dark, threatening look. Yeah, this was going to suck, big time.

“I know…and I meant to tell you,” he began, feeling like he was five again, caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Or worse, when he was eleven, caught red handed with his dad’s Playboys. “Je viens d’être tellement absorbé par tout, I guess I just didn’t think….” Jon bit back the rest of his words before they helped him to dig the hole he was already in even deeper. Both his mother and Edie looked up at him with the same ‘I dare you to say it’ expression on their faces. “And we’re not engaged…not properly anyway,” he continued, trying his best to fill in the hole, even if it meant pulling the dirt in on top of him. “She said no, for now,” he added, sending another hopeful glance towards Edie who rolled her eyes at him.

“You said no to my son?” His mother raised her eyebrows and it was all Jon could do not to laugh. One minute his mom was pissed because Edie might have said yes and now the mother bear was insulted that she’d said no.

“I did,” Edie replied affording him a sideways glance that was almost forgiving. “I thought he was moving a little fast. I wanted to meet you…both of you, first. Get to know, let you get to know me, know that you can trust me. This,” she added, smoothing the red satin robe over her knees as best she could in an attempt to preserve some modesty, “was not really the way I wanted this meeting to go.” As Jon watched his mother consider Edie’s words while Edie chewed anxiously on her bottom lip, he couldn’t help but recall with a smile Edie saying that her first meeting with his mother would be an awkward one. He wondered if her lighthearted words were haunting her now.

“And you’re…living here…with Jon?” He took that as his cue to cross the floor, handing his mother the roses as if he’d always meant them to be hers’ and handed the bottle of Cristale to Edie before leaning in and kissing her cheek. She was looking like she wanted something to hold onto.

“She is mom and she has a job…or will after Christmas,” he added, because he didn’t lie to his parents. That hadn’t been the way he was raised. He sat on the edge of the chair that Edie was sitting in as if she was sitting in front of a firing squad and put his arm around her shoulders. “But I’m just doing what you told me to do, both of you,” he added, looking to his Dad who so far had kept his own counsel. His father returned his son’s confident smile with a slight nod. “I’m following my heart. This is right and after you’ve been here for a couple of days, you’ll know it too.”

Chapter 22

Another rum and coke appeared in front of him as he heard a butt settling into the seat at the bar immediately beside him. Shaking his head, Jon sighed and picked up the drink to take a sip.

“How’d you know where to find me?”

“You’re so fucking predictable,” Kaner replied in that way of his that said he’s pretty proud of himself and everyone else should be too.

“Am I?” Jon asked, swirling the ice around in the drink before taking another sip. “Yeah, I guess I am.” I must be, he thought, or Patrick wouldn’t have found him in this random hotel bar. Not the hotel they were staying in. He wasn’t even sure which one it was. He had just walked until he got hot and thirsty and then went into the closest door and looked for a bar, which, luckily, hadn’t been that hard to do in Vegas.

“So, are you crazy about the chick or what?” Jon tursn and look quizzically at Patrick who’s just staring back at hin like he’s actually interested in the answer, which can’t be right. Kaner doesn’t give a shit about anyone’s life but his own.

“You don’t have to keep me company or make small talk and shit,” he muttered, downing the rest of the drink and then signaling the bartender for another.

“No, man…really, because your fiancée is pretty upset that you walked out on her.” Staring at the bottom of his empty glass, Jon considered chewing on the ice.

“She’s not my fiancée. She said no. Or did you miss that part?” he grumbled, deciding that he would chew on the ice after all, tossing a couple of cubes into his mouth. They make a satisfying sound as he crunches them into a hundred pieces which he then proceeds to roll around his mouth so his tongue can feel as numb as the rest of his body does.

 “I don’t think she meant no,” Kane replies, like there’s an actual possibility that he had heard wrong, which couldn’t be right. Jon knew what he’d heard. He also knew that she had tried to put a positive spin on turning him down. Like that’s possible.

“Yeah? Well, you’re the only person I know that would think no meant something else,” he grumbled, reaching for the drink the bartender was putting in front of me before he can even stop filling it. “Shots…tequila…like ten of them,” Jon instructed him, right before downing the entire glass of rum and coke, leaving a satisfyingly smooth burning sensation at the back of his throat.

“You don’t do shots,” Kaner shook his head at the bartender and made one of those faces that says ‘my friend is crazy, don’t listen to him’.

“I don’t propose very well either, apparently,” Jon showed his friend his teeth like he was some kind of rabid dog and Patrick just rolled his eyes in return. “I guess there’s a first and last time for everything.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that,” Patrick shrugged and grabbed the first shot the bartender pours and threw it down his throat.  He didn’t reach for the salt or the lime, hardcore.“You’re no fun when you’re pissed about something. This weekend was supposed to be fun and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re kinda bringing down the tone.” If he hadn’t already been in such a foul mood, that might have made Jon laugh, as it was, he afforded his teammate the briefest of smiles as he reached for the next shot but Pat’s reflexes were that much faster and he was already tipping the golden liquid into his mouth. “Ya snooooze ya loooose,” he shrugs and then, surprisingly, waves off the next pour. “That includes your girlfriend. If you want to salvage the weekend and stop moping around then you’d better get a move on. Sharpie was going to take her to the airport.”

Jon wanted to shrug it off, to act like he didn’t care but almost as soon as he thought to do that, he found himself already pushing away from the bar and sliding off of the bar stool. H was pissed and more than just a little humiliated but he still loved her.

“Well don’t just sit there Kaner. Let’s go.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Kane grinned and spun his chair around before hopping off and marching ahead, like a man on a mission. 

Looking like something from the set of a Star Trek movie, Moon was the bar at the top of the Palms with a roof that slid open to let in the cool night air and the sparkle of the stars overhead. That wasn’t the reason she’d picked it, nor was it because it was in the same hotel in which they were staying. The reason she’d chosen this spot was for the dramatic staircase on which she was currently standing, nervously rolling a thick, silver band in the palm of her hand.

“Here they come!” Sharpe came running into the private club, waving for one of the servers to dim the lights until only Edie was lit. Her skin prickled in anticipation. Her stomach felt like it was home to a hive of bees.

“I thought we were going to the airport,” she heard Jon complain loudly as Kane pushed, pulled and dragged him into the empty club. She didn’t know how they’d done it, or how much it had cost, but she was grateful to the two Patrick’s. She’d have to figure out some way of thanking them, later, if this went well.

“Stop yer bitchin’ and get in here,” Kane cajoled, giving her a thumbs up and a wink as he gave Jon one, last hard push that brought him, stumbling to the bottom of the stairs.

He blinked up at her, clearly surprised. Well, that had been the idea. The element of surprise and the ethereal lighting added to the drama of the moment. Edie knew what the dress she was wearing had looked like under the harsh light of the boutique shop she’d bought it in, or rather Seabrook had handed over his credit card once he’d seen her go a little green around the gills when she’d looked at the price tag. As Jon looked up at her now and any and all trace of annoyance leaked out of his features, she knew that even if she had to pay his teammates back a few dollars a week for ten years, this moment had been utterly worth the exorbitant price tag and double sided tape that was keeping the Grecian style strapless dress in place.

“Jesus…fuck you’re beautiful,” he breathed, still standing at the foot of the steps, staring up at her now with an expression that could entirely summed up in one word, astonishment. Taking a deep, steadying breath Edie slipped the ring on her thumb, held out her hand and watched each and every step he took until he was just one step below her and they were eye to eye.

“Still mad at me?” she asked quietly and watched while he fought with the obviously warring emotions inside him at that moment.

“Disappointed,” he answered finally, taking her hand in both of his and looking down at it as he turned it over and ran the pad of his thumb along her life line. “I thought we were on the same page.”

“I don’t think we’re all that far off,” she told him sincerely. He looked up at her through his long, dark eyelashes. There was a brief glimmer of hope in his eyes that, as quickly as it had risen, was swallowed up by hurt and anger. She hated that she’d wounded his pride. “I do love you.”

“I know,” he shrugged and cast his eyes back down to their joined hands. “I guess I uh…I guess I just rushed things…or whatever.”

“Maybe just a bit,” she smiled at him, trying to be encouraging and squeezed his hand but when he looked up, there was no sign that he was going to find any humor in this situation. Okay, get on with it girl, put the poor boy out of his misery she told herself, taking another deep, centering breath. “Jonathon Brian Toews, will you not marry me?” she asked, and waited for him to decipher what she’d just said. She knew he had when he looked up at her with his dark eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. He thought she was making fun of him. “Will you let me quit my job and move to Chicago and meet all your friends first? Will you invite your parents down so we can have that awkward moment at the door when your mom realizes that I’m actually living with you and she doesn’t even know me? Will you take me shopping and let me use your credit card so I can make some little stock girl jealous?” That did it. That had finally made Captain Seriously upset smile. Cradling his cheek with her other hand, Edie let all of her feelings for him fill her eyes. “Then, when the summer comes around, will you take me to your lake and let me bait your hook and cook the fish that you catch and figure out just exactly who Jonathan Bryan Toews not the hockey player is? And then, after all that’s done and if you still think that you can put up with me,” she worked her hand free from his and slid the solid, silver wring from her thumb and reached for his hand, “will you do me the honor of making me the luckiest girl in the whole world and marry me?” His chocolate brown eyes filled with silvery tears and the relief on his face was palpable as he nodded exuberantly before throwing his arms around her and lifting her off of her feet. 

“Yes, fucking yes!” His voice was muffled with his face pressed into her hair but she could tell by the clapping and earsplitting wolf whistles that were coming from below that his boys didn’t need to hear the words to know that he’d said what she hadn’t been able to. Not that any of that seemed to matter now. 

“So do you forgive me now?” she asked as he watched her trace invisible patterns on his chest as I ran my fingers through her hair. The lights from the strip kept catching the ring on his hand and every time it did, it made him smile.

“Mmmm, if you do that again, I might think about it,” Jon teased, grinning down at her as she wrinkled her cute little nose up at him. He wondered if he’d ever get to the point where he could take for granted how this woman made him feel, if he could ever get bored of watching her eyes roll back in her head as she screamed out his name and dug her fingernails into his back. Maybe he would, maybe not. He hoped he never did.

“Seriously though, do you?” she asked, resting her chin on the back of her hands in the middle of his chest and staring up at him. “Do you understand why I said what I did?” He noticed that she didn’t bring up the whole ‘no’ thing, which was probably wise. There was still a part of him that was stung over it.

“Yeah, I get it,” he sighed, twirling her hair around his finger and wondering just how many shades of brown there was in the world. He could see milk chocolate, espresso, bronze, walnut….

“Then what are you thinking about?” she asked, digging her nails into his pectoral muscle until he flinched.

“Nothing much,” he answered honestly, letting the curl slide off of his finger and watching as it bounced back into place. “Right now, I sort of feel like I don’t have to think about anything and…,” he grinned down at her and smiled, “I really like that feeling.” Her eyes danced and he full lips turned up in a grin that he knew as well as he knew his teammate Kane’s, meant nothing but trouble.

“So you’re all…relaxed?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. Jon shook his head and laughed.

“What? What are you gonna do?” He watched her disappear backwards beneath the sheets and closed his eyes, anticipating her warm, wet mouth sliding down over his…and then he heard her footsteps on the floor and his eyes sprang open. She was still wearing the gold strappy heels that laced all the way up to her knees, but now she was also wearing his away jersey and leaning, suggestively, against the floor to ceiling glass wall, biting down on her bottom lip and giving him that ‘come hither’ stare of hers’ that he had not been able to resist, ever.

“Are you sure you’re not still just a little bit mad?” she asked, her bottom lip jutting out as she batted her eyelashes at him coquettishly. Shaking his head, he tossed the sheets aside and walked over to her, pressing his body against hers and his hands, flush to the window on either side of her head.

“Oh, I’m still a little mad,” he growled into her neck and felt her entire body shudder in response. He felt her hands sweep up his back as he kissed his way up to her lips, capturing her mouth beneath his as her fingers dug into his shoulders. He felt more than heard her moan as he slid his hand down and then up under his jersey, sliding it slowly up over the curve of her hip, into the valley of her waist and then up until he was cupping her breast, feeling the weight of it in his hand. He ran his thumb over her nipple as it hardened into a tight little peak that made her gasp when he pinched it. Her hands slid down his back, making him shiver or was the room cold? There was one spot that was hot, of that he was certain. “Turn around baby,” he whispered against her mouth.

She needed no more encouragement than that. With her hands pressed against the cool pane of glass and her feet spread wide apart to give him the best access, he sheathed himself inside of her, groaning as her warm, wet heat enveloped him. How many other couples were doing the same thing in Vegas tonight he wondered as he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her back against him, steadying her as he buried himself as deeply in her as her body would allow.

“I love you,” she sighed, arching her neck and looking back at him, offering her sweet mouth to him. He kissed her, hard, forcing his tongue into her mouth as his free hand sought out the sweet ripe berry of her nipple. She bucked against him when he pinched it, pressing the soft flesh of her ass against his thighs.

“You feel so good,” he told her, sliding his hand down over her stomach and down, into the slick cleft between her thighs. She cried out when his fingers began to work her clit. Her body tightened around his and he felt his balls tuck up tight. “Cum with me baby,” he asked, working her nipple and her clit at the same time, her little whimpers and moans egging him on, making him harder, thicker until he thought his brain was going to explode from the amazing sensations. “I’m gonna fill you up,” he promised as pushed back against him, meeting each of his thrusts as best she could.

“Do it. Fucking do it. Cum in me baby,” she whimpered, bending at the waist and shoving her ass against him.

“Cum with me Edie,” he hissed, knowing he was close, that buzzing in his ears and the almost painful tightening of his scrotum serving as a ten second warning.

“So close…yeah baby,” she sighed, one of her hands reaching down to press his hand down more firmly over her clit. “Like that, oh god, yeah like that,” she gasped, her head falling back, her eyes closed, a depraved smile on her face.  He felt her pussy clenching around his dick and then her entire body twitched and he was gone.

“Oh fuuuuuuck Edie. Fuck I love you,” he groaned, his knees almost buckling as stars swam in front of his eyes or was it all the lights of the strip and did it matter? All was right in his world. “I love you,” he whispered again as her body went limp in his arms, as they slid apart and with the last of his strength he swept her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed.

“I’m such a lucky girl,” she mumbled, curling her body against his as he pulled the sheets up over them both, tucking them under her chin as he put his arms around her. “I love you Captain Serious,” she whispered against the curve of his neck and Jonathan grinned to himself as he closed his eyes.