“Calm down there, frisky,” Sutton says with a grin. “I don’t want you peeing your pants.”

“You know…I always want to jump Garrett’s bones, but I think I’m going to just spontaneously combust when he comes out on the ice.”

Sutton starts snickering, but then leans over and whispers to me conspiratorially, “I know exactly what you mean. Something about Alex in his hockey gear…let me just say, home game nights are always the best in our house.”

I nod over her sage advice, and I’m sure things are about to get hotter between Garrett and me once the season starts. Although…it’s going to be pretty hard to top what we’ve done so far. While Garrett and I didn’t stay together Monday night because of his early-morning run, he’s stayed the last two nights at my apartment, and we are pretty much insatiable around each other.

Now that Garrett is convinced I’m back to feeling one hundred percent of my normal self, I think he’s made it his mission to pound me practically through the mattress. My muscles are always a little sore the next morning, but, damn…so worth it.

Just this morning, we both overslept because we had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning banging out multiple orgasms. I hastily jumped in the shower, shouting a quick goodbye to Garrett, who had just about enough time to make it back to Raleigh and skid into his practice on time. I had been under the hot spray of water for no more than ten seconds when Garrett was stepping into the shower behind me.

“What are you doing?” I practically screeched, because he scared the hell out of me.

He wrapped one arm around my waist and the other dropped down between my legs while his erection burned against my backside. The minute his fingers hit my clit, my head dropped back on his shoulder and I managed to moan out, “But you’ll be late for practice.”

“Maybe not,” he growled into my ear just before nipping it with his teeth. “Depends how fast I can get you and me off.”

Turns out…it took less than a minute for me the first time, and a satisfying seven minutes later, I had come fantastically again, and Garrett followed right behind me. As he gave me a swift kiss and jumped out of the shower, he grinned at me and said, “So worth it to be a few minutes late.”

“What happens if you’re late?” I asked, even as he walked out of the bathroom.

“Extra drills,” he shouted back so I could hear him over the water. “But again…so worth it.”

I giggled and then hurried up with the rest of my shower, because I didn’t want to be late to work. After I got dressed, I couldn’t help but melt further when I saw the note that Garrett had left.

Made you a bagel. On counter. Again, the extra drills are worth it.

I read the stupid note probably three times while I ate my breakfast, my smile getting wider and wider. When I got down to my car, I found a little wildflower—really just a weed of a flower—stuck underneath my windshield wiper, and I literally sighed like a simpering schoolgirl.

I know Garrett had doubts about his dating abilities, but so far…he is nailing it. Forget how sweet he is and the little things he does to brighten my day. Forget about the way he dominates my body in bed and is never satisfied until I’ve been satisfied more than him. Yes, forget all of those things. The reason he’s nailing it is because he has chosen to be with a woman that has cancer, even knowing that it’s ugly, brutal, and terrifying. He’s taking a risk with his heart, made even more magnanimous by the fact that he’s not really been in a real relationship before. At least not to my knowledge. He’s taking his first foray into the monogamy game, and he’s chosen a hard bet.

The scraping sound of skates hitting the ice filters in, and my eyes sweep the ice as the players pour onto it. It’s hard to recognize them, because they don’t have on their game jerseys. About half the players are in plain white jerseys and half in plain black.

My eyes roam over each player briefly, and immediately I recognize Garrett. Even with his helmet on, I recognize the length of his hair and his strong jaw and chin in profile. When he turns my way, his green eyes glow and he raises his hand slightly in a wave to me.

It feels like a million little mice are pitter-pattering over my heart, and, yeah…I’m also hit with a rush of desire for this man, because, damn…he’s so fucking hot decked out in his gear.

“Close your mouth,” Sutton whispers to me. “I’m afraid drool might start flowing out.”

I shoot her a quick glare, but snap my mouth shut so I don’t slobber all over myself.

“Hey, Sutton,” I hear, and my head turns to find a really pretty girl about my age with dark blond hair plopping down into the seat next to her.

“Hey, Gina. Where’s Benjamin?” Sutton asks.

“My parents are visiting and they have him for the day. Figured I’d come out and watch the scrimmage.”

Sutton turns to me. “Olivia…this is Gina Toast. Her man is Zack Grantham and they have an adorable little boy named Benjamin.”

I reach across Sutton and shake Gina’s hand. “I’m Olivia…Sutton’s cousin. Nice to meet you.”

She gives me a wide, friendly smile. “Likewise. So, coming out to help Sutton support Alex?”

Before I can even answer, Sutton jumps in and with relish says, “No way. She’s dating Garrett. He’s nuts about her.”

Gina’s jaw drops and her gaze slowly slides back and forth between me and Sutton. “Get out of town.”