“I promise, next time, I’ll knock your socks off,” he whispered against her neck.

She giggled as she lazily ran her fingers up his back. “You did knock my socks off—what are you talking about?”

“That was short,” he said shyly, causing her body to shake with laughter.

“I got off and you got off; I’m good. You are delicious in every way, Karson. I am completely satisfied.”

Smiling at her, he leaned over, pressing his lips to the side of her mouth. “Still, next time, I’m going to make you come over and over again.”

She grinned cheekily. “I can’t wait.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close as he kissed her temple, basking in the feel of her nakedness against him. She was so beautiful, and to him, nothing was wrong with her. As much as he wanted to look at her naked and enjoy her, he knew they needed to get dressed.

“We should probably get dressed before Grady comes back.”

“Just little longer,” she whispered against his jaw as she cuddled closer.

“Okay,” he agreed as their legs tangled up with each other. The room was completely silent except for the clock on the wall ticking and the guys downstairs. Karson knew that the locked door wouldn’t keep Grady out, but he couldn’t bring himself to get up to get dressed. This was the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Grady might need to get used to seeing them together, naked and otherwise.

“Karson,” Lacey whispered. He looked down to see her staring at him, her pale green eyes locking her gaze with his as she worked her bottom lip with her teeth.

“Yeah?”

“If you asked me to go with you when you leave, I’d go without hesitation.”

He never expected that, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t beyond happy to hear her say it. “Really?”

She nodded. “I don’t want to be apart from you, and I can go to school wherever you get picked up. I’ll take out loans and get a job. It will work as long as we have each other, right?”

“Yeah, it will.”

With a grin, she said, “Good, ’cause I think so, too.”

As she cuddled into him, Karson wrapped his arms a little tighter around her, placing sweet kisses against her chest and then her neck before looking up into her eyes. “Hey, Lacey?”

“Yeah?” she whispered against his lips.

“Will you go with me wherever I go?”

He knew the answer, but hearing her say it made it ten times sweeter. Looking down into his sparkling eyes, she smiled as she answered, “Yes.”

Coming off the ice, Karson headed toward his locker, lowering himself onto the bench as he gasped for breath. It was a tough practice but a needed one. They had their first play-off game the following day, and Karson was ready to win. This was his last season as a Cat, and he planned to go out with a bang. It had been decided that morning. He was going into the draft, and he was beyond excited. Especially now that his girl would come with him, wherever he went.

Removing his jersey and then his shirt, he bent over to undo his skates as everyone filed in, doing the same. He wanted to hit the showers before heading home for a nap. He was meeting Lacey that night for dinner with his parents, and while he was excited for his mom and dad to meet her, he couldn’t wait to tell her that he was going to go into the draft. She would be excited for him, proud even, and that put a little pep in his step as he slid his skates off before hanging them in his locker. Removing his girdle and then shorts, he wrapped a towel around his waist and proceeded to the showers.

“King.”

He looked over his shoulder to see Coach standing in the doorway. “Yeah, Coach?”

“When you’re done, come to my office.”

Karson nodded. “Sure.”

Not knowing what that was about since they’d had a meeting that morning with his dad, Karson hurried in the shower before getting dressed and heading to his office. After he knocked, Coach looked up and said, “Shut the door and come in.”

Karson did as he was asked before falling into the seat in front of his desk. “What’s up, Coach?”

Coach sat there for a moment, moving his fingers along the desk, and then finally looked up. “You’re not going to like what I’m about to say, but I have to protect my daughter.”

Karson’s whole body went cold as his coach’s pale green eyes held his. Choosing not to say anything, he waited as Coach gathered his words. He slowly stood, looking at Karson as his hand came to rest on his hips. “You love her?”

“Yes,” he said, like a promise.

“Then let her go.”

“I can’t do that,” he said, sitting up in his seat. “I need her. I love her. I know you want to protect her, but I promise I’ll do just that. I’ll make you proud, Coach.”

“She wants to go with you wherever you go, and we both know it won’t be Chicago. She can’t leave. She needs to finish her education—for free, I might add—and she needs to be here with her family, not off somewhere where you’re going to leave her when you’re on the road.”

He had a point, but Karson had every plan to love and protect Lacey. He just had to ease his coach’s doubts. “I understand your concern, Coach, but she will be fine. She plans to go to school and work while I play. When I start making the big bucks, I’ll buy her the business she wants and then she can work from home. We’ve got a plan, one I believe in.”