He swallowed. “I know already. Who told you?” he asked after exhaling a shaky breath.
“I overheard my dad talking to him on the phone. So it’s true? He really did do it?”
“Yes.” He swallowed. “Nicklaus took a bribe, too—he’s our goalie.” His anger returned like a punch to the gut. “I can’t believe they would do that. Especially Sam.”
“I’m sorry,” Hayden said again, reaching up to touch his chin with her warm fingers. “But I think forgiveness will come in time. If I can forgive my dad, maybe you’ll be able to forgive your friend.”
Brody faltered. “And if I can’t?”
“I’ll help you.” She smiled glibly. “I’m good at forgiveness. After all, didn’t I forgive you for dumping me?”
“I panicked, okay? And I only suggested we put things on hol—” He stopped when he saw the amusement in her eyes. “You’re not mad,” he said.
“Of course not.” She ran her index finger along the curve of his jaw. “I can’t stay mad at the man I love.”
He held his breath, not daring to give in to the sheer bliss threatening to spill over. “You mean that?”
“Yes.” She lifted her other hand and cupped his chin with both her hands. “I love you, Brody. I know I kept fighting you whenever you said we were perfect for each other, but…I’m not fighting anymore.” She exhaled slowly. “I’ve fallen for you, hockey star. The earth moves when we’re together and I love it. I love you.”
The joy in his heart spilled over, warming his insides and making his pulse skate through his veins like a player on a breakaway.
“I’m willing to be part of the hockey lifestyle for as long as it takes,” she added, certainty shining in her eyes. “I’ll even go to your games.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “But I’ll probably bring some lecture notes to work on, you know, because I still don’t particularly like hockey, but I’ll make an effort to—”
He silenced her with a kiss, but pulled away just as she parted her lips to let him in.
“I won’t play hockey forever, Hayden,” he said softly. “And I’m already trying to work on the possibility of signing with a West Coast team next season. That way you can keep teaching at Berkeley, and we could—” his voice cracked “—we could get started on building a life together. A home.”
As he said the words, he knew without a doubt that’s what he wanted. A home with Hayden. A life with the one woman who looked past his uniform and saw the man beneath it. He’d been searching for her for so long, and now that he’d found her, he wasn’t about to let her go. Ever.
“I love you, Hayden,” he said roughly. “More than hockey, more than being successful, more than life. I want to wake up every morning and see one of your sleepy smiles, go to bed every night pressed up against you, have kids with you, grow old with you.” He put his hands on her slender hips and pulled her toward him. “Will you let me do that?”
Twining her arms around his neck, she leaned up and kissed him, a long, lingering kiss that promised love and laughter and hot, endless sex. Pulling back, just an inch, she whispered, “Yes,” and then raised her lips to his again.
“Should we seal the deal?” he murmured against her hot, pliant mouth.
“God, yes.”
Deepening the kiss, he untucked her shirt from the waistband of her skirt and slid his hands underneath, filling his palms with the feel of her silky skin. His tongue sought hers. His hands found her breasts.
Hayden moaned. “No, not here.” Breaking contact, she darted over to the nightstand and pulled out a condom. Without another word, she grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the bedroom to the middle of the narrow hallway.
“Here,” she said, a playful light dancing in her eyes.
He looked at the spot she’d chosen, chuckling when he realized this was the first place they’d made love. On the hallway floor, while Hayden writhed beneath him and squeezed his ass and pushed him into her as deep as he could go.
“Here is perfect,” he answered huskily.
He drew her into his arms, claiming her with his mouth, and they were both breathless by the time the kiss ended. Gently stroking her cheek, he gave her another soft kiss, then began peeling her clothes from her body. First her shirt, then the bra, the skirt, the panties, until she was standing naked in front of him, a vision of perfection. He marveled at her silky curves and perfect skin, those beautiful breasts, the shapely legs…God, he couldn’t believe she was his. All his.