Wild Ever After: A Marriage of Convenience Sports Romance (Wildcat Hockey Book 3)

I wake up early Monday morning alone. I sit up and look for any sign of Jade. Stubborn woman is going to give me an ulcer. She refuses to stay off her feet. Yesterday, I only succeeded by giving her multiple orgasms every time she tried to get out of bed.

After pulling on sweats and a T-shirt, I head downstairs.

“Hey,” she says, glancing up from her laptop. Her fingers continue to fly over the keypad. “Coffee is made, and I cooked you an omelet.”

“You should be resting,” I remind her as I kiss her good morning.

“I am.” She points to her right foot propped up on a chair.

“Uh-huh,” I say, not at all convinced. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I haven’t been to bed yet.”

One brow lifts. “No? I seem to remember someone that looked a whole lot like you screaming out my name minutes before I passed out.”

Her face flushes. “You passed out, but I did not.”

“Damn. I’m losing my touch,” I mutter as I walk over to the stove to get my food and a cup of coffee. I take both back to the table and sit across from her. “After breakfast, I’ll have to try again.”

Smiling, Jade looks up and takes a sip from her mug. “You were amazing. You’re always amazing.”

“Mhmm. Obviously not, if you had the energy to stay up all night.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I had a new idea for the article I wrote on our first six months together, and my brain wouldn’t rest until I got it out. I rewrote the entire thing. It’s either the best thing I’ve ever written or I’m delirious from lack of sleep. Can you drive me into the office on your way to the arena?” Her words come fast and bubbly. She’s so amped up.

Yep. Definitely losing my touch.

“You’re going to work today?”

“I know what you’re thinking,” she says.

“You need to rest. Can’t you work from here for a day or two?”

“And I will. I promise. I just need to go in this morning.”

I grind my back teeth. “Yes, I will take you, but the rest of the week, you’re staying home, even if I have to skip practice and hold you down.”

“Ooooh. That sounds promising.” She grins at me playfully.

I’m thankful our game this week is at home or I’d be tempted to sneak her onto the team jet.

“Dinner tonight?” I ask. “I’ll pick up something and then we should probably talk about a few things.”

Her smile dims. “Right.”

I reach across the table and take her hand. We spent yesterday naked and making each other feel good, and as much as I’d love to live like that forever, there are things we need to figure out to truly move forward.

“Can we talk earlier in the day? Lunch?”

I do a quick mental run through of my schedule and then nod. “Yeah. I have a break around noon.”

“That’s perfect.” She beams.

I drop off Jade at the curb outside of her work. “If you’re foot starts bothering you at all, call me or have Scarlett run you to the house. If I don’t answer, call the arena and tell them it’s a family emergency.”

“I am fine.”

“You’re not fine. You have a broken foot.”

She leans over and cups my cheek as she brushes her lips over mine in a quick kiss. “In a few hours, you can whisk me home where I promise to rest.”

“I’m gonna make sure of it.” I nip at her bottom lip before she pulls away.

When I get to the arena, I find Leo and Ash in the weight room.

“He’s alive!” Ash calls when he sees me. “How’s Jade?”

“Stubborn. I’m considering tying her to the bed to keep her from overdoing it.”

“I’d go with a couple spreader bar restraints,” he deadpans. “Just as effective, but more fun.”

“Oh geez,” Leo mutters with a laugh. “Not a visual I needed this morning.”

I shake my head at him, but it feels good to be laughing with them.

“Things are good, though?” Leo asks.

“Yeah, things are good. We tore up the divorce papers yesterday.”

“I’m happy for you.” Ash lays a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “But if you need to borrow the spreader bars, just say the word.”