My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 288

Nina

I planned to talk to my father the next day, when I was feeling better. But for now, it was late and I needed to rest.

Once my father left, Enzo relaxed beside me. He seemed a bit territorial after everything that had happened, and I didn’t blame him. But at the same time, it made me wonder if he had been sleeping at all since I went into my miniature coma or if he had been sitting up by my bedside the entire time.

“When was the last time you slept?” I asked, looking deeply into his brown eyes, which came alive with the fire that was flickering in the fireplace.

Enzo shrugged. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, standing. “You hungry? I can get you something to eat.”

I shook my head. “You need to rest, too, you know,” I insisted. I pulled the covers back beside me and patted the bed. “Sleep with me.”

For a few moments, Enzo just stood there and looked at the bed. I could tell from the dark circles under his eyes that he was indeed tired, but at the same time he was fighting it. “Look,” I said gently, “it’s over. You don’t need to worry anymore.”

Enzo shook his head solemnly. “It’s never over,” he whispered. He was talking about Lewis; I was sure of it. Lewis was still out there, along with the Crescents. Sure, their leader — the Luna, I assumed — had been killed and the genetically engineered rogues that she sent for them died along with her, leaving their forces diminished. But at the same time, until all of them were accounted for and true peace was accomplished, it would always be dangerous.

“We’re safe here, though,” I whispered. I patted the bed again. Finally, with a sigh, Enzo nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. I watched as he pulled off his boots, then began to lift his shirt off over his head. Before he could do it himself, however, I quickly sat up on my knees behind him and helped him remove it. As I did, I let my hands run along his skin, feeling his muscles. There were still faint scars on his back from Edward’s beatings, and I ran my fingertips over them, feeling all of the bumps and lines. Enzo didn’t seem bothered by this, and actually relaxed slightly under my touch.

I leaned forward and began to kiss along Enzo’s neck as I reached around and unbuttoned his pants. His breaths became heavy as my lips trailed down his neck and over his shoulder. He stood, letting out a soft sigh, and pulled off his jeans. With a smile, I laid back on the bed and held my arms out for him, spreading my legs. Even though Enzo’s face looked drawn and weary, he still managed a slight smile as he climbed onto the bed and laid on top of me, pulling the blankets up over us.

For several minutes, I held him on top of me with his head on my chest as I ran my fingers through his hair. His breathing became slow and steady, and his fingers trailed absentmindedly up and down my thigh, causing shivers to run down my spine.

“I have to ask,” I whispered, unable to contain my curiosity, “at the battle, did anyone…”

Both of us stayed as quiet as two mice. We knew that there was a guard posted not far from our door, and this old mansion was dead silent with high, arching ceilings that would throw our echoes through the walls. The only sounds in our room were the deep and heavy breathing between us, the rustling of the covers, and the crackling of the fire.

“I love you,” Enzo whispered gently into my ear. He nibbled on my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine that made me arch my back out of pleasure. As I did, he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer, then sat up on his knees and brought me with him so that the blankets fell down around us. We sat up together, moving in unison as I bit into his neck to stifle my moans.

That night, our limbs became tangled together as our worries eased. Everything else fell away, leaving nothing but the two of us, finally making love now that everything was over. For the first time ever, I felt as though I could fully relax into Enzo. There was no one else getting between us, no unrequited feelings, no mortal enemies or physical pain. Just us.

And from then on, no matter what the future held, I knew that it would always come back to just us.