Sidewinders: Ever After (Las Vegas Sidewinders Book 12) Read online

  “I know.”

  They were quiet again, sitting with their hands linked between them.

  “You should get going,” he said after a moment.

  She leaned over as his mouth covered hers. They kissed long and deep, the chemistry between them so much more than sexual. She wanted to spend the night with him more than anything, but there was no way to make that happen.

  They broke away reluctantly. “I’ll pick you up around 11:00, okay?” he whispered against her mouth.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t know,” he admitted, “but as long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter.”

  7

  Zaan never imagined spending so much time with a girl would be this much fun. He picked her up every morning around ten or eleven and never dropped her off before midnight. They were together the next four days, spending their days in hotel rooms and their evenings either out with Tore and Mimi or watching movies with Rob and Mack. Today would be their last full day together unless he could come up with a plan to keep her here a little longer, and he’d decided to man up and talk to Rob.

  Rob and Mack were keeping their condo, even though they were going to Chicago for the summer, just in case their new house wasn’t ready by the time hockey season started. Zaan wanted to lease it from them since he needed his own place anyway, and Cody and Suze had said they would be thrilled to let Lexi live with them in exchange for helping with the kids over the summer. Now he just had to talk Rob into it. Rob was a good guy, but he might balk at the idea of Zaan and Lexi taking their relationship to the next level so quickly.

  After spending so much time with them in the evening, arriving wasn’t awkward anymore and Zaan only knocked once before opening the door and stepping inside.

  “Hey.” Rob looked up and motioned him in.

  “Hey.” Zaan joined him on the couch. “Lexi ready?”

  “She and Mack went to the store.”

  Zaan frowned. This wasn’t good. Lexi would have texted him and told him to come a little later if she’d needed to run an errand first.

  “I thought we should have a little talk.”

  Zaan had been preparing himself for this. Rob and Mack had to be blind not to know he and Lexi were sleeping together, and though they hadn’t done anything wrong, he didn’t want to be on Rob’s shit list before the season started. He had enough pressure without alienating a league veteran. “Sure,” he managed to say in a calm voice.

  “I can see things have moved fast with you and Lexi,” the older man said quietly. “I can also see how happy you make her. I want to thank you for that.”

  “Thank me?” Zaan was startled; he hadn’t been expecting Rob to thank him.

  “I didn’t know if she was ever going to move past the depression, the body image issues… it was almost crippling for her. If it hadn’t been for the interest in Julliard, I think she might have been suicidal. Then she met you and now she’s excited about singing again, college—life in general. I’m not an idiot; I know it’s because of you.”

  “Her voice is incredible,” Zaan said softly. “And she’s special.”

  “She is.” Rob paused. “I don’t want to hear about your sex life—I might have to kick your ass just on principle—but I need to know what you’re going to do going forward. If this is nothing but a summer fling, end it and tell her you want her to go to Chicago with Mack and I.”

  “Is Chicago optional?” Zaan was caught off-guard again.

  “It could be. She’s eighteen and if it hadn’t been for the cancer, she probably would have been away at college already. If she’s going to find mischief she can do it in Chicago just as easily as she could here.” He fixed a stare on Zaan that made him squirm.

  “I want to sub-lease your condo,” Zaan blurted out. “And Cody and Suze said Lexi can live with them in exchange for helping with the kids, until she leaves for school.”

  Rob sighed. “I had a feeling you two were making plans.”

  “We weren’t,” Zaan said quietly. “It’s been me, trying to find a way to spend more time with her before she goes away.”

  “Aren’t you going home to Norway?” Rob asked.

  Zaan’s parents lived in Norway now even though he’d been raised in Canada.

  He shook his head. “No. I need to get settled in an apartment and get ready for next season. Once I figure out where I’m going to live, they may come here for a week or two at the beginning of the season since my dad likes to see me play but Norway isn’t home to me—Vancouver is.”

  “If I leave Lexi here, there’s no doubt in my mind you two will be playing house before the end of the summer and I’ll only ask you to promise me one thing.”

  Zaan swallowed hard. “Yes, of course.”

  “If she gets the call from Julliard, you let her go.”

  Zaan’s eyes widened. “You think I would keep her from going?”

  “I think teenagers fall in love hard and fast and can’t see beyond the right-here-right-now. You’re a nice kid, with a good head on your shoulders, and if Lexi absolutely had to date one of my teammates, I’m glad it’s you. That’s why I’m asking you to keep her best interests at heart. You have the money to visit her, or to fly her out to visit you, and she’ll be nineteen this fall—I can’t stop either of you from doing anything. I just don’t want her to give up her dreams for her first relationship. That’s what my ex-wife did and it didn’t end well for either of us. Lexi gets her talent from her mom.”

  Zaan nodded. “I heard her sing the other night.”

  “You did?”

  “We went to karaoke and sang a duet…” His voice trailed off. “She’s amazing. I nearly dropped the mic when she started to sing.”

  Rob smiled. “Yeah, it still floors me when I listen to her.”

  “There’s no doubt in my mind she’s destined for greatness.”

  “So you’ll let her go?”

  “All due respect, Rob—I can’t force her to do anything and I’m not keeping her here either. If she stays it’s because she wants to, not because I didn’t let her go.”

  “I know that. I just meant… I’d like your word you’ll say or do whatever you have to so she goes to Julliard.”

  “When they call, I’ll do everything in my power to get her there, even if I have to take her myself.”

  “That’s all I ask.” Rob held out his hand and Zaan shook it. “In the meantime, take care of my girl. If you see anything change—her energy levels, her appetite… let me know. She’s still painfully underweight and it worries me.”

  “Don’t worry about that, I’ll be on top of it.”

  The two men locked eyes in a look of mutual respect just as Mack and Lexi got back from the store.

  Lying on the bed at a hotel a few hours later, Zaan stroked the soft, short locks of Lexi’s hair, her wig discarded along with their clothes hours ago. He hadn’t told her about his conversation with Rob, but it weighed heavily on his mind. After hearing her sing and experiencing her talent first-hand, he considered it a given she would be accepted to Julliard or somewhere equally impressive. She was too good, and though it gutted him to let her go, he would have done so even if Rob hadn’t said something to him. It would be beyond selfish for him to keep her from following her passion, just as it would be for her to try to keep him from hockey.

  Adulting sucks, he thought sadly.

  She shifted in his arms, lifting her head to look into his eyes. “Are you okay? You’ve been kind of quiet today.”

  “I’m fine.” He leaned down to kiss her. “I’m psyched we’re going to have more time together but a little distracted at the thought of getting my own place.”

  “I’ll help you get settled.”

  “I’ll need all the help I can get,” he chortled.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something, though,” she said.

  “Sure.”

  “I’m thinking about getting my boobs done this summer.”

  “Is that po
ssible?” he frowned. “I thought it would be really complicated?”

  “There’s a newer procedure—my stepmom was telling me about it—but they’re all problematic because I don’t have any extra fat and that’s what they use to reconstruct the breasts.”

  “What’s the recovery time?”

  “Four to eight weeks, longer if there’s infection or complications like I had with the expander.”

  “Can you try that again?”

  “I’m not sure. There’s a specialist in New York who does this new procedure, so if I get into Julliard we’re going to talk to him. I might as well get it done there if I’m going to move to New York.”

  “So you might leave anyway?” Zaan felt his heart sink, though he managed to keep his face neutral.

  “I have to,” she whispered. “I need to fix my body so I have the confidence to do everything else. Making it on Broadway is hard enough—I can’t feel insecure every time I go on an audition or get up in front of a crowd...”

  “You do what you need to do.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll support you any way I can.”

  “If I go to New York to have my breasts done, would you come with me? Hockey season doesn’t start until October, right?”

  “Training camp starts mid-September, but I’m sure I could come to New York for a while before then.”

  She nodded just before sliding down and running her lips along his stomach, pausing to lick the tattoo on his right hip. It was of the four symbols Led Zeppelin used as the title of their fourth album, the one which included the song “Rock and Roll.”

  “I love this,” she said quietly. “I want to get the same one, because it’s our song and it would always remind me of you.”

  “Yeah?” He toyed with her hair as she gazed down at his gloriously flat, hard stomach and the erection that seemed to come alive no matter how many times a day they had sex.

  “Same place,” she continued thoughtfully. “No matter where we go, or how far apart we are, I’ll think of you and our first date, singing ‘Rock and Roll’ in the car.” She paused to look up at him. “Do you know of a tattoo place here in Vegas that you trust?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, there’s a place all the guys go. We can go whenever you want.”

  “Can you call and make an appointment for me? Let’s do it this week.”

  “Okay.”

  “Haven’t you gotten sick of me yet?” she asked, leaning over and licking just the tip of his cock.

  “Never.” Zaan’s eyes met hers intently just as she closed her lips around him. He let out a long sigh as she sucked him deep, closing both hands around his thick shaft. She was no longer shy or self-conscious when they were like this; their bodies were in perfect sync after nearly a week of non-stop lovemaking. Giving head had become her favorite thing to do now because she loved the way he reacted to her touch. Arousing him instantly, every time she touched him, turned her on too; knowing she was responsible for pleasuring him was just as exciting as when he touched her.

  She pulled back, running her tongue along the mushroom-like head, letting her gaze wander back up to his handsome face. His eyes were closed, mouth partly open as his hips arched into her, and she realized how important he’d become to her. It had only been a week but he occupied her thoughts, her time, her body. She didn’t know what she would do when the time came to leave for college, but something she couldn’t quite explain told her no matter what happened, she and Zaan shared a bond time and distance couldn’t break.

  She opened her mouth and slowly drew him in as deep as she could. His moan of pleasure encouraged her and she sucked harder, using her hands along with her lips. He was impossibly long and hard, hitting the back of her throat each time he thrust into her, and she swallowed.

  “Ahhh, baby, that’s so good…” His voice was strained, making her work harder, move faster, pull him deeper than ever.

  Closing her eyes and breathing in through her nose, she took him all the way, so far she was sure she would choke. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she started to gag, but when he tried to pull away she moved with him, keeping him fully immersed in her throat.

  “Oh, baby… shit!”

  Warm semen shot filled her mouth and she swallowed as quickly as she could, gradually releasing him. He pulled her up so she was sprawled across his chest, his lips seeking out hers yet again. They touched and kissed constantly, as if they couldn’t stop, and she reveled in the softness of his lips, the warmth of his body, the caresses of his hands.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he growled under his breath, flipping her over so she was beneath him.

  “Do you think this will get old?” she whispered, her hands on either side of his face. “Mack says it doesn’t.”

  “You told Mack about us?!” he asked, his eyes widening in horror.

  “No, but she knows… how could she not? Whenever they ask what we did all day we tell them ‘nothing.’ They know exactly what we do all day.” She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. “Anyway, Mack and I were talking this morning while Dad was out running and I asked her if everything felt so magical at our age.”

  “Magical how?” he asked gently, lifting her chin with his finger so she was forced to look into the fiery blue of his eyes.

  “Like you found the missing parts of your soul the first time you laid eyes on someone and everything just fell into place.”

  “Did you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Me, too.” He ran his hands down her back, along the curve of her ass and the smooth backs of her thighs. “So what did she say?”

  “She said she didn’t know for sure, but in her experience, teenage romance is fleeting. At our age, we fall in and out of love as circumstances change, whether it’s a new school, new friends, new job, whatever. It can seem real, but it usually changes as we change and mature.”

  “That’s high school,” he said, a hint of irritation in his voice. “And that’s just her experience. She’s not us. She doesn’t feel what we feel.”

  “Are we in love?” she whispered, heat rushing to her cheeks. “Is that what we feel?”

  “I’ve never been in love,” he admitted, “so I’m not sure.”

  “Is it possible to fall in love in a week?”

  “I fell in love with you in a day.”

  Her voice was soft, half-muffled as she buried her face in his shoulder. “Oh god.”

  “Does that freak you out?”

  “Yeah.” Her eyes filled with tears. “This isn’t the time for us. You have hockey and I’m going to college. You’re based here in Vegas and on the road while I need to be in New York—if not this year then definitely next year. How would we do it? There’s no way for us to be together right now, is there?”

  “I don’t know.” He kissed the tender spot behind her ear, a gentle whisper of a touch that made her melt into him. “But I can’t imagine being with anyone else either.”

  “Do you believe in destiny?” she asked, nestling deeper, as if she couldn’t stand the slightest bit of distance between their bodies.

  “If you mean us, then definitely.”

  “Do you think destiny will keep our hearts together even when we’re far apart?”

  “Oh, baby, I wish I had the answer to that. I’d like to think so, because if this is our destiny, then no matter how far apart we drift, we’ll eventually find our way back to each other.”

  “That’s what I think too.”

  8

  Mack and Rob were leaving the following morning, so Zaan and Lexi spent the next day at the condo helping them pack up the last of their things. They were taking summer clothes and a few necessities, but everything else would remain since they were coming back in September. Lexi was packing up some of her things to take over to Cody and Suze’s house, since she’d be staying there while Zaan moved out and into the condo. A lot of things were still up in the air, though, since Mack hadn’t yet heard back from the specialist in New York about the reconstructive
surgery for Lexi’s breasts. Lexi hadn’t heard anything from Julliard, either.

  “Let’s go out to dinner tonight,” Mack was saying after Rob and Zaan put the last of their suitcases in the back of Rob’s truck.

  “Where should we go?” Rob asked, smiling at his wife as he pressed his lips against hers.

  “Wherever the kids want to go,” Mack responded, kissing him back and surreptitiously running her hand over his ass, squeezing lightly.

  “I don’t care,” Lexi laughed, turning away. She’d never seen her father as happy as he’d been since he’d met Mack and she loved Mack too. She didn’t want to watch them make out, though.

  “I need steak,” Zaan mumbled. “I’ve been forced to eat all kinds of healthy shit this week, by someone who shall remain nameless.”

  “Oh, hush!” Lexi nudged him. “Salad and vegetables are good for you. Besides, we had pizza with Tore and Mimi last night and ice cream twice this week.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re what? A hundred pounds soaking wet? You could eat ice cream every night.”

  She shook her head. “Cancer feeds on sugar—at least that’s one of the things the oncologist talked about—and it’s not worth the risk to me.”

  For a moment everyone was silent and Mack turned to Lexi slowly. “We talked about this, honey. There’s a connection, but you don’t have cancer anymore and we don’t know enough about the correlation to worry about every bite you put in your mouth. You’re still underweight for your height and the truth is that sugar, which comes from glucose, feeds all the cells in your body, both cancerous and healthy. Even if you ate completely carb-free, your body needs it and would draw it from protein or fat if it had to. Although I think eating healthy is a wonderful idea for everyone, until you’re back to your regular weight, you need to eat more and a good variety too.”

  “I’m doing everything I can to keep it from coming back,” Lexi replied, biting her lip.

  “One of those things should be eating enough to reach a healthy weight,” Mack reminded her.