Off the Ice (Penalty Kill 2)

My teammates start laughing and the girls shake their heads once more.

“She wasn’t calling you a god, Carr,” Harper says.

“Yeah, we don’t need your ego to get bigger,” Nichols adds.

“See?” Presley smiles. “They agree with me.”

“They weren’t in there with you. They misheard you is all.”

She laughs and the attention moves back to the TV. Nichols gets up, asking if anyone wants a beer, and most do. Presley and I take a beer each. She leans her back against my chest, turns her head, and whispers into my ear.

“You definitely can’t leave me behind.” She pauses, but before I can say something she adds, “The sex is too good.”

I bust out laughing, causing heads to turn momentarily. “That’s a really good reason.” I’ve been trying not to get too caught up in the excitement of what that email means. Besides the fantastic obvious reasons, it means that my dad will be back here. How can I keep an eye on him and check up on him if I’m in another state? He’ll be here all alone. Maybe, if all goes well, and I have to move to Pittsburgh, I can talk him into moving

too. He probably isn’t going to want to pack up like that. This is home for him.

That’s my biggest worry. That he will stay here, something will happen, and I won’t be anywhere close enough to be there for him. Maybe I should think about staying. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something were to happen, and I wasn’t here. His heart attack was a slap in the face at how easily I could lose him. I can’t lose him. Not with Momma gone.

“Hey, you okay?” Presley looks concerned and worried.

“Yeah, fine.”

“Want to go to bed?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Then I add in a whisper, “I just want to hold you.” I almost said that I wanted to cuddle with her, but I’ll be damned if I’ll say that out loud in a room full of people, even if it is a whisper.

“Catch ya later,” I say over my shoulder as Presley tugs me to my room. After we change, we get into bed and I pull Presley to me with her back against my chest.

“Is something bothering you, Levi?” she asks quietly.

I nuzzle my face into her neck before I speak, my lips brushing against her skin with every word. “Just let me hold you, Smarty. This is all I want right now.”

“But -”

“Not the time to be stubborn.” My voice leaves no room for further argument.

“You’re so demanding,” she says and I can just picture her rolling her eyes.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Smarty,” I tease.

“How’d you know I did that?” She rolls over in my arms to look at me, forcing me to lay my head on my pillow instead of in the crook of her neck.

“I’m God Levi and I’m all knowing.”

Presley giggles and I smile. It’s so crazy and hot to see my fiery redhead do something as girly as giggle. Suddenly, she leans towards me and kisses me long and hard. The kiss is soft, loving, and even a little lazy. “I love you,” she says quietly against my lips, those light brown eyes watching me intently.

“I love you too, Smarty.”

~

When I wake up, I notice three things.

Presley isn’t in my bed.

My door is open.

Noise of laughter and someone cooking is coming from the kitchen.