Powerplay (11 page)

EPILOGUE

One year later

Mark felt like he’d waited for this night forever. After a beautiful beach wedding and reception at their home in Barbados, the guests had returned to their resort, and he and Jenna were finally left alone, to indulge in their own private celebration.

She settled her arms around his neck and reached up kiss him. “I can’t believe after everything we’ve been through, I’m finally your wife.”

He brushed a stray hair off her cheek, in awe of how beautiful she looked tonight. “I feel like the luckiest man alive,” he whispered. It had been hours, too many hours, since he’d tasted her. He was craving her the way a man stranded in the desert craves food or water.

She’d stayed at the resort with their guests last night, while he stayed at the house with a few of his friends. He tossed and turned all night, counting the hours until she would be with him, sharing his bed, his life, forever.

“I need you,” he whispered, sliding the zipper down her back.

“Hey,” she cried, pushing his hands away. “I bought special lingerie for the occasion. Give me a minute to slip into it, okay?” 

He didn’t think he could wait another minute, but there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy, so he took a step back, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Fine, I’ll grab the champagne and meet you upstairs. But baby, hurry, please.”

She gave him a saucy smile, licking her lips. “Anxious, aren’t we?”

He growled. “You have no idea.”

She giggled as she zipped her dress and hurried upstairs.

He watched her run up the stairs. The sway of her round ass in that tight, designer gown made his cock stand at attention. He couldn’t wait to ravish her tonight.

He grabbed the champagne bucket and two crystal glasses before heading upstairs to their bedroom. He stood at the French doors, staring out at the ocean while he waited for her, thinking his life couldn’t get any better.

The bathroom door opened and she stood in the doorway, a smile teasing her lips. “What do you think, handsome?”

He was speechless. She was breathtaking in a white lace bustier, matching thong, and a sheer white robe that fell just below the swell of her bottom. His palms were itching with the urge to touch her.  

“Come here,” he whispered, “let me show you what I think.” He began freeing the buttons of his shirt, eager to feel her smooth bronze skin against his.

She crooked her finger. “I want you to come here.”

He grinned. “Hold that thought. I want to make a toast.” He picked up the two glasses of champagne he’d poured earlier, handing one to her.

She looked nervous, her gaze darting to the glass of bubbly. “Mark, wait, before you do that…”

He noticed she hadn’t consumed any alcohol all night. “Baby, are you feeling okay? You’re not sick, are you?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not sick.” She sighed. “I wasn’t going to give you your wedding present until later, but you leave me no choice.” She held up one finger. “Wait right here.”

He watched her walk over to the drawer and retrieve a small box wrapped with white paper and a huge silk bow. He smiled, passing her the glasses so he could accept the box. “Do I get a hint?”

She set the glasses down on a nearby table. Biting her lip, she looked from him to the box, as though she were having reservations about her selection.

Silly girl, didn’t she know he would love anything she gave him?
He pulled one end of the bow and lifted the lid off the box. It contained a silver-framed photograph.

She lifted it out of the box, holding it up. 

He gaped at the image. He recognized an ultrasound image when he saw one. Both of his sisters had been pregnant twice. “Oh my God, are you serious?” He looked at her flat stomach.

“You’re…we’re…”

She laughed, reaching up frame his face with her hands. “We’re going to have a baby, Mark.”

“I can’t believe this.” He laughed, picking her up and spinning her around in a low circle. “You’re serious?”
   

She laughed, gripping his biceps. “I’m serious. Would you put me down? You’re making me dizzy.”

“Shit, sorry.” He set her down gently. “How, I mean, when? How long have you known about this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

She took his hand and led him to the bed. She lay back, taking his hand and pulling him down on the mattress.  

Concerned about lying on top of her, he settled in beside her. “Tell me; I want to know everything.”

She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling. “Remember when we went to New York for the weekend? I told you I forgot my pills on the way to the airport.”

“Yeah, I remember.” He grinned. “I suggested we live dangerously.”

She laughed. “Apparently having sex half a dozen times that weekend was tempting fate.”

An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. He was thrilled about her pregnancy, but he had no idea how she felt. “Are you happy about this, Jen? I know we talked about waiting a while…”

“I’m so excited about this baby, I can’t even tell you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. “I can’t pass a baby boutique without peeking inside.”

He chuckled. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I wanted to wait until we’d passed the three month mark. I needed to be sure. I mean, there are still no guarantees, but…”

He sat up, leaning over her. “Are you telling me there’s a problem? Is the baby okay? What have the doctors said?”

She giggled. “Would you relax? Everything’s perfect. The pregnancy has been uneventful, and the doctor said everything looks wonderful. There’s no reason to believe there will be a problem, but I didn’t want you to be disappointed, just in case things didn’t work out. Fortunately, the odds of carrying to term improve after the first three months.”

He leaned back, taking a deep breath. “And we’ve passed the three-month mark?”

“Yes, just.” She ran her hand down his bare chest. “Would you relax? Everything’s going to be fine, hon. I’m taking good care of myself, taking my vitamins, getting plenty of rest, eating right.”

He scowled, rolling on to his side. “You’ve been working too damn hard lately. Between the wedding and your job, you’ve had a hell of a lot on your plate. That kind of stress can’t be good for you or the baby.”

She kissed his cheek. “I love that you’re so concerned, but I’m fine, we’re fine. I promise.”

His eyes lingered on her lips. “I’m sorry if it seems I’m being over-protective, but it would kill me if anything happened to you.” He rested his hand on her stomach. “Or this baby. I’m already in love with him or her.”

She smiled, resting her hand on top of his. “I feel the same way.”

He reached behind him, removing a flat white box from the night stand by the bed. “I have something for you too, though I have to admit, nothing can compare to the gift you just gave me.”

She laughed and took the box from him. Sitting up, she pulled the lid off. Her mouth dropped open when she took the folded documents and photograph out of the box. “Oh my God, Mark.”

She covered her hand with her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. “You bought my dream house. How did you know?”

He smiled, swiping at the tears sliding down her cheeks. “One of the agents in your office called me. He said you’d had your eye on this house forever. It just went back on the market; the couple was motivated to sell because he was transferred. In a matter of days, the deal was done and the house was ours.”   

She looked at the glossy image. “I just can’t believe this is happening. I’m getting everything I’ve ever wanted.” She set everything back in the box and replaced the lid. “I’m not sure I deserve this. If you want to know the truth, it’s a bit overwhelming.”

He took the box and placed it on the table behind her.

She had removed the pins from her hair and it fell like a cloak, in soft waves, concealing her face.

He tucked her hair behind her ear, resting his palm against her cheek. “Hey, you deserve this, we deserve this, baby.”

“I love you,” she whispered. “I can’t imagine my life without you.”

He sat up until they were facing each other. “I don’t even want you to imagine that ‘cause it’s never gonna happen, okay?”

“That head injury, it could have been serious, Mark. It could have ended your career.”

He shrugged. “You’re right, it could have, but it didn’t. And even if it had, I’d have been okay with that.”

She shook her head. “You don’t mean that; you love hockey.”

“Sure, I do. I’ve been so blessed. I get paid millions of dollars a year to play a game I love, but I’m a realist. I know it has to end sometime, and when it does, I’m ready. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because I have you, and now we have this baby to look forward to, sweetheart. My hockey career is going to end in a few years, I know that. But that just means that it’ll be time for a new chapter to begin, for us and our family.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Would it be selfish of me to say I’m kind of looking forward to having you around all the time?”

He laughed. “Not at all. I’m kind of looking forward to being around all the time, especially now. It’s gonna be so damn hard to go out on the road all the time and leave you two behind.”

“It’s okay,” she said, smiling. “We’re gonna be waiting for you when you come home.”

“I can’t wait.” He reached over to kiss her, sliding her robe off so he could kiss her neck, her shoulders. He lifted his head. “Is this okay? I mean, we’re not going to hurt the baby, are we?”

She laughed. “Mark, we’ve been making love for the past three months and it hasn’t hurt the baby.”

He grinned. “Yeah, but that was before I knew about it. Now that I know I’m gonna be a daddy, that changes everything.”

She opened to him, settling her legs around his waist. “I hope it’s not going to change everything. I love the way you make love to me.”

“Hell no, that’s not gonna change.” He settled her back against the mattress, sliding her lacy panties down her legs as he kissed her thighs, her calves, her ankles.

“Take your clothes off,” she whispered.

He quickly obliged before reaching around to release the hooks running down the length of her back. He cupped her tits in his hands, gliding his tongue over one nipple, then the other.

She groaned, fisting her hands in his hair.

He looked up. “Hey, are you okay? I mean, you’re not too sensitive, are you?”

“It feels amazing. Please don’t stop.”

Intent on pleasing her, he rolled his tongue around her nipple, pinching the other between his thumb and forefinger until she was squirming beneath him, begging him for more. He eased his hand down, over her stomach, to the moist apex between her thighs. He slid a finger inside her tight channel, moaning when he found her dripping wet. He spread her juices over her lips, covering her clit with her cream. “God,” he whispered. “I have to taste you.”

She ground her hips into the bed, her legs falling open. “Yessss.”

He lapped at her pussy greedily, unable to satisfy his hunger for her. He slipped one, then two fingers inside of her, pumping his hand in tempo with the rub of his tongue on her clit.

She cried out, fisting the sheets in her hand. “Mark, harder, faster…”

He thrust another finger inside of her, forcing it into her impossibly tight hole as he continued to pleasure her with his mouth. 

“I’m gonna come,” she whimpered.

He could feel her muscles tightening, her legs trembling, but it wasn’t enough for him to make her come; he wanted to light the fuse that ignited her. He didn’t want to just taste her come on his lips; he wanted to swallow her heady fluid.

So he continued to devour her, long after she cried out, begging for him to stop; he forced her to scale that cliff again. He knew she was spent, but he wanted to push her past her limits to satiate the hunger he knew was still clamoring to be satisfied.

“Oh God, yes, right there…”