Alex

Fuck, I hate that I have to leave her today at the airport, I hate that we're going to be separated and I hate that her bags are packed and ready to go, even Honey-Belle is sitting in the kitchen as I make waffles looking at me with big, brown doleful eyes, Man, it's cracking my heart for sure. The only saving grace about this is that we've told each other how we feel about one another and that we'll see each other after my next two games, I plan to fly into Austin to go stay with her. I rake my hands through my hair then take a sip of my black coffee, extra strong this morning since Madi and I were up all-night fucking, making love and enjoying the last pleasures until we can see each other again.

She arrests my heart; she owns the damn thing. I couldn't wish for a better person to claim it, damn this sucks. I'm standing in my grey joggers, my chest is bare, and Honey-Belle sits at my feet, "hey, Girl you want some treats?" I reach for the bag Madi keeps on the countertop and retrieve some mini bone things and place them down in front of her, she wags her cute ass tail and eats away crunching and making adorable sounds. Shit, this place is going to feel so damn empty when Madi isn't here. I'll even miss Belle's treats sitting on the countertop, her food and water bowls, the tiny thing scampering around and jumping to get on me when I'm lounging on the sofa. Who'd have thought I would get so attached to a dog? Well, it's true I have.

She nudges my foot again, I give her some more treats, hell I'm going to spoil her as much as I can today as my heart aches and feels like it is schlepping on the floor. Madi comes to the kitchen and wraps her arms around my waist, "mm you smell like you," she says and kisses my back, several fluttering kisses across my shoulders and down my spine. It feels good, so good that all I want to do is wrap her in my own arms and haul her cute ass back to bed and prize those legs open and claim her again.

"Waffles okay, Petal?" She nods and wipes her sleepy eyes. I pour her coffee and slide it over to her on the island, she adds some skimmed milk and takes a sip.

"Today is the worst, right?" Her voice is soft, low there's definitely a hint of sadness in it.

"The worst, and I can't even say yeah but we'll see each other in a few days because it doesn't make this right." I take a sip of my own coffee, Belle has had enough treats and scampers to her bed and throws herself down on it, keeping her eyes on Madi and I.

"Did you let her out already?" I nod at her.

"Yeah, straight away, we'll walk her round the front a bit before we have to leave. You know, Petal you can leave stuff here, it's not like you won't be coming back anytime soon."

"I know, I've left a couple of tops and some leggings and one of my pajama sets."

Phew, good because I'll no doubt be curling up to her pajama set when I have to fly back from Austin and face being here on my own without her taking up the place, without hearing her laughter fill the rooms, her Hallmark movies coming from the flat screen, her corny country music damaging my ears. I let out a sigh.

"I hate that you have to leave," I tell her.

"Me too, Alex, me too. Let's eat and finish your packing since you're on the road for a few days then heading to mine. Anything you want me to take on the flight just pack it in a separate bag."

"Don't you already have enough of your own bags?" It's true, I recall the first moment I set eyes on her she was laden down with bags that had bags, I swear she'd brought the entire shopping mall with her. She quirks an eyebrow at me, "one more won't hurt."

I go sit down next to her and we eat in silence for a bit both of us lost in our own thoughts. "You know, I can transfer to Austin if you won't let me give everything up."

"Hell, we covered this, I am not letting you give up hockey this is your dream and it means way too much to you. God, if we didn't make it, you'd hate me forever. Besides, what would you do?"

"I don't think we'd split up; Petal I think what we have got is for life, this kind of feeling and connection doesn't come twice in a lifetime, you literally swept me off my feet, you're my oxygen, my reason for being, the air that I breathe." She smiles a kind of goofy grin, and blushes. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and kiss the tip of her adorable nose. "Besides, I can coach the little fellas that would be fun, I've been thinking about that a lot. Maybe I could bring the next Alex Stone to the ice, that would be an accomplishment." I lean back finished with my waffles, to be honest, I'm not really that hungry anyway.

"I can see you with the kids, but not right now, Alex. You have years left in you, a lot of years and I am not going to be the reason you give it all up. We can make this work, and no do not transfer to Austin. God, you love Aspen, you love your home, your mom is here, your life is here, Alex not Austin."

"You are my life, Petal. Ever thought about that? I want us to be the next chapter of our lives, yours and mine." I can see tears welling in her eyes.

"Since when did you become such a romantic, Stone?"

"The moment you arrived on my doorstep, Petal." She wipes the tears away, hell I didn't mean to make her cry but dammit this girl is everything to me, I swear I'll do anything possible to make this better. Even if it means up and leaving Aspen and heading to Texas to be with her because there is no way I will let Madi forgo her dreams of partnership in Ruben's firm, as much as I would love for her to be here with me, somewhere she loves, I know how much she loves her mommy and daddy, her best friend is in Austin her entire life is in Austin. For me, sure my mom and stepdad are here, my game is here, my team is here but I travel so much that it doesn't really matter to me right now where I am providing I can wake up next to Madi, snuggle with her watching movies and have Belle jumping all over us vying for attention, the little diva Chihuahua that she is.

"C'mon let's put coats on and go walk Belle, I love watching her dash around your grounds, she loves it here," she says wistfully.

Belle's tail looks like it might just fall off it's wagging that much, damn she's a cutie. It gives me an idea to cheer Madi up when she arrives back in Austin. We walk hand in hand watching the little dog enjoying herself and sniffing away, "It's so beautiful here, Alex, I couldn't stand for you to give all this up and those mountain views to be with me in busy Austin, all those people, the glass buildings."

"There are mountains in Texas, you could maybe do some remote days for Ruben, and I could buy us a kick ass ranch, a couple of horses, a lake on the land, Belle would love it, hey what about some chickens, some goats maybe?"

She laughs, I watch as her smile broadens across her face, the morning sun catching her skin giving it a golden glow, I see the faint freckles over the bridge of her nose, "what like the Good Life? I'll be wearing cute rubber boots and you'll parade around in tight jodhpurs."

"I ain't never wearing that kind of pants," I tell her and pull her to me, I lower my head to kiss those soft, pillow lips of hers, she tastes of maple syrup and strong coffee, right now it's my all-time favorite taste. We kiss until we're breathless, her hands resting on my broad chest.

"Damn Girl, you take my breath away, I'm surprised I'm still standing."

"Smooth talker, you. I'll miss that."

"I'll be calling you every chance I get."

"I'll have to work but we'll have the evenings when you're done playing, at least we don't have a massive time difference, we can cope with one hour difference," she pauses. "How though with you being followed constantly are we going to get away with sneaking around?" Her brow is furrowed.

"I have a disguise," I wiggle my eyebrows.

"What some sexy stripper disguise?" She begins to chuckle.

"Peta, you have a one-track mind. No, I have a professor look," I tell her.

"Oo now you're talking, I could be your student." I swear this woman is killing me, why does my dick seem to think that's such a turn on, but hell it is.

"I'll be giving you plenty of detention," I say.

"Fantastic and I'll be enticing you with all sorts of naughty things to let me off detention." She licks her lips, my dick grows, and I wonder if we've got time for another quickie before the dreaded airport run.