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  Once she was done with her meeting, she hailed a cab and had it take her to the address Joey had given her. After a short internal debate on whether or not to get a hotel room first, she decided she could get a room later. She needed to see Lana first.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket as they drove through the city, and she pulled it out, expecting to see either Gail or Lori’s name since she hadn’t called either of them yet to let them know she’d arrived safely. She smiled when she saw it was Lana calling. She didn’t even hesitate before answering it.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “I am so sorry I didn’t call you back sooner, but I lost my phone yesterday morning. I just now found it in the couch cushions.” Lana sounded genuinely upset, and Court couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “No worries,” she said. She really didn’t want to tell her she was in the city until she got to her building, so she leaned forward. “Hold on a second, okay?”

  “Sure,” Lana answered. Court pulled the phone away from her ear and held it to her chest.

  “How long until we get there?” she asked the driver. He told her, and she leaned back again. “Lana, can I call you back in about fifteen minutes? I’m in the middle of something.”

  “Yeah, of course. I’ll talk to you in a few.”

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Lana ran her hand through her hair. She couldn’t believe she’d lost her phone in the couch. And she’d panicked when she saw she’d missed a call from Court the night before. She’d gotten to where she looked forward to their phone conversations, and she was mad at herself for having missed the opportunity to talk to her. She sat on the couch now, the phone in her hand, waiting for Court to call her back.

  Eric had flown home the night before, and they’d gone out for dinner. He’d been bummed to find out he’d been cut the last day of training camp, but they promised him he’d be their first call-up if a position opened on the team. He was strangely optimistic about it, which made Lana proud. He’d gone out with some of his friends that afternoon, and she knew he’d be home soon, so she really should be making dinner, but she didn’t want anything to interrupt her time talking to Court.

  When the phone finally rang, Lana jumped and almost dropped it on the floor. She fumbled with it to answer the call, and she felt out of breath when she finally did.

  “Courtney Court,” she said as she felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She felt herself relax at the first words out of Court’s mouth, directly in her ear.

  “Can I just say I miss you?” Court asked.

  “I miss you, too,” Lana said, staring at the ceiling and imagining Court there with her. So many times when they’d talked over the past few months she’d wanted to admit her feelings to Court, but felt it wouldn’t be fair to her. Maybe at the end of the season if she didn’t re-sign with the Warriors, she’d take a chance and tell her she loved her. A vision of Court naked flashed in her mind, and she chuckled as she shook her head.

  “What’s so funny?” Court asked, sounding amused.

  “What are you wearing?” Lana asked instead of answering her question. She heard Court gasp on the other end of the line.

  “Really? You want to do this now?” Court asked.

  “Why not?”

  “Um, because I’m standing outside right now,” Court laughed and then let out a soft moan. “And if this is headed where I think it might be, it could be a little embarrassing.”

  “Not for me.”

  “Oh, you’re bad, Ms. Caruso.”

  “And you like it, don’t you?” Lana asked, lowering her voice. She wished Eric wasn’t going to be home any minute. She’d never had phone sex before, but Court’s voice was so freaking sexy right now.

  There was a knock at the door, and Lana jumped to her feet as though she were about to be caught doing something she shouldn’t have been doing.

  “Shit,” she said.

  “Something wrong?” Court sounded amused again, but Lana definitely wasn’t.

  “Someone’s at the door.” Lana headed toward it but stopped, listening. Something wasn’t right. She could have sworn she heard knocking from Court’s end of the line at the same time. “Where are you?”

  “Outside,” Court answered. “I’ll hold on while you answer the door. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Outside where?” Lana asked, pausing with her hand on the doorknob. Her heart was racing. If she opened the door and Court wasn’t there, she wasn’t sure what she’d do.

  “Oh, my God, Lana, you don’t make trying to surprise you easy, do you?” Court laughed, and Lana heard it on the other side of the door. She pulled it open just as Court started to speak again. “Just answer the damn door.”

  Lana stared at her standing there, not quite believing what she was seeing. Court disconnected their call, but Lana still had her phone to her ear.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I came for a visit,” she answered with a sheepish grin and a shrug. “I can go if you don’t want to see me though.”

  “Get in here,” Lana said, grabbing her hand and pulling her inside the apartment. She finally shoved the phone in her pocket and threw her arms around Court’s neck as she pushed the door closed with her foot. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “Neither can I, if I’m being honest,” Court said. She pulled Lana tight against her body and kissed her. “But I have my things outside your door.”

  Lana released her and they brought her bags inside. Lana grabbed her hand again as soon as they were done and dragged her to the couch where they fell onto it, Lana in Court’s lap kissing her again. Court slid her hands up Lana’s sides under her shirt, and Lana surged against her with a whimper as she broke their kiss.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” she said again, touching Court’s face. Court chuckled and leaned her head back so it rested against the cushion.

  “I can’t stay,” Court said, not wanting her to think she was here expecting to jump right into her bed. She hoped for it, of course, but she didn’t expect it. “I need to get a hotel room before it gets too late.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere, Courtney Court.” Lana shook her head and placed a finger against Court’s lips. “You’re staying here with me. How long are you going to be in town?”

  “Well, that depends,” Court said, tightening her hold around Lana’s waist.

  “On what?”

  “On whether or not the Wolves make the playoffs.”

  Lana looked at her, obviously confused. Court watched as Lana opened her mouth then closed it again, trying to figure out what the heck she was talking about. Court smiled and kissed the end of her nose as she saw the different emotions storm through Lana’s beautiful brown eyes, and she nodded when it was clear Lana had figured it out.

  “You’ve been traded?” Lana asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

  “I have. I’ll go for a physical tomorrow, and as long as they don’t find anything wrong with me, then the trade will be finalized.”

  “Oh, my God, wait until Eric finds out!” Lana kissed her hard.

  “I’m kind of more interested in your reaction,” Court said and Lana threw her head back and laughed.

  “I’m so happy I want to rip your clothes off right this minute.”

  “You wouldn’t hear any complaints from me.” Court tried to unbutton Lana’s shirt, but Lana grabbed her hands before she could get even one undone.

  “You’d probably complain when Eric walks in and sees you here in the living room naked.”

  “I thought he was in Canada.” Lana got off her lap and sat next to her. Court put an arm around her and Lana immediately laid her head on her shoulder. “What happened?”

  “He was cut on the last day. He got home last night.”

  “The last day?” Court shook her head. “I know it has to suck, but it’s encouraging he stuck around that long. It means he was this close to making the team.”

  “That
’s what they told him, but as I’m sure you know, it didn’t make it any easier for him to swallow.” Lana laced her fingers with Court’s and held her hand in her lap. “But he’s actually being really mature about it. He’s counting on joining the team at some point if another player gets hurt.”

  “I’m sure he will.”

  Court was surprised Lana didn’t even try to pull away from her when they heard a key in the door. When they heard other voices along with Eric’s though, Lana sat up and let go of her hand.

  “Mom, guess what I found out?” Eric said, sounding excited. When he saw Court on the couch with her, some of the excitement drained from his face. “Oh. I guess you already know.”

  “Holy crap, it’s really Courtney Abbott,” one of the kids with Eric said.

  “I told you I knew her,” Eric said with a smirk. Court stood, and Eric was hugging her before she even knew what was happening. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “The sentiment seems to run in your family,” Court said with a glance at Lana, now standing next to her. “I’m sorry I ruined your plan to tell her about the trade. If you’d gotten here a few minutes earlier, you’d have beaten me.”

  “It’s okay,” he said before walking over to his friends again. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

  Court watched as the three kids, one girl and two boys, pulled money out of their pockets and handed it over to Eric. The grin on his face made Court laugh out loud.

  “Eric, what’s going on?” Lana asked.

  “They bet me I didn’t know her,” he said with a shrug. “How could I pass up a sure thing?”

  “He has a point,” Court said. She winced when Lana elbowed her in the ribs. She rubbed her side and looked at Lana with her eyes narrowed. “You could play hockey with a move like that.”

  “I have enough hockey players in my life, thank you,” Lana said, grabbing her hand and lifting it to her lips.

  “No way,” said the girl as she stared at them. “Your mom is dating her? This is so freaking awesome!”

  Eric threw his arm around the girl and kissed her cheek before looking at Court again. “Court, this is Sandy. My girlfriend.”

  “Girlfriend?” Court asked, thinking the blush on Eric’s face was adorable. “Well, Sandy, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Chapter Thirty-four

  They ordered takeout and spent the evening with Eric and his friends, who Court was sure would have a great time telling their other friends all about it. Everyone finally left around nine, and it was just the three of them there in the living room. Eric muted the TV and turned to face the two of them.

  “So, are you living with us now?” he asked.

  Court was taken off guard. She looked at Lana, who seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with her. She shook her head.

  “I don’t know where I’m going to live,” Court answered truthfully. “I guess finding a place will have to be my first priority.”

  “You’re welcome to stay here until you find a place,” Lana said, still keeping her eyes averted.

  “I think you should just move in here,” Eric said. He obviously anticipated objection, because he held up a hand. “Hear me out. I’m going to be gone, hopefully sooner rather than later. No offense, Mom. I would feel better knowing you wouldn’t be here alone while I’m away.”

  “So this is coming from your concern about me,” Lana said. “You think I can’t take care of myself?”

  “No, that’s not it,” he said, looking frustrated. He looked at Court, and even though she could tell he was asking for her help here, she shook her head. He was on his own with this. “I really want you two to be together, and if it means packaging it into my concern for you being alone, I’m not above that kind of manipulation.”

  “Is that so?” Lana chuckled and shook her head, but she finally looked at Court. “See what I meant when I said he was fifteen going on thirty? Now I think he’s sixteen going on forty. What do you think about what he’s saying?”

  “It’s not what I was expecting when I came here,” Court said, stalling to come up with a diplomatic way of responding. “I’m perfectly fine with finding my own place.”

  “Okay.” Lana seemed to be disappointed with her response, but Court wondered if it was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part. Lana focused on Eric again. “We know your opinion, so I think it’s something Court and I will need to think about and discuss in private.”

  Eric nodded as he looked back and forth between the two of them. After a moment, he stood and handed the remote to Lana.

  “I’m going to go to bed,” he said. He looked at Court. “You’ll be here in the morning, right?”

  “Yeah, I will,” she replied. She watched him as he went to his room, and Lana snuggled closer to her as soon as he was gone.

  They sat there for a while longer, but Court wasn’t paying attention to what was on the TV. She wanted to know what Lana was thinking, although she wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Lana shut off the TV and stood, holding a hand out to Court.

  They were both silent as Lana led her into her bedroom, and she closed the door behind them before turning to face Court, her arms sliding around her neck. Court placed her hands on Lana’s hips and couldn’t help it when her breath quickened. She’d been thinking about this since the moment she’d arrived and Lana had made it apparent she was happy to see her.

  “I need you to touch me, Court.”

  Court made quick work of removing Lana’s clothes. She walked her backward toward the bed, and when Lana’s knees hit the edge of the mattress, she sat, but held Court’s hands away from her.

  “You.” Lana’s eyes slowly moved up Court’s body, and Court felt it as though it were a physical touch. “Naked. Now.”

  Court removed her own T-shirt and bra while Lana worked on unbuttoning her pants and pushing them down her legs. She stepped out of her jeans and stood naked before Lana.

  “Damn, you have an incredible body,” Lana said. She moved quickly so she was under the covers, then held them up for Court to join her. Court crawled in and straddled her legs, her mouth closing over Lana’s nipple as Lana pulled the covers up so they were over Court’s head. “I’ve missed you so much, Courtney Court.”

  Court pulled her mouth away from Lana’s breast and slid off her to stretch out next to her. Lana turned her head and touched Court’s cheek, searching her eyes with obvious concern.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, and Court shook her head.

  “Nothing is wrong. In fact, everything feels so right to me for the first time in what feels like forever.” Court let her fingers trace the lines of Lana’s face as she spoke. “I wanted to beg you not to come back to Chicago, but I didn’t think it was right to ask you to give up your life here. I wanted to tell you I was falling in love with you, but I knew it wasn’t what you wanted.”

  Lana’s breath hitched as the meaning of Court’s words washed over her. She pressed her lips to Court’s because she couldn’t not kiss her in that moment. She pulled Court on top of her as she let her legs fall open to allow her room to settle in.

  “Tell me again,” Lana said, her heart racing and her head swimming from the ecstasy of hearing Court expressing what she herself was feeling.

  “What?”

  “You know what,” Lana said, smiling. “Tell me again.”

  “I’m in love with you, Lana Caruso,” she said breathlessly.

  “I’m in love with you too,” she said as she wrapped her legs around Court’s thighs and pressed into her. “Even if it wasn’t what I thought I wanted. I know now that I don’t want to know what it’s like to not love you.”

  “What are you saying?” Court thrust her hips slowly into her, and Lana closed her eyes as she tilted her head back.

  “I want you to move in here,” Lana said, quickly losing her ability to think as Court drove her closer to the edge. She put her hands on Court’s hips and held tight, trying to make her stop moving. “Stop. Just for a
second. I can’t think when you’re doing that.”

  “Doing what?” Court asked with a knowing grin. She yelped when Lana pinched her ass and then slapped her. Lana cupped Court’s face between her hands and gazed into her eyes.

  “Do you want to live with me?”

  “Yes,” Court said. “You really need to ask?”

  “I just wanted to be sure we were on the same page.” Lana moved her hands back to Court’s hips and around to her ass before thrusting into her. “I want this, right here, to be our reality for the rest of our lives.”

  Epilogue

  Court had never been happier than she was since moving in with Lana almost seven months earlier. She looked at Lana sitting next to her in the arena where they were watching Eric play in his first Memorial Cup Championship tournament. She took Lana’s hand and lifted it to her lips as Eric made a perfect pass to his teammate who in turn shot the puck just over the goalie’s blocker to score the game-winning—no, the Memorial Cup–winning—goal.

  The crowd erupted as the players swarmed around Eric, who ended up having a tremendous rookie campaign after being called up just ten games into the season. Court couldn’t help the pride she felt for him. He’d taken everything she’d tried to teach him to heart, and he’d actually led the league in assists, not only during the regular season, but throughout the playoffs as well.

  “You made this possible for him,” Lana said into her ear as they hugged each other.

  “He did it himself,” Court said, shaking her head. They looked out at the ice where Eric and his teammates were still celebrating their win. Eric looked up at them and raised his fist in the air. “He never would have learned anything if he didn’t already have it in him.”