“Who was that on the phone?” Ben looked over at Rylee more than a week later when she’d just gotten off the phone. He’d already gone to bed, but had waited for her. He didn’t have to get up early in the morning for once, so he could stay up a little longer, talking to his fiancé.
“That was Adam,” she said, hopping under the covers and sinking deep in her pillow.
“That hockey player?” He sounded condescending, but that wasn’t new to her.
“Yes. He invited me to dinner at his apartment with some of the other players and their wives, girlfriends and stuff. I get along with one of them very well. Abby, the one who runs the bakery around the corner.”
“Okay.” Hearing his tone, Abby turned around to him, lying on her side and watching him.
“I thought it would be good to go,” she said, looking at him with a smile on her face. “That way I’ll get involved better and I’ll have someone to talk to when I attend the games in your place.” She didn’t want to argue with him, so she tried to reason with him instead, show him the positive aspects.
“That is an excellent idea.”
Good. She’d satisfied him. When she wanted to turn around, though, she felt his hand on her shoulder. He leaned over her and kissed her, gently at first, but his kisses soon became demanding.
Rylee softly pushed him a bit away from her. “Not tonight, Ben. I’m really tired and need to get up early.”
“Since when do you have to get up early tomorrow?” He scowled at her, dropping on his back on his side of the bed.
“I have an early appointment with the hairdresser, then I have to get a manicure and a pedicure.” It was what he demanded of her. She had to look presentable, so that he could show her off any time he wanted without worrying about the little things.
“I hope you know that this will be one of your duties as a wife,” he mumbled as he turned around and turned off the light. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep in no time.
Rylee stared at his back in the dark for some time, still shocked that he’d really said this. What? Did he want to make her have sex with him once they were married? Did he even realize what he’d said?
She had to admit that she hadn’t been interested in having sex with Ben for weeks now. Even before she’d seen Adam again, they hadn’t had a lot of sex. It was always pleasant, but not really good. It was just something couples did.
About half an hour later, Rylee turned away from him and closed her eyes. It took her another hour to fall asleep and she didn’t sleep well at all.

Two days later, Rylee was still worked up about Ben’s statement, but she was determined not to let it show. With a salad in a bowl, she rang the bell to Adam’s apartment. She’d wanted to make cupcakes, but Abby would probably bring some, so she’d decided to make something for the main course. A salad was always good, because, knowing Adam, there would be lots of bread, potatoes or pasta and meat.
She was buzzed up and looked for the door to the apartment. It stood wide open and Dougie welcomed her with a big grin and a hug. She wasn’t used to this kind of behavior anymore. The people she met nowadays usually kissed the back of her hand, or there was a kiss on the left and the right. No hugs. She had to admit, though, that it was nice. Especially since Dougie was such a sweetheart. He put his hand on the small of her back and led her to the living room.
“Our guest of honor is here,” he announced, took the bowl from her and placed it on the dining table.
“Guest of honor?” she asked wide-eyed.
“Well, you are, kind of,” Abby said with a grin, before she gave Rylee a hug as well. Her belly was showing more and more, and she was glowing. Rylee had heard at her dinner-date with her, that Gregory was extremely worried about her. He didn’t want her to work so much or lift heavy stuff. She’d just told him off for that. She wouldn’t lift that heavy anymore, but she’d keep working as long as possible. She didn’t get stressed easily when she was working and she loved her job. In addition, she ran her own business, so she had to hire some more people soon.
“Give the woman some time to breathe,” Adam interjected with a cheerful smile. He was genuinely happy to see her. He carefully cradled her elbow and led her over to the other people there to introduce her to them. Shawn Thornton, Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Ference with his wife were there as well. After introducing them, Adam asked her if she wanted to see the rest of the apartment.
The living room was very spacious, and they had a big balcony that overlooked the city. Adam led her on to the kitchen, where you could comfortably cook with a couple of friends. It was a beautiful kitchen, much better equipped than the one at her own apartment.
She got a quick glimpse at Dougie’s room and their workout room, before Adam led her into his room at the end of the corridor. It looked a bit like she’d imagined it, but more mature. There was a big desk in one corner of the room, a huge closet, and his bed was big enough for probably three people. She stepped closer to the desk, intrigued by the photo that was in the frame.
When she saw what kind of photo it was, she gasped. It was of the two of them, at the dance. Her favorite photo. The one she’d just looked at a couple of weeks ago. She picked it up and ran a finger over their profiles. Unbelievable.
“It’s one of my favorite pictures ever,” Adam said. She’d felt him behind her before he’d breathed a word. “I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. And that way I had you with me wherever I went. I couldn’t give up on you completely.” He stood completely still behind her, even though he wanted to wrap his arms around her. He’d done enough already. But he should be surprised.
Rylee turned around and looked in his eyes. There was a smile on her lips. She put her hands on his chest, moved them slowly upwards to his shoulders, stood on her tiptoes and softly put her lips to his.
She really caught him off guard with this. He’d taken the initiative so far, but this time it was different. Her soft body pressed against his, urging him to wrap his arms around her, and so he did. He lifted her up onto the desk and wrapped his arms around her, stepping between her thighs.
He ripped his lips off hers and trailed kissed along her neck. One of his hands found its way to her thigh, gently squeezing it. He was glad that she’d come here in jeans and a simple sweater instead of one of her stuck-up outfits. Her hair fell loosely around her face, making it easy for him to run his fingers through it. Right now, though, he’d prefer a skirt or a dress, to feel her smooth skin beneath his fingers.
“Adam,” Rylee said a little breathlessly. She was holding onto his hair by now, her head thrown back a little. “You have guests.”
He took a deep breath and leaned his head against her shoulder. This would be torture. This short make-out-session left him wanting, aching for more and so aroused that he’d need a moment alone to calm down at least a little bit. So he stepped back to let her hop off the table. Looking down at her, he cupped her face in his hands and brushed his lips over hers.
“We should talk about this. Can you stay a little longer tonight, after everyone has left?”
“Probably,” she nodded her head, not at all sure whether she wanted to talk about this or not.
“Okay. Just go ahead and tell them I’m still looking for something if they ask, okay?”
She nodded again and headed back to the living room. Adam was pretty sure everyone would realize what they’d been up to, especially since they all knew his intentions and their history.