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Zack and Andrea hadn’t been together in their own world… ever. Up until that point they had been two people with the eyes of others on them, and now that everything was finally over and they no longer felt like everyone was evaluating them, life seemed simply wonderful. They had already decided to go to Switzerland for a while. “Well… where are we going to live in the meantime?” “Is it okay if we stay in my apartment? I love your new house but it’s not very close to work,” he said and Andrea nodded. “Sure, and it will only be fifteen days, one last chance to enjoy ourselves before facing harsh reality.” “What harsh reality?” Zack frowned. “That in your parents’ house you can’t shout while… you know.” Zack burst out laughing, knowing that wouldn’t last long either because in Switzerland they would immediately replace their own house. But finally they gathered what they needed and moved it to Zack’s apartment. Loan and Milo didn’t leave right away, with the danger a little further away, they decided to stay to get to know each other and have a little fun, and then they would all go together to the old continent. But to be good, they went to stay at the house they had rented with Mason, just in case they preferred to keep an eye on him. But although they tried to establish a routine, that relationship was too new for Zack and Andrea, so each day was full of different emotions, and each night ended with a few stifled screams into the pillow so as not to wake the baby. Meanwhile, Andrea was preparing for her first hockey game as Baby Storm’s representative. She was excited because it was her first time and she hoped it would be fun even though she was nervous. Thanks for reading on LeeNovelas.com. —I don’t want to neglect Gideon. How am I going to manage to be his representative from the other side of the world? —she asked worriedly. —Don’t worry, I’m a representative for Australian, Norwegian, and South African athletes, and I don’t live in any of those countries—Zack answered to reassure her—. I’ll show you how. For now, just focus on this match. Are you ready? — he asked. —Yes, I’m just missing one thing. Can you help me? — Andrea answered. —Sure, what do you need? —I need an official ID for the sponsors. Business cards or something like that, I can’t write my number down on a piece of paper. —Very true, I’ll get it for you. How many do you need? Remember. Read this novel only at LeeNovelas.com, not on other sites. —About ten or twelve— Andrea answered, smiling at the speed with which he took care of everything. —Let’s think big, one hundred or two hundred— Zack laughed, hugging her in a hug full of confidence. He gave her a kiss and left the room. An hour later she returned with some cards printed with the company logo and Andrea’s name, address and phone number. They were beautiful and she put a good amount in her bag. The next day they prepared for the game and when they arrived at the rink,Andrea wasn’t surprised to see the number of people attending the game. She was surrounded by people she didn’t know, but she felt that Zack’s closeness gave her security. She immediately went to wish Gideon luck and they sat in their preferred seats to watch the game. Between Zack and Andrea, Adriana was excitedly playing from her chair. When the game started, Andrea couldn’t help but get excited. Gideon really was a star player, and now that he was represented by one of the big American companies, all the professional recruiters had their eyes on him. The minutes passed and she felt happier and happier, and when the team finally won, the public cheered them with cries of euphoria. During the celebration, several sponsors approached her to tell her about various proposals for Baby Storm, and Andrea felt Zack gently push her from behind. “Go talk to them,” he encouraged her. “Me alone?” Andrea whispered nervously. —Honey, you got the star boy all by yourself. You can do anything —Zack smiled at her, carrying Adriana in his arms. I’ll take care of the princess and you go to work, I assure you that you were born for this. He gave her a fleeting kiss on the lips and Andrea took a deep breath before walking away. A few minutes later she was animatedly debating with several sponsors, handing out their cards and telling them a little about the projects they had thought of for Baby Storm’s career. Zack watched her with pride, feeling like the luckiest man in the world to have such a talented woman at his side. And that pride overflowed when he saw her arrive with three exclusive sponsorship proposals. —Two hundred… two hundred thousand…? You got the boy a sponsorship of two hundred thousand dollars a year? —Zack exclaimed, unable to believe it. —Is that too little? —No, it’s a lot for someone who still has two years left before the professional league! —Zack exclaimed. The first sponsorship I ever got was for sixty thousand dollars. Andrea’s eyes widened. “Really? Do you swear?” she exclaimed, jumping on her toes like a little girl. “I swear, love, I swear!” Zack said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. “You’re wonderful! You’re spectacular!” After the game, Zack and Andrea headed to the parking lot to go home. As they walked, Andrea couldn’t help but think about how nice that outing had been and felt great joy at being able to feel that way. “What would I do if you hadn’t appeared in my life?” she asked him in a low voice. “You would have found a way to get ahead, because that’s how you are,” Zack answered without hesitation. “I, on the other hand, would have spent the rest of my life being deeply unhappy.” Andrea felt even more proud of him and smiled fondly at him. For a moment, the two of them stayed silent, enjoying the peace of that moment. “What if we take Adriana to the aquarium tomorrow?” Zack asked. —I think that’s excellent,But we’re going home today, because I feel like doing unspeakable things to you when the baby falls asleep. Zack’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “Horny! Did watching all those men hitting each other on the ice give you a rush?” he accused her. “The truth? The sponsorship gave me a rush!” she replied, waggling her eyebrows suggestively as she moved closer to him and caressed him over his clothes. “And I fully intend to.”… upload everything to you too. Zack got excited with Andrea’s caresses and kissed her passionately, getting drunk on the sweet taste of her mouth. When they separated, their lips were shiny and their eyes full of lust. Their hands intertwined as he smiled with an expression that was a mix of satisfaction and desire, as if he knew that the night would belong to the two of them. “Let’s go home, Cupcake, before they take us to court for indecent behavior,” he warned her, giving her a slap so that she would get in the truck. During the trip they continued talking about everything that was happening in their lives, sharing emotions and experiences no matter how silly or serious they could be. Every time their eyes met, Andrea gulped, because it was obvious that all of that was just a distraction to hide the desire they had for each other. “Shall we make dinner together?” Andrea asked and he nodded. “Of course! And besides, today I’m making Adriana’s, I’m going to make the most delicious porridge for my little tooth.” Did you see that she’s already getting a little tooth? —Zack smiled, petting the baby before sitting her in the highchair. —She’s growing so fast —Andrea murmured with a sigh. —She’s going to start walking soon. Zack hugged her from behind and gave her a kiss on the cheek. —And you know what’s the best part? That now we’re going to enjoy all of that. —Andrea felt a lump in her throat knowing it was true. Now she could be with her daughter, not like before, when she spent the whole day without seeing her when Mrs. Wilson took care of her. —Zack…? Do you think we can make time these days to go see Mrs. Wilson at her residence? —she asked him. —I know she’d love to see Adriana again. —Of course we can, love. Besides, when everything calms down and we can go back, it would be nice if we took Mrs. Wilson on vacation. We can have her at home with us as much as you want. Andrea’s eyes filled with tears, because Zack was the best man in the world, and she was definitely going to take him at his word. “So tomorrow we’re going to the Aquarium, the day after tomorrow we’re going to see Mrs. Wilson, and then we’ll figure out something to do to entertain ourselves… Shall we rehearse for more Thorcitos or Pastelitos, with emphasis on “rehearse”? Andrea laughed and nodded, because making love to Zack wasn’t something she needed a second invitation for. She was happy and she had the family she wanted. Andrea was happy. And just for a moment she allowed herself to forget that there was still a monster lurking in the dark.