Shutout: Rules of the Game Book 2
Shutout: Chapter 35

SERAPHINA

I made an exception to my self-imposed shopping hiatus. It was for a worthy cause.

Bailey nods at me with a knowing smile. “Bet Tyler loved the jersey, Sera.”

“Hope so.” I glance down at my scarlet Falcons jersey that matches the one she’s wearing, save for the name on the back. It was a surprise for Tyler, which means he didn’t see it until we were in the stands before the game. He threw me a wave and a giant grin during warmups, but I haven’t seen him off the ice yet.

We take a left down the hallway toward the team’s dressing room, weaving past throngs of fans traveling in the other direction to exit Northview Arena. After taking several days off hockey to be with me this week, he crushed it out there today. Boyd just defeated Woodbine four-zero, complete with a shutout for him, two goals for Dallas, plus a goal and an assist for my brother.

“Can I just say that you two are freaking adorable?” Siobhan clasps her fingers together, letting out a little squeal. “Maybe it’s the romantic in me, but I love it. Now we can triple date.”

“Let’s see how Chase adjusts before we get too carried away.” Even though we’re not hiding things anymore, Tyler and I have kept PDA to a minimum and have stuck to sleepovers in his bedroom. Mine is too close to the living areas, running the risk of making things even more awkward than they already are.

“He’s coming around,” Bailey says. “Happy to report he’s past the freak out stage and is moving into acceptance. I’ll keep working on him.”

Stepping off to the side, we wait for the guys to come out. Chase is first, followed by Dallas. Tyler steps through the dressing room door a second later wearing one of his game day suits, and my heart flutters. He’s dressed in rich navy paired with a crisp white dress shirt, both perfectly tailored to his lean frame.

When his eyes land on me, he breaks into one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen. He cuts through the crowd and heads straight for me, taking me by the wrist to tug me around the corner. Once we’re out of sight, he spins me in a three-hundred-and-sixty degree turn to show him the name on the back, then fences me in against the red-and-black cinderblock wall.

He nudges my nose with his. “Nice jersey, Tink.”

“You like it?” I ask, wrapping my arms around his waist. He smells delicious as ever, and the clean scent of his cologne is going straight to my head.

“Fuck yeah. I’m going to like it even better with nothing underneath later.”

He dips his head to kiss me. Before our lips connect, we’re interrupted by footsteps echoing on the tiled flooring.

“Ty! Where the fuck are you guys?” My brother’s voice bellows. “James and I are heading out.”

Figures. Chase has given us our blessing, and he still manages to kill the mood.

Hand in hand, we cut through the parking lot to Tyler’s SUV. Chase’s black truck is idling beside it. Even though we’re both headed to our mom’s place for family dinner, my brother insisted on taking his own vehicle. I’m not sure I want to know why. If they show up late, it’ll be painfully self-explanatory.

“Are you nervous about meeting my family?” I ask Tyler. I wish my mom could’ve come with us to watch tonight, but with her ongoing cancer treatment, she’s susceptible to infections and can’t be around large crowds.

He pulls open the passenger side door for me. “Nah. I’m looking forward to it.”

For the first half of the drive, we listen to a spicy audiobook we started together earlier this week. Then I realize we need to calm down before we can be functional around other people and we switch to playing more twenty-one questions—which might as well be renamed infinity questions at this point.

“Question fifty-one,” I say, dialing up my seat heater to maximum. When it’s cold, I like to roast my entire body through the leather; it’s the only effective way to warm up. “What position would you play in hockey if you couldn’t be goalie?”

Tyler runs a hand along his jaw. “That’s a tough one. I like the idea of preventing goals, but scoring would be fun.”

“You can still score later tonight.”

He laughs at my bad joke, shaking his head. “Fuck, I love you.” Shoulder checking, he switches lanes in advance of the exit coming up. “Question fifty-two: what’s on your travel bucket list?”

This one is easy. I have a Pinterest board full of pictures from Santorini. The rugged cliffs; the azure sea; the beaches filled with lava sand and pebbles; and the cliffsides with white-washed architecture. It’s my secret honeymoon dream destination. If we ever get married, it’s where I’d want to go.

“Greece. Definitely Greece. Santorini has these amazing cave hotels with swim-up pools and it looks super romantic. What’s yours?”

“I’m on board with that. Spain is up there for me, too. Maybe Portugal. We’ll check them all off eventually, but we can start with yours.”

A warm, fuzzy feeling settles in me at hearing that.

In the wake of some of the worst news of my life, I won the boyfriend lottery. He’s been better than I ever expected. We stayed home from school for three days straight without leaving the house other than to attend my appointment. He watched Legally Blonde again with me—twice. Played Scrabble with me. Rubbed my feet. Cooked for me. And we snuggled.

What’s more, when he came with me to my genetic counseling appointment, he was better prepared than I was. It helps that he has a science background; he’d done his homework, and it showed. He listened, asked questions and took notes, and checked in with me repeatedly. It was the perfect balance of being supportive without being overbearing. Without him there, I would’ve been completely overwhelmed.

Moments later, he eases his car up the driveway to my mom’s sprawling white house and shifts it into park. When we get inside, I hand my mother the flowers and wine we brought. She sets them aside, then proceeds to hug me for at least two solid minutes, fighting back tears.

“Sera.”

I fight to breathe as she squeezes me tighter. “Hey, Mom.”

We haven’t seen each other since I told her about my BRCA results on the phone. It crushed me to hear the guilt in her voice. I spoke to her again after my genetic counseling appointment but there’s not a lot to say. Very little can be done at this stage other than plan for the eventualities in the future. I’ve done what I can in that regard, and now all I can do is make peace with it. At least I have a good support system now that I’ve told everybody.

When she finally releases me, I introduce her to Tyler, and she hugs him too. She’s a hugger at the best of times, and she’s extra emotional in light of everything else going on.

“Can we help you with dinner?” I ask.

“No, no.” She waves me off, sniffling. “Go show Tyler around, and I’ll call you when it’s done. Where’s your brother?”

You don’t want to know, Mom.

“On their way. I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

I lead Tyler up the winding wooden staircase to the second floor, past the spare bedroom and Chase’s room, all the way to my old bedroom at the end of the hall. Unsurprisingly, it’s painted hot pink and covered in posters, still the epitome of a teenage girl’s room just the way I left it.

He picks up a photo of me in a tutu from when I was five. “Aww. You used to dance?”

“Not well,” I admit. “Chase got all the coordination and athleticism in our family.”

While Tyler is scanning through the other photos scattered along my dresser, an email pops up on my phone, and I glance at the preview. My heart stops. I read and re-read it again, confirming I’m not hallucinating.

“Oh my god.” My voice climbs to a squeak.

“What?” Tyler’s next to me in a flash. “Is everything okay?”

To say he’s become a little overprotective lately is an understatement.

I tilt the phone screen to show him. His brow furrows as he reads the message, and his face erupts into a huge smile.

“Holy fuck. That’s amazing.” He wraps his arms around me, picking me up off the ground. “I’m so proud of you, Ser.”

Chase and Bailey show up not too long after, and we sit down for dinner once my stepfather, Rick, gets home from work. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his in the past, especially when I was a teenager, but he’s stepped it up a lot since my mother got sick and he’s grown on me. Grudgingly.

Ever the hostess, Mom has set up the dining table with a crisp linen tablecloth, candles, and her good china. We dive into her roasted chicken and potatoes as we go around the table catching up and making small talk. Tyler fits right in, and I’m struck by how easy it is to have him here. How easy it is with him in general, really. I never thought it could be like this with someone.

When the conversation dies down enough to give me an opening, I summon my courage.

“I have some news.” Everyone looks at me, and my anxiety spikes. “I won a writing contest, and one of my poems is going to be published in an anthology from Revolve Magazine.”

Beneath the table, Tyler squeezes my knee affectionately. That he’s been so supportive in the good and the bad means everything to me.

Bailey clamps a hand over her mouth. “Oh my god, Sera. That’s huge. Revolve is really a big deal. I have a few friends who submitted for that contest.”

“I didn’t know you still wrote.” Mom gives me a warm smile. “That’s wonderful, honey. I’m proud of you.”

“That’s awesome,” Chase says, spearing a potato with his work. “Aren’t you glad you got dragged to all my games when we were kids? Really paying off now.”

I stick my tongue out at him. “You would try to take credit for it.”

“I’m just kidding, Sera. It’s fucking cool.”

Our mother gasps. “Language, Chase. We’re at the dinner table.”

I can’t even attempt to hide my laugh. At this point, I’m not sure how she hasn’t given up on his potty mouth. It’s the definition of a lost cause.

“Can we read the poem, Sera?” she asks, returning her attention to me.

I hesitate because the subject matter is still a little too raw, and it feels akin to pulling back the curtain on my brain. “I’ll send it later and you can read it when I’m not around. Does that work?”

Understanding crosses her face. “Of course, sweetheart.”

We linger at the table, talking over dinner and dessert—including two pieces of my mom’s famous homemade raspberry cheesecake for me. Mom hugs me approximately ten more times on our way out the door, fussing over me, then tells me how much she loves Tyler. Hearing it makes me happier than I expected.

Tyler’s arm slides around my waist as our boots crunch over the snow on our way to his car. It’s a crisp, cool evening. Out in the country where we are, the stars blanket the sky, far more visible than in the city back home. We come to stand beside his running car, and he tugs open the door for me.

“Thanks for coming tonight, Hades.”

“Thanks for inviting me.” He pauses, grinning. “Well, technically Chase invited me. But I’m going to pretend you wanted me here.”

Rocking onto my tiptoes, I kiss his cheek. “I definitely did.”

“Is this what you had in mind?” I ask Tyler.

He comes to a halt in his bedroom doorway, clutching a glass of water in each hand, and stares at me standing before him in nothing but his red jersey. Doesn’t blink. Doesn’t move. Doesn’t say a word.

I think he might be glitching again.

After a beat, he recovers and closes the door behind him. Then he crosses the room to me in a few broad strides, setting the water aside on his nightstand.

“It’s exactly what I had in mind. You’re fucking perfect.” Large hands scoop me up and lift me off the ground, carrying me several steps to his bed. I sink into the mattress as he places me down beneath him, his hair tumbling over his forehead. He’s broad and lean above me, a sinewy frame sculpted from hours on the ice and at the gym.

“Seeing you out there tonight was everything, Tink.” His eyes trace my face in that thoughtful, pensive way of his. “I love you.”

I swear, my heart grows a little more every time he says that to me.

“I love you,” I tell him.

Threading his fingers through the roots of my hair, he dips his head, and his lips crush mine, claiming and possessive. My palms glide up his bare arms, surfing along the curves of his muscles to grip his shoulders. I wrap my legs around his waist, reveling in how our centers perfectly align, and when I shift beneath him, he draws in a sharp breath, hardening even more.

Tender kisses land on my neck, his lips hot against my skin as his hands slip beneath the fabric of the jersey. It’s not long before all of our clothes have been abandoned on the floor and we’re completely naked.

Tyler sits back on his knees before me, pumping his length with a hungry look on his face. “Play with your pussy for me.”

Our eyes stay locked as my fingers slide down my stomach, reaching lower until they replace my swollen, aching clit.

“Oh.” Pleasure rockets through me, and a breathy moan slips through my lips.

He lets out a low, almost pained sound. “Keep going.”

I do as he says, working in small circles as the pleasure blossoms in my core. It’s both torture and relief; he’s so close and he’s what my body really wants.

Fisting his cock, he draws closer until he’s hovering over me, kissing me again.

“I’m on birth control,” I pant, my hips instinctively arching to meet him. “I haven’t been with anyone else.”

Tyler groans and looks down, grazing my slick entrance with the tip. “I haven’t either. I haven’t even looked at anyone.” He drags his cock along my slit, watching for my reaction. “Ask me to fuck you.”

My lower back arches, seeking his body, and I whimper. “Please fuck me.”

He tsks. “You look so pretty when you beg.”

We both cry out as he thrusts forward, sinking deeper until he reaches resistance. Tension coils in my center when he begins to move, rolling his hips with divine precision, nudging a spot only he’s ever found. Somehow, knowing there’s nothing between us drives me even more wild.

Sweet bliss washes over my body, and my toes curl, a needy whimper falling from my lips. The way he moves is a revelation. Everything he does is the perfect blend of gentle and rough, giving and taking. It’s slow, languorous fucking; an unhurried exploration of each other’s bodies.

He pins my wrists above my head with one hand, going deeper. “This tight little pussy is mine.”

I gasp as another shockwave of pleasure rocks me. “What about your cock?”

“It’s yours, Ser. Every inch belongs to you.”

Slowly, he pulls back until we’re nearly separated, and I feel empty at the sudden loss of his girth. I watch his six-pack flex as he drives forward, filling me completely. Pleasure lights me up from the inside out, and I moan, hitching my legs tighter around him.

Releasing my wrists, his broad palm slides beneath my lower back, lifting me to him. When he pumps into me, I arch against the pillow with a wordless cry. My eyelids flutter shut at the new sensation, my fingernails biting into his lower back. Wave after wave crashes over me, blurring into one. I cling to him as everything grows hazy, and I begin to lose myself in him.

After holding back at first, he gives me everything, thrusting harder and faster until we’re both hovering on the brink. His mouth collides with mine, capturing my cries, and our kiss turns sloppy, desperate. He picks up my leg, wrapping it higher around his torso, and his next plunge fills me so deeply that I feel him everywhere.

Euphoria short-circuits my brain. “Come in me. Please.”

When he drives into me again, he hits exactly where I need it most. I become weightless beneath him at the same time he shudders with a groan, his body tensing over mine.

“Goddamnit, Ser.” I feel him throb between my legs with release, and he drops his forehead to mine, winded. Seconds pass, and we stay tangled together, breathing heavily. “You’ve unlocked another cheat code. I’m fucked.”

“I promise to only use my powers for good, like when I’m already coming.”

Tyler laughs, kissing my shoulder. “It’s a deal.”

We reluctantly pull apart and he cleans me up before we get ready for bed. By the time we crawl back underneath the covers, it’s late. My body is tired, my heart is full, and all I can think of is how lucky I am. After feeling lost for such a long time, now I know exactly where I’m going.

“Question fifty-three.” He pulls me to him with my back to his chest, pressing his lips to the base of my neck. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“As much as I love you?”

“More. I would do anything for you, Tink. Name it, and it’s yours.”