My Hockey Alpha

Chapter 0473

Nina

The night air had grown chilly by the time Enzo and I arrived at home. I put our pickup truck in park in the driveway and glanced over at Enzo, whose cheeks were red from one last drink at the bar with his teammates.

"Your cheeks are rosy," I teased, nudging him with my elbow.

Enzo grinned and brushed me off as he hopped out of the truck. "I couldn't leave the bar without one last toast with my team," he said. His voice was cheerful, but there was a hint of melancholy behind it that I could tell he was trying to hide.

Maybe it wasn't so obvious to everyone else, but it was obvious to me. Enzo was more sad about the end of his time with his hockey team than he was letting on. But I decided not to push, figuring that if he needed to talk about it, he would in his own time.

We headed into the house and flicked on the lights. It was so much cozier inside now that we had renovated the place, and I knew that Richard and Enzo's mother would have liked it.

Instead of harsh gray walls and sparse fumishings, we were greeted by warm tones and plush furniture. A vase of flowers sat on the dining room table, and photographs of us with our friends hung on the walls.

*You know, I'm gonna be real homesick when I have to leave this place, and I never thought I'd ever admit that," Enzo said, sinking down onto the large sectional couch.

I couldn't help but grin. When I had first gotten to know Enzo, he despised this house. Now, thanks to our renovations and new memories, it had become a haven for us. The ocean view below through the large windows no longer felt harsh and cold, but rather warm and inviting.

*I'll make sure to tell everyone how much you're pining away for home while you're gone," I teased as I lowered myself onto Enzo's lap, feeling his muscular, warm arms wrap themselves around me.

Enzo scoffed. "You wouldn't dare."

I grinned and pressed my lips to his neck. "Oh, but I would. I'll even tell them that you can't stop calling me and complaining about the lack of good food, too."

"You bitch." Enzo's lips twitched up into a smile, his voice dropping to a husky tone. I felt my body become electrified as he pressed his lips to mine, his tongue pushing its way into my mouth to explore it like new territory.

Without meaning to, a soft moan escaped my lips as his fingers began to work their way up and into my shirt. His hands were cold, but it was soothing against the heat from everything that had been going through my mind recently.

"You know," I murmured into his ear, "you say you'll miss the house. But I think you'll miss this more than anything."

Enzo drew back slightly and shot me a half-puzzled, half-amused look. "That goes without saying,"

Before I could answer, his arms wrapped tightly around me again, and I felt him lowering me down onto the couch. His strong body pressed itself between my legs, his hand wandering my thigh as he began to kiss my neck.

I wanted to relax. I really did. But I just couldn't hide the tenseness in my body, the stress from the past day. For a moment, as I closed my eyes, I pictured two things in sharp contrast from one another: a little life growing inside of me, and something else. Something more sinister, always lurking at the edges of my vision, waiting for the right moment to...

*Stop."

My voice came out sharper than I intended, and I found myself pushing Enzo's hands away, causing him to sit up with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What's wrong? You okay?" His voice, usually a soothing balm, seemed to sharpen my stress.

"Sorry. Just... I'd like to shower first if that's okay." I lied, averting my eyes. His hand, still lingering on my waist, seemed to question the authenticity of my reply.