Finding the Forward, Part One (HockeyVerse)

Chapter Forty

Verity

H eadphones on, I focused on my plant samples, closing off everyone and everything around me in the lab. In this moment, it was just me and my plants.

That’s all that mattered.

Not the final I’d taken yesterday and still felt sick about. Or the paper I should’ve read one more time before turning in this morning. The final I was giving tomorrow. Not even the department party we were having later to celebrate the end of the semester.

Or that Grif and Dean were on their way to Quebec and texting me cute things.

I lost myself in my work, vaguely recalling Saphira telling me it was time for food. Yeah, I’d be there as soon as I finished this...

... done.

Huh. I peered at it, hope sparking inside me. This could be the batch. Please let this be the one. Only time would tell.

I was so close to having obtained optimum happiness with my flowers. Then I could see what else my flowers could do and delve further into other aspects. Like the alpha-subduing properties and how to pair the two features successfully in one blossom.

No child should have to grow up in a home full of dysfunctional, angry alphas. If my silly flowers could help one person, it was worth it.

“Verity, are you joining us?” Dr. Winters stood there, frowning slightly. He was an older beta man with white hair and suspenders. He’d taught at Briar University since I was a child. Ultimately, he only left because NYIT offered him a chance to build a department–and well, his daughter and her husband had moved here.

I took off my headphones and looked around the silent, empty lab.

“Oh, yes, sorry. Trying to get this done,” I replied. Over break, I planned on spending nearly every moment that Mercy was at practice here.

Though I hoped to get in a little time with the guys. I also was going with the Maimers for a long away-game stint to the west coast.

“While I appreciate your efforts, please make sure that you take some time for yourself over break. No one expects you to spend all of your break in the lab. That’s one thing I like about this place,” he told me.

“I don’t want people to think I’m not working hard enough.” I turned to clean up.

“While you might not be up to your standards, you are up to mine and the universities – and that’s what matters,” he told me, leaning against the counter. Today’s suspenders had stars on them.

He and my dad liked to compare suspender collections.

“I’m so far behind on my research,” I sighed. I should be there by now.

He shook his head. “It’s not a race, Verity. If it takes you a couple of years longer than you expected, it’s okay. You changed programs and had to take extra classes. It’s okay. Now, come join us?”

“Okay.” I knew that, too. There was ample funded time to finish my research, I just had my own timeline. I finished cleaning up, then joined my fellow students in the small lounge that belonged to us.

“There you are,” Saphira told me, wearing an obnoxious holiday sweater.

“I brought cupcakes,” I told everyone as I put cupcakes that looked like Christmas trees on the counter by the microwave.

Music filled the small lounge, as did the smell of the delicious takeout Dr. Winters had gotten us. It was him, three of us from Briar, and two NYIT students that had switched over to plant genetics. I didn’t know them well, especially since I didn’t hang out with everyone much.

“So, did you ever get the grant, flower girl?” Jesse, one of the NYIT students, smirked. The blond alpha was a bit of an ass and took me being busy as snobbery.

“What grant?” I took the last egg roll.

“Don’t play dumb. The reason you were showing Spencer Thanukos your precious flowers a while back. Why would biotech be interested in that?” He rolled his eyes. “How did you even get permission to go to them? I’ve been waiting for ages.”

“I could see a number of biotech uses for them.” Dr. Winters gave me a look. “Is Compass BioTek looking to fund your work? I mean, it makes sense, but...”

I laughed, almost snorting lime soda out of my nose. Dr. Winters had met my big sister.

“Not jumping the line or going against protocol. Spencer literally wanted to see my flowers, given he helped move them from Briar to his backyard, then to here. That and my sister really likes them.” Okay, he had offered to fund me, again, but I still wasn’t ready to take it.

“Why were your flowers in his backyard?” Trent, who’d gone to Briar with me, frowned. He and Jesse had become fast friends.

“My sister is Spencer Thanukos’ mate.” I shrugged.

“Must be nice. You’re going to work for him after graduation?” Jesse’s voice grew bitter as he shot me a heated look.

“Are you thinking of working for him and not teaching? You’d make such a great professor.” Dr. Winters frowned a little.

“I was thinking of finding a cute hockey player and starting a cake pop business.” While I wanted to continue my research, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a professor anymore. Not that I actually wanted to start a cake pop business.

Jesse sneered. “Do you even know anything about hockey?”

“Who me?” I gave him an innocent look. While I was no expert, I’d learned a few things.

Saphira snorted. She knew all about Grif and the guys. It was her favorite thing to talk about over lunch or coffee.

My phone lit up with a text from Grif.

Grif

Still in the lab?

Me

Eating takeout with my cohort in our break room.

The topic changed to everyone’s plans for break. Dr. Winters gave us presents, then we played some silly games.

“Excuse me, I’m lost. I’m looking for Verity Thorne and the plant department?” a familiar male voice said as we were finishing dessert.

Jesse looked at the doorway, looked at me, and frowned. “I thought you said you weren’t jumping the line. Yet here you are with someone else looking to see your greenhouse and fund your flowers.”

Grif wore a suit and filled the doorway to the hall. He blinked. “Is that what you call it? Sorry, I was a music major. But...” His look and tone got suggestive as his gaze met mine. “If you show me your greenhouse, I will absolutely fund your flowers.”

I shot him a smoldering look back. “Tiger, you can fund my flowers anytime.”

Saphira chuckled. “That’s some pickup line.”

Grif came over to me and gave me a kiss.

“You’re Grif Graf. You fund research ?” Trent breathed. “I’d love to show you what I’m doing with phytoplankton.”

“He’s kidding. That’s her boyfriend .” Saphira rolled her eyes.

“You’re dating a hockey player?” Jesse looked completely baffled.

“Yes, this is my boyfriend. Grif, I’m so happy to see you. Weren’t you on your way to Quebec?” It was a pleasant surprise. I’d been so busy that I hadn’t spent much time with him since the night I’d gone to his game with AJ.

“Quebec decided to have a snowstorm. Game’s canceled. So, I came to see my favorite girl.” He put his arms around me. “Are you nearly done? Though I can wait.”

“We’re done. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Winters,” Dr. Winters said.

Grif grinned. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

I made introductions and cleaned up my stuff.

“You’re all alone?” I looked around, expecting Dean and Jonas to be here, too.

“I snuck off to see you because I wanted you all to myself. Can I see your greenhouse?” His eyebrows waggled.

“Sure.” Taking his hand, I gave him a mini tour and then took him out the back door of the lab to the greenhouses. It was cold, snow on the ground. I unlocked my greenhouse and pulled him inside, watching his face carefully.

“I feel... happier? Mmmm, so happy.” He pinned my body against the closed door and kissed me deeply, his hardness jutting into me as his hand slid under my silky blouse. “Can anyone see us?”

“No.” To protect our research, the glass allowed light, but no one could see in. There were also no rules about sex in private greenhouses, only the public ones.

“Good.” His other hand unbuttoned my pants.

“Care for a greenhouse quickie, Tiger?” Our kisses became heated as I undid his belt and unzipped his pants. I’d been wanting to have him here for ages.

“Oh, I do, Kitten. I do.” He pushed my pants and panties down around my ankles, still kissing me fervently.

A thrill shot through me, like we were teenagers who could get caught anytime.

I released his dick from his boxers. “Take me, Tiger.”

“Oh, I will.” Mouth crushing mine, he took me hard and fast. I moaned as he hit the right spots over and over, my ass smacking against the door. Oh yeah, this was exactly what I needed.

If the greenhouse is a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’.

“Come for me, Kitten,” he panted, grinding against me.

Orgasm shuddered through my body and I locked him. Grif trembled as he came inside me. He wrapped his arms around me, laying his head on mine.

“Oh, how I missed you.” Leaning into him, I wished that I didn’t have plans tonight.

“I’ve missed you, too. I’d love to take you out to dinner. Mercy’s at an away game, right? Want to sleep over?” His kisses trailed down to my collarbone.

“They’re only playing Pyros, so they’re coming back tonight. I’d love to spend the evening with you, but I have plans. That’s why I didn’t go with them.” Disappointment filled me as I pulled up my panties and pants, leaning on my crutch.

“Oh.” His scent went salty with sadness as he buttoned his pants and buckled his belt.

“I’m taking the mid-afternoon ultra-bullet to Boston to see Dare’s orchestra concert. I have no idea what they’re playing, but I figured someone should support him. You could come with me and show me what practice room you used to fuck Dean in? Explain the shrine?” I offered, wanting to make him happy.

Dare had sent me a picture of the shrine, but I didn’t quite understand it. I hadn’t known Grif was a music major or played piano.

The company would be nice. The ultra-bullet made the ride quick, like maybe twenty minutes, which made the premium price worth it.

His face lit back up. “I’d love to go with you. If we have time, there’s a place I’d like to take you to eat. Is it okay if we keep it to the two of us?”

See the concert and get some alone time with Grif? Perfect.

I pulled him to me by his tie and smashed my lips to him. Still holding him close, I gazed into his eyes. “Tiger, I’d love that.”