Power Pucking Play (Chicago Blades)

19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Gio

T he locker room is a blur of celebration and sweat, but I'm not feeling it. As the last game of the regular season before playoffs, this should be a moment of triumph for the Blades. And yet, all I can think about is her.

This win against Seattle should have been enough to make me forget about everything else. But it's not.

I can't shake the image of her sitting in the press box, watching me with those warm hazel eyes. Eyes that looked up at me last night as I made her come and come and...

"Hey, superstar!" Jacob's voice cuts through my haze. "Nice assist out there. And you didn't knock anyone's teeth out all game."

I give him a half-hearted smile and shrug. "Guess I'm losing my edge."

Jacob eyes me carefully. "You okay, man? You seem a little off tonight."

I know I should brush him off and focus on celebrating with the team. But part of me wants to spill everything to Jacob, my best friend since we were kids playing street hockey.

I force a grin, aiming for nonchalance and probably missing by a mile. "Just playoff jitters, man. You know how it is."

"Right." Jacob nods, not entirely convinced. But he lets it go and joins the rest of the team in spraying champagne and cheering.

For a game as intense as tonight's, I should enjoy the shower of alcohol and the laughter of my teammates.

But instead, I head straight for the non-alcoholic showers, feeling a different kind of heat spread through my veins at the thought that I fucked up by letting Lexi in.

Half an hour later, the drive back to my apartment is a blur of streetlights and brooding silence.

I keep replaying Altman's call in my head, the intimate details he knew about my life. Details I'd only shared with Lexi.

Lexi, who I thought I could trust. Lexi, who made me feel shit I've never felt before.

Lexi, who might have just been using me for a all along.

As I unlock my door and head toward my bedroom, I'm so lost in thought that I almost miss her. Almost.

But there she is.

Alexandra Brookes, perched on the edge of my bed like she belongs there. Like she didn't break my trust.

"Hey." Her voice is soft, hesitant. "Can we talk?"

I should tell her to leave. I should be furious, demand an explanation for her betrayal.

But when I look into those big hazel eyes, all I can think about is how much I want to forgive her and kiss away the pain she's caused me.

Damn it.

Without a word, I close the door behind me, heading for the closet to drop my bag. "You know, you're really getting good at this breaking and entering thing. The day you decide not to be a bloodsucking journalist, you might have a future as a cat burglar."

She flinches at my words, but I don't stop. "Or maybe you're just naturally drawn to invading my personal space. Is that it? Did you think sleeping with me would be another way for you to get closer to the story?"

I pop open a beer I had grabbed on the way in and take a long swig, trying to calm myself down.

She takes a step towards me, her golden-green eyes flashing. In a simple white blouse and jeans, she looks so innocent and fragile. But I know better now.

She scoffs, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yes, because sleeping with someone is a surefire way to get information. That's exactly what I was thinking."

I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "You know, for a reporter, you're not very good at lying. Or maybe you just didn't think I'd see through it."

She blinks. "Are you drunk? What...what the hell are you talking about?"

I set my beer down and take a step towards her, feeling the anger bubbling inside of me. "Don't play dumb with me, Lex. You're too damn smart for that. You used me, just like you use everyone else to get what you want."

Her face falls, and I can see the hurt in her eyes. But I push on, not wanting to lose my momentum.

"You were so convincing," I continue, my voice rising. "All those sweet words and promises of love. Until you got what you needed."

"Okay," Lexi finally says, taking a deep breath. "Clearly, we've got some wires crossed here. Can we just...talk? Please?"

I want to say no. Want to tell her to leave, to stop messing with my head and my heart. But the look in her eyes—a mixture of determination and vulnerability—stops me.

"Fine," I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Talk. Talk about who the hell Parker Altman is and why the hell he seems to know so much about me."

Lexi's eyes widen. "How do you know about Parker?"

"Only the call I got from him this morning." I take another swig from my beer. "Was interesting hearing all about myself from a total stranger....and your colleague and friend, apparently."

She takes a deep breath before finally meeting my gaze again. "Parker Altman is a colleague. But not one I'd called a friend. And when he heard about my feature with you, he..."

"He what?"

"He did some digging."

"Did he, now?" I raise an eyebrow, intrigued despite my anger. "And what exactly did he find?"

"Your story," Lexi replies simply. "The one you've been avoiding sharing with the press. You. Your parents. Nonna taking care of you and Gabi while your parents were out working long shifts."

I feel my heart constricting in my chest, the old wounds torn open by Lexi's words. I take another swig from my beer, needing the liquid courage to keep listening.

"Parker must have talked himself into getting a glimpse at the early cuts of the feature…or my notes,” Lexi says quietly. “I'm betting he thought it could be a great angle for, I guess, his own story. A story of overcoming adversity and achieving success against all odds."

I scoff, bitterness seeping into my voice. “Great. See, this is the goddamned reason I didn’t want to do this feature in the first place.” I swipe my hands through my hair, my voice coming out a ragged sigh. “Because of fuckers like this. Because it’s so easy for the story of your own life to get away from you when people get too close. They can shape that story to be whatever the hell they want to be, instead of what it really is. Lex…I wanted to tell my story my way. Not have some snake-skinned dickhead with a microphone and a notepad do it for me.”

Lexi reaches out to touch my arm, but I jerk away from her grasp.

"Why don't you head out yourself and leave while you still can? Hell, you can make it zero-for-three. Gio De Luca," I spread out my hands, "unable to keep his parents, his team, or his friends."

Lexi's eyes soften with sympathy as she watches me drink. "You know that's not true, Gio."

I shake my head, refusing to meet her gaze. "It doesn't matter. None of it matters." I take another gulp from my beer and slam the bottle down on the counter.

"I wanted to tell you myself," Lexi says quietly. "Because I didn't want you to hear it from someone else first."

I let out a bitter laugh, feeling numb and angry all at once. "Like it even matters anymore."

But deep down, I know it does matter. It matters because Lexi's behind-the-scenes article and feature were all about controlling my narrative. Now, my narrative is going to control me.

A dirt-digging jack-off like Parker can take my story and twist into whatever salacious bite-sized story will make the most money—the last thing I was looking to happen.

And yet again, I will be what I was before: a man standing by helpless while spectators make their assumptions, their half-cocked judgments about me. The same sorts of judgments that made me vulnerable to trade talks.

And just as my thoughts go to the possibility of a Blades trade yet again, Lexi’s voice breaks through my thoughts. "I know it's not easy, but you have to face this head on."

"I don't want to," I mutter, feeling both stubborn and defeated.

"I know." Lexi sighs and reaches out to take my hand. "But you can't keep running from your past forever."

"Easy for you to say," I snap, pulling my hand away. "You don't have your entire world at stake."

Lexi's expression hardens, those hazel eyes now sharp with determination. "Easy? Are you fucking kidding me? After everything I told you in Seattle—about my dad leaving us, about my mom's drinking—do you really think saying any of this is easy for me?"

Her words are like a slap to the face. And still, she keeps coming at me, refusing to let me hide in my own self-pity. "I'm not saying it's easy. But you? You using this as an excuse to push me away? That's just fucking cowardly." Her blonde hair falls in her face as she shakes her head. "I know Gio De Luca is lots of goddamned things, but I never thought a coward was one of them."

I flinch, feeling the sting of her words. But I can't deny that there's truth in them. I've been using my past as a shield, pushing everyone away so they can't get close enough to hurt me. And now, with Parker and this story looming over me, it's all unraveling.

"What do you want from me?" I ask.

"I want you to fight," Lexi says, marching towards me. "Fight for your career, for your relationships, for your identity." She reaches out, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at her. "Giovanni De Luca, the one I know and love, doesn't give up. He fights back."

My jaw practically unhinges. My stare narrows.

"Love?" I repeat, incredulous. "You love me?"

Lexi's cheeks flush, but she doesn't back down. "Yes. I do."

I'm speechless, my heart racing in my chest at her confession. I've never allowed myself to fully believe that anyone could ever love me, especially after everything that's happened in my life.

But looking into Lexi's eyes now, I see the truth and sincerity behind her words. And for the first time in a long time, that wall of ice in my chest that I've grown so fucking fond of starts to melt.

I reach up, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. "Don't fucking say that to me, Lexi Brookes."

She raises her chin. "Why not?"

"Because then I'll have to admit that I love you too."

Lexi's bottom lip quivers and I know that she's holding back tears. She reaches up, cupping my face in her hands. "It's about time you admitted it," she says, right before she throws her arms around me.

I barely notice that she does. Because the second the words are out of my mouth, I've already thrown my arms around her too.

Our lips don't come together so much as they collide. But it's perfect, it's fucking perfect.

Lexi tastes like salt from her tears, but she's sweet too. It's like she's made of all my favorite things, and I can't get enough of her.

I pull back, resting my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling. "I'll fight," I whisper, knowing that I have to now. For myself, for Lexi, for us.

Lexi's fingers are at my shirt, buttons flying open and the fabric slipping down my shoulders. I tug at her clothes with urgency, feeling the beat of desire thrumming through my veins. It's a frenzied, desperate dance as we shed the barriers between us, skin meeting skin.

She backs toward the bed, and her hips barely graze the edge before my body presses against hers, hard and wanting. I catch the glint of amusement in her eyes as our bare chests collide, my erection demanding attention as it nudges against her stomach.

"Clean bill of health, I hope," she quips, a teasing smile playing on her lips despite the flush of heat across her cheeks.

I grin back, matching her playful tone. "Tested and cleared, sweetheart. Wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Me too," she confirms, her voice dipping a notch as her fingers trace patterns across my skin.

With a shared look, a silent agreement, I enter her, and we're no longer two separate beings but one entwined. The world narrows to just us—our movements, our breaths, the intensity of this connection—and for the first time, I feel like I'm found my place in the fucking world.

And my place is inside of my beautiful, strong, fucking fierce Lexi Brookes.

Our bodies move in an urgent rhythm, the bed creaking in time with the beat we set. The amber light casts a warm glow over us, highlighting every curve and shadow against the sheets.

Each thrust is long and deep, filling me with a sense of rightness, of belonging.

My fingers find her clit, circling and strumming with precision, drawing out her moans and cries, each sound driving me mad with desire.

At the peak of her climax, when her body shudders in my arms, I move on instinct. I flip her over, gripping her hips to lift them, guiding her onto all fours.

Her breath comes in ragged gasps, but there's a readiness, an anticipation in her posture that matches my own urgency. I lean over her, lips brushing her ear.

"You ready for more, Lexi?" A soft gasp from her, then a frantic nod, and I don't hold back. I enter her from behind with a force that has us both crying out, and we start a new rhythm, hard and fast, the world outside our amber-lit bubble forgotten.

Gripping her hips firmly, I thrust into Lexi from behind, each movement sending jolts of electricity through both of us. Our breaths synchronize, mingling with the sound of skin against skin.

I'm caught in this moment, everything else fading into the background as my focus sharpens on Lexi. Her skin is warm under my touch, her body responding to every thrust.

"Fuck, Gio," she moans, her voice breathy, dripping with raw, unfiltered need. I can't help but grin at her words, a thrill racing through me.

"You like that?" I ask, my voice a low growl, each syllable punctuated by a powerful thrust.

Her response is a mix of moans and words that set my blood on fire, "Yes, don't stop. I want more, harder."

Her demands fuel me, driving me to meet them with everything I have. "You're so tight, Lexi."

I'm completely lost in her, every thrust an expression of the wild energy coursing through me.

My fingertips sink into her silky skin, and I pull her back against me, pounding into her with increasing fervor.

Her voice is raw, giving back as good as she gets, fueling my desperation to bury myself in her completely.

"Fuck, you feel incredible, Lexi," I rasp, my words almost drowned out by the rhythm of our bodies colliding.

She meets me with equal ferocity, her words dirty, filled with hunger, urging me on.

"Gio, don't stop. Harder. I want it all."

"Oh my God, I'm so filled up with you."

"Your cock feels so damn good."

Every syllable out of her mouth lights me up, a match to kindling, and I don't hold back, giving her everything she's asking for and more.

Lexi's voice climbs higher with each thrust, and I feel her tighten around me as she reaches her peak. Her body shudders uncontrollably, and I let go, pulling out just in time to release onto one perfect ass cheek.

And just the knowledge that I'm marking her like this makes me come even harder.

I’m imprinting myself on her skin like she's mine. Like she belongs to me.

Because she does.

And I am every fucking bit owned by Lexi Brookes.

She collapses onto the mattress, completely spent, and I take a lingering moment to admire her gorgeous body before heading to the bathroom to get a washcloth.

I return to her side to gently wipe her down, each stroke tender, calming. Once she’s clean, I slide into bed, pulling her into my arms.

The curve of her ass fits perfectly against my groin, and I almost groan, my fingertips brushing across her nipples as I brush my lips against the nape of her now damp neck.

She moans lightly as I nuzzle closer, my lips grazing her neck. My cock twitches, and I nestle it even closer into her private nook.

"You know, sweetheart, it's going to be hard to let you sleep when you keep making those irresistible sounds," I tease, my voice a low, playful growl.

She lets out a soft laugh, rolling slightly in my embrace to face me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Gio, if you keep whispering like that, you'll only prolong the inevitable."

My fingers lazily trace patterns along her side, as I mock-sigh. "You're trouble, you know that?"

She bites her lip, clearly enjoying this as much as I am. "Good thing I know how to handle trouble," she retorts, dragging her fingertips lightly across my chest.

I pull her even slower. "You might be the only one who can," I admit, feeling a warmth that's unmatched. Her presence is intoxicating, a bliss that I never want to end. "But I better quit while my ass is ahead. I'm not sure I have the energy for another round."

"Is that a challenge, Gio?" Her hand reaches between us to squeeze my thigh, dangerously close to reigniting the fire.

"Well, you did ask for all of it," I smirk against her skin, trailing my lips along her shoulder, savoring every inch.

"Mm, maybe I underestimated how much you had to give," she purrs, twisting slightly to meet my gaze.

"There's plenty more where that came from, trust me." I catch her earlobe between my teeth, drawing a soft moan from her.

"Guess I'll have to, won't I?" she breathes.

"Tomorrow," I promise, sincerity and exhaustion mingling in my voice. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Good," she murmurs contentedly.

We settle deeper under the covers, her body warm and pliant against mine. For a moment, there's a disbelief in my body—and the overwhelming knowledge that this wonderful woman in my arms is all mine.

With all my fucked-upness, I can only pray that I can keep her there.

As sleep starts to pull me under, the last thing I hear is her soft whisper, "Goodnight, Gio," just before my eyes flutter shut.