Power Pucking Play (Chicago Blades)

20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Lexi

I wake up to the soft light of dawn filtering through the hotel curtains and the even softer sound of Gio's breathing beside me. For a moment, I just lie there, drinking in the sight of him.

His dark hair is tousled from sleep—and, let's be honest, from our activities from last night—and there's a hint of stubble along his jaw that I find insanely fuckable.

God, when did I become such a horny animal?

This man and his emerald green eyes are my kryptonite, and as if sensing my gaze, Gio's eyes flutter open. He blinks a few times, confused, before his eyes land on me and a slow, lazy grin spreads across his face.

"Morning, Brookes," he mumbles, voice still rough with sleep. "You planning on staring at me all day, or do I get a good morning kiss?"

I roll my eyes, but I can feel a smile tugging at my lips. "Cocky much, De Luca?"

"You weren't complaining about my cockiness last night," he smirks, pulling me closer.

And just like that, we're kissing. It starts soft, almost tentative, like we're both still not quite sure this is real. But then Gio's hand slides down my back, and I arch into him, and suddenly there's nothing tentative about it at all.

As our kiss deepens, I let my hands wander, fingers tracing the contours of his chest.

I pull away slightly and start trailing kisses down his neck, savoring every inch of skin between us. My lips move lower, brushing over the hard planes of his abdomen, feeling him tense beneath me. I hear his breath catch, and a low chuckle escapes him.

"Gio De Luca, struck silent for once?" I tease, glancing up to see his hooded gaze fixed on me.

"Made speechless by you, Brookes. I'll happily complain later."

With another grin, I continue my descent, my lips skimming down the V-line next to his hips.

He's gloriously naked. And hard already.

Meeting his eyes once more, I kiss the tip of his erection, grinning at his sharp intake of breath. Then, without another word, I wrap my mouth around him, and his response is immediate, a strangled noise that makes my pulse quicken.

I hollow my cheeks and swirl my tongue, keeping my eyes locked on his as I take him deeper. Gio's hands tangle in my hair, and his hips jerk, a broken curse slipping past his lips.

"God, Lex, you're fucking incredible," he groans, the words rough and breathy.

The praise sends a thrill through me, urging me onward. My fingers dig into his thighs, steadying myself as I build a rhythm, each glide earning me more of his sinful murmurings.

"Just like that. So perfect."

His hand tightens, guiding me, encouraging me to take him as far as I can. The way he watches me, eyes dark and hungry, pushes me close to the edge.

"You're doing so fucking good, baby." His voice is a low growl, each word a stroke against my skin. The room is filled with the sound of his ragged breathing and my own heartbeat thundering in my ears.

With each filthy affirmation, I give more, desperate to drive him over the edge, to hear the way he unravels for me. Only for me.

My heart races as Gio's grip tightens, and the heat in his gaze sears into me. Every word he utters is like a match, striking against tinder, setting me alight.

I savor the push and pull.

The way his body responds to every flick of my tongue and hollow of my cheeks. The way his hips buck with a wild desperation.

I brace myself, eager to give him everything he's been pushing for.

"More, Lex. Fuck, just like that," he growls, each syllable a command that sends a shiver through me.

His hands tighten, almost desperately, in my hair as I feel him drawing ever-nearer to the edge. I keep my eyes on his, observing the tumult of emotions flickering there, knowing I've caused every single one of them.

The intensity builds, a crescendo of ecstasy, until Gio's entire body shudders and he spills into my mouth.

I swallow instinctively, my hum vibrating against him as I do, drawing out his release and savoring the taste of his surrender.

Gio's moans crackle through the room, their sound twined with my satisfaction as I continue my gentle ministrations, ensuring every moment of his climax is savored until he finally relaxes, spent and utterly mine.

When we finally come down from our shared high, I'm sprawled across Gio's chest, both of us breathing hard and grinning like idiots.

"Well," I say, propping my chin on his chest to look at him. "That's one way to start the morning."

He chuckles, the sound rumbling through his chest. "Beats coffee any day. And you know that's saying a lot for me."

We lay there for a while, trading lazy kisses and even lazier conversation.

It's nice. Peaceful. So of course, my brain has to go and ruin it.

"Gio," I say, sitting up slightly. "What are we going to do?"

He frowns, his hand stilling where it had been tracing patterns on my back. "About what?"

I gesture vaguely between us. "This. Us. I mean, you're still my story. I'm still your...whatever I am. We can't exactly go public with this."

Gio's frown deepens, and he sits up, forcing me to readjust my position. "Why not?"

I blink, caught off guard by his directness. "What do you mean, why not? Gio," I scoff. "There are rules. My network has strict policies about fraternizing with subjects. Not to mention the potential conflict of interest..."

"So what?" he cuts me off, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Lexi, what we have here—it's real. At least, it is for me. Are we really going to let some corporate rulebook dictate our lives?"

I sigh, running a hand through my tangled hair. "It's not that simple, Gio. This is my career we're talking about. Everything I've worked for."

"And what about everything we've worked for? Doesn't that count for anything?"

The hurt in his voice is like a knife to my gut. "Of course it does. You have to know how much you mean to me by now. But we need to be smart about this. If we go public now, it could ruin both our careers. We need time to figure things out, to finish this story and then...then we can see where we stand."

Gio's quiet for a long moment, and I can practically see the gears turning in his head. Finally, he sighs. "Fine. We'll keep it under wraps for now. But Lex? I'm not fucking ashamed of us. And I'm not going to hide forever."

I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I know. And we won't. Just...give me some time, okay?"

He nods, but I can see the lingering doubt in his eyes. Before I can say anything else, he stands, stretching in a way that momentarily short-circuits my brain. "I'm gonna grab a shower. Want to join me?"

The offer is tempting. So, so tempting. But I shake my head. "Raincheck? I should probably check in with work, make sure the world hasn't ended while we've been in our little bubble."

Gio shrugs, but I don't miss the flash of disappointment in his eyes. "Your loss, Brookes. Don't work too hard."

As the bathroom door closes behind him, I flop back onto the bed, groaning. When did my life become so complicated?

I reach for my phone, wincing at the number of notifications.

Emails from my editor, texts from Gabi (oops, forgot about that dinner), and...a message from Sophie.

Curious, I open it. It's a link, followed by a string of panicked emojis. Frowning, I click.

And feel my heart drop to my stomach.

It's an article. More specifically, it's a grainy photo of Gio and me, walking together in Seattle.

We're not doing anything explicitly romantic, but the body language is...well, let's just say it's not how a journalist typically looks at her subject.

The headline screams: "LOVE ON ICE? BLADES STAR AND SPORTS REPORTER CAUGHT CANOODLING"

"Shit," I mutter, scrolling frantically through the article. It's mostly speculation, but there are enough grains of truth to make my palms sweat.

This is fucked. Very, very fucked.

And as if my phone can hear my thoughts, it buzzes again.

Another text from Sophie.

"Sooo...Charlie is on the warpath. Wants to talk to you ASAP. What do you want me to tell him?"

I close my eyes, feeling the beginnings of a panic attack creeping in.

Fuck. He must know.

This can't be happening. All my hard work. All my dreams.

Potentially gone in the flash of a camera.

The sound of the shower continues in the background, a soothing contrast to the chaos erupting in my mind.

I have maybe ten minutes before Gio comes out, ten minutes to decide what the hell I'm going to do.

Do I come clean? Tell Gio everything and face the music together? Or do I try to handle this on my own, protect him from the fallout?

My fingers hover over the phone, torn between calling my boss and coming clean to Gio.

The weight of my career, my reputation, and this newfound relationship all hang in the balance.

As steam seeps out from under the bathroom door, I'm frozen in indecision. The steady rhythm of the shower feels like a countdown, each droplet bringing me closer to a moment of truth I'm not sure I'm ready for.