Read Getting Lucky Number Seven Online
Authors: Cindi Madsen
Getting Lucky Number Seven (22 page)
Relief flooded his features, and then he crushed me to him and kissed me like he meant to imprint himself on my very soul.
People cheered in the background, and I knew we were making a spectacle of ourselves, but I didn’t care. I flung my arms around him and deepened the kiss, soaking in the feel of his body against mine, his strong hands gripping my waist, and how against all odds, I’d somehow ended up with the one thing I wanted most.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Beck
I finished putting the last box into Lyla’s car and then turned to face her—she had on these sexy tiny denim shorts, a lacy white top, and a bright floral scarf wrapped around her ponytail, the ends hanging over her shoulder. She was so pretty that I couldn’t help moving in for a kiss.
“Are you sure you won’t take the Land Rover?” I asked. “I can get another car sent for m—”
“It’s very nice of you to offer, but I’ll be fine.” She wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me tightly, and I slid my hands in her back pockets.
“I just worry about you driving that far all by yourself, especially in this rust bucket you call a car. And suddenly a month seems like forever.”
She tipped up her head and pressed her lips to my jaw. “I know. But I’ve got to at least visit my parents. Hopefully the new look and new me doesn’t freak them out too much. Then I’ll be in Canterbury, and before long, you’ll probably be sick of me.”
“Impossible.”
Lyla glanced at her apartment complex. “I can’t believe my first year of college is over. It was both easier and harder than I imagined it’d be.” Her gaze moved to me. “And better in a lot of ways, too. And now it’s over, I can’t help feeling a little sad. But at least I don’t have to wait till next fall to see you—I’d never survive.”
“Right back at you.” I wasn’t sure what the future held, but I knew I was going to do whatever it took to keep Lyla. She was going to visit her parents for a month, and then she’d come live in Canterbury for six weeks while we both did internships for D&T Pharmaceuticals. She’d get job experience in the career field she hoped to be in one day, and I’d learn the ropes of the company.
We’d talked a lot about it, and she convinced me it was okay to take these next few years to figure things out—even with the company turning over to me, I could leave most of the decisions up to the board of trustees and have them fill me in on important transactions. I’d have to travel back and forth a bit, but she told me she’d come with me as much as possible. That way I could figure out if a position at D&T was the future I wanted, or if I should keep my focus on working toward the NHL.
Being in New Hampshire over the summer would also help me finish dealing with Mom and Dad’s estate, as well as spend some time with Megan and Avery, who was a dang cute kid. At first I’d suspected Karen was only after money, but the more I got to know her, the more I saw why Dad must’ve liked her. Or maybe even loved her. Didn’t mean I agreed with the way he’d gone about things, or that I was cool with him and Mom cheating on each other. Luckily, Megan was dealing better than I’d expected, despite the constant gossip, and I think a big part of that was how motherly Karen acted toward her. Aunt Tessa simply wasn’t cut out for it, even though she tried, and I could never repay her for all her help. So at least I wasn’t completely dreading going home.
Still, I knew life would be much easier to deal with if Lyla was there with us. “Megan’s so excited about moving back to our home for the summer—she never stops talking about it. Are you sure you’re ready to deal with her full time, too?”
Lyla grinned, the dimple in her cheek flashing. “We’ve already talked about how we can gang up on you when one of us needs to win an argument. Girl power and all that, you know.”
I shook my head but laughed. “I knew introducing you two was a bad idea.”
Six weeks of living with my amazing girlfriend. Then back to Boston in the fall, so we could work on finishing our degrees and I could help my team defend our championship title. With Lyla in the stands during the Frozen Four tournament, I’d played the best hockey of my life, and we’d won the championship game by three points. Taking her home with me afterward to properly celebrate had made the victory that much sweeter.
I rested my forehead against hers and sighed. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” She covered my lips with her fingertips. “But don’t say good-bye or I might cry. I keep telling myself that it’s only four weeks. Only four weeks.”
“Only four weeks,” I repeated. I pressed her tighter against me, desire instantly heating my veins. “I think I better drag you into the apartment and have my way with you one more time. Make sure number seven’s been accomplished as many times as possible before your first year of college is officially over.”
She bit her lip, and I knew I was about to get my way. I leaned down and kissed her neck to seal the deal. Her fingernails dug into my arms—man, I loved when she did that.
“But I… I still need to get Einstein,” she said. “And Whitney’s in the apartment, and…”
I slid my thumb under the waistband of her shorts, brushing the spot where her sexy tattoo was. Her sharp intake of breath told me I was on the right path.
“Once more for the road sounds good,” she whispered, her voice rough. “You know, I’ve never done it in a car before.”
“We can’t have that, can we?”
“But we’d need to go somewhere more secluded.”
I scooped her up and placed her in the passenger side of the Land Rover. I knew just the place. And since it was going to be four long weeks before we got to be together again, I planned on making every last second count.
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Acknowledgments
Another book down, and another awesome group of people to thank for all of their help. Thanks to Amanda Price for listening to my idea, giving me the courage to put it down on paper, encouraging me whenever I needed it and getting me through a lot of freak outs, and for reading the first draft when I was terrified to show it to anyone. Thanks to Melissa West, Megan Erickson, and Lia Riley for also reading it before it was as shiny, and for telling me that you laughed a lot while reading. Extra thanks to Melissa for reading scenes over again to help me play this or that, and for your friendship over the years. Big thanks to the amazing Anne Eliot for always being there, whether it’s mood boosting or talking character arcs (I’m still never outlining beforehand, NEVER! Hehe) and for being my travel buddy and celebration meals together.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and Alycia Tornetta and Stacy Abrams for being excited to genre-skip with me when I want to try something new. Special thanks to Alycia for pushing me to make this book better, learning more about hockey with me, and making me think (even when I really didn’t want to). Thanks to the cover designers, publicists—you’re amazing Debbie Suzuki!—marketing team, and the other Entangled authors. I’m so happy and grateful to be part of such a supportive network.
Huge thanks to Janette Derucki for chatting with me about all things hockey and answering a lot of rambling texts. Thanks to Sophia Henry for the always-inspiring Hot Hockey God Friday. And to the rest of the girls in the TZWNDU book club, you make me laugh, celebrate my writing milestones with me, and are the absolutely coolest book club EVER!
I’d also like to thank the CKM for their support, as well as my sister, April, who listens to my writing dilemmas despite how busy she is. Thanks to Wordsmith Publicity, along with all the bloggers and readers who’ve helped spread the word about my books. And extra big thanks to my readers in general. You all rock!
And last, but definitely not least, thanks to my family, who suffers through burned meals, takeout meals (which they highly prefer to burned), and general chaos, so that I can get my writing and editing done. Especially to my husband, who always picks up the slack and has been one of my top supporters from the beginning. Love you!
About the Author
Cindi Madsen
is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a pretty new pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music and dancing and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.
You can visit Cindi at:
www.cindimadsen.com
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