Page 40 of Aspen's Defense

Atlas flips him off, earning laughs from the rest of the team as I carry Aspen out of the elevator. They all head toward the stairs. Colter hangs back for a minute.

"Glad to see you're okay," he murmurs to Aspen.

"Thanks," she whispers.

"I'm bunking with Atlas tonight." He meets my gaze.

"Thanks, brother."

He gives me a chin lift and then heads toward the elevators.

"What was that about?"

"Adjoining rooms."

A blush creeps up Aspen's cheeks. "Oh," she whispers.

I chuckle, carrying her down the hall toward my room. We don't speak again until we're over the threshold. I drop my bag and then deposit her on the bed, crawling over her. "I've been losing my mind worrying about you."

"I'm sorry." She reaches out, placing her palm against my cheek in apology. "I didn't want to tell you any of this over the phone because I knew you would worry. I figured if I waited until I got here, you'd worry less." She grimaces. "I didn't count on someone else telling you before the plane landed."

"I only found out ten minutes before you got here. I was on my way to the airport."

"You were flying home? Noah, you have a game."

I reach over my head, pulling my shirt off. "I realized something."

"What?"

"I want a future with you more than I want hockey."

"You don't have to choose between us," she says. "I'd never ask you to do that."

"I can spend the rest of my life with the woman I can't live without, or I can spend half of it on the road without her. I've had enough of the latter and not nearly enough of the former." I brush my lips against hers. "I'm not asking permission, baby. I'm telling you that this is how it's going to be. When my contract expires, I'm done."

"When does your contract expire?"

"At the end of the year."

"I just talked Nash into not giving up hockey, now you want to give it up," she frets.

"I'm not Nash, Dimples. I'm not sacrificing anything. I'm just beginning to realize that my heart isn't in the game anymore. That's the worst kind of player to have on a team. My spot should go to someone willing to eat, sleep, and breathe hockey. That's not me anymore." I press my lips to her furrowed brows. "I'm filling a slot that some other motherfucker dreams of holding. It should go to him."

"I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it." I grin at her. "You aren't the boss of me."

She growls and pushes against my chest, forcing me onto my back. "We'll see about that, Noah Diamante." She clambers over me, straddling my hips. "I bet I can make you do whatever I want."

She's not wrong about that. Especially if she keeps straddling me like she is.

"You better finish telling me what happened today, Dimples. In about five minutes, you won't be able to say anything but my name."

"Troy told Dillon where to find Silar, so he's in jail, too."

"Getting arrested is looking better and better."

"You can't get arrested. I promised Nash that you were going to look out for me. You can't do that from jail, Noah."