Tate left the next night. After spending the day, eating cupcakes and lying in bed while catching up on their shows, Audrey couldn’t help but cry when he left. Of course, she didn’t do it in front of him. But when he got into Lucas’s truck and rode away, she cried the whole way into the house and then through her lonely dinner. It sucked, but she knew this was the life of a hockey girlfriend. She had seen Elli, Harper, and Fallon go through it, so she knew what to expect. She just wished it didn’t hurt so badly.
She knew Tate was coming home in four days, but after a couple of days she knew she couldn’t wait that long. It was crazy how much she wanted to be with him all the time. She didn’t know if it was because he was gone or because she just loved being around him. Probably the latter. There was something about the way he held her, and talked to her. It was different over the phone, when she missed the feel of his big warm hands. She was ready for hockey season to be over, but knew that was a good five to six months away.
Thankfully, she didn’t care about her job or have anyone who needed her home all the time, because otherwise her impromptu trips wouldn’t happen. Glancing down at her phone to see if Tate’s practice was over, she dialed his number.
“Hey,” he answered.
“Hey baby,” she said, smiling. “I can’t wait to see you. I’m impatient as all hell.”
Tate’s chuckles went straight between her legs, causing her to drift shut.
Man, she wanted him.
“I like that you are impatient,” he said. “How’s work going?”
“I keep hoping my dad will fire me. It hasn’t worked yet,” she said with a laugh.
“Baby, why don’t you quit?”
“And do what? Be a hockey groupie, following you everywhere?”
Tate laughed. “No, I was thinking more along the lines of opening that … you know.”
“What?” she said, trying to make him say it. She loved the way he said “cupcakery.” It was so cute.
“You are messing with me, aren’t you?”
She giggled. “Yes, but no, as much as I want to open my own place, I don’t have the balls to do it.”
“Yes, you do. I believe in you.”
Her heart warmed as she opened the car door and loaded up the backseat with the stuff she had. “Well thank you. Maybe I’ll get fired soon.”
“You are very hardheaded, you know that?”
“Yup,” she said, getting into her car.
“So,” he said in a low, sexy voice. She loved when he talked like that, in his I’m gonna rip you apart voice.
“So,” she cooed back.
“What color are your panties?”
Audrey giggled, pulling her pants out to see the bright blue lace panties that matched her tank top. “Blue.”
“Mmm,” he growled. “I can’t wait to rip them off you.”
Breathless, she gasped, fighting for air. This man did it for her in so many ways. With her hand on her chest, she said, “Oh my God, you are making my girlie parts happy.”
Tate started laughing, ruining their flirty conversation by saying, “Your what?”
She was pretty sure she had used that phrase around him before. “My girlie parts, my *.”
“Oh, well, baby,” he said, his voice going deep again.
She bit her lip with excitement. “Yeah?”
“I’m going to make that * scream.”
Yup, right back to where they started.
“Mm, I can’t wait.”
“Me neither,” he said, making her toes curl. “But unfortunately, I need to go now. I have lunch with the boys.”
“Wow, thanks! Get me all hot and bothered and then rush me off the phone.”
He chuckled as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, love, I will take care of you later.”
“You better,” she said through his chuckles. “All right, see you soon!”