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idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 · 2 years ago

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Life As We Know It | Part 21

Author: Nat / @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Tagging: @thirteenisles @matbaerzal @mcmo-anon @texanstarslove @matbarzyy @hockeywocs @ggggmoneyyyy @tysonjost-taylorsversion @toplinetommy @fiveholegoal @itrocksmysocks @joelsfarabee @barzysreputation @iangiemae @stlbluesbrat @c-tangerine @canadianheaters @jeylia-haj @roopehintz @dreamsndior @beauvibaby @2manytabsopen @nazdaddy @sorryjustafangirl @fallinallincurls @pastelpapermoons @hockeybabe87 @kayt-marie @heatherawoowoo @islesnucks @whoeverineedtobe @ohpuckyeah @tpwkstiles @mf-mightyducks @day-dreamerr @ficsilove10 @notaccurateornice @rapidfever @hoodpankow @oopsiedoopsie23 @haylie-mcc @jostyriggslover96 @newlibrary @honestreputation @the-philthepill13 @justanotherfansblog @simpgirl-lat @hockeypuckspost @great-puck-work @yzas-stuff @sidscrosbyy @teenagekook @svechnikolan @lovethepreds @strong134 @dylancozzys @gravyoverall @lena306 @caelum-the-part-time-acosmist @taiter-tots @canesjedi31 @kq9003 [let me know if you want to be added!]

Word Count: 8k

Warnings: Alcohol. Sexual references?

Comments: I know this took a million years and I’m so sorry!!! I hope it’s worth the wait!!! Thanks again to everyone who stuck with this story despite it being WAY too long between updates. And remember, Beau is an Islander for life in this story 🧡💙

Tess loved Valentine’s Day.

As long as he knew her, Tess had adored Valentine’s Day. Tess loved all the hearts and flowers and teddy bears and the idea of love that came with it. Not to mention, Tess had never really had a serious boyfriend, one that would spoil her with chocolates and roses and tell her 365 different reasons why he loved her. Anthony would be the first, and if he was lucky, her only, so he knew that he had to do something special for their first Valentine’s Day together; he knew he had to make it worthy of her. Even if he had never really been a fan of Valentine’s Day himself.

It wasn’t that Anthony didn’t like Valentine’s Day or had any personal vendetta against it. For several years he had played the boyfriend role perfectly with dinner and gifts and flowers, he just had never really been a fan of the holiday. Valentine’s Day marketed love and buying gifts to show that love, but Anthony firmly believed that, if you loved someone, truly loved them, you should show them every day, not just one day out of the year.

You should take them out to dinner just because, buy them flowers because the tulips reminded you of them, get them the bracelet or book or knickknack because you knew they’d like it, or go out because you love being with them. Love wasn’t something to expect or market, but something that should be given whole heartedly.

But Tess loved Valentine’s Day and he loved Tess with every ounce of his being, so he would make it the best damn Valentine’s Day he could.

The Islanders were on the road the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, so he had a lot of time to think about how he’d woo Tess. Most guys slept on the plane or played on their phone, but Anthony spent every second trying to plan the perfect day for Tess. And it didn’t take him long to realize that it was a lot easier to draw up a play than it was to come up with a Valentine’s Day plan.

Tess…

Tess was loving and kind and amazing and perfect and he knew how she used to dream of a perfect Valentine’s Day and happily ever after and he wanted to give her everything. He had let down a lot of people in his life, sometimes it felt like he still was, but he could never let Tess down. Come hell or high water, he’d do whatever he could to make her happy.

The plane wasn’t enough time to make the perfect plan, especially after he asked Barzy what his Valentine’s Day plans were and he shared a way too detailed description of all the different sex positions he was thinking of for him and Connor. “You know, the best thing to give a woman on V-Day is a mind blowing orgasm,” Mat said without looking up from his phone, and he only forced his eyes away from the screen when Anthony didn’t reply.

“Yeah, I’m not sure that’s on the menu,” he finally replied.

“You guys still haven’t?” Mat asked at the way Anthony’s lips tightened and he winced when Anthony shook his head. “Damn, I really bought that pack of condoms for nothing…”

“We’re going slow,” he shrugged. “Tess asked for slow so we’re going slow, we’ll get there when we get there. I mean…” he took a deep breath. “She’s never even mentioned sex before, for all I know…”

Mat’s eyes bugged a bit, “you think?”

“I don’t know,” Anthony replied firmly. “So, we’re going slow. So, yeah, I’m not sure mind blowing orgasm is on the menu, but I could totally give her one if she wanted,” he added quickly when Mat opened his mouth.

He was quick to close it before he shrugged. “I mean,” he started. “Are you sure? It has been a while. I could refresh you on where the clit is and how to—”

“Mat.” His voice matched the sharp look in his eyes. “I know what I’m doing. And plus, I know Connor has you by the balls. She tells Tess everything and Tess tells me everything.” His smile grew as Mat’s flush did and he contently leaned back in his plane seat as Mat went uncharacteristically quiet.

Maybe one of the married guys would yield better advice for Valentine’s Day, Anthony thought as he closed his eyes. Like Nelly or Bails or Pager. They had to know how to get Valentine’s Day right if their wives stuck with them.

Anthony’s mind was still racing when they landed in Tampa, and he was distant enough during dinner that the guys noticed, so distanced and caught up in the thought of Tess that he didn’t even hear Nelly’s question.

“He’s still in the honeymoon phase,” Mat smiled brightly as he wrapped his arm around Anthony’s shoulders. “Tess consumes his every thought.”

“Shut up,” he grumbled and pressed his thumb into Mat’s ribs hard enough to make him yelp. “Like Connor isn’t the only thing on your mind.”

“Not the point,” Mat replied and tried to jab he back, but Anthony easily blocked him.

“Whatever,” Anthony rolled his eyes. “What was your question?”

Brock shared a knowing look with Anders before he shook his head. “I asked you what you were going to order.”

“Oh,” he whispered and felt his blush creep up his neck. “Um, the steak sounds good?”

“Yeah,” Brock nodded. “I was between that and the salmon.”

“Salmon would be lighter, depends on how the flight hit you, I guess,” he replied, but suddenly he was thinking of whether steak or fish would be better for him and Tess. Or maybe chicken. Or duck. Or—

“Beau,” Anders’ voice cut through his thoughts and he winced as he looked to his captain.

“I will have my head on for the game tomorrow don’t worry,” he reassured Anders.

Anders shook his head. “I’m not worried about that,” he replied. “I just want to make sure you’re okay, offer any advice if you need. I mean, it must be difficult balancing this new phase with Tessa while trying to juggle a 12-month-old, I think I speak for all of us when I say those are a handful on their own.” Those with kids agreed with a soft laugh and Anthony nodded.

He knew he’d probably be chirped into next week for it, which is why he’d rather go to Anders or Nelly or Bails one on one, but he resigned himself with a nod, “Valentine’s Day is coming up and Tess adores Valentine’s Day and I want to make it special for her without it being cheesy.” When the table was quiet, he took a big drink of his beer and shot Mat a death glare.

It was Brock that broke the silence. “Flowers,” he said. “Girls love flowers, but not any kind, their favourite kind, that’s very important.”

“Yeah,” Anders agreed. “And you’re a pretty decent cook, aren’t you? So cook her dinner instead of taking her out, that shows you care, and girls find that romantic as fuck.”

“And jewelry,” Bails tacked on. “It sounds cliché, but they really do love it, if it’s good. Don’t get what you like, you have to get what they’d like, even if you don’t understand it. And for the love of God, there is a huge difference between yellow gold and white gold and do not make that mistake.”

Anthony blinked back at him as he nodded, “right, got it, thanks.”

“And don’t forget the condom,” Anders added with a wink and teasing smile that made Anthony rest his forehead against the table with a groan.

“One time,” he grumbled to himself. “One fucking time…”

“One time too many,” Mat cackled as he shook Anthony’s shoulder.

Once he got back to the hotel room, he stripped down to his underwear and crawled into bed and Anthony looked up jewelry stores and florists between texts to Tess while Friends played in the background. He had always liked the show, but now it was an ever present reminder of her that made him love it so much more.

Planning the perfect Valentine’s Day kept him up at night and, despite his earlier promise to Anders, it took him longer than he wanted to admit to find his legs during the game the next day, but he finally came up with a plan and he only hoped it would live up to her expectations.

Luckily, the Islanders were home for Valentine’s Day, so the day began like any other: Tess wrapped up in his arms. Sure, she had her own room and own bed, but the only place Anthony wanted her was his arms. Once he knew how perfectly she fit in them, he’d never be able to let her go. So, Valentine’s Day began with Tess waking with her face pressed into Anthony’s chest and his arms wrapped around her and she smiled as she tried to snuggle closer. He had always been the best teddy bear she could ever ask for and she felt rather than heard Anthony’s laugh as he tightened his hold on her.

“Good morning,” he breathed, his voice thick with sleep.

“Shh, sleeping,” she mumbled and buried her face into further his chest, making Anthony laugh harder as he trailed his hand up and down her back.

“Okay,” he hummed. Tess made a soft sound against his chest and he tightened his hold on her. Perfect wasn’t a good enough word to describe her, she was his everything. His past, his present, his hope for the future, his family, his everything. All that he was began and ended with Tess. And Valentine’s Day meant a day off, so he was more than happy to stay wrapped up in Tess’s arms as long as she’d allow, or as long as Sorel would allow.

Which, of course, is exactly how the morning went.

He didn’t know how long they stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms before Sorel’s crying came through the monitor, but it wasn’t long enough. He loved Sorel more than he had words to describe, but sometimes all he wanted as an extra five minutes with her mom. They had spent longer, much longer, as friends and parents than they were as a couple and Anthony was desperate for any moment alone they could steal.

He hated jostling Tess when Sorel cried, but he knew it was long past her normal wake up time and she needed to be changed and feed. He murmured an apology when Tess groaned as he slipped out of bed before he went to get Sorel, and by the time he emerged from her room in a clean diaper and outfit, Tess was up. Her hair was messy and fluffy, and she had a sleepy smile on her lip and his shirt dwarfed her frame, all of which made Anthony’s heart flutter.

“Sit,” he told her and put Sorel in her highchair. “I will make you coffee and breakfast.” He smiled before he kissed her cheek and directed her to a chair at the island.

It didn’t take long for her coffee to finish brewing and he added the milk and sugar before he slid it across the table and started making his own. “Bacon and eggs?” He asked. “Or maybe waffles and berries?” He smiled when Tess’s face light up and reached under the island to find the waffle iron. He couldn’t remember the last time he used it and he hoped it still worked as he pulled it in and gathered the ingredients for waffles, and he gave Tess a hard look she tried to get up to get the fruit from the fridge.

He prepared the berries and fruit after he mixed the batter and the waffles didn’t take long after he added them to the iron. He added strawberries and blueberries to Tess’s plate, along with a mountain of whipped cream that made her laugh and he stole a kiss as he sat it down in front of her.

“Thank you, it looks amazing,” she smiled back at him.

“Not as amazing as you,” he replied without missing a beat and his smile widened as she blushed, and when his own waffled was ready, he added strawberries and banana.

Anthony tisked Tess when she reached for the dishes after breakfast. Today was her day, one of them at least, and he wouldn’t have her lift a finger, and he was in the middle of dishes when the florist knocked at the door.

The knock at the door surprised Tess and she furrowed her brows as she looked at Anthony but he did his best to shrug her off. “Can you get it?” He asked and she nodded before making her way over.

As soon as she answered the door, she was faced with a delivery boy and a large bouquet of flowers. “Delivery for Tessa?” He said with a smile.

“Uh, yeah, that would be me,” she replied with a confused expression and the guy handed her the big bouquet of flowers to her before he wished her a happy Valentine’s Day and got on his way. Tess was frozen for a moment as she held the flowers close to her before she took a deep breath in and her smile grew as she closed the door when she was able to give them a good look and smell. It was a bouquet of pink and red roses and lilies and other filler flowers and soft green leaves around the edges and, of course, beautiful white orchids.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he told her softly as he leaned against the counter and his shoulders softened at the way she smiled when she finally looked up at him.

“They’re beautiful,” she told him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied and pushed himself off the counter to step closer to her. “But they’re not as beautiful as you.” Tess opened her mouth to argue but he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “They’re not,” he repeated.

His smile grew at Tess’s blush and he got her a vase for her flowers so they could sit in the middle of the island, and they were more than happy to spend the afternoon together watching Sorel’s favourite TV shows and playing her favourite games. They were a family. Forever and always, they were a family.

When it was time, Anthony pulled everything out and started to prepared dinner before Tess could ever ask, and maybe pinot noir wasn’t the best pairing in the cookbook, but it was Tess’s favourite and her smile meant everything to him. He made her garlic parmesan chicken breasts with steamed veggies for a side. He wanted to refuse her help, wanted to make it special for her by doing everything for her, but he gave in every time she gave him her puppy dog eyes so he let her prep the veggies while he did the chicken and he couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it was to work around each other in the kitchen and how mundane it was.

Finally, the dinner was severed and Anthony smiled as he moved everything to the table. “After you,” he said and only took for himself after Tess had served herself and Sorel. And, to only mild surprise, the dinner was actually really good and Tess couldn’t stop shaking her head as she smiled.

“What?” Anthony asked with a soft laugh.

“I’m just really happy,” she told him. “I can’t count the times I thought about us spending Valentine’s Day with you and now it’s really happening.”

Anthony softened as he looked at her before he raised his glass of wine. “To us,” he said and smiled as she raised her glass too.

“To us,” she echoed and clinked her glass against his.

The rest of dinner was nice. Anthony talked about the roadie and his week ahead while Tess spoke of her plans with Connor and Anthony helped Sorel with her dinner which always made Tess look at him with soft, loving eyes.

Tess fell in love with Anthony years ago, but it was a totally different, deeper love watching him with Sorel. She always knew he’d be a good father, but it was something else entirely seeing how amazing a dad he really was. For so long, Tess had dreamt of having a family with him that it felt surreal to actually have it. There was so much love in her eyes watching him feed Sorel with a smile on his face and Tess meant every word when she said she had never been so happy in her life.

She finally had everything she could ever want.

After dinner, Tess tried to help with dishes but Anthony refused her help. So, instead she played with Sorel on her play mat while Anthony finished the dishes and then they started getting her ready for bed. Tess would have bathed her, but it was Valentine’s Day and dinner had been later than usual and Tess didn’t want to keep her up later than usual. Sorel really took after her dad and could get really cranky when she was tired so, yeah, her bath could wait till tomorrow.

Once Sorel was down, Tess changed into something more comfortable—one of Anthony’s old Islanders shirts and some sleep shorts—and she didn’t think twice about curling up next to him on the couch.

“I’ve never been a huge Valentine’s Day person,” he confessed softly.

“I know,” Tess replied and looked over at him. She had seen him through multiple girlfriends, as painful as it had been, and it had always been about what they wanted rather than about them.

“But I get it now,” he told her. “I like being your Valentine.”

Tess ducked her head as she leaned into him. “I really like being your Valentine, too, Anthony. I really like you,” she teased and Anthony kissed her temple before he gently carded his fingers through the ends of her curls, and he murmured an apology as his fingers tangled in her hair before he pressed another kiss to his temple.

When he pulled back, he held her eyes, her beautiful coffee eyes he fell in love with, before he whispered, “I got you something. I’ll just be a second while I get it.” Tess’s brows furrowed as she watched him get up and disappear into his room, but he came back a moment later with a big red gift bag and Tess’s shoulders relaxed.

“You didn’t have to,” she said softly.

Anthony gave her an almost offended look and handed her the bag before he sat back down next to her. “Like I’d fuck up our first Valentine’s Day,” he scoffed. “Now go on, open it.”

Tess laughed softly but opened the bag and she was surprised at everything in it. “Anth—“ she started but Anthony waved her off.

“C’mon, open it,” he encouraged.

Her eyes shined and the corner of her lips twitched up as she nodded and started to pull everything Anthony had stuffed into the bag. First there was a candle that smelt like vanilla. Then there was a set of bath bombs that Tess definitely didn’t think about using with Anthony and blushed when she sat them down on the coffee table. There were two sets of chocolates, and a Tiffany’s box. Just like the bracelet and the ring before, Tess’s breath caught in her throat and she looked up at Anthony. He worried his lip between his teeth but nodded and Tess looked down as she opened it and her smile softened immediately.

Had had gotten her a bracelet and a ring, it was only fitting that he got her earrings too. They were simple and beautiful, small silver, or maybe white gold, hoops with dangling pear diamonds.

“They’re beautiful,” she whispered and looked up at him. “Thank you.”

Her heart twisted knowing she hadn’t gotten him anything thinking he didn’t care about Valentine’s Day and she put the earrings down to hug him, pressing her face into his neck as she tried to pour her love for him into the hug. Anthony’s eyes closed as he melted into the hug and he buried his face into her hair. “You’re welcome,” he breathed.

Tess pulled back from the hug after a moment and cupped his jaw to kiss him softly. “You’re making me feel terrible for not getting you anything,” she told him but Anthony shook his head.

“You’re the only gift I could ever want,” he told her and kissed her again.

Tess’s thumb ran over the arch of his cheek and she couldn’t stop smiling as she pulled back from the kiss and Anthony was so incredibly in love with her. Sure, they had only really been together for a handful of weeks, but they had been friends for years and he honestly couldn’t imagine his life without her.

Tess continued to run her thumb over his cheek and the soft look in his eyes stirred something in her. Her eyes dropped to his lips and she leaned into him before kissing him again, deeper than before. Anthony was taken back but he quickly melted into the kiss and let his hand rest on her hip.

He didn’t expect the kiss to last long so he let her control it, but Tess didn’t pull back. Maybe it was the wine or the gifts or the fact that it was Valentine’s Day, or maybe it was just Anthony, but Tess didn’t want to stop and when Anthony broke the kiss, she quickly chased his lips and kissed him again. Anthony made a soft sound against her lips that sent a wave of heat through her body and Tess pressed herself closer to him, as close as she could be still sitting next to him.

Anthony kept waiting for her to pull back but she didn’t. Instead, she threaded her fingers through his hair and let her chest rest against his. She wasn’t wearing a bra, she never really had to, so Anthony could feel her breasts and the hardness of her nipples against him and he couldn’t get enough. His neck strained as he deepened the kiss and Tess made a soft sound against his lips that had his hand moving from her hip to her thigh as he pulled her onto his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs bracing her weight as her hips rested against his.

Tess broke the kiss with a gasp and looked at Anthony with wide eyes. “Sorry… Is this okay?” He asked, letting his hands rest on the bare skin of her thighs, terrified he had read her signals wrong and had gone too far.

It took Tess a moment to answer as her heart raced and her lips parted as she looked at him. He was warm beneath her and she settled her weight on his lap before she ran her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders. “Yeah,” she nodded and kissed him again, pulling a soft groan from him.

Anthony let her control the kiss for a moment before he deepened it and pulled her hips flush against his and Tess couldn’t help the moan that slipped from her lips. It was the first time he heard her moan and it went straight to his groin and he wanted to pull more beautiful sounds from her. When she didn’t pull back from the kiss, he let his hands move to her ass and he gently kneaded the soft flesh. It would be so easy to grip her ass as she—

He shook the thought from his head as he nipped at her lip and moved his hands up to her waist. Her skin was warm and she kissed him again just as deeply as before which only spurred him on as he trailed his hands higher on her rib before he broke the kiss to trail his lips down her jaw. Never in his life had he wanted someone as badly as he wanted her and Tess threaded her fingers through his hair and titled her head to the side to give him move room as she moaned softly.

Anthony felt himself start to harden and in the back of his head he knew they should stop and talk about it. Fuck, he didn’t even know if this was something she had done before, but Tess wasn’t stopping him and he didn’t want to stop. All he wanted her.

His lips found where her jaw met her throat and he grazed his teeth over her skin before he sucked softly but not hard enough to leave a mark and he hadn’t realized his hands were moving up until the tips of his fingers brushed the underside of her breasts. Tess’s grip on his hair tightened and she tensed, pulling him from his thoughts and Anthony immediately moved his hands back down to her waist and leaned back to look at her. “I’m sorry,” he told her, his jaw slack and eyes dark.

Her chest heaved and her heart raced but she shook her head. “It’s okay.”

As much as it killed him, Anthony said, “we should stop.”

“No, Anthony, it’s okay,” she told him.

Anthony’s breath caught in his throat as he looked at her and the look in his eyes sent a wave of heat to her core where she could feel him beneath her. “You sure?” He asked breathlessly and Tess nodded, a soft throbbing starting between her thighs as Anthony held her gaze and trailed his hands back up.

He let the tips of his fingers brush the bottoms of her breasts for a few moments before he slid his hands up to cup her chest. Her breasts fit in the palms of his hands and her nipples were hard but not as hard as he was. He swore he had never been so hard in his life and Tess could feel every inch of him through his sweats and the thin material of her sleep shorts.

“Okay?” He asked breathlessly and Tess nodded.

“Yeah,” she replied shakily.

Anthony gave both of them a minute as he held her chest in his hands, feeling her heart racing against his touch. Tess’s chest heaved against him and his lips were parted as he held her gaze before he pinched her nipples between his fingers.Her eyes closed as she moaned louder than before and Anthony was addicted to the sound. His bottom lip was red and worn and a moan slipped from his lips when Tess rolled her hips into his. “Fuck, Tessa,” he said breathlessly and rolled her nipples between his fingers.

Anthony had always stirred something in Tess but he was doing a lot more than just stirring and she couldn’t get enough of him. She had been terrified that it wouldn’t be good, that it would be awkward, but she was wrong. It was amazing having Anthony touch her. Her hair was a mess as she arched into him and when she ground her hips against his, she pulled a strained groan from him that made clench around nothing.

The more Anthony pinched her nipples, the louder her moans got and it was the hottest thing Anthony had ever heard and he wanted nothing more than to take her apart and see how loud he could make her. But Sorel’s room wasn’t all that far away and they couldn’t wake her. “Tessa,” Anthony breathed. “I need you to quiet a bit.”

Her hips immediately stilled and she looked at him with flushed cheeks, “fuck, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not,” Anthony replied immediately and pinched her nipples again, pulling a sharp gasp from her. “I just don’t want to stop so please don’t wake Ellie.”

Tess knew he was right, but it was so hard for her to be quiet when he was touching her like that and she could feel how much he wanted her. She rolled her hips down against his, creating beautiful friction which pulled a loud moan from her and Anthony tried to quiet her with his lips but he just ended up moaning against her.

Slowly he broke the kiss to kiss down her neck again as he pinched her nipples, pulling another moan from her and he was about to ask to take her shirt off so he could see her as well as he could feel her when the sharp sound of Sorel’s cries cut through the room.

“Fuck,” Anthony cursed and leaned his head against Tess’s shoulder with a groan before he let his hands fall to her hips. He was finally going to have her and of course Sorel had to ruin it. “Maybe she’ll cry herself out?” He tried and Tess nodded. But no matter how long they sat there, Sorel didn’t stop crying so Tess slowly untangled herself from him with a sigh.

Her hair was messy and her skin flushed and all Anthony wanted to do was ruin her.

“I’ll get her,” she told Anthony and gave his thigh a pat before she made her way to Sorel’s room, leaving Anthony alone on the couch. He ran his hand over his face as he sunk into the couch, his desire for her clearly visible through his sweats. He had been cock blocked before, but never like this.

And Sorel was usually so good so he expected it would be a quick check in and put down, but the minutes ticked by and Tess didn’t come back out. Anthony groaned and threw his head back against the couch before he got up to check on them, after he adjusted himself of course.

He found Tess swaying with Sorel in her arms while Sorel gripped her shirt tightly. “She doesn’t want to let go,” Tess sighed as she looked over at Anthony.

“You were pretty loud,” he replied softly. “Maybe… Maybe she thought I was hurting you?”

Tess couldn’t help but burst out in laughter as she blushed, but it… It wasn’t that far fetched at all. Ever since they got together and Anthony had been showing more affection toward Tess, Sorel had been getting fussy with Anthony and pushing him away, so it wouldn’t be that hard to fathom that Sorel did think he was hurting her mom… Even if he was doing the opposite.

Anthony sighed and stepped forward to take her from Tess, even if he had to gently pry her fingers from Tess’s shirt. “Daddy wasn’t hurting mommy, okay? Now why don’t you go back to sleep so mommy and daddy can go back to what they were doing.”

“Anthony!” Tess scolded as she gave him a pointed look but he just shrugged. And, of course, Sorel only cried louder as Anthony held her and reached her hand out to Tess until she took her back.

It took them too long to get Sorel back down, she really didn’t want to let go of Tess, but once her door was closed behind them, Anthony let his hand trail down Tess’s back as he bit his lip. “So…” he started. “Where were we?”

Tess took a deep breath and scrunched her nose up before she looked up at him and she didn’t have to say anything for him to know the moment was long gone. “It’s late,” Tess told him. “Tonight was fun, but I’m tired and honestly I think I’m getting a headache from the crying and I just want to go to bed.”

Anthony took a deep breath as he nodded, “yeah, yeah, of course.”

Tess gave him a soft smile and kissed the corner of his mouth before she gave his chest a pat and went to brush her teeth, and Anthony flopped onto the couch with a groan as soon as she closed the door.

He loved his daughter dearly, but fuck.

It had been over a year since the last time he got any and it was Tess and he could still feel her on his lap, the warmth of her against where he needed her most, and how perfect her breasts were in his hands. Tess was perfect, he had always known that, but feeling her, hearing her, having her like that… He hadn’t realized how truly perfect she was and—

“Are you okay?” Tess asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” He replied, looking up at her like a deer in headlights.

Tess laughed and gave his thigh a pat as she sat down next to him. “I asked if you were okay because you were staring out into space,” she said.

“Oh,” he replied softly. “Yeah, I’m good. I mean, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little… frustrated, but yeah, I’m good.”

Tess blushed and looked down as she fiddled with her shirt. “Sorry…” she said softly but Anthony shook his head.

“You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for,” he told her. “We tested the waters tonight and it was good, right?”

Tess nodded, “yeah.”

“Then we’re good. And you should never apologize for being as hot as you are. If anything, I should be the one apologizing because I’m probably going to end up hard against your ass tonight.”

He made Tess laugh at least and she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you,” she told him after a long moment.

Anthony softened and wrapped his arm around her, “I love you more.”

“Not possible,” she told him and kissed him before he could argue. Anthony melted into the kiss and gently cupped her cheek. She could disagree with him all she wanted but Anthony had never love anyone the way he loved her and he knew he’d never love anyone else the same way.

It was Tess for him.

It was always going to be Tess,

His Tess.

She bit her lip when she pulled back from the kiss and Anthony tilted his head as he looked at her, knowing she had something in mind and already feeling like he wasn’t going to like it. “Tess—” he started but she cut him off as she patted his thigh.

“We need to tell our parents about us.”

Anthony’s groan may have even been louder than her moans and he leaned over to press his face into her lap, “please don’t talk about my mother when I’m still hard.”

Tess’s laugh warmed his chest and she gently carded her fingers through his hair. “Sorry,” she whispered. “But we do, you know we do.”

“I know,” he sighed and rolled onto his back to look up at her. “You know they’ll never let us hear the end of this, right?”

Tess breathed a laugh and let her hand rest on his chest and Anthony was quick to cover it with his own. “I know. But we need to tell them before they figure it out themselves, and my mom’s gonna know the moment she sees us. Connor did.”

Anthony ran his thumb over her knuckles as he gave her a lopsided smile, “love me that much, huh?” He laughed when she scrunched her nose up and when she shoved his chest, he tightened his hold on her hand and leaned up to catch her lips in a soft kiss. “I love you that much, too, Tessa.”

She scrunched her nose up again at the use of her full name and to still the butterflies he still gave her. “So, we’ll tell them then?” She pressed.

“How about we tell yours and leave mine till the summer?” He tried and Tess shook her head.

“Mine first, but we’re not waiting till June to tell your family. I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with your parents.”

Anthony scoffed and pushed himself up to sit beside her, his hand on her thigh. “Please,” he started. “My mom loves you almost as much as I do. I could tell her we eloped and she’d just be happy to have you in the family.” Tess could see the gears begin to turn behind Anthony’s eyes and he continued, “now that I say it, we should wait until—”

“Absolutely not,” she cut him off. “We’ll tell my mom first then you’re calling your parents to tell them.”

“What if I send her a picture and turn my phone off?” He suggested, though mostly just to rile her up some more, finding her persistence adorable.

“What if I didn’t kiss you until you told your parents?” Tess replied without missing a beat and bit her lip as she looked over at Anthony, proud of herself.

“You wouldn’t,” he breathed as his face dropped. He was right, she wouldn’t. Now that she had had a taste of him, she didn’t she’d ever be able to give him up. But Tess shrugged and Anthony made a strained sound in his throat before he pulled her back onto his lap and kissed her again. “Now that I’ve had you, I can’t go a day without you, so, okay. We’ll call my mom after we tell yours.”

Tess’s smile lit up his whole world and when she kissed the corner of his mouth, he cupped her jaw and redirected her so he could kiss her properly and deeply. She made a soft sound against his lips and fisted his shirt as she felt him again. “Anthony,” she breathed a warning and he pressed his face into her shoulder with a groan.

“I know, I know. I can’t help it,” he told her. “You just do things to me.”

She blushed as she shook her head before she patted his shoulder and pulled back to sit beside him. “TV until your friend calms down and then bed,” she told him and reached for the remote. “We’ll tell my mom the next time we see her.”

Anthony rolled his eyes but nodded, “fine.”

And he was right, even after watching TV he ended up hard against Tess’s ass that night and the next morning, but this time he didn’t pull back and Tess didn’t get flustered or push him away.

---

Tess was right, Lisa knew as soon as she saw them.

It was on Anthony’s face.

It had always been in his eyes. The last couple times they had come over, he had looked at Tess with hope and possibility, but this time… This time it was different. He held the door open for her and let his hand rest on her lower back as they toed their shoes off, and his touch lingered as Tess stepped toward Lisa with Sorel in her arms, and she just had a funny suspicion.

“How’s my grandbaby?” Lisa asked as she took Sorel from her daughter and Anthony ducked his head as he smiled.

Sorel giggled and Tess smiled before she glanced back at Anthony for a moment. “She’s good. Been having some issues sleeping through the night, but she’s good,” Tess replied and blushed softly as she remembered the exact reason Sorel hadn’t slept through the night the week before.

Lisa kissed both of Sorel’s cheeks as they moved into the living room. “Issues sleeping, baby girl?” She asked Sorel in a playful voice that made her laugh again. “What kind of issues?”

“Wake up in the night, crying, that sort of thing,” Tess shrugged as she sat down on the couch and Anthony sat down next to her and gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze, though whether he was reassuring her or himself was up for debate.

“Oh,” Lisa hummed as she looked at Sorel. “Have you tried putting socks on her for bed?” She asked and looked back at Tess and Anthony.

Tess looked over at Anthony and he gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “No, we haven’t,” he replied. “But we certainly will,” he quickly added. “Thank you.”

Lisa pressed another kiss to Sorel’s cheeks and looked back at her daughter and Anthony. They were sitting closer together than normal and his hand rested on her thigh and Tess didn’t knock it away or seemed to have a dark blush to her cheeks like she’d always get. She watched as Tess pushed her hair behind her ears, a long time anxious habit, and Anthony looked over at Tess at the movement.

Lisa had seen Anthony look at her daughter a lot. She had watched his gaze go from friends to something else; watched as his eyes went from hope and possibility to confidence and sure. His thumb rubbed soft circles on her thigh and the corner of his lip twitched up as he looked at her even though Tess wasn’t looking back at him, and Lisa watched as his gaze dipped down to Tess’s lips for half a moment and his smile grew.

Lisa smiled as she settled Sorel on her lap. “So how long have you two been together?” She asked, making Anthony’s head whip toward her and neither of them had to say anything for her suspicions to be confirmed, Anthony’s deer in headlights look said it all.

Slowly, Anthony looked back at Tess and she covered his hand with hers as she smiled before she looked back at her mom. “Almost a month,” she answered, making Lisa’s smile grow.

She always knew her daughter’s feelings for Anthony, Tess had had them for years. If she was being honest, she wasn’t always fond of Anthony with him being a hot shot hockey player and all. She was terrified that he was going to break her daughter’s heart beyond repair, but she had to admit that he had really proven her wrong over the years and she was glad he did. She was happy for them.

“We came here to tell you, but…” Tess continued and looked at Anthony. “You kinda figured it out.”

“Anthony kinda made it obvious,” Lisa laughed and scrunched her nose up as Tess gave Anthony a playful shove that made Tess’s smile grow.

“I knew it,” Tess muttered and Anthony smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“No, you didn’t, you thought you’d give it away,” he replied as his smile widened.

“Shut up,” she muttered and leaned into him in a way that definitely said she wasn’t mad at him.

“I’m very happy for you,” Lisa told them. “The two of you…” She glanced at Sorel before looking back at them. “You’re good for each other.”

“I try to be,” Anthony replied without hesitation. “I just want to look after my girls.”

Lisa’s smile softened as she looked at him and she kissed Sorel’s cheek before she set her down on the carpet and Anthony gave Tess an unsure look as Lisa disappeared into the kitchen, but Tess could only shrug. She didn’t know either. Lisa was only gone a moment before she came back with a bottle of wine and three glasses. “This calls for celebration,” she grinned as she set the glasses and bottle down on the coffee table and Tess pressed her face into Anthony’s shoulder as she groaned. “Well, it’s not every day my daughter starts dating an NHL player.”

“Mom, please,” Tess begged and Anthony gently ran his hand up and down her back.

“What?” She asked as she poured the wine and handed the glasses to them before she settled back into her chair with her glass and crossed her legs. “Can a mother not be happy for her daughter? And come on, I want all the details.”

Anthony laughed at the very large drink of wine Tess took and kissed her temple. “There’s not much to say,” he answered for her. “It was after Ellie’s birthday and I couldn’t stop looking at her and I just couldn’t keep my feelings to myself any longer.” His gaze softened as he looked over at Tess and she smiled despite the blush clinging to her cheeks.

They continued talking over their glasses of wine while Sorel played on the floor, and it honestly didn’t take long before Anthony ended up on the floor with her, managing only a few sips of wine between Sorel and the conversation. And once it was time for Sorel’s afternoon nap, Lisa headed to the kitchen to start preparing for dinner while Tess took Sorel up for her nap.

Anthony followed Lisa, picking up his and Tess’s glasses along the way. He was happy to help however he could and he washed the veggies as Lisa pulled everything else out. She thanked Anthony as she took the veggies from him but shooed him away when he tried to help.

She had just started to half the cherry tomatoes when Anthony took it upon himself to refill her wine glass and Lisa gave him a soft smile before she put her knife down and turned to him. Anthony’s smile slipped at her expression and he put the bottle down before he leaned back against the counter. “I meant it when I said I was happy for you two,” she started, making Anthony take a breath, sensing a ‘but’. “But she’s still my daughter, and without her father…” Lisa sighed before she shook her head and pushed her chin back up. “If you hurt her, I will kill you.”

Anthony breathed a small laugh and nodded. “If I hurt her, I’d let you,” he told her honestly. “But I don’t intend to do that, I promise.” He looked down at his hands as his smile softened. “I’ve never felt this way before, and I know we’ve only been together for a month, but I mean it when I tell you that I hope to marry her one day.”

Lisa softened and she nodded as she stepped closer to him and she gently squeezed his shoulder, “I hope you do, too. But that doesn’t change my warning. I like you, more than I ever thought I would actually, but she’s my little girl.”

His expression softened as he nodded. “I know,” he whispered. “I’d expect nothing less.”

“Good,” Lisa nodded and squeezed his shoulder again. She knew he meant it when he said he wanted to marry Tess, she could see it in his eyes, and though it was early, she meant it when she said she hoped he would. She could still remember the first time she realized she wanted to marry Tess’s father and her heart ached as she pulled back from him.

“And while I have you, don’t get me wrong I love Ellie, but I do hope that you and Tess are using protection. I’m not ready for another grandbaby,” she continued and Anthony’s eyes bugged as he flushed and he opened and closed his mouth as he looked at her, struggling to find his voice as Lisa turned back to preparing dinner.

And, naturally, that was when Tess stepped into the kitchen and she slowed in her steps as she took in her boyfriend’s flushed appearance before she looked to her mother. “What are you two talking about?” She asked slowly, not sure if she really wanted to know.

Lisa gave her an innocent smile that made Tess’s heart drop to her stomach. “I was just making sure you two were using protection,” she replied simply and Tess felt her heartbeat in her ears as she blushed.

“Mom,” she said sharply.

“What?” Lisa asked with a shrug. “One grandbaby is enough for at least another year. Then maybe you two could start trying for another. You don’t want to have them too far apart in age, you know.”

“Mom,” Tess begged, unable to look in Anthony’s direction, but Lisa’s smile only grew and she watched her daughter carefully as Anthony reached out to pull her close and Tess pressed her face into his chest, unable to meet either his or her mother’s gaze.

Young love, Lisa couldn’t help but think to herself. Such a beautiful and precious thing.

#anthony beauvillier #anthony beauvillier imagine #anthony beauvillier story #anthony beauvillier x oc #anthony beauvillier x reader #isles #islanders imagine #new york islanders oneshot #hockey #hockey rpf #hockey imagine #nhl #nhl imagine #mine #Life As We Know It #mat barzal

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idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 · 2 years ago

Text

Life As We Know It | Part 20

Author: Nat / @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Word Count: 9k

Warnings: Alcohol. Sexual references?

Comments: I know this took a million years and I’m so sorry!!! I hope it’s worth the wait!!! I’ll now be devoting all my time to my fic exchange fic but after that’s done, Tess and Beau will be back (and I already have more than 3k written up for Part 21)!!! xx

In hindsight, Anthony should have known this would happen.

It had been …a while since he had gotten any action and Tess was really fucking attractive and her ass was pressed right up against his hips and whether she meant to or not, he woke up to her trying to wiggle closer to him.

He didn’t realize it at first, sleep still clouding his thoughts and he tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer, burying his face into her mess of curls and took a deep breath. It was only when Tess tensed that Anthony opened his eyes and shook the fog of sleep from his mind that he felt it too.

He was hard against her ass.

“Oh fuck,” he said and quickly pulled back from her, a deep flush creeping up his chest as he stared at the ceiling with his hand clutching the blanket over him. “I’m sorry,” he told her.

“It’s okay,” she replied just as quickly and rolled over to lay on her back. It wasn’t the first time she felt a man hard, it had just been …a while. And it was Anthony.

“It’ll go down,” he told her after a long moment but he could still feel her body against his and her ass against him and it really was not helping his little problem.

“Yeah, of course,” she replied and kept her eyes on the ceiling. A moment passed. And then another. “Better?” She asked and looked over at him.

“No,” he sighed and tossed the blankets back. “I’m going to shower,” he said as he made his way toward his ensuite. Tess flushed all over again as her eyes dropped to the tented front of his sleep pants and she had to take a deep breath when he closed the door behind him and she heard the water turn on. She pushed the blankets back herself and got up to head to her own bathroom where she splashed some water on her face before going to check on Sorel.

And if Anthony’s shower took longer than normal and his cheeks were a little more flushed, she didn’t say anything.

“Hey,” he said and reached out to touch Tess’s hip when she wouldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she told him against as she finally met his eyes. “It’s normal. It happens. I’m not upset or anything.” She had just been surprised.

“You’re not?” He asked and Tess shook her head before she wrapped her arms around his neck and Anthony’s hands found her hips.

“Just wasn’t expecting it,” she told him before she leaned up to kiss him, surprising both of them when she pressed her chest flush to his, letting him feel her just like she felt him not an hour before. Anthony hesitated for half a moment before pulling her close. Tess let him deepen the kiss for a moment before she pulled back. “What time is your flight again?” Tess asked.

“Four,” Anthony replied. “So I gotta be out of here by two at the latest.”

Tess hummed and kissed him again, “I’m going to miss you. We both will.”

“And I’m going to miss you both,” he sighed and pulled Tess back in for another kiss. Of course, Sorel still hadn’t accepted her dad stealing her mom from her, so she called for Tess and Tess pulled back from Anthony to tend to her.

If he was being honest, Anthony could still feel her body against him and he dropped his eyes to Tess’s ass and bit his lip before quickly shaking his head and starting on making breakfast.

He was never going to get enough of her.

Anthony was a bit surprised when Mat sat down next to him on the plane, but he didn’t say anything. It was only once they were in the air that Mat said, “I need to tell you something.”

Anthony immediately looked up from his phone, “you didn’t knock Connor up, did you?”

“Oh fuck no,” Mat replied quickly. “I just actually care about telling my friends what’s going on in my life instead of leaving them to find out on their own.”

Anthony took a deep breath as he rolled his eyes, “it was two times.”

“Two times too many! And not like small things either. You had a baby and didn’t tell me. And then you get with the girl I have been trying to get your head out of your ass about for literal years!” Mat told him, his voice raising, earning a not so subtle glare from Clutter.

Anthony scoffed, “I was a little busy, you know, with a newborn, and it wasn’t like I was expecting you to come over that day. And Tess and I decided to keep things between us for a bit, I just jumped the gun a bit. I would have told you. But whatever, what’s going on with you? What did you want to talk about?”

It was Mat’s turn to roll his eyes but he dropped it and moved on. “Connor’s moving in with me,” he told Anthony and Anthony immediately looked over at him with wide eyes.

“Isn’t that a little fast? Has it even been six months?”

“Like you’re one to talk having Tess move in with you right after having a baby with another woman,” Mat shot back and Anthony opened and closed his mouth for a moment.

“That was different,” Anthony tried. “And I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to get taken advantage of or end up hurt.”

“I won’t,” Mat said firmly. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and, like, I get that it’s maybe fast in the traditional sense but,” Mat smiled as he shook his head. “She’s over all the time and I hate being away from her and she hates being away from me. Connor… Connor makes me so happy I don’t have words to describe it. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and I know we’ve only been together a few months but, fuck, Beau, I… I just have this feeling that I’m going to marry her one day.”

Anthony was quiet for a moment before he said, “you’re really serious about her.” He’s known Mat a long time, but in all the time he had known him, he had never seen Mat like this.

“I am,” Mat told him softly.

Anthony nodded and reached over to give Mat’s thigh a pat, “she’s good for you.”

“She is,” Mat agreed with a small laugh.

Anthony nodded, “if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

“I am. Really fucking happy,” Mat smiled.

Anthony felt the same way about Tess and, if he was being honest, he couldn’t imagine her not living with him and getting to see her basically all the time he was home so he knew exactly where Mat was coming from, even if he thought it was a little early for them to be moving in. But everyone moved at their own pace and he wanted to be supportive the way Mat was with Sorel, and Connor was actually super amazing and Anthony really liked her, liked her with Mat. And he liked that she was able to reel him in when he needed to be. “Okay, good,” Anthony nodded.

“Well, now that that is out in the open, how’s you and Tess?” Mat asked and gave his eyebrows a little wiggle.

The corner of Anthony’s lip twitched up. “We’re good, really good,” he replied. “I know it’s been like two weeks, but she’s the best thing to happen to me.”

Mat scrunched his nose up, “pfft, who would have thought?”

Anthony rolled his eyes as his smile widened and he gave Mat’s shoulder a shove, “shut up.”

“No fucking way, bro. I’ve waited for this since you met her,” Mat told him with a cackle of a laugh that had Anthony shaking his head.

“But seriously, we’re good. I mean… I won’t lie, things got a little awkward this morning when I woke up with morning wood against her ass, but besides that, yeah, we’re good.”

“She didn’t suck you off?” Mat asked without a second thought. Connor always either sucked him off or rode him if he woke up with morning wood.

“No,” Anthony answered with a tight laugh. “We’re not there yet.”

“Not there yet? Bro, it’s been two weeks.”

Anthony shrugged Mat off, “we’re taking things slow.”

Mat immediately twisted his face up. “I could never,” he said, thinking back to all the ways Connor ruined him in those first two weeks.

Anthony shrugged him off again, “we’re good, we’re happy. We’ll get there when we do.”

“Of course,” Mat nodded. “And remember to wrap it before you tap it.”

“Trust me, I’ll never forget again,” Anthony told him and took a deep breath. “I should probably get on that and buy some condoms though…”

“I’d offer you some, but Connor and I are way passed condoms. And they’d be too big for you,” Mat teased.

“Too small more like,” Anthony replied making Mat laugh.

“That’s just not true,” he said like he hadn’t seen Anthony naked several times.

“We’ll have to let the girls decide then,” Anthony hummed.

“We’ll have to,” Mat agreed.

Their flight to Columbus wasn’t long and soon enough they were landing and as soon as the wheels touched the ground, Anthony did his best to switch his focus to the next game. They may have been second in the Metro, but every point counted in the home stretch.

It was only a three game road trip, Columbus, Carolina, and Washington, but it still pulled at Tess and Anthony more than they thought it would.

For Tess, it meant sleeping in her room again. Alone. And cold. For Anthony, it meant being miles away from his girls, and the first time having to sleep away from Tess after knowing how perfect she fit in his arms and he struggled more than he thought he would. Sure, he had left her and Sorel dozens of times over the last year, but this was different.

So, once they had handed and got checked in, Anthony got comfortable in bed and FaceTimed Tess. It only rang twice before the call connected and Tess’s bright smile filled his screen. Anthony instantly smiled when he saw her and—

“Are we feeling red or white?”

Anthony’s brow furrowed. That sounds like—

Connor stepped into the frame with a bottle of wine in each hand and her smile widened when she saw Anthony on the call. “Oh, hey Beau. Don’t worry, I’m taking good care of your girl,” she winked.

“Hi Connor?” He asked, a little confused.

“Uh, yeah, we’re having a girls’ night,” Tess told him before look over at Connor. “Red to start. Pinot—“

“Noir, I know,” Connor nodded and walked back into the kitchen to open the bottle.

“So you’re having a good time?” He asked and Tess’s smile softened as she nodded.

“Yeah, it’ll be nice. I still miss you though.”

“I miss you, too,” he said softly. “But you deserve a girls’ night. It’s been a while.”

Tess laughed as she nodded. It really had been. “You’re going to regret saying that. She said she’s been dying to talk about you boys.”

Before Anthony could reply, Connor sat down next to Tess and leaned into the frame and handed Tess her glass of wine. “I want all the deets on my favourite couple. Both the PG and the 18+ versions,” she winked again.

Anthony had to fight off a blush as he leaned back against the headboard. “Alright, I will take that as my cue to go… I’m glad you’re having fun, babe. And if I don’t talk to you again because I know how you get with red wine… I hope you have a good night and sleep well.”

Tess rolled her eyes but ducked her head to hide her blush. “It was one time… But yeah, okay. I hope you have a good night, too. I love you.”

“I love you more,” Anthony replied without a second thought and Tess struggled to restrain her smile before she blew a kiss to the camera and of course Anthony caught it.

“Goodnight, Anthony,” she told him again before ending the call and when she looked over, Connor had a shit eating grin on her face.

“That was disgustingly cute. I love it,” she told Tess and Tess rolled her eyes before taking a big sip of her wine.

If Connor was being honest, she had never really had a girls’ night before, so she didn’t know how they typically went and it made her nervous because she wanted—needed—it to go well because she didn’t want to fuck things up with Tess. She really liked Tess and she was the mother of her boyfriend’s best friend’s baby. She needed Tess to like her. She wanted what Sydney had with Kristy and Meg with Tess.

But she was nervous.

And when Connor got nervous, she talked. A lot.

She couldn’t stop talking about Mat and his laugh and all the cute, dorky, funny, and embarrassing things he had done recently, including him getting hard in the gym parking lot because she kissed him and how they had to sit in the car until it went down. “But the thing is, and I’m sure you know this, Mathew is a horndog. Once he’s hard, he’s hard until he cums, so I had to blow him in the parking lot just so we could go workout,” Connor shook her head and Tess poured herself a second glass of wine, having finished her first throughout that story and she was glad Sorel was focused on her toys.

But, of course, Tess put the wine bottle down a little too hard making a clanking sound that drew Sorel’s attention and she used the coffee table to pull herself up and walk over to her mom, who pulled her up onto her lap.

“But I feel like I’ve been talking a lot. What about you and Beau? Have you guys…?” Connor gave Tess a suggestive look that make Tess blush harder and look down at Sorel on her lap.

“There is a child present,” Tess tried, but Connor waved her hand dismissively.

“Please, she’s one, she has no idea what we’re talking about and she won’t remember. So, what are we talking? Second base? Third? I want to know everything.”

Tess blushed harder and was quiet for a long moment. “There’s not much to tell,” she said quietly.

“Wait… You guys still haven’t done it?” Connor asked and Tess shook her head as Connor put her glass down to cup her chest. “Not even a little?” Connor added.

“I told you, we’re taking it slow.”

“I know but wow. I could never. I railed the fuck out Mathew on our first date,” she said and picked her wine back up to take a sip.

“Language!” Tess hissed and put her hands over Sorel’s ears making Connor roll her eyes.

“Relax, she doesn’t care. Look, she’s completely focused on your bracelet.” Tess looked down and Connor really wasn’t wrong. It was the bracelet Anthony had gotten her for her birthday last year and Sorel really seemed interested in the charms, making Tess sigh before dropping her hands and reaching for her wine.

“Well… There was this one time…” Tess started and Connor perked up immediately.

“Tell me immediately.”

Tess shrugged, “well, this morning I woke up and he was…hard, you know, against my…behind.”

“Ass, Tess. You can say ass,” Connor deadpanned before leaning toward her. “But how did it feel? Did you like it? Is he big?”

“Again, language,” Tess said before she kissed Sorel’s head and Sorel looked up at her with a giggle.

“Fine,” Connor sighed. “Is it her bedtime yet so I can get literally any crumb of details from you? It’s like pulling teeth.”

Sorel had been quiet for a while now and it was a bit passed her soft bedtime… “Yeah, okay, I can put her down,” Tess nodded and got up to carry Sorel to bed.

By the time she came back to the couch, Connor had a wicked smile on her lips and both their glasses of wine had been topped off. Tess was thankful and took a big sip when she sat down. She could really start to feel the wine, but it left her feeling warm and it made it easier for her to open up.

“So, spill,” Connor said.

“I don’t know what you want me to say. It felt like a dick against my ass,” she laughed and Connor laughed with her.

“And did you like it?” Connor pushed, grinning like the cheshire cat.

Tess scrunched her nose up as she closed her eyes. “I think I did,” she said after a moment.

Connor made a muffled sound of victory, “bet it’ll feel even better when he’s finally inside you. You know, I’d be happy to watch the little one if you and Beau need some alone time.”

Tess flushed a dark red and drank the entirely of her glass of wine before clearing her throat. “Uh, thanks, Con. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

“No problem,” Connor smiled and filled her glass again. “Are you ready to take the next step? Do you have any cute panties he can tear off you with his teeth?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I do. And do I want to take the next step? Obviously. But I don’t want to rush into it and have things be awkward. We’ve been friends for years and what if it’s bad?”

“It’s not going to be bad,” Connor told her. “Maybe awkward, probably not great, at least not the first time. But you’re super fucking hot. He won’t be able to get enough of you and once you guys figure out what you like, it’ll be great, I promise.”

Tess was quiet. The wine made her feel fuzzy and she leaned back against the couch with a sigh. “He’s really fucking hot.”

“He is,” Connor agreed. “We have hot boyfriends.”

It made Tess laugh. “We do,” she agreed before she looked over at Connor. Her long, strong legs were tucked beneath her and her t-shirt left nothing to the imagination of how strong she was. Connor was all hard work and determination. “You’re good for him,” Tess said after a long moment. “I’ve known Barzy a long time now and I’ve never seen him like this before.”

It was Connor’s turn to get quiet and she seemed to fold in on herself, all her confident melting away. “Really?” She asked softly.

“Yeah,” Tess nodded and reached for the bottle only to find it empty. “Hold on, I’ll get another.” It only took a moment for Tess to grab another bottle and open it but by the time she came back, Connor had a distant look on her face. “You okay? Want another drink?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah sure,” Connor nodded and held her glass up so Tess could fill it but she was still uncharacteristically quiet. Tess was about to ask if something was wrong, but Connor spoke up. “Did you really mean it?” She asked softly.

Tess furrowed her brows as she sat down on the couch, “that you’re good for him? Yeah, of course.”

The corner of Connor’s lips twitched up as she looked down at her lap. “No one has ever said that about me before,” she whispered. “I’ve always been the bad influence, the annoyance, the one that needs to be fixed.”

“What?” Tess asked and Connor put her glass down on the coffee table before leaning back. The wine was more than hitting, both of feeling more comfortable than they would normally to open up.

“My whole life…I’ve just been a nuisance. My dad… he wanted an heir, my mom never wanted kids but agreed to having one. A boy. I was supposed to be a boy and I’ve been a disappointment ever since I wasn’t,” she said softly.

It was all incomprehensible to Tess who furrowed her brows as she focused on Connor. When she first met Connor, she joked about her parents expecting a boy, but she never could have guessed that it weighted on her like that. If she was sober, she probably would have known what to say, but she settled for reaching over and gripping her hand.

Connor gave her a small smile as she squeezed her hand back. “If it was up to my dad, they would have kept trying till they had a boy, but my mother… She never wanted kids so she put her foot down. God knows they could have afforded as many kids as they wanted…”

Tess couldn’t imagine growing up alone. Her family was everything to her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Connor shrugged her off and reached for her wine and took a big sip. “It is what it is. It’s not like I’ve spoken to them since I was 17.”

Tess may have been way more than tipsy, but she could do the math and she knew that meant that Connor had been on her own for a decade and she couldn’t imagine. Her mom always had her back and maybe she fought with her siblings, but they were still her family and she loved them. “That’s a long time,” she whispered.

“Yeah, well, it’s not like I saw much of them when I was with them,” Connor scoffed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like—” Tess started but Connor cut her off.

“No, I know, it’s okay. I just meant… My dad’s the CEO of a tech company and my mother’s a senator in Connecticut so I never saw much of them growing up. Probably would have seen more of them if I had a penis but here we are.”

“What?” Tess said without thinking.

“A lot of money,” Connor confirmed as she nodded. “Not a lot of caring.” She took another sip of her wine to swallow back her feelings. “Not a lot of caring at all,” she repeated before she shook her head. “Sorry for going off like that, what were we talking about before?”

“Don’t apologize,” Tess replied immediately. “Thank you for sharing, I know it must be hard.” She paused, “and I mean it. You and Mat, you’re good together.”

“Even after all that?” Connor asked softly and Tess nodded.

“Doesn’t change how I see you, I promise.”

“Thank you,” Connor nodded and finished her glass before yawning, the alcohol and emotions hitting her like a truck.

“Are you tired?” Tess asked, the mom in her coming out.

“What? Me?” Connor replied but she yawned again. “Okay, maybe it’s a little passed my bedtime, but I’m okay.” She had never had a girls’ night before and she didn’t want her first one to end early because of her.

“It’s okay, we can call it a night,” Tess told her but Connor shook her head.

“I’m okay. The wine just makes me sleepy. Gin gives me a headache and tequila makes me horny,” she replied. “But enough about me. Talk about you and Beau.”

“I don’t know—” Tess started but the look Connor gave her told her not to argue so she sighed and leaned back against the couch. “I really love him,” she said softly. “I want a family with him.”

“You and Ellie?” Connor asked softly and Tess nodded.

“And any others we may be lucky with,” she whispered making Connor’s eyes light back up.

“You want more babies?” She asked.

Tess smiled as she looked down at her stomach. “I want a big family, you know, if I’m lucky enough.”

“You will,” Connor said without a second thought. “You’re such a great mom, Ellie is so lucky. And Beau will definitely want more babies with you. I hear it’s a very enjoyable process making them.” Tess blushed as she shook her head with a sigh but she still wrapped her arm around her stomach. It had to be the wine, but she couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to carry their baby.

She did her best to push those thoughts aside as they continued to talk as they finished the second bottle of wine, and Tess was more than happy to tell Connor about some of the embarrassing things Mat had gotten up to over the years, which made Connor cackle.

By the time it was finally done, they were both more than ready for bed. Connor couldn’t stop yawning as she stretched out. “I’ll just sleep on the couch,” Connor said before fluffing up a throw pillow but Tess shook her head.

“That’s dumb. There’s two beds, you can take my room and I’ll sleep in Anthony’s like I have been,” she replied, and, well, Connor wasn’t about to turn down a bed for a couch.

“You sure?” She asked and Tess nodded.

“I’ve probably only slept in there once since washing the sheets, so it’s clean. And I really don’t want you sleeping on the couch.”

“Washing the sheets is such a pain,” Connor groaned. “Especially when you have to do it like three times a week.”

Tess’s eyes bugged, “three times a week?”

“Well, yeah,” Connor shrugged her off. “When you’re having that much sex you gotta change the sheets often.”

Tess’s lips tightened into a line before she nodded. She wouldn’t be surprised if Connor had more sex in a week than she had had in her whole life. “Okay, well, I’ll just grab my toothbrush from the bathroom and it’ll be all yours,” she said before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

She was almost to Anthony’s room when Connor spoke up. “Thank you, Tess,” she said softly. “Tonight was great.”

“Thank you for coming over,” Tess replied. “We’ll have to do it again.”

“We will,” Connor agreed with a smile and Tess nodded before heading into Anthony’s room and closed the door behind her. Despite the warm fuzziness of the wine, she made her way into the ensuite and brushed her teeth and braided her hair. It felt weird being in there, especially without Anthony, but it also felt oddly comfortable, like she could feel herself doing this in the future.

Anthony’s bed felt bigger without him. Colder. Just like Tess’s bed felt smaller and firmer than Mat’s for Connor. But they made it work.

Connor stayed over much of the next day, too, and she and Tess made grilled chicken salad for dinner before she got ready to leave, but Tess couldn’t help herself. “Do you have any plans tomorrow?” She asked.

“Not really, why?” Connor replied and Tess shrugged.

“But of our boyfriends are on a roadie so we’ll both be alone until they get back to New York, me obviously with Ellie, but… We could spend that time together? You know, if you want.”

“Yeah?” Connor asked, perking right up, and Tess nodded. “I mean… I can’t say no to that,” she smiled.

The Isles trip wasn’t all that long, but Connor still spent it all with Tess and Tess loved having her. She hated the way her, Darcy and Cass had drifted apart after she took on the mom role, but she could never turn on Sorel. For so long it had been about her friends and what they wanted to do that she put herself in the backseat. But after Sorel…

Tess had always wanted to be a mom and she prioritized Sorel and what she wanted and what made her happy and they just couldn’t understand. But Connor could.

Her and Connor… They couldn’t be more different, but they worked.

And so, Connor stayed over for the roadie and only left the morning the guys were coming home.

Tuesday morning, while Tess was pouring herself a glass of orange juice, Anthony wrapped his arms around her and hooked his chin on her shoulder, pulling a soft laugh from her as she leaned back against him.

“I want to take you out,” he said before she could say anything and she turned around to look at him.

“You do?” She asked and he hummed.

“Barzy and Connor said they’d watch Ellie so we don’t have to tell our families--”

“Which we really need to do,” she cut him off.

“I know,” he sighed and nuzzled at her neck. “But I love how things are now and I definitely want to take you out first. So, what do you say? Thursday?”

Her smile softened and she nodded, “sounds perfect, I can’t wait.”

Anthony’s smile widened and he kissed her. “It’s a date then,” he told her, giving her butterflies.

The Islanders played Wednesday at home against the Ducks and after Anthony went to the rink, Tess tried on every dress she had in her closet to figure out what to wear for her date. She had been dreaming of it for so long she just wanted everything to be perfect.

She tried a floral dress, a wrap dress, her sweater dress, her red dress, a floor length blush dress, and two black dresses, but no matter how many times she turned in front of her mirror, she didn’t know what to go with. So, she did the only thing she could think: she took pictures in all of them to show Connor at game. If there was one thing she could count on Connor for, it was being honest.

And, naturally, she spent too long trying everything on that she was late to the game and the first period had already started when she got there with Sorel on her hip.

“I’d assume you’re late because you were fucking but I’ve been watching your boyfriend this whole time,” Connor said as soon as Tess sat down next to her.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” Tess rushed out and put the diaper bag at her feet before settling Sorel on her lap. “Anthony and I are going on our first date tomorrow and I was trying to figure out what to wear.”

Connor lit up, “tell me everything.”

“There’s not much to say,” Tess laughed. “He said he had everything under control and that it’ll be perfect but I have absolutely no idea what to wear.”

“Okay, describe your sexiest dress to me,” Connor replied and Tess immediately pulled her phone out.

“Way ahead of you,” she said and pulled up the pictures on her phone before handing it over to Connor.

“You really are,” she smiled and started flipping through the pictures. “That’s cute, maybe, no, oh definitely not, maybe,” she said as she looked through the pictures. “You’re hot, Tess. You need to show— There we go,” she cut herself off when she got to the last dress.

It was black and while it had a high neck rather than the deep V Connor preferred, it fit Tess’s body well. It wasn’t overly tight but it was snug and it carved out Tess’s waist and hips and the slit on the skirt came up to mid-thigh.

“This one,” Connor told her and turned the screen to her. “Beau will lose his mind seeing you in this dress.”

Tess ducked her head, “you don’t think it’s too much for a first date? What if I over dress?”

“Then he’ll undress you,” Connor replied without missing a beat.

Like always, Tess blushed but nodded. “Okay, what about shoes?”

“Do you have heeled boots?” Connor asked and when Tess nodded, Connor nodded back. “Then those.”

“And hair? Down? Up? Or I could straighten it?”

Connor hummed as she studied Tess and reached over to bunch Tess’s hair up. “Definitely don’t straighten it. Up could be cute, but your hair is so nice. I think you should leave it down.”

“Okay, thanks,” Tess smiled. “And for the record, your hair is nice, too.”

Connor laughed. “My messy brown hair? Yeah, okay, it definitely compares to your beautiful blonde locks of yours,” Connor replied and gave one of Tess’s curls a tug.

“You haven’t seen me in humidity. Or when it’s frizzy,” Tess laughed and looked down at Sorel. Anthony may have had some curl to his hair, but her hair was straight and dark, even darker than Anthony’s. Tess carded her fingers through Sorel’s hair before she cleared her throat. “But anyway.”

Connor’s eyes dropped to Tess’s hand in Sorel’s hair before she looked back to the ice in time to see Anthony lay a hit in the corner. “Your boy is throwing his weight around,” she said.

Tess laughed. “He does that, doesn’t he? He’s conned more than a few shoulder massages out of me over the years because of it.”

“I know what you mean. Mathew may talk a lot of trash, but let me tell you, he’s a huge baby when he’s hurt. I have to rub his shoulders and back and God forbid it’s his wrist because he will whine all day about it.” And as if to prove her point, Mat went down easy after a tug on his hip and he started barking at the ref, making Connor and Tess burst out in laughter.

“He’s certainly one of a kind,” Tess replied once she stopped laughing and Connor got a faraway look in her eyes as she watched him on the ice.

“Yeah,” she sighed with a smile. “But he’s my one of a kind.”

Tess could see the genuine love in her eyes and it made her smile. “Maybe you’ll knock some sense into him,” she commented.

“Believe me, I try. Every day. His skull is just so dense,” Connor laughed.

“God, I know. What would they do without us, huh?”

“Crash and burn?” Connor suggested and looked over at Tess.

“Something like that,” Tess agreed before turning her attention back to the ice.

With the All-Star Game in the rearview window, it was the home stretch of the season and they needed every win and point they could get. Every division in the league was hard, but the Metro was especially, and they wanted to be in the best position they could for the playoffs.

And the two points they picked up from the Ducks that night certainly helped.

When it came time for the date the next day, Tess followed Connor’s instructions. She wore the black dress with the heeled boots and a light jacket, and she left her hair down with a darker smoky make up than she normally did.

Once she was done, she gave herself more than a once over, trying to get as many angles as she could and even she had to admit she looked good. Tess smiled to herself as she fluffed her hair up before she opened the door and stepped into the living room.

“I texted Barzy and they said they’re on their way over about five minutes ago so they should be—” Anthony started as he looked at his phone but as soon as he looked up, his words died on the tip of his tongue.

Anthony had seen Tess through a lot, since her second year of college when they were both teenagers. The first time they met at Starbucks, her hair had been tossed up in a messy bun and she was wearing an oversized NYU sweater. Since then he had seen he dressed to the 9s for graduation, for team events, trips, and he had seen her hugging the toilet bowl groaning and crying, hungover on a Sunday morning.

Tess had taken his breath away a lot over the years. The trip to Quebec, wearing his jersey, wearing his jacket, the team Christmas party, New Year’s Eve, but he completely short circuited looking at her now.

The dress clung to her body, showing off her every curve, the synch of her waist, the softness of her hips and breasts, and the smooth skin of her thigh peaked out of the slit. Anthony’s lips parted as he ran his eyes over her body and he couldn’t believe she was his.

Only his.

His reaction had Tess squaring her shoulders and she popped one of her hips with a new found confidence. “Is this okay? You know, considering I don’t know here we’re going?” She asked.

She snapped him out of his thoughts and he mumbled some French curses before he met her eyes. “More than okay,” he told her and tossed his phone onto the couch before standing up and letting his hands rest on her hips.

Tess immediately leaned into him and lopped her arms around his shoulders, “yeah?”

Anthony let his eyes wander down her body again as he nodded. “Trust me, if this wasn’t our first date, we wouldn’t be making it out of this apartment.”

Most of Tess’s blush was hidden by her make up, but Anthony could still see it, so he added, “but it is our first date so nothing will be happening, but you look really fucking good, Tessa.”

“You look really good, too, Anthony,” Tess told him and pulled back enough to fix his collar, even if it didn’t need to be fixed. He was dressed in slacks and a blue button down with the first couple buttons undone and his matching jacket was hung over the back of his couch. He looked like a five course meal to her.

“Not half as good as you, trust me,” he replied and pulled her in for a kiss before she could argue.

Tess immediately melted into the kiss and pressed herself flush against him. “So, where are you taking me?” She asked when she pulled back. Anthony opened his mouth to reply but before he could get the words out, there was a knock at the door and Anthony bit his lip to restrain his smile.

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see,” he told her before he pulled back to get the door.

To no surprise, it was Connor and Mat on the other side and Anthony stepped aside to let them in. As soon as Connor saw Tess, her smile widened. “Damn! You look amazing,” she told her and Tess laughed as she shrugged Connor off.

“Thank you,” Tess told Connor before walking over to the island to pick up the piece of paper and she immediately went into mom mode. “So you obviously have our numbers, but this has all the emergency numbers if you can’t reach us, her schedule, what she eats, what she doesn’t like, her favourite toys, how to settle her, etcetera,” Tess explained as she handed the paper over to Connor.

“Right, got it,” Connor nodded as she looked it over. As usual, Tess didn’t miss a detail. “We got this, though, okay? Go have fun, enjoy each other.”

“We will,” Anthony replied for her.

“You sure you don’t have questions for us or anything?” Tess had to ask but Connor shook her head.

“Absolutely positive,” Connor told her and not so subtle ushered her toward the door.

“Okay, okay,” Tess sighed and let Anthony hand her coat to her. He helped her put it on, but Tess still kept looking over at Connor and Mat as Anthony guided her toward the door. She loved them both in their own way, but unlike her sister, she had never seen either of them with a baby for longer than a few minutes and it made her nervous. But, with his wallet and keys, Anthony was able to get Tess out the door.

“Thanks again for this guys,” Anthony said as he went to close the door, but Mat quickly stepped forward before Anthony could close the door to give Anthony a bro shake.

“Have some fun tonight, yeah?” Mat said intentionally and Anthony gave him a levelled look in return when he felt the foil package in his hand. Still, Anthony took the package as Mat pulled back and Anthony immediately put it in his pants pocket with a sigh.

“We won’t be out late,” Anthony told him but that only made Mat and Connor’s smirks widen so Anthony rolled his eyes. “Text or call if anything happens. Now goodbye.” He didn’t wait for a response as he closed the door.

“All good? Tess asked and Anthony nodded before he smiled and held his hand out to her.

“All good, let’s go, mon amour,” he told her as she took his hand and they headed down to the garage.

Anthony ended up taking her to a quaint French restaurant on the Island and while Tess wasn’t sure where they were going, she wasn’t surprised in the slightest and there was nowhere she’d rather be for their first date. “Reservation for Beauvillier,” Anthony told the hostess who gave him a smile as she nodded.

“Of course, right this way,” she replied and picked up two menus before leading them to a table.

Anthony helped Tess take her jacket off and hung it on the nearby coat rack before he tucked her into the table. “This is a lot nicer than I was expecting,” she told him with a smile as he sat down across from her.

“You deserve the best,” he told her and opened the menu. “Get anything you want, okay? I was actually thinking we’d start with an appetizer and maybe some pinot noir? Though… Maybe sauvignon blanc will better pair with dinner.”

Tess had a soft look on her face as she looked at him. She was so in love with him and she still couldn’t believe this was really happening. That she was this lucky. “That sounds great,” she replied and Anthony returned her smile and watched as she looked back at the menu.

And, well, if she asked him what a couple menu items were just to hear him speak French, sue her. Her boyfriend was French and he sounded damn good when he spoke in his mother tongue.

At Tess’s request, Anthony ordered for both of them. They had shrimp for an appetizer, Tess had the seared snapper with red wine peppercorn sauce while Anthony had the filet mignon with port wine sauce and they paired it with sauvignon blanc, a better match for the fish, along with a glass of water.

It didn’t take them long to get their drinks and then they were left alone for the first real time since becoming a couple.

“So…” Anthony started.

“We’re on a date,” Tess replied with a small laugh.

“We are,” he laughed with her before he raised his glass to clink hers. “To our first date.”

“To us,” Tess smiled before taking a sip of the wine.

They hadn’t really been alone, just the two of them, in the past year. They always had Sorel or they were out with the team or family. They were so used to having someone else around that they didn’t know how to be alone.

Anthony hated how awkward it was. Tess was the most amazing woman in the world to him and he just wanted everything to be perfect, he expected everything to be perfect, and it wasn’t. And he didn’t know how to handle that. He thought they’d smile and laugh over dinner and split a desert and go home and cuddle on the couch, maybe steal a few kisses.

But Anthony was tense. They both were.

As much as it was a first time, it also wasn’t. They knew everything about each other, they had been friends for years, so that didn’t leave much to talk about. So they were both thankful when their meals arrived, giving them something to do and talk about.

“Oh my god, this is amazing,” Tess said after her first bite and it made Anthony’s chest a little less tight.

“Yeah? I’m glad,” he smiled.

“You should try some,” Tess told him and Anthony opened his mouth to say it was okay, but he closed it to smile and nod and he stole a bite and Tess was right, it was amazing.

“Want a bite of mine?” He asked and let Tess steal a piece.

“Wow,” Tess nodded. “This place is amazing.”

“Not as amazing as you,” Anthony replied cheekily, but it made Tess smile.

They both seemed to relax with dinner and the conversation flowed easier with the glasses of wine and every time Tess smiled, Anthony fell in love with her a little more.

“Do you want desert?” Anthony asked as they finished up dinner.

As great as dinner and the restaurant was, it just wasn’t them. Tess fell in love with Anthony, not what his money could buy. Sure, the fancy restaurant was nice, really nice, but she felt out of place. She wanted to spend time with Anthony, her Anthony, but that was hard to do when they were both playing at part at a restaurant.

“I think I’d rather have desert at home, you know, just the two of us, she told him and he gave her a soft smile as he nodded.

“I like the sound of that.”

So once they boxed up their left overs and he paid the bill, he helped her put her coat on and they made their way out to the car, Anthony’s hand on Tess’s lower back as he guided her. Once they made it to the car, Anthony opened the door for her and it only made her heart flutter a little. And, of course, while the drive back to the apartment wasn’t long, Anthony kept his hand on her thigh the whole time.

The elevator ride up to the apartment was quiet but Tess rested her head on his shoulder and he traced soft circles on her hip until they reached their floor and they walked handed in hand to the door. As soon as the door opened, Connor was on her feet and Mat held her wrist from his spot on the couch. “You’re back earlier than anticipated…” Connor said, looking at her watch. “Everything okay?”

Anthony helped Tess take her coat off. “It was good,” he told Connor and hung their coats up before they took their shoes off.

“He took me to a really nice French restaurant and he ordered for us so I could hear his French,” Tess smiled and Mat not so subtly let his other hand rest on the back of the couch to fist bump Anthony as he walked to the kitchen. “We’d thought we’d come home for desert, though,” Tess continued and Mat tightened his grip on Connor’s wrist.

“Then we’d hate to get in your way, so we’ll get going. Ellie was great. She pulled my hair and threw her blocks at me and wouldn’t stop crying but she was great,” Mat said as he stood up and guided Connor toward the door. Tess furrowed her brows as she watched them put their shoes on and Mat was about to open the door when he turned back to Anthony. “And as lovely as Ellie is, please use the condom I gave you and wrap it before you tap it, okay?” He said and Connor smacked him on the back of his head before getting him out the door.

“He’s right, though. And we’ll talk soon,” Connor smiled before following Mat out and closing the door behind her and Tess looked over at Anthony with flushed cheeks.

Anthony was quiet for a long moment before he got done two glasses and pour them some wine. “They’re not wrong,” he said eventually and walked over to the couch with the glasses. “But just ignore them. Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen,” he told her and once he was settled on the couch, he rolled his sleeves up.

It had to be the two glasses of wine talking but Tess let her eyes wander up Anthony’s arms and for a moment she thought back to how he felt against her and wondered what he would really feel like and her blush darkened before she made her way over the couch and took a big sip of her wine. “I know,” she told him and leaned into him. “I’m not thinking about them anyway. I’m thinking about you.”

Anthony wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, momentarily pressing his nose into her hair before he reached for his wine. “What about me?” He asked.

Tess took another big drink of her wine before she replied, “just you.”

He let his hand trail down to her side, “but what about me?”

Tess’s nose scrunched up in the cutest way. Before she would have played him off but they were together now and the wine was definitely hitting. “How hot you are,” she told him softly.

“You think I’m hot?” He replied like it was somehow a surprise.

Tess put her wine down on the coffee table to kiss him. “Of course I do,” she said and bit her lip as she ran her hand up his arm. “I mean… You can tell you’re a pro-athlete.”

Anthony’s cheeks and ears heated up and he pulled her closer. “You’re really hot, too. This dress… Your hair… You drive me so fucking crazy,” he told her softly before she caught his lips in a kiss and when she pulled back, Anthony chased her lips for another, softer, kiss.

“I love you,” Tess told him and he smiled.

“I’m so in love with you,” he whispered. “I’m so lucky to have you, Tessa.”

His words pulled at her and gave her butterflies and she had to kiss him again and he was gentle as he ran his hands down her back. For the first time, Tess thought about taking things further, but she knew in the back of her mind that it was the wine talking, so she pulled back and tucked herself into his side and once they finished the bottle of pinot noir, Anthony opened a bottle of merlot.

The date and the restaurant were nice but there was just something about being cuddled up with him, talking and laughing and his hand trailed up the slit of her dress to rest high on her thigh but she didn’t care. She liked it. She liked his touch and how it made her feel.

Anthony wasn’t surprised when Tess fell asleep on him. Wine always made her sleepy, but a bottle of red seemed to do her in. He took a moment to look at her, her make up was smeared and her hair was frizzy but she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him and he didn’t know what he had done to deserve her.

He was careful as he pulled back and scooped her up in his arms just like he had done countless times before. Tess woke, but just for a moment as he carried her to bed and set her down gently. Her hair laid on the pillow like a golden halo and for a moment he thought about taking her dress off she she’d be more comfortable, but he didn’t want to cross any boundaries so he pulled the covered up over her before kissing her temple and getting ready for bed himself.

He brushed his teeth before stripping down to his underwear and slipped into bed. Tess stirred a little as he made himself comfortable but she didn’t wake as he pulled her closer.

If his legs were a little slower at practice the next morning, well, Mat could think what he wanted because he knew he had his girls waiting for him at home.

When Anthony got back from practice, Tess was wiping down the kitchen counters while Sorel played in the living room. Even if she had just seen him a few hours ago, Tess still dropped what she was doing to go greet him, looping her arms around his neck as she smiled. “I missed you,” Tess said and Anthony gently rubbed her back.

“I missed you, too,” he replied. “Barzy was following me around looking like the chesire cat all practice it was throwing me off all morning.”

“Oh, baby,” Tess said softly and Anthony scrunched his nose up before he kissed her softly. Tess completely melted into the kiss making Anthony sigh contently and when she pulled back from the kiss, he chased her lips.

“Better,” he whispered when he finally pulled back. Tess blushed softly but pulled him in for another, deeper kiss before walking back to the kitchen so he could say hello to Sorel, but Anthony couldn’t help but bite his lip as his eyes drop to her ass.

Finally, he was able to pull his eyes from Tess and toes his shoes off before going to say hello to Sorel. She smiled at him and lifted her arms so he could pick her up, which of course he did. “Hey babygirl, how are you?” He asked and Sorel laughed softly. He was expecting a ‘good’ or ‘dada’ maybe ‘papa’ or ‘hi,’ but instead Sorel said,

“Ass.”

Anthony did a double take and Tess whipped her head up. “Excuse me?” Anthony asked his daughter but Sorel only laughed harder.

“Ass! Ass!”

Anthony’s eyes widened as he looked over at Tess who flared her nostrils. “Fucking Connor…” she grumbled, making Anthony burst out in laughter.

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