My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 400

Nina

“You did what?”

The evening’s events had left a bittersweet taste in my mouth as I sat in front of the bedroom vanity, slowly brushing out my long, black hair. It had gotten so much longer over the past year, and now fell almost down to my butt. My bangs had grown out, though.

“I told her that she doesn’t need to work for us,” I said, • meeting Enzo’s gaze in the mirror.

He huffed with annoyance and flopped down onto the edge of the bed. “But we needed her help. After all that, you just let her walk away?”

met his gaze in the mirror, pausing mid-brush. “Look, I know how it sounds, Enzo,” I said softly. “But it just didn’t feel right to use her like that. Giving her a taste of friendship only to wind up using her for her services… it seemed so… transactional.”

Enzo let out a deep sigh, running his fingers through his curly brown hair. “I get it, I do,” he said quietly. “But she was our key to finding that wolf. We need to figure out another way now.”

I placed the brush down and turned to face him. “She’ll come back.”

Enzo raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“She’ll come back,” I repeated, standing and crossing over to him. “I’m sure of it.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Look,” I said, “she’s lonely, and intrigued by us. I just have a feeling that she won’t be able to ignore that feeling, and that she’ll return. Maybe then she can help us, not as a spy, but… as a friend.”

There was a pause, a moment of silence where the weight of the situation seemed to hang between us. Then, Enzo’s demeanor shifted, a playful glint appearing in his eyes. Visit Job n i b .co m to read the complete chapters for free.I noticed then the slight unsteadiness in his stance, the faint flush on his cheeks. He was a bit drunk, the merriment of the party still lingering in his system.

He stood. “You amaze me sometimes,” he said, his voice low and husky. “Always so welcoming. Even when you hardly know someone.”

I smirked at him. “I know a girl like that better than you realize. You forget that I was like that, once; an outcast.

Someone who always watched from the sidelines but never actually got to join in on the fun.”

“Yeah, I guess I do forget,” Enzo said softly. “Now noble of you, to care for those who are like that now. While you’re over here, popular as ever, Mrs. Rivers.”

I couldn’t help but blush.

He sauntered over to me, his large, callused hands sliding along the soft silk of my nightgown. I couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down my spine at his touch. ” You know,” he murmured, his voice low and husky, “you were absolutely glowing tonight. Still are.”

I felt my cheeks warm up under his gaze. “It’s just the pregnancy,” | replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Enzo’s hands found my waist, pulling me closer to him. ” No, it’s more than that. It’s you, Nina. You’re beautiful.” His words were a gentle caress, and I melted into his embrace.

The dim light of our bedroom cast soft shadows around us, the outside world fading away as we stood there, lost in each other. The soft music that was playing through the bluetooth speakers filled the silence, low and sweet.

Without a word, we began to dance, swaying gently to the music. His hands were warm and steady on my back, guiding me in a slow, gentle rhythm. My arms wrapped around his neck, my head resting against his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart.

As we danced, Enzo’s hand drifted down to rest on my belly. “What do you hope for? A boy or a girl?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I’m impartial,” I murmured. “I just hope he or she has your hair.”

“Mine?” Enzo laughed. “You’re the one with the gorgeous hair. Mine’s a messy mop.”

“I like your mop,” I whispered, tilting my chin up to look at him.

Enzo gazed down at me. His eyes were half-closed, partially from the alcohol and partially from the intimacy of the moment. “Either way, they’ll be amazing,” he murmured. “Just like their mother.”

Our eyes met, and in that moment, there was nothing but us. The worries, the responsibilities, the challenges we faced-they all faded into the background. All that remained was the love we shared, the bond that had only grown stronger with time.

Slowly, Enzo leaned down, his lips meeting mine. He tasted like whiskey as his tongue slid into my mouth, swirling around with mine.

I felt his strong arms wrap around me, picking me up with ease. He carried me slowly over to the bed and gently laid me down, my hair fanning out around me on the pillow. I shivered as his hand began working its way up my thigh.

“You feeling okay for this?” he asked, his soft brown eyes meeting mine in the dim lamplight.

I nodded, biting my lower lip.

“What about this?” Enzo smirked, slipping his hand up inside my silky nightgown. His callused fingers pressed against the soft cotton fabric of my panties and made me shiver. “You’re already wet,” he muttered, sounding a little surprised.

“Can you blame me?” I asked with a smirk of my own.

Enzo shook his head. “No, I can’t,” he said, taking my hand and pressing it against his groin, where he was already hard and straining through his pants. “Because I’m already like this.”

I grinned as I felt the warmth of his cock in my hand.

Propping myself up on my elbow, I stroked him there for a few moments before tugging at his belt. His fingers, clumsy from the alcohol, fumbled to help me.

A moment later, I was tugging down his jeans just enough to see his erection burst out, causing a soft gasp to escape my lips.

“What?” Enzo teased, sliding onto the bed between my legs. “Never seen it before?”

“No,” I replied. “I just never get used to it.”

Enzo grinned. I felt those same thick, callused hands push me down onto the bed, and then he was over me, holding my wrists down to the mattress-firmly, but not too hard.

“You’re too gentle with me now that I’m pregnant,” | teased as I rocked my hips against him, feeling the head of his cock graze my panties. “You know you don’t have to.”

Enzo groaned softly and pressed his erection a little harder against me. “Quiet,” he muttered.

“Make me.”

Suddenly, Enzo released his grip on one of my wrists and pressed his hand over my mouth. His face came close to mine, his lips grazing my neck as he began to grind himself against me, his soft moans echoing in my ears.

I bucked my hips against him then, desperate to feel him now as I felt my panties get even more wet. But Enzo pulled away, clicking his tongue at me.

“Not yet,” he teased, reaching up underneath my nightgown again, where he slipped my panties aside and began to work his thick, warm fingers into me, causing me to arch my back and moan behind his hand. “Not yet.”

Nina

I woke up the next morning to a familiar, yet unwelcome sensation-a sharp, throbbing pain in my lower abdomen.

In fact, it was the pain that woke me up from a deep sleep.

The discomfort was so intense that it felt like a tight knot had formed in my stomach, making me curl up instinctively. For a moment, I just lay there, hoping it would pass, but the pain only seemed to intensify with each passing second.

“Enzo,” I groaned, nudging him gently. He was still asleep, his breathing deep and even. It took a few more nudges before he finally stirred, blinking his eyes open in confusion.

“Enzo.”

“Nina? What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

“I have cramps,” I managed to say through gritted teeth, accompanied by a sharp wince as another wave of them washed over me. “Really bad ones.”

Enzo sat up immediately, a look of concern causing his eyebrows to knit together. “Cramps? Like, stomach cramps?” he asked.

I shook my head, barely able to speak through the pain, but I managed to croak out, “My uterus.”

He sat up even further, his brow now furrowed with worry as he jumped out of bed. “We should get you to the doctor,” he said, already making his way across the bedroom to grab a pair of sweatpants and tug them on in one swift motion. “Now.”

But my independent nature made me think otherwise.

“I’ll drive myself,” I said, trying to downplay my discomfort for the sake of… I don’t know. My pride, maybe? “I don’t want to bother you.”

Enzo wouldn’t have any of it. “Nina, don’t be silly,” he said. “You’re pregnant, and I’m taking you. We can’t just ignore this. We’re going to the doctor.”

I sighed, knowing there was no arguing with him when he was in this protective mode. And he was right, anyway; l was just being hyper-independent.

He helped me out of bed, supporting me,as I struggled to stand. The pain was making me feel lightheaded, and I leaned heavily against him as we made our way out of the house.

On the way down the stairs, my mother popped her head out of her room, having heard the commotion. “Nina?

Enzo?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep. “What’s going on?”

I nodded. “Okay. I will.”

Nina

I stared back and forth between the pamphlet in my hands and the poster on the glass doors.

“Prenatal Yoga: Movement for Expecting Mothers,” the sign read.

The one on the door had the same image of a very pregnant woman doing a headstand, and I almost laughed again at the idea. It had to be a gimmick, right?

But, as I stepped through the door with my yoga mat tucked under my arm, I realized… that it wasn’t.

All around the room, there were women of all different stages of pregnancy. Some had perfectly flat stomachs, others were maybe halfway through their pregnancies, and others looked as if they were about to burst.

Almost instantly, I felt a little out of place as I looked around. Regardless of the stage of pregnancy, so many of the other women seemed so flexible and agile as they warmed up on their mats, chatting happily.

I furrowed my brow as I glanced down at the pamphlet again. Was this class not meant for beginners? Maybe I had gone to the wrong place.

“Hello,” a kind voice suddenly said. “Are you here for prenatal yoga?”

I looked up to see a middle-aged woman approaching.

She was thin and athletic, with blonde hair pulled back into a slick bun at the nape of her neck. She was smiling, and wearing a matching light blue set of leggings and a sports bra.

“Uh, yes,” I said, holding the pamphlet up. “Is this the right place, or..?”

She nodded. “It sure is,” she said. “What’s your name?”

“Nina.”

“Welcome, Nina,” the woman replied, bowing slightly. ” I’m Hannah. We’re so glad you could join us today. Just find a spot and make yourself comfortable, and we’ll be starting in five minutes.”

I nodded and found a place at the back of the room, unrolling my yoga mat with slightly trembling hands. My gaze wandered across the room, taking in the other women who seemed so at ease, chatting and stretching in their chic yoga outfits.

As I sat down on my mat and began to stretch before class started, a voice caught my attention, “First time?”

I looked up to see a young woman, around my age, with a perfectly round baby bump and a perfectly poised demeanor. “Uh, yes, it is,” I replied, trying to muster a smile.

“I’m Lea,” she said, extending a hand. “You look familiar, by the way.”

“Do I?” I asked with a slight laugh.

She nodded, then narrowed her eyes slightly at me as she tried to figure out who I was. Then, her face seemed to light up with recognition. “You’re Enzo Rivers’ wife. The hockey player?”

“That’s me,” I said, throwing my hands up in mock admission. “Local celebrity, huh?”

Lea scoffed slightly. “Hardly,” she said, rolling her mat out next to mine. “I’m kidding, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Although,” she said, “I do have to say… it was quite interesting to find out that Enzo Rivers married you. He didn’t seem like that type.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly, but said nothing. It wasn’t terribly uncommon for people to make comments like this; Enzo had, after all, had the reputation of not only a star hockey player, but also a playboy himself.

We had put those days behind us, though.

Before I could respond, the class began. Thank god, I thought to myself.

The class began with some simple stretches, but I quickly realized my flexibility was not what it used to be.

Each move felt more like a struggle, and I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious as I glanced around the room, seeing all of the others move with such grace and ease.

“And now,” Hannah said, “we’re going to move into Warrior II…

Lea, who was still next to me, seemed to notice my discomfort as we flowed into the next pose.