Love So Sweet

On Saturday, Danni rang the doorbell of the Ference home and waited for someone to answer the door. After a beat, the door was opened by Ava.

"Hi Ms. Danni!"

"Hi, Ava. How are you?"

"Good."

"Can I come in?"

"Oh yeah." She turned and Danni followed her inside to the kitchen where Krista was making dinner.

"Something smells delicious," Danni complimented. She walked over to hug Krista and then poured herself a glass of water. "Do you need help with anything?"

"Just sit and talk to me," she replied before shooing the two little girls from the room. Danni waited until she heard their feet above them.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"Benoit Pouilot." Just the mention of his name made Danni blush. "I knew it! The frenchie got to you!"

"He did not get to me. I'm dating Ryan. I live with Ryan."

"You don't have to convince me that you care about Ryan. I care about Andrew but Benny is hot and speaks French. I saw him when he came into the room Thursday. He went right for you."

"Okay, so he's mildly attractive," Danni conceded. "But he knows Ryan and I are together."

"But you liked that he flirted with you."

She blushed again. "It was nice, knowing someone found me attractive."

"An ego boost?"

"Yes. And he's really handsome, and looks so suave, and then the French.... It felt different."

"Don't take this the wrong way because you know I love Ryan and I love you two together, but it felt like being wanted by a man, didn't it? Like you were the most desirable woman in the room?"

"Yes, exactly," Danni admitted. "Does that make me the most horrible person ever, that I found someone else to be more manly than my own boyfriend?"

"No it doesn't. We all know Ryan is a man, but he's a twenty one year old young man. Wise beyond his years, yes, definitely the most mature of the kids, but he and Taylor and Jordan will forever be linked as the kids here; it's a stigma they'll carry. Benny on the other hand has played in a few cities, and he's the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. And he's older. And French. That combination is a lethal weapon into woman's panties but we both know he's not getting there."

"I felt wanted. I know Ryan wants me but I don't think anyone has hit on me since we started seeing each other."

Krista glanced around to make sure her girls were still upstairs before speaking. "I got hit on by one of the single dad's in Stella's class last week. It was the most exhilarating feeling. I know Andrew wants me but that someone else did too? It's a nice feeling sometimes. I'm not going to act on it and it doesn't make me a bad person and it doesn't make you one either."

"Do you think that we can make it, even though I'm three years older than Ry?"

"Does that bother you that you're older than him?"

"No. Ryan doesn't act like some young punk so I've never even thought about it. He's just my Nugie. Sweet and caring, a little innocent, but eventually always willing to try whatever I talk him into, and sometimes even surprising me with something of his own to talk me into. I love him; I don't want anyone else."

"Then there's your answer," Krista smiled. "Now, dinner's almost ready; do you want to go upstairs and round up the girls?"

It took several minutes but Danni herded the two little girls downstairs and into chairs at the table just as Krista finished their plates. The two women fixed their own plates and sat down, talking to the girls about school and the game that night against the Canucks.

After, Danni cleared their plates and loaded the dishwasher as Krista bathed the two girls and got them dressed in pajamas. She finished just before the game started and they all settled on to the couch together. The Oilers were out to a 2-0 lead nearing the end of the first period before Vancouver put one on the board.

The game was back and forth through the second. Stella had fallen asleep during the first period and Ava midway through the second period. Krista and Danni each carried one up the stairs and put them to bed during the second intermission, settling back into the couch for the third period, the Oilers leading by a goal.

Six minutes into the period, Ryan was leveled by a hit from a Vancouver player and Danni leapt off the couch with a gasp, her hand clasped over her mouth. In her mind, she knew it was hockey, a clean hit, but in her heart, that was her boyfriend that just went crashing to the ice hard.

Ryan was back up in seconds and skating for the guy who knocked him down. Before she could process, gloves hit the ice and Ryan was trading punches.

"Holy shit," Danni muttered. "Holy shit!"

Ryan got in his hits early and Danni watched, a little stunned at the unraveling of her boyfriends first NHL fight. When the Canuck got him down and they were broken apart, the other players tapped their sticks as the two men were led to the penalty boxes.

"He did good," Krista said as Danni sank back down on the couch.

Danni clutched at her chest. "I think I'm having a heart attack. Or at the very least a panic attack."

"Those heart palpitations you are expierencing are called lust, because you are hot for the manliness of what just happened there."

"It was kind of hot, right?" Danni laughed. "Who knew Ry was a fighter?"

"Make sure to show him how much you appreciated it when they get in," Krista advised with a wink.

When Danni heard Ryan come home a few hours later, she sat up and flipped on the lamp beside the bed. She could hear him rustling out of his coat, knew he'd be hanging it up in the closet and lining up his dress shoes by the door with his other shoes. She figured he'd probably leave his suit jacket hanging up too. She listened as his footsteps approached their bedroom.

Ryan startled when he opened the door to find Danni awake. "I'm sorry; did I wake you?" He apologized.

"Couldn't sleep," she answered, swinging her legs off the bed and standing, walking towards him. She saw his eyes widen at what she had worn to bed and she smiled to herself. She reached for him, unknotting his tie and then letting her fingers slowly pop each of his dress shirts buttons. "Been waiting for you to get home," she continued, pushing his dress shirt off his shoulders. She kissed the right one and looked up at him.

"Is it okay? You didn't go in shootout."

"It feels fine, I promise," Ryan answered with a smile.

"Good, because I want to do unspeakable things to you right now."

Ryan laughed. "Because I had a fight."

She nodded and stepped back, reaching for his belt. "Yeah, because you had a fight."

She turned and sauntered back towards the bed and Ryan kicked off his pants, leaving them in a heap in the floor to follow her. He grabbed her around the middle and pulled her to him. "You look incredible in my jersey."

She smirked. "I thought you deserved a reward for tonight and we haven't, not with me in your jersey at least, and I seem to recall you mentioning that once on like our second date."

Ryan blushed. "You remember too much."

"Because I never want to forget anything with you. I love you, Ry."

"I love you too, Danni."

"You're gonna love me more after this," she smirked before sliding down his body.