Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 273

Chapter 273

ARIA’S POV

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The warm morning sunlight came through the thin, sheer curtains of the big bedroom, painting long golden stripes across the heavy duvet.

I shifted slowly under the soft covers, feeling the strong, protective weight of Brandon’s arm wrapped firmly around my waist.

He held me close against his chest, keeping me anchored against his warm body before my eyes were even fully open.

I turned around slowly in his arms, looking up at his sharp face in the gentle morning light. I reached up with my hand and gently traced the clean line of his jaw with my index finger, enjoying the quiet stillness between

Brandon’s dark eyes slowly fluttered open. As soon as he saw me looking at him, a soft, rare smile spread across his face, softening every sharp edge of his features.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered in a quiet, sleepy voice. He pulled me a little closer, burying his face in my hair and pressing a long, warm kiss to my forehead.

“Good morning,” I whispered back, resting my cheek against his chest and listening to the steady, comforting rhythm of his heartbeat.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I hadn’t woken up from a nightmare. There was no lingering dread, no panicked scanning of the room, and no cold knot in my stomach. Just the peaceful sound of Brandon breathing softly beside me.

Before we could settle back into the quiet comfort of the bed, I heard the sound of quick, tiny feet pitter- pattering down the wooden floor of the hallway outside.

A second later, the bedroom door creaked open, and Amelia’s sweet little face poked around the corner. “Mommy? Daddy?” she called out softly, her big, clear eyes wide as she looked into the room.

“Come here, my little princess,” Brandon called out right away, tossing the big blanket back to make room for

her.

Amelia’s face lit up with a huge, radiant smile. She ran across the soft carpet as fast as her small legs could carry her, diving right onto the middle of the big bed.

Brandon caught her mid-air in his strong arms before she could tumble, spinning her around gently while she giggled uncontrollably before setting her down right between the two of us.

She snuggled close into Brandon’s side, wrapping her tiny hands around his grey shirt as if she belonged there-and she did.

“Guess what, sweetie?” Brandon said, gently tapping the tip of her little nose with his finger. “Since I took the whole day off from the office today, I was thinking… how about we all go visit the big horse farm outside the city?”

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My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires

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Amelia gasped loudly, her eyes opening wide with pure, unfiltered joy. “The horses? Real, big horses?”

“Real horses,” Brandon promised, smiling warmly at how happy she was. “We can feed the small white ponies, walk around the big barn, and have a nice picnic right next to the lake. How does that sound?”

“Yes Yes! Thank you, Daddy!” she squealed, throwing her tiny arms tightly around Brandon’s neck and giving him a big, affectionate hug.

My heart felt so full that tears almost came to my eyes. Ever since Brandon and I met and Amelia was born, he had stepped in to be the loving, devoted father figure Amelia always deserved.

He didn’t just protect us from threats-he showed up for her in every small, everyday moment, proving through every little action that he was our steady, safe anchor.

“You are very welcome, princess,” Brandon said softly, holding her tight against his chest for a quiet moment before kissing the top of her head. “Now go run downstairs and ask Anthony to help you put your little riding boots on, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy,” Amelia shouted happily. She scrambled off the bed and ran out of the room like a tiny tornado, her laughter echoing down the stairs.

Once her little footsteps faded down the hallway, I reached over and placed my hand over Brandon’s chest, right over his beating heart. “She loves you so much.”

Brandon looked into my eyes, taking my hand in his and bringing it to his lips to kiss my knuckles gently. “I love her just as much, Aria. I will always protect both of you, no matter what.”

After a warm, relaxed breakfast downstairs, we spent the entire morning at the peaceful horse farm outside the city.

The sun was warm, the countryside air was clean and fresh, and watching Brandon patiently hold the leather reins while Amelia rode a gentle white pony around the ring brought a deep, restorative peace to my soul.

Brandon guided the pony with total patience, laughing at Amelia’s animated stories and making sure she felt completely safe every step of the way.

For those few glorious hours, all the bad memories, the aggressive media press, and the lingering shadow of Leonie Vance simply ceased to exist.

By late afternoon, we spread a big picnic blanket on the soft grass near the quiet lake, eating fruit and sandwiches while Amelia ran around happily in her little boots, picking yellow wildflowers and bringing them back to us one by one.

My phone, resting on the corner of the blanket, suddenly began to buzz. I picked it up and saw Chloe’s name flashing on the screen. I slid my finger across the glass to answer. “Hello, Chloe. Is everything okay?”

“Miss Aria,” Chloe’s voice came through the speaker, sounding very careful and serious. “I am sorry to disturb your day with the family, but I thought you needed to know this right away. Julian’s lawyers just reached out to our legal team.”

I felt Brandon’s mood shift instantly beside me. He turned to look at me, his dark eyes narrowing as he picked up on the sudden change in my posture. He rested a hand on my knee, giving me a supportive squeeze.

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My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires

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“What does Julian want, Chloe?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and steady so Amelia wouldn’t notice anything wrong.

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