Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
“Now what?” I whispered in the quiet dark as he stood by the bed.
He knew what I meant.
Knew my concerns with the upcoming season.
He reached into the drawer of his nightstand, plucking out a small metal object and handing it to me.
“A key?” I asked, palming the thing.
He climbed into bed next to me, his warm, naked body melting me all over again as he settled behind me. He covered us with his comforter, tucking my back against his chest, his chin over my shoulder.
“And I cleared out two drawers for you in my dresser,” he said. “I want to spend as much time as possible with you. So, do with that what you will, love,” he said, motioning to the key in my hand.
I slipped it under the pillow on what had become my side of his bed and turned enough to meet his eyes. “Okay,” I said.
“Okay?” He arched a brow at me.
“Let’s do this. For real.”
A wide, genuine smile shaped his lips before he crushed them against mine.
I finally surrendered this one part of myself to him, the one I’d been holding onto because of the skepticism I had about what would happen when the season truly started. But Connell made those doubts disappear with every sweet, gentle touch of his lips. Had made them disappear as we’d grown closer—in friendship, in lust, in…everything.
I closed my eyes, opening for him again, wider this time. Letting him in another inch, dangerously close to all the way down in my soul.
And he must’ve felt the subtle shift because he didn’t let me sleep a wink that night.
“Now that’s a nice background,” Lacy said over my shoulder, and I bit back my smile. She practically skipped back to her desk. “I’m so proud of you.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s just a picture,” I said.
She arched a brow at me.
“Okay, it’s a hot picture,” I relented, gazing at my new computer wallpaper. A simple shot of Connell and myself, his arm tucking me in tight. But it was the way he gazed down at me that made the picture practically catch fire. The hunger in his eyes, the wicked grin on his lips.
Sweet mercy, this man made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
Like I was the only woman in the world.
Cold, familiar doubt crept past the flames gently whirring in my core, whispering icy facts into the back of my mind.
The real season will start soon.
Away games.
Women in every state want him.
How could any man withstand a constant stream of perfection?
I shook my head in an attempt to clear it and clicked on the documents I should be working on, effectively covering the happy picture on my screen.
Work.
Work was my number one passion before Connell plowed into my life on a four-wheeler with a Scottish accent and an irresistible laugh.
I buried myself in work, shoving all other thoughts away until the next thing I knew, Lacy was tapping my shoulder in way of goodbye and clocking out for the evening.
I finished up payroll for this week and then shut everything down, totally, mentally exhausted. After locking the building up, I strolled to my car, thoughts of a glass of wine and a good book dominating my mind, knowing Connell had been swamped with preseason skates. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I fished it out after I’d settled into the driver’s seat.
Connell: Home yet?
I bit back my grin as I texted back.
Me: Just in the car now.
Connell: Good. Go to my place instead.
Me: I thought you would be out late with the boys?
Connell: Aye. Team morale. But I’d love it if I found you in my bed when I came home.
A thrill rushed through me.
Me: Even if I’m asleep?
Connell: Always. What do you say?
Me: I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out.
Connell: Tease.
I set my cell in the cup holder and took the road that led me to Reaper village.
An hour later, I’d slipped into my favorite silk pajama set and sank into Connell’s king-sized bed, drowning in the luxury of his soft sheets and thick blankets. Lucky for me, he kept my favorite wine on hand, and after half a glass, I was blissfully relaxed. Totally at home. Enough to fall into an easy sleep where doubts and fears didn’t exist.
The bed shifted behind me, a sturdy weight rolling my body slightly. I blinked away the haze of sleep, but just barely as I parted my lids.
“Sorry, love,” Connell whispered, his lips at my ear as he settled behind me. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
Something inside me utterly relaxed as he tucked my back against his chest, his arms encasing me to him. A settled, solid feeling clicked into place as if something had been missing while he was gone. Now that he was home, everything felt put back in its proper spot.