Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
I can only imagine what my face looks like. Cartoon heart eyes and a gigantic red heart is pulsing in and out of my chest. I swallow thickly as I take in her smile. “This is real—you and me. I’m not just passing the time or playing around. You’re important to me.” I love you. “I want you. Not just for a few days or weeks—” I pause, collecting my thoughts. I’m afraid if I tell her forever, it will scare her away, and I can’t have that. “You’re mine, Josephine Grace Henderson.”
“Are you mine? You’re staking your claim. I’ve told you that I’m yours, but are you mine, Brock?” she challenges.
She knows damn good and well that I’m hers. My girl just wants to hear me say it. “Every piece of me,” I tell her. “All that I am is yours.”
“Careful, Williams, I might make you fall in love with me.” She grins.
I open my mouth to tell her it’s too late, but she moves around, dropping her phone. When she reappears on the screen, she’s snuggled under the blankets, her glasses no longer perched on her nose.
“You tired?” I ask her.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll let you go.” I say the words reluctantly. I could talk to her all night, but if she’s tired, I want her to get her rest. I wonder if it sounds creepy to ask her to just prop the phone up next to her so I can watch her sleep?
“Brock?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Tell me a story.”
My grin takes over my face. Cartoon heart eyes, and big flashy grins, that’s what this girl does to me. My girl wants a story, a story she’ll get.
“Once upon a time, there was a man. He worked hard for his career, one that was demanding and required a lot of travel. He didn’t mind it. He loved it, in fact. That was until suddenly, one day, everything changed. It was a gradual change; one he didn’t see coming. He met a woman. A woman who made him see the world with fresh eyes. One day the man kissed her, and he knew.”
I pause. Her eyes are closed, and I think she’s asleep. I take a minute to stare at her like a fucking creeper, but I can’t seem to end the call. Not when it gives me the opportunity to get my fill of her.
Slowly her eyes open and lock on mine. “What did he know?”
It takes me a minute to realize she’s talking about the story. “He knew that she was going to change his life.”
“I was wrong before,” she says, her voice low.
“About what?” I ask, my voice just as small.
“You might just make me fall in love with you.”
My fucking heart stops. I rub my hand over my chest before replying, “That’s the plan, Sunshine.”
She smiles. “Night, Brock. Safe flight,” she says, covering a yawn.
“Goodnight.”
She blows me a kiss, and I do the same, and then the call ends. Plugging my phone in, I stand and make sure the door is locked, turning off the lights. I strip out of my clothes until I’m in nothing but my boxer briefs and climb under the covers. What started as a shit night ended with my girl, and she makes everything better. It’s her big brown eyes I see when I close mine.
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Joey
A smile breaks out on my face the moment the front door opens and closes. It feels like forever since I’ve seen him, even though we talked late last night after he got back to his hotel. I’ve missed him terribly, having become used to him being somewhere nearby. Now, he’s home, which makes me incredibly happy, even if I know it’ll be somewhat short-lived.
They have another away game next, but this one is even more special. Monday night, live on the biggest sports channel, Kansas City takes on Brock’s former team the Chicago Thunder back in the Windy City.
I have yet to go to an away game, even though we thought I was going a few weeks back during preseason. Taylor had a work thing come up, so she had to back out, and I just didn’t want to go alone. I actually used that weekend to finalize some of my affairs back in Springfield. I still need to have that conversation with Caleb, but I was able to put him off a little bit, claiming to be working remotely. Plus, it helps he’s pretty busy now the season is underway and has no clue what I do during the day.
But now isn’t the time for that. My focus is on Brock and next weekend. I plan to fly in Sunday morning, spend the day touring some of the city’s biggest sights, and then going to the game Monday. In fact, I’m more eager to go alone than ever. Going solo means I can slip in and out of Brock’s room a little easier.