“God, Maxim.God.” Her lips trembled and her eyes implored me. Like I wasn’t there with her, feeling all this shit, too. And damn, was ita lotof emotion. My chest and eyes ached as I ran my nose down her cheek. She shivered, just as she always did when I nuzzled into her. I met her gaze again, hating the tortured expression there, but the fierceness of my possessiveness flared hot at her frenzy to make me understand.
I wanted to. I wanted her. Always. I’d known it from the beginning, fought it, fallen into the feeling, and finally,finally, Ida Jane was with me.
“I was so scared to tell you I loved you because…because I’m stupid.” She bit her lip, hard, and I readjusted my hold on her so that I could tug that beautiful plumpness from those teeth.
She shuddered. “These emotions are so big,” she whispered. “I was going to be brave in the shower.”
That night after she talked to Stol. I’d known something had happened then—something important to shift our relationship.
“But I was talking, and you got all frowny, and I chickened out.” She blew out a breath. “I thought if I had more time to prove myself to you—”
“Ah, my sweet Ida Jane, that’sexactlywhat I thought you needed fromme.”
She blinked up at me. “Do you think we can learn to communicate better?”
“Yes,” I crooned. “You’re too important to me for me to fail you again. This I can promise you.”
“What’s he saying?” Naese asked. “I can’t hear. Aw, look at her face. She liked it.”
“Shut the fuck up! It’s a touching moment,” Cruz said.
“Are you…crying?” the rookie asked, amazement in his voice.
“I have fucking emotions!” Cruz roared. A moment of scuffling, then a splash.
“Rookie’s where he belongs,” Stol crowed. “Back in the kiddie pool!”
Ida Jane pressed her lips together, and I knew it was to keep from laughing. I thought about leaving. She must have seen it in my eyes because she gave a small shake of her head. Our relationship was part of the team.
“I love you to the moon, my most precious krasivaya. I love that you fight your own battles, Fists.” I kissed her. “I love that you let me help you even if we both know you don’t need it. Fuck, I love you.”
“Plus, he’s not a grumpy douche with you,” Stol called out. Cruz cuffed him, and Stol yelped.
“They’re having a beautiful moment,” Cruz scolded. “Way to ruin it.”
“You don’t have to resort to violence,” Stol said.
Ida Jane leaned in closer and whispered, “I ripped my dress when I clung to you like a baby koala, and now I’m worried my booty’s hanging out.”
I shifted my hands to clamp her tattered dress to her thighs. “You’re covered. I’ll make sure.”
“Naese is videoing this,” Ida Jane gasped as she looked over my shoulder. “What if I flashed my—”
“I’ll kill him and keep the video for myself. Only I get to see your beautiful body. Just me.”
She pressed a kiss to my chin. “Just you.”
Somewhat mollified, I tipped my chin toward Cruz. “Ida Jane’s concerned she’s indecent in that video…”
Cruz narrowed his eyes, taking on the protector role. “On it.”
“Good. Now, I’m gonna take the love of my life home and fuck her till the bed breaks or one of us does.”
The guys guffawed and catcalled while Ida Jane buried her head into my shoulder.
“Hey, are you going to leave me here?” the rookie called, splashing in the pool. “It’s hard to swim in dress shoes.”
I chuckled again. He was such a cocky little shit. But I liked the kid. He’d do well with Cormac and me shepherding him through his next season. He’d already come so far.
