“Darling, I don’t think you want to erase our nights together. We’ve got some good moments in there, right?”
I reach up and tousle his hair, which is messy from sleep. “We do. Sexy moments interspersed with either fighting or confessions or pain…”
He silences me by putting a finger over my lips. “Hey.” His tone turns serious. “I wouldn’t take last night back for anything. I hate that you went through that, though.ThatI would give anything to take back.”
I swallow. “I’ll be okay.”
“I know you will. Doesn’t mean any of it feels fair.”
A distinct purring sound distracts us, and we both look down to find Theo at our feet. When he sees us notice him, he stands up and meows loudly.
“Theo, are you hungry?” I reach over and pet him affectionately. “I’ll feed you, honey.”
But Hunter holds me in place. “I’ll do it. You stay in and rest. It’s still early.”
“But you must be exhausted after your game last night.”
“I’m okay. Plus, I have to meet my brothers for breakfast before they fly back to Montana.” As if on cue, his phone buzzes on the nightstand.
I admire how the muscles ripple across his back as he sits up. When he turns back to face me, my gaze wanders down his bare chest, and without meaning to, I reach out and run my hand down his abs.
“So I was thinking,” I begin.
But he just shakes his head and kisses my forehead. “Later,” he says in a rough tone. “Okay?”
“Sure. Later.”
He pauses. “Liam asked me to babysit tonight. We don’t have a game, and he and Cathy need a night alone. Do you want to come with me?”
I freeze. “To babysit your niece? I’ve never met her before.”
“So consider this your first meeting.” His eyes lock with mine. “What do you say?”
This feels like a date.
And Hunter and I don’t date. At least, we’ve never really tried to date. Because I think we both know how disastrous that could be.
But I want to see him with his niece, and I want to spend time with him far too much to turn him down.
So I answer with, “I say yes.”
* * *
Hunter
“What the hell was that kiss?”Jared asks me the moment I meet him, Max, and Liam in line at Café du Monde.
Liam grins. “That’s Hunt’sI-don’t-like-my-housemate-can’t-you-tellkiss.”
I shoot him a dirty look. “Asshole.”
Jared quickly changes the subject, and the four of us chat about hockey. Of course, they make sure to give me shit about my slump, but I have the last word, given my game last night, and they all know it.
“You could still win MVP,” Max says to me. “You’ve got the line for it, and if you keep playing like you did last night, it’s yours to take.”
“We’ll see,” is all I say. “I’m pretty sure your all-world captain’s got it locked up.”
“Who, Wild?” Max shrugs. “Declan Wild’s already won it three times in his career. Besides, everybody around the league knows that—despite your recent little wobble—” He flashes me a grin—“your play this season is a big reason why New Orleans has a shot to make something happen in the playoffs. And the league loves to give it to somebody new. That could be you, man.”
