“I could’ve told you both he’s smitten as hell over you, Taevin. My guy has been a goner for months now,” Carson assures me.
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, but he gives me all the reassurance I need,” I say as a blush heats my cheeks.
“What do we have here?” Katie asks, pointing to where McKenna is straddling Griffin on one of the Adirondack chairs by the firepit.
Carson turns to Katie. “Should we mess with them a bit, Kitty?”
“I’d love nothing more, Carsey-baby. Let’s go!” Katie and Carson take off down the steps just as strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. I love when Jax holds me against him like this.
“There you are. Are my friends done stealing my gorgeous girlfriend away from me?” Jax murmurs the question against my neck before sucking the sensitive skin into his mouth, likely leaving a light mark.
Spinning around in his embrace, I answer, “They sure are. They’ve moved on to messing with their siblings instead.”
He looks over my shoulder to where Carson and Katie must be and he lets out a snort. “That’s epic. It’s about time G and Mack Attack get together.”
“Am I a distraction for you? When it comes to hockey, I mean?” I ask the question that’s been on my mind since Griffin brought up that they hadn’t seen him at training lately.
Jax rears his head back, looking completely taken off guard. “What? No, of course not. Why would you ask that?”
“In the kitchen earlier Griffin had mentioned he and Carson had been training on and off the ice and they hadn’t seen you around. And we’ve been hanging out so much lately, I can’t help but assume it’s because of me.”
“T, it’s the first week of summer. So what if I took a few days off for the first time in years? I already made plans with Carse and Griff to train with them next week.” Stepping impossibly closer to me, he grasps my head in his hands and bends so he’s at my eye level. “Listen to me when I say this: you’re not a distraction, baby. If anything, you make me want to work harder than ever to make all of our dreams come true. The draft is in a few weeks, but after that you best believe I’ll be prioritizing spending as much of my summer with you as possible. Make yourself a list of things you want to do together this summer, and I’ll do my best to check them all off.”
“Are you sure?” I ask him, worrying my lip between my teeth.
He releases my bottom lip and pulls it down with his thumb. “Am I sure that I can’t wait to get lost in a summer haze with you for the next few months? Yeah, I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Swatting his chest halfheartedly, I tell him, “Be serious, J. Promise me I won’t become a distraction for you. I’ll be damned if your father is right about anything when it comes to us.”
“I promise, baby.”
I let out a squeal when he lifts me into his arms bridal style. He chuckles, telling me, “Okay, now that we’ve established you’re my motivation, not a distraction, it’s time for me to take my girl inside so she can have her way with me like she promised earlier.”
As he carries me up the steps leading to his bedroom, I can’t wipe the splitting smile from my face at yet another one of his loud displays of affection.
“Easy, caveman. I’m pretty sure everyone here already knows I’m yours. If anyone needs to mark their territory, I think it’s me,” I tease him.
“I’m just making sure everyone knows we’re both taken. I think they all know now that I’ve got my claws sunk into you, baby.”
Rolling my eyes, I hold onto him tighter and whisper in his ear, “If anyone’s going to claw the other in this relationship, it’ll be me Jackson Charles.”
“Fuck, I love when you’re demanding. It turns me on so much.”
Before I can respond, he tosses me onto his bed before locking his door, and next thing I know his lips are blissfully on mine, right where they belong.
19
Then
I’m not sure how she managed to do it, but Taevin convinced her dad to let her come to the Wilder family cabin with us for the Fourth of July. We’re headed up a few hours later than Carson, McKenna, Katie, and Griffin because I just got in late last night from Dallas, where I spent the past three days for the NHL draft.
We’re riding with Bennett, but I’m picking her up from her house by myself first so I can get a few minutes alone with her. Especially because I just got the call from Wolverines management that the prospects development camp will take place on Monday after the Fourth, so we’ve only got a few days together before I’ll be busy and staying away for another three.
When I pull up to her house, I kill the engine and round my truck, holding my arms wide open just as Taevin jumps into them.
“Minnesota. Can you believe it, baby?” I ask, picking her up and spinning her in my arms.
She squeals with joy and I stop spinning to rock her back and forth in my arms. “I saw! I’m so proud of you, J. So beyondproud of you.” Taevin grabs my face in her hands and peppers a few kisses on my lips and cheeks.
