I pray the world won’t always feel like it owns a piece of him.
CHAPTER 34
FLIP
Tally throws her leg over mine and nuzzles into me, her nose against my neck. I hated that I couldn’t protect her yesterday but waking up with her in my arms is bliss. I haven’t slept beside her since Montreal, and I’ve missed the way she feels tucked against me. I could get used to this. Even though it scares the shit out of me, I don’t want to run.
I kiss her forehead, filtering through breakfast options. I can make her pancakes, or bacon and eggs, she alternates between them when we go for breakfast with friends. What would it be like to wake up with her every morning? To start my day with her? To come home to her after away games?
Unfortunately, her alarm goes off, breaking my reverie. It’s my song of choice for home hockey games.
She groans and sits up in a rush. Her hair is a wild, untamed, beautiful mess. She glances around, processing her surroundings, eyes bouncing to my bare chest and then the clock on my nightstand.
A slight furrow forms in her brow. “Is that the real time?”
“It’s seven thirty,” I confirm.
“I have to be at the studio in half an hour for grouprehearsal!” She tosses the covers off and scrambles out of bed. She looks adorable in my T-shirt. She spins around gracefully, then runs from one side of the room to the other. “I won’t make it on time from here!”
I slide out of bed. “I’ll drive you.”
“We needed to leave five minutes ago!”
I cross to her and curve my hands over her shoulders. “Take a breath, kitten.”
She sucks in a deep one, but it’s wheezy. Her gaze drops to my bare chest, and lower, to where my morning wood salutes her from behind my boxer briefs.
Disappointment pulls the corners of her mouth down. “I don’t even get to enjoy your morning wood.”
“It happens every day. You’ll have plenty of future opportunities.” I kiss her forehead. “Get dressed, message your troupe that you’re a little behind, and I’ll make us coffees to go.”
“Okay. Yes. That’s a good plan. Thank you.” She wraps her arms briefly around my waist, her warm cheek pressing against my chest. When she pulls back, she pats my erection through my underwear. “Sorry, big guy, we’ll play another day.”
“Leave him alone and put some clothes on.”
“Right.” She moves to my dresser and I pull on a pair of joggers and a T-shirt and head for the kitchen while she puts yesterday’s outfit back on.
Seven and a half minutes later, we’re armed with coffee and Rix’s famous raisin bran muffins and we’re on the way to Tally’s dance studio.
“Okay, ten minutes late isn’t the worst. Thank you for driving me. The subway would have taken twice as long.”
“I’m happy to have the time with you. How are you feeling this morning? Did you sleep okay?”
“I feel better. And I slept like the dead. You’re like my own personal body pillow.” Her cheeks heat.
“You can use me as one any time you want.” I slip my handunder her hair. “I’m meeting with Hemi later this morning so we can make a plan.” And while I’m near campus, I’ll talk to their security. I don’t like that I can’t protect her when I’m not with her.
“Just let me know if there’s something I can do.”
“Let me handle this.” I rub my thumb along the back of her neck.
We arrive at the studio at 8:08, but no one is waiting outside. She plucks a sticky note withThank You!and a heart scrawled on it.
“What’s that about?” I ask.
“I offered the space to some of my class who were struggling to find studio time the way we were,” she explains as she unlocks the door and lets us in. “We have a calendar that we update weekly. I didn’t want it to sit empty when we’re not here. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay.” It’s exactly like Tally to help her peers.
