“Take the jersey off now, or I’ll do it myself. Your choice.”
“You have gone mad,” she mutters, lifting the jersey over her head and revealing a fitted, black Bolts tee underneath.
Taking the jersey from her hand, I toss it to the floor.
“This wasn’t my idea,” she swallows. “The guys said I should come…that it would help you figure things out. I’m sorry if it made it worse,” she wrings her hands together nervously as I back her up against the small table in the room. “I…I can leave if you need me to.”
“Are you finished talking because I really want to kiss the fuck out of you right now.”
Something flashes in her eyes, and I sink into it as my hand comes up to cup the side of her face. Her blue eyes close briefly at my touch, like it’s the best damn thing she’s felt in a while, matching exactly what I feel.
I can no longer hold back as I dive into those beautiful lips that I’ve been dying to taste again. It’s only been two weeks, but it feels like a lifetime.
My tongue eagerly tangles with hers as I deepen the kiss and sink my fingers into her soft hair.
“Fuck, Savi, I’ve missed you,” I groan against her lips before diving right back in. Her hands come up and thread into my hair at the nape of my neck, and it feels so damn good to have her touch on me again. “Tell me I’m not too late, that Tristan…” I can’t even finish the thought, as images of them together make it difficult for me to breathe.
“There is nothing between Tristan and me. How could there be, when deep down my heart has always belonged to you,” she whispers, and I close my eyes to the impact of what those words do to me. “It still does,” she admits.
Bowing my head to hers, I drop my hands and keep a firm grip on her waist, needing to feel her against me. Her presence gives me the strength to push through my fears and give her the truth, no matter how hard it is for me to lay my heart at her feet.
“I’m so fucking sorry it took me so long to realize that I can’t do this alone…that I don’t want to do this alone anymore. I still don’t have a clue what the fuck I’m doing, but I want to try. I need you, sunshine. So fucking much that it scares the hell out of me, but seeing you tonight and knowing that if I keep pushing you away, I’ll eventually lose you, scares me so much fucking more.”
“I need you too, Knox,” she whispers, and I close my eyes as her words sink into me. “I don’t want to do this without you either. I…I can’t lose you,” she says, her voice catching on the last part.
“As long as you’ll let me, I’ll keep trying to be the man you seem to think I am.”
“You’ve always been that man to me…always.”
“Looks like you just got yourself another stray that nobody wants,” I chuckle softly.
“Iwant you,” she smiles, lifting her blue eyes to mine.
“And that’s all I need.” I kiss her one more time so I can taste her on my lips for a little bit longer. “For the first time in my life, I wish I didn’t have a game to go back to. I can think of a million things I would love to be doing more with you right now,” I murmur against her neck and breathe in her scent.
“Knowing how much you love hockey, that’s a pretty big statement,” she grins into my chest.
“Yeah, it surprised me too. Who the fuck am I anymore?” I chuckle softly.
“You’re the Knox I’ve always loved and prayed would see me standing here one day.”
“I’ve always seen you, sunshine. Not once, since I first saw you, did I ever stop seeing you.”
I kiss her briefly on the lips, not trusting myself to stop if I truly kiss her the way I want to right now. As much as I want to lose myself in her for hours, I have a team that is depending on me.
Sighing, I step away so I can get a grip on my emotions, knowing I need a clear headspace when I step out on the ice in a few minutes.
Her eyes roam down me until they hit my blades before trailing back up again, leaving me wanting so much more.
“Do you realize how hot you look right now wearing only the bottom half of your uniform?”
“Do you realize how hot you look right now without Hayes’s jersey on?” My eyebrow lifts as she bites her lip to hide a smile.
“I didn’t think you would like that part of the plan very much.”
“Like isn’t the word I would use to describe how much I hated it.”
“I’m giving it back,” she laughs, bending down to pick it up as I reach out and take it from her hand.
