"I…" I nod, and then he's giving me a whole new reason to feel like I won the lottery. He keeps his eyes locked with mine as he strokes my clit, ruthlessly driving me toward an orgasm.
It feels massive—bigger than anything. I fight it, terrified I'm going to scream the dang library down around us, but he isn't having any of that.
"Fall," he growls, biting my bottom lip. "Right now."
I try to tell him no. I try to resist. But there is no resisting Sidney Hawkes. I don't think there ever was. All those months of running and hiding and pretending he could never be my type. They were just lies I told myself so I didn't have to admit the truth.
This man is the only thing I want.
I fall with a soft cry, my legs threatening to buckle. He scoops me up against his chest with an arm around my waist and his lips locked with mine, silencing my sounds and keeping me grounded even while teaching me to fly.
"The only thing better than the whole world knowing you're mine is the way you say my name when you're coming," herasps against my ear, holding me tightly. "I'll apologize to Tye if it makes you happy, Hattie. I'll do whatever you want me to do." He pauses. "But I won't allow the world to tear you down or make you feel like you're less than, and I won't allow you to believe you are, either." He cups my jaw in his hand, forcing me to look at him. "I won't allow you to be hurt, not even by your brother."
I tip my head back, meeting his gaze. And I have absolutely nothing to say to that because he means it.
This grumpy mountain of a wide receiver is going to steal every little piece of my heart. I think he already is.
Chapter Eight
Sidney
"This is Giz," Hattie says, introducing me to the angry-looking fish inside the tank on a shelf beside her television. "Giz, this is Sidney."
Giz doesn't look like he gives a shit about me. Honestly, he looks a little like an angry old man as he swims around. But he seems to like Hattie. He's lingering against the glass right by her hand, swimming in circles. Shit. Maybe fish do have feelings. Ormaybe this one is just smart enough to know perfection when it's feeding him.
I don't know, but the look on Hattie's face as she croons to the fish is cute as hell.
"You had him long?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"Since I was a little girl."
I blink, shocked. "Goldfish live that long?"
A smile tugs at her lips before she places her hands flat on the glass aquarium on either side of Giz's head like she's covering his ears. "They don't live that long," she whispers. "But Giz is immortal."
"Immortal?"
"Yeah. When his body gives up, he reincarnates into a new one."
"Uh…" I stare at her, not sure if she's fucking with me or not.
"At least, that's what I like to believe," she says, smiling softly. "He's a different fish every time, but I like to keep the lore alive." She moves her hands away from the glass, turning to face me. "My dad won him for me at a fair when I was little. The boys always had sports to share with him…but we had Giz." She smiles softly. "I don't know how many times he ran out and bought me a new fish before…"
"Before he died," I say softly, something tugging at my chest.
"Yeah. Um, afterward, Tye and Harlan or Briggs would replace Giz when it was time." Her smile grows. "They never really stopped after I got old enough to realize what was happening. When his body gives up, a new fish just magically appears, just like it has for the last seventeen years. It makes me feel a little like my dad is still here, you know?"
"You two were close?" Like Tye, her dad played football professionally. He was one of the best tight ends of his generation. The whole fucking world mourned when he died.
"Yeah. Even after he retired from the league, he was still big into sports, but he always made time for me and my interests. He didn't care what we did so long as we got to do it together." Her lips tremble. "I don't think I'll ever stop missing him."
"How old were you when he passed, butterfly?"
"Nine."
I tug her into my arms, brushing my lips across her crown. "I'm so damn sorry, baby."
"Me too." She burrows into me with a sad sigh. "My mom was different before. She never really liked me much, but she wasn't as bad. I think she was genuinely happy, you know? Once he was gone, that all changed."
