He waved his fingers to motion for me to continue. “Keep talking.Now you’re speaking my language.”
My anxiety slowly receded as I forgot about my problems to spout off dinner options. Thomas considered my suggestions as the flight attendant came by and collected our cups before landing.“What sounds good to you?”
“Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”
“Fair enough.” I smiled as the anxiety temporarily drained away. He did that for me, and I didn’t ever want him to stop.
Half an hour later, outside baggage claim,we climbed into the backseat of the black car I’d ordered. When the driver took off without asking for a location, Thomas frowned. “Where are we staying?”
Now it was time to look at him like he was the ridiculous one. “The Covington. I know some people.”
“Smartass,” he mumbled under his breath.But I knew that look. It was the same one I dreamed about. The one where he told me he had feelings for me, too.
As we rode into the city, our conversation flowed easily. Every moment we spent together, I felt like a baby bird breaking out of my shell. I didn’t need his physical protection. At six-foot-four and two-hundredsixtypounds of solid muscle, I could do that myself. What I’d come to need from him was the way he tended to my heart and soul. He could read me like a book, make me laugh when I wanted to break down, and get me to talk when it was the last thing I wanted to do. And every time he smiled or looked at me like I was someone he wanted to know, my heart did a little thing in my chest that made me ache to hug him and let him know how much he meant to me. Over the lastfewmonths, Thomas had become more than just a friend. He was my confidante, my sounding board, and my voice of reason. And as much as I knew it was going to hurt, I also knew I loved him.
When the car pulled uptothe entrance of the hotel, we got out and headed inside to check in. I’d reserved one of the two-bedroom apartments, and on the way up to the twentieth floor, I confessed to him. “I hope you’re okay with sharing an apartment. I didn’t want to be aloneafter what I’m about to do.”
He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were soft as he took me in. “I don’t want to be alone either. I get enough of that at home.”
My heart beat ridiculously fast as we stood in the elevator, staring at one another. “Me too.” I wanted to reach out and grab him by the coat, pull him to mychest, and show him how much his being here meant to me. But I couldn’t do that. Could I?
When the elevator came to a stop, his handslipped frommy shoulder. “No matter what happens tomorrow, I’m here.”
I nodded. “IncaseI forget to tell you, thank you for coming with me.”
One side of his mouth turned up. “You’re welcome.Let’s go unpack and have some fun.”He walked out of the elevator, leaving me to follow.
“Fun?What do you mean?”
“Fun. Something to be enjoyed. Ever heard of it?”
I snorted. “Have you been hanging around with Lennox? You sound a lot like him.”
Thomas stopped outside our door while I unlocked it. “Of course not. But I think you could use something tohelp youunwind. What do you say we catch a game?”
Walking in the door, I put my bag down on the chair in the living room. “I thought you wanted a fine dining experience?”
He shrugged. “I changed my mind. We can eat later.”
Never failing to surprise me, I agreed. It was better than sitting around, dreading tomorrow. Something told me that was his plan all along. “What do you have in mind?”
Thomas looked around the apartment as I went over to the balcony. Opening the sliding doors, the sounds of the city below put a smile on my face. The view of Lower Manhattan was spectacular this time of day.
“We’ve got a couple of choices,” he suggested, looking at his phone. “The Yankees are in town, and the Rangers are playing over at the Garden. Take your pick.”
I smiled. “You want to go all the way out to the Bronx for a baseball game?”
“You ever been to one?”
“I have. Many times. Butconsidering what Axel does for a living,maybe I should be watching hockey.”
His smile lit up the darkest places in my heart.“Then hockey it is.But we gotta get a move if we want to be there before they face off.”He slapped me on the shoulder, then left me to follow him once again.
“Is that the hockey equivalent of a kickoff?”
Thomas turned and raised a brow. “Are you telling me you know nothing about hockey?”
I shrugged just to throw him off. You can’t live in the northeast without knowing hockey. “I’m a football player. I spent my time doing that. Do you know hockey?”
