“No. Exactly. They’re notyou. You are what and who I want.” When he drops to his knees in front of me, I swallow, then he rasps, “Jesus, Denny.”
“I won’t be wearing some slinky bit of nothing tomorrow.” I gulp. “I’ll just be?—”
“Wear that dress you wore to invite-only night. You know, the one that had me jacking off after you left,” he bursts out. “You’re talking like my main issue recently hasn’t been coming too fast whenever you get your hands on me.
“Look, I’m not saying any of this right because I can’t. But my body has shown you what it feels about yours. I’m lucky that you’re inexperienced or you’d have given me shit about my performance!”
Eyes wide, I mutter, “I would never humiliate you about that.”
“No, but if you were like any other girl, you’d have told your bestie and they’d have spread the word.”
The memory of Addison sharing the deets about his big dick with her friend hits me and I wince.
“See? You know I’m right.” His hand cups my cheek. “Everything about you gets me hard. Everything, D. Have I fucked skinny girls in the past? Yes. But those girls didn’t give a shit about me, like I didn’t give a shit about them. They saw the stats and the name and the hockey stick.”
“The on-ice stretches too. Don’t forget those,” I mumble.
Though he chuckles, he continues, “It was transactional. Nothing about what we have is that. Surely you can see the difference?”
Shyly, I nod. “You really want me to wear that dress tomorrow?”
“Yes. And do you know what we’re going to do?”
He leans into me and whispers a few words in my ear. Words that make me blush. Words that have heat swirling through me when, after the day I’ve had, being in anyway horny is a miracle.
“That can be arranged,” I squeak.
“Good.” His eyes are like molten pools that I want to swim in. “Now, come on. We need to get some rest.”
I let him tug me to my feet, watch as he switches off the TV and the lights, and then sigh as he curves his arm around my shoulders again and guides me upstairs.
When he tucks me into my bed, a part of me is concerned he’s going to leave, but before I can ask him to stay, he’s tossing his shirt on the floor and stripping out of his jeans.
Clambering his bare ass onto the mattress, he immediately hauls me close, sucking up all the space on his half.
I know he thinks I’m the one who has zero requirements for personal space, but he is. And tonight, I definitely don’t have a problem with that.
“I love you, Den. Please tell me you know that?”
“‘Course I do?—”
“No. You’re not listening. I’ve always l-loved you. But this is different. This isn’t…” He grunts. “Why am I so shit with words?”
I rest a hand on his chest, dancing my fingertips over his pecs until I find the steady, soothing beat of his heart. “I think you’re perfect with them.”
Nuzzling my nose against his chest, I close my eyes. I know he wants me to say it back. I can feel his hope, but he doesn’t pressure me. He just holds me, closer than close, cocooning me in the safety of his embrace.
I could easily say it back. I’ve loved him what feels like my whole life. But this is different. It’s such a massive step and I?—
God, I’m not ready to take such a huge jump. Not yet.
He falls asleep, leaving me to the cacophony of my thoughts.
But I have to smile into the darkness as a nascent truth flutters and unfurls inside me.
Zach Bradley loves me.
“Wow,” I whisper into the darkness.
