I lean down and kiss his neck, right along his jaw. When I drag my teeth over his stubbled skin, he lets out a rough noise. It’s so deep and low, so manly, it makes me shiver.
He huffs out a breath and wraps his arms around me tighter. He kisses my shoulder.
“Whoa,” he murmurs.
“Yeah. Whoa.”
I lean back so we can look at each other. His mouth curves up in a smile. He leans back to lie down on the bed, taking me with him.
“Can we stay like this forever?” He kisses my neck.
I close my eyes and smile. “I’d like that.”
“Hold on.” He gently slides me off of him and pulls off the condom. “Let me get rid of this first.”
I chuckle as I watch him step over to the trash can in his bedroom and drop it in.
He crawls back into bed, pulling me against him. Like always, he wraps his arms around me, and I curl into his chest.
We stay like that, cuddling in comfortable silence for a long stretch. I’m so cozy and warm, I start to doze off. But then my phone buzzes with a message. I roll over and grab it from the side table so I can turn off notifications, but then I see a preview of the message.
It’s an email from Professor Martinez about my application for the internship in Mexico City.
Anxiety tightens through my chest. My instinct is to ignore it. To put it off because there’s no way I got it. There were tons of students who applied with better grades and more impressive applications. Why taint this moment between Blake and me with disappointment?
But I can’t help the curiosity coursing through me. I need to know the outcome. May as well get it over with.
I tap my phone screen and hold my breath as I skim the message. “Oh my gosh.”
Behind me, Blake yawns. “Everything okay?”
I turn to look at him. “I got the internship. I’m going to Mexico City.”
His eyes widen, and his handsome face breaks into the biggest grin. “Holy shit!”
I’m nodding and smiling and laughing. “I can’t believe it. I was sure I wouldn’t get it.”
He holds my face in his big hands and kisses me softly. “But you did. You got it. You beat out all those other students because you’re brilliant and hard working and you speak three languages fluently, like the beautiful genius that you are.”
I smile against his mouth as he kisses me again.
“I’m so proud of you.”
Giddiness and excitement swirl through me. But then I think about Blake. I think about all that he’s dealing with right now—his future on the hockey team is in jeopardy. So is his future in the pros.
I instantly feel guilty. I stop smiling and pull my lips into my mouth.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I feel like such a jerk being excited about this when you’re dealing with so much stress right now,” I say quietly.
A line forms between his brows as he stares at me. “Briar. I don’t ever want you to dim your light for me. Okay?”
My heart tugs in my chest.
“You earned this. You deserve to be happy right now. I amsohappy for you.”
He moves onto his back and pulls me to sit on top of him. He reaches up and touches my cheek.
