Page 27 of North

A mess, by the way, that hopefully has some resolution on the horizon. This morning, me, Rafferty and Tempe talked about his best course of action against these false doping allegations. I wanted to play it safe, hunker down and wait for the Titans to ferret out the truth. Tempe wanted to go in guns blazing. She had this notion that Raff should immediately go to Brienne Norcross and confess the entire sordid situation—from sleeping with her cousin to avoiding her stalking, to the fake relationship turned real.

While Rafferty loves me with his whole heart and listened to my concerns, he decided to put his trust in Tempe, and they went off to talk to Brienne. I was nervous but it was tempered somewhat by watching Rafferty and Tempe confess their love to each other.

Right there in his kitchen, right in front of me.

It was beautiful and sweet and apparently the miracle of true love was validated.

Which makes me think of North. I’ve seen enough to know that he’s an anomaly when it comes to men ingeneral. His kindness is too genuine, his devotion to Rafferty and his teammates too concrete, and his honesty too purposeful. He’s never given me a single reason to doubt him, and even as I sit here stewing in irrational jealousy, I know he wouldn’t betray the fragile thing we’ve built.

Which is a monogamous, sex-only relationship, I remind myself.

Headlights sweep across the driveway, and my heart leaps into my throat. I rise to my feet as North’s truck pulls in, the engine cutting off. When he cracks the driver’s door, the interior light illuminates him enough for me to note the shock on his face to see me standing there. The corners of his mouth lift in a smirk as his boots hit the ground. He looks so fucking hot wearing a tailored peacoat over dark jeans and a fitted sweater, and he looks every bit the man who doesn’t belong to a single person, least of all me.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, striding my way.

I bend over, pluck the champagne from the snow and hold it up. “Wanted to ring in the new year with you.”

He doesn’t hesitate, crossing the snow-covered yard in a few long strides. Before I can say anything else, his hands, warmed by the interior of his truck, are on my cheeks and his lips press against mine in a kiss so grounding it feels like I’m being pulled out of orbit.

When he leans back, his eyes are soft, crinkling at the corners. “I’m glad you came. Party was so boring without you.”

I laugh, though the sound is shaky. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Worse,” he says, guiding me toward the door. “Come inside before you freeze.”

The heat of his house is a welcome reprieve despite my Canadian blood, and I shrug off my coat, letting it fall onto a chair. North takes the bottle from my hand and moves into the kitchen. I watch as he nabs two flutes from the butler’s pantry and effortlessly pops the cork. He’s so self-assured as he pours two glasses, the fizzing bubbles catching the light.

I take my proffered glass and merely tap it against his before we silently take a sip. North sets his flute down to slip out of his coat, which he drapes over the back of an island stool.

“Anything good happen at the party?” I ask.

North doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he grabs his bubbly with one hand and me with the other, leading me into the living room. We settle onto the couch, angled toward each other.

“Rafferty updated me at the party about his meeting with Brienne,” he says, swirling his glass.

I nod. “I’m dying to know how her meeting with Tansy went. Rafferty doesn’t seem overly nervous aboutit though.”

“He knows he has truth on his side,” North replies with a smile. “The drug test as expected was negative and it will only be a matter of time before they prove the reports and photos were doctored.”

Tapping a finger against my glass, I muse, “I still can’t believe Tempe suggested going to Brienne. It felt so risky, but it worked. She’s good for him.”

“She is,” North agrees, tilting his glass toward me. “They’re good together. Like they were made for each other.”

His words tighten something within me. I picture the way Rafferty and Tempe looked at each other this morning, the way they saidI love youwith such sincerity that it made me want something I swore I’d never let myself want again.

I drain my glass, setting it on the coffee table before turning to him. “It sounds like a happy ending for Raff. He deserves it.”

North sets his glass down, his gaze steady on mine. “We all deserve happy endings.”

The air shifts, his words sounding ominous to me. That urge to bolt takes hold. Everything in me screams to run, but instead, I move toward him. My intent is to kiss, to touch, to distract. Bring this around to what’s really important between us and that’s the sex.

But North places a hand on my sternum, stoppingme.

“I want more than this,” he says gruffly, his gaze penetrating me so deeply, I feel gutted.

“More than what?” I ask hesitantly. “Because right now, we’re just sitting on the couch.”

North doesn’t roll his eyes but somehow his stare intensifies. “You know what I’m saying because you’re a million times smarter than I could ever hope to be. I want more than this secretive, casual thing we got going. I want all of you, not just the parts you’re willing to give. I want to take you out on dates and have you cheer for me at hockey games.”

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