Page 89 of Delay of Game

“Just the check, please,” I say, amused.

“It’s actually all taken care of. Part of the cooking class,” she explains, and I thank her again.

“Can we please get out of here?” I ask Jordan, tapping his knee with my foot where he still has my ankle prisoner.

“Fuck, yes,” he groans in a low voice, and lets go of me.

I put my coat on and I expect Jordan to be up and ushering me out the door, but he’s still in the chair, head in his hands. I lean in, concerned and ask, “Are you okay?”

His head comes up and his nostrils flare, his eyes boring into me. “I need a minute.”

I grin at him across the table as he stares at the ceiling, mumbling something.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m naming as many hockey players as I can think of.”

Once we leave the restaurant,Jordan keeps a hand on me the whole drive home and my smile hurts my cheeks, but I can’t stop. He’s burrowed himself into every little corner of my life and now that he’s here and he’s putting in the effort, I can’t help but think that my happy ending is coming.

CHAPTER 32

December

Jordan

Alice’s handgrips me and I groan my approval, even though I should probably stop her. My alarm hasn’t gone off yet, but as I squint at the clock on my nightstand, I see it’s almost 7 a.m.

“Are you awake yet?” she asks sleepily, smiling into the crook of my neck. I shake my head and she giggles, trailing her hand down and cupping my balls.Fuck.

“I need to get to work,” I grumble, stopping her hand and turning over to face her. She looks adorable in one of my oversized shirts and nothing else. Her bottom lip pops out in a pout, and I kiss it quickly. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” I say, trailing a few more pecks down her jaw and neck.

“Fine, I’ll allow it this time,” she says, pulling me back into a deeper kiss. For the first time in a long time, I finally feel like I’m right where I belong. I may be terrified of fucking this up again and losing her for good, but I can’t imagine not trying. I can’t imagine a world without her in it.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her how much I love her, but something holds me back. I want her to know I’m all in before I start making promises.

We break apart when my alarm goes off and I put on my coaching tracksuit, ready to head to practice.

“Did I tell you how sexy you look in that,Coach?” Alice says, running a finger down my bicep.

My eyebrows raise and I fight a smile as I look down at her trying to seduce me. As if she needs to. If I didn’t have to get to work, I’d be on her in an instant. “No, tell me,” I tease.

“Well, your ass especially is fucking fabulous,” she says, squeezing one of my cheeks.

I laugh and tip her head back to kiss her. “You are a devious little thing, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but I’myourdevious little thing.”

I groan against her lips and use all my willpower to step away from my perfect girlfriend. “I’m sorry, I really do have to go. Will I see you at the game?”

“I’ll be there. I’m bringing a friend from work.”

“Okay, have a good day molding those young minds,” I say, and wrap her in a hug.

“Have a good day yelling at grown men on skates.”

“I don’t yell,” I scoff, grabbing a red Manticores winter hat and putting it on.

“Whatever you say, hotshot,” she says, biting her lip.

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