Page 77 of Second Shot

“It’s time we told people.” I lean against the counter, catching her gaze roam across my body as it always does when she thinks I’m notlooking.

“My father knows. It’s no one else’sbusiness.”

I ignore the simmering frustration that stirs in my chest. “Thought you and Noah could come to the game tonight. There’s a box for thewives-”

“I’m not yourwife.”

“Notyet.”

“Kane-”

“I know.” I sigh, placing my cup in the sink, then removing the distance betweenus.

“This is a lot all at once,” she says when I wrap my arms around her waist, her palms coming up to my chest. “I just think we should take thingsslow.”

I place my forehead against hers and mutter, “Stubborn.”

She shrugs, slipping her hands under my shirt, and giving me a teasing grin. “You already got me in your bed. What else do you want,Madden?”

“Everything, sweetheart. I want everything.” I kiss her, feeling her body melt against me. “And I have every intention of getting it, because I have something that trumpsstubbornness.”

“What’s that?” she asks, slightlybreathless.

“Perseverance.”

Chapter 25

Brynne

Stubborn.

That’s what he calledme.

I know he’s right. Especially with him. But old habits die hard. And even though my heart is begging me to take the leap of faith, I can’t help but think I’m going to lose myself if Ido.

“You’re already living with him,” I mumble as I put the finishing touches on a painting I’ve been working on. “What difference does it really make if peopleknow?”

All thedifference.

Because the second the world knows, the harder it will be torun.

My gut does a somersault as the thought goes through myhead.

I don’t want to run. Not anymore. Not fromKane.

But his life, the world he lives in—I’ve spent years trying to get away from it. Hating it. Blaming it for Sam’s death. For the childhood I missed outon.

I know that Kane isn’t my father. But there’s still that nagging feeling in the back of my head that is scared of jumping in with bothfeet.

Maybe you should have thought about that before you slept with him,my brainchastises.

But sex and marriage are very differentthings.

Sex, you can walk awayfrom.

“Who am I kidding?” I toss my dirty brushes in the sink. I’ll never walk away from him. Never again. Not without losing a piece ofmyself.

I’m in deep. Deeper than I ever thoughtpossible.

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