Page 73 of Shots Fired

Pulling away from his chest, I peer up at him as he watches me carefully, searching for my reaction.

I don’t have one to give him, other than my respect for how honest he’s being with me. If Jack and Jon deduce that this manis a deceitful arsehole, then they’re wrong. All I see is someone trying to do the best they can to go after what they want under difficult circumstances. And the more I think about Archer’s predicament, the more I can relate to it.

“In that case, I find you even more amazing.”

His arms tighten around my waist. “How so?”

I’ve concluded I’m going to be really late for work. Not that I can find it within me to care.

“For not freaking out and for giving me exactly what I needed last night—and I’m not just referring to Taco Bell. If having a baby was never a part of your plans, then you did a really good job of staying calm.”

His hands move from my waist to my ass as he picks me up with ease, and I loop my legs around him.

“I didn’t say a baby was never a part of my plans, Darcy. I said it hadn’t been for the majority of my adult life. Things change; people change.”

I can’t help but play with the hairs at the nape of his neck as he stands, holding me in the center of his bedroom.

“If you had asked me two years ago if I was happy with my life and the way I was living it, I would have told you yes. On the face of it, I wanted for nothing. Money, the lifestyle, my dream career … the attention from women.”

As he stares up at me with his blue eyes, so sincere, all I can think about is how it would feel to bend down and kiss him.

“It was a safe way of living, but it wasn’t as fulfilling as I thought. I just didn’t work that out until I set eyes on the one woman I wanted. No amount of money, fame, or shutouts could win her over or even make her take me seriously. I hung on every word I could get on nights out and searched for opportunities to hint at how I was feeling, just to see if you felt the same way too, but I didn’t dare let it show because of my friendship with yourbrother, along with the shitty relationship you were in. That’s right, Darcy. I could see you weren’t happy with Liam.”

My fingers are still in his hair. “You could?”

He nods slowly. “If you had been happy, then you would have worn the same smile for him as you do for me. And that’s what kept me going, kept me hoping that I was still in with a shot. You say I’m amazing for the way I reacted when you told me about our baby—I’m not; I’m waiting and praying that this isn’t a dream, that holding you in my arms like this is as real as the feelings I possess. The obsession over you that’s growing within me every day.”

My whole gut wants to blurt out that I’m on my way to being right there with him. If I admitted it, I don’t think I’d regret the words or ever want to take them back. Fear of history repeating itself and caution are the only emotions that hold me back. Everything I thought I knew about my life has changed, and I don’t know how to wade into deeper, unknown waters. I don’t know if I can.

My fingers tease his hair again as I pinch my lips together. “You’re right; my relationship with Liam was shitty, and now I’m pregnant with your child. I’m a little fucked up to be thinking straight, let alone jumping into something else that could blow up in my face, whether it’s with my baby daddy or not.”

Archer lifts me higher in his arms, pulling my top up until my bare skin pebbles against the morning air. His lips ghost over my stomach as he whispers, “Do you think you can help your mommy fall for daddy?”

I laugh toward the ceiling, but it’s only to disguise the flutters as they shimmer throughout my body. I’veneverbeen wanted like this, never been pursued so relentlessly. Every woman should experience this at least once in their lifetime.

“Don’t listen to him, Baby.” I rub my stomach gently. “Daddy’s getting carried away.”

He smirks, determined to have the final word as he kisses my palm and places it over my stomach. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us. Don’t worry though, Pipsqueak. I’ve got this.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ARCHER

Two wins, two shutouts, and two of my best-ever performances to kick off the regular season.

Leaving the ice to cheers from our home crowd, I’m wearing a victory smile as I replace my stick in the rack and pull off my gloves.

“You were a goddamn wall out there.” Jack catches up to me, offering out his fist, which I bump. “Seriously, so impressive.”

Right at that exact moment, Jensen walks past, tipping the bill of his cap at me as he heads for the debriefing room.

He wasn’t down on the bench with Coach for the game against Colorado, instead opting to watch from behind my net. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time, and rather than freeze under the weight of his observations, I thrived.

I’ve never had an issue with being the center of someone’s attention, and this past week, working one-on-one with Jensen Jones has lit a fire under my ass. I want this season to be a turning point for me, and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve my dreams.

Yet the drive I feel isn’t solely down to the new coaching staff—I know that. Now I have another reason to excel and be the best player and person I can be.

And that reason is around the size of a sesame seed, nestled warm and safe inside the girl I can’t stop thinking about.

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