Page 107 of Goalie Goal
Wrapping my fingers around her ankle, I stroked the bone with my thumb, admitting, “You’re gonna be sore for a few days, though.”
A snort sounded. “Ya think?”
“You want me to draw you a bath so you can soak for a bit, or will a warm washcloth suffice?”
Locking eyes with me, something new lurked in their green-gold depths. I wanted to believe it was trust, but not wanting to get my hopes up, I convinced myself that maybe it was simply acceptance—she was coming to realize that she couldn’t outrun fate, and no matter how hard she pushed me away, I would never give her up.
“I can’t feel my legs,” Gemma whispered.
My fingers teased up her calf and back down again. “You know I have no problem carrying you.”
The way she gnawed on her lower lip, I could tell there was something else on her mind.
“What is it?”
“Do you think you could get in with me if I want a bath?”
Flicking my gaze toward the ensuite, I suddenly wished we were at my place. The two of us weren’t small people, and my tub was big enough for both of us and more.
I’d never offered to take her there, not wanting to put unnecessary pressure on our fragile arrangement. Maybe soon, we could cross that threshold, but we were working on Gemma’s timeline, not mine.
My silence had her backtracking. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just thought—”
Squeezing her ankle, I cut her off. “Of course I want to. Nothing would make me happier than having you naked and wetin my arms.” When she relaxed, I sighed, explaining, “Your tub’s not that big.”
A corner of that vixen’s lips turned up in a sexy smirk. “I don’t mind the tight fit.”
Laughter rumbled up from my chest, and my head tipped back as I let it fill the room. “That’s not what you were saying half an hour ago.”
When she kicked her leg, I let it slip from my grasp. The sole of her foot teased over my thigh. “Maybe I’ve seen the error of my ways.”
I lunged, caging her in from above. “What are you saying, Kitten?”
Lifting her head, she nipped at my jaw, murmuring, “I’m ready to let you take care of me, Sasha.”
My eyes slammed shut. Those words might as well have been a beacon, a shining symbol of her trust.
It was the most precious gift she could have ever given me.
Chapter 24
Goose
“Gemma!” I called out,stepping through the door after practice.
“Upstairs!” came the distant reply.
Cannoli came running from the kitchen, his barks announcing his presence before he rounded the corner of the partition separating that room from where I stood.
Kneeling, I let him lick my face as I tangled hands in his fur, scratching behind his ears.
“Gonna take the dog out!”
I stood, leading Cannoli out back. One of my eyebrows rose when he didn’t even make it off the stone patio before lifting a leg and emptying his bladder.
“Guess you really had to go, didn’t you, buddy?” I remarked, wondering how long it had been since Gemma last let him out.
Sliding the glass door open, we both came in from the January chill. Tossing him a treat from the canister set on a bookshelf,I crept up the stairs, eager to set eyes on the woman who had stolen my heart. Four hours was far too long to have spent apart.
