Page 77 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
Without looking away, I pull Whitney closer, the move easy, natural - like second nature. Her breath hitches. She starts to say something - maybe a protest—but I don’t give her the chance.
“I’m sorry but I have to…, need to,” I say before pressing my lips on hers.
Soft, warm, familiar.
She gasps against my mouth, just enough for me to deepen it. Her fingers curl into my shirt, and just like that, everything shifts.
The show. The act. The reason we’re even doing this.
It all blurs.
Because the way she tastes - champagne and something addictive - reminds me of five years ago. And the way she holds on, just for a second too long, tells me maybe she also remembers.
God, she tastes like everything I didn’t know I missed.
When I finally break the kiss, my heart’s pounding like I just sprinted a rink.
Her eyes - wide, dazed, - meet mine. Her lips parted like she wanted to say something.
But I already know.
This was supposed to be a game.
So why the hell does it feel like I just lost?
Chapter fifteen
Whitney
It’s been a day and a half, and I still can’t stop thinking about that kiss.
I’ve tried. Lord knows I’ve tried. But every time I close my eyes, I feel the warmth of his hands on my waist, the way his lips moved against mine like they had every right to be there. I’ve replayed it in my mind so many times; I’m surprised the memory hasn’t burned a hole in my brain.
I tell myself it was just a moment. A lapse in judgment. A show for Nathan.
But my body doesn’t seem to care about logic.
Because the truth? The truth is that when Blake kissed me, something inside me cracked open. It was too familiar, too easy - like my body still remembered him, even after all these years. And worse,it wanted more.It wanted the heat of his hands and for him to pull it close.
I shake my head and exhale slowly, my fingers tightening around my phone. The screen is lit up with my last text to Nina, the one I sent ten seconds ago. She hasn’t even read it yet, but I already know exactly how she’s going to react.
Then—
The typing bubbles appear.
Nina: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU GUYS KISSED???? YOU KISSED BLAKE????
I groan. I knew I shouldn’t have told her. But I also knew I wouldn’t survive this mental crisis alone.
Nina: Hellooooooo!!!!! Are you there??
Across the room, Blake is helping the kids with their schoolwork. Mia is lying on the floor, tongue poking out as she concentrates, while Nico is slouched over his workbook, grumbling under his breath.
I steal a glance at them.
Blake leans down to Mia’s level, murmuring something that makes her giggle. His hand ruffles through her curls before he shifts his attention to Nico, tapping a finger against the boy’s worksheet. "C’mon, bud. You’ve got this."
Nico groans dramatically. "I don’t get this."
