Page 133 of A Little Crush
Yup. I’m a goner.
But what a way to go.
46
JAXON
“Knock, knock,” a sweet, feminine voice calls.
I look up from the computer in my office, finding Rory in the doorway with my baby on her hip and her dog at her feet. It’s been a few days since our encounter with Iris, and I’m still blown away she isn’t pissed at me for keeping Iris in the dark about us. She was right, though. Iris shouldn’t have any say in the timeline of my relationship with Rory. It doesn’t mean I’m not in awe of the way she handled it. Even when Poppy woke up and cockblocked us, Rory shrugged it off without any issues, but I did make it up to her after Poppy went to bed. Fuck, if I close my eyes, I can still taste her pussy on my tongue.
My cock jerks at the memory, and when our eyes lock from across my office, Rory smiles. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I push to my feet and stride toward her. “What are you doing here?”
“We were at the park and figured we’d pop in to say hi.” Rory looks down at my daughter in her arms. “Isn’t that right, baby girl?”
Hades bumps his nose against my thigh, and I bend down,giving him a quick scratch before glancing around the empty locker room. Satisfied we’re alone, I tug Rory into me, creating a Poppy sandwich. Rory’s laugh tinkles through the air as she smiles up at me, making my pulse skip a beat in the process. Damn. How did I get so lucky? Unable to help myself, I kiss her softly, watching the way her eyes soften. Then, I drop a kiss on Poppy’s forehead. My lips lift when her scent fills my nostrils. “She smells like sunshine.”
“Gotta soak up what’s left of the warm weather,” Rory returns. “Where’s the team?”
“Already on the ice.”
She nods. “Makes sense.”
“You staying for the game?” I ask as Hades pads around my office, sniffing anything and everything and probably searching for a few crumbs from one of my late-night dinners spent behind the desk.
“Depends on how tired this little girl is.” Rory looks down at Poppy. “What do you think, girlfriend? You gonna stay happy and watch your daddy’s game? Hmm?”
With a grin, Poppy coos and reaches for Rory’s face, making my heart fucking melt in the process. I still can’t get over it. The way they are together. How much they love each other. How much easier my life is knowing they love each other.
Oblivious, Rory peeks up at me and nibbles on Poppy’s fingers. “I think your odds are good. She’s still pretty smiley, even though she’s exhausted?—”
“I love you.”
She pulls back slightly, like I’ve knocked her off guard. “I love you, too.” Her eyes bounce around my face. “You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” I repeat. “Just…happy.”
Confusion swirls in her pretty blue eyes, telling me morethan she knows. And to be honest, I’m confused, too. By the depth of my feelings for her. But when I see her with Poppy, the way she openly adores my daughter and treats her like she’s her own, it’s something I can’t even describe. Something I want to bottle up and keep forever. Something addictive and scary as fuck because the idea of losing it, losing this kind of connection and acceptance… I’m not sure what I would do. I also don’t want to scare her off by telling her all of this. Especially when I need to be on the ice in ten minutes. Hell, I should be out there right now, but I can’t make myself walk away.
“I’m really glad you stopped by,” I rasp, hoping it’ll settle her nerves and erase the crinkle between her brows. It does.
“Me, too,” she murmurs with a smile that’s so fucking sweet I swear I can taste it.
“Do you want to hang out in here while I go over a few more plays?” I offer.
She takes in the empty office, then shakes her head. “No, no, we don’t want to intrude. We just wanted to stop by and say hi. We’ll see you after the game, though. Either here or at home. Depends on this girl.” She bounces Poppy on her hip. “Isn’t that right, Pops?”
I ignore my disappointment knowing Rory’s making the right choice. “Okay.” I kiss her again, feeling like a damn addict, and she exhales against my mouth, leaning into me.
“Careful,” she breathes out. “If you keep kissing me like this, I might not let you leave the office.”
“Is that a promise?” I nip at her bottom lip.
