Page 58 of Nodus Tollens
“Yes.” She responded quietly while her eyes softened with each heart I drew. “It’s beating fast, like mine.”
“That’s how it will always beat when I’m with you.” I halted the movements on her hand and placed a finger under her chin. “You know why?”
Shaking her head, I gave her a small grin. “Because when I’m with you, nothing else exists. My heart has finally found its purpose to beat.”
I skimmed my lips over hers so softly I could barely feel them, but we never pushed it any further.
“Your heart’s purpose is to keep you alive, Hayes.” She breathed into our kiss.
“I’m starting to think I wasn’t living until I met you.”
She pulled back, causing both our hands to fall, and an unreadable expression fell over her face. She stared at me blankly, as if trying to search for answers to her questions in my eyes. The need to pull her back into me overwhelmed me, but I let her have her moment.
“Blue, I…”
I began to say, but once again, I found myself pulled in by her arms. I waited eagerly for her mouth to land on mine, but instead, she wrapped herself around me in the tightest hug I’d ever been encased in. Arms around my nape, face buried in the crook of my neck, she held onto me like she never wanted to let go. Like she wanted to become one person, one soul, and my god, I never wanted to be apart from this girl ever again. Taking my arms, I tightened them around her waist to the point I was worried I would hurt her. Then when I loosened my hold and made sure she could breathe, I lowered my head to the curve of her neck and closed my eyes. Her flowery fresh scent sent a jolt straight to my cock, along with the soft curves of her body that were currently pressed up against me. There was no denying how badly I wanted to sink inside her, but that wasn’t what tonight was about.
Tonight was about truths. It was about releasing our fears out into the open and taking chances even if it scared us. And god damn… I was so proud of her for taking that leap. I know it couldn’t have been easy opening up to me like that, but I knew, deep down, my girl was brave. Braver than me, braver than anyone I knew, and for that, I’d always be the hero she never saw coming. Probably never wanted either, but if I could change her mind about us, I could change her mind about anything.
“So, how do we try this?” She chuckled into my neck, causing a cluster of goosebumps to manifest across my skin.
Still tucked into her neck, I couldn’t help but smile. God, she was cute.
“How do we try what, Blue?”
“Us. Whatever it is you want us to be.” She groaned as if she was embarrassed and pushed her face further into my neck. It was obvious she wasn’t an expert in relationships, and that was okay because I wasn’t either, but it felt wrong to plan out exactly how and what we were. No words came to mind that felt appropriate for what I felt for Blue, but it was obvious she was meant to be something bigger in my life. Something meaningful and life-altering, and I hope I could give her the same.
“We don’t try. We just do, and the rest of it will fall into place.” I glided my mouth across the soft skin just below her ear and felt her shudder beneath me.
“Fall into place? You sound so confident that everything will be effortless.”
Effortless? Maybe? But I hoped not. The only effortless thing should be loving her. That would be the easiest thing in the world, while the rest should be fun, challenging, and even a learning experience for us both.
“I’m confident that I’ll make you fall in love with me.”
She sucked in a breath. Her frame freezing, and her arms around my neck stiffening. She pulls back to look at me.
“Don’t get too cocky, hockey player.” She responded with a hint of amusement in her tone, but I could see the blatant concern wreaking havoc on her mind. Her widened eyes were a dead giveaway that she knew it was a possibility she could fall for me if she hasn’t already.
“Being a hockey player doesn’t have anything to do with it.” I winked. “I’m just that confident in myself.”
Her brow lifted with a laugh.
“Is that so?”
Even with a red face from crying and make-up all smeared down her face, she was still so breathtaking. Maybe even more so now, seeing the real her. The scared, broken side that I’m desperate to change. No matter how hard or long it takes.
“It is.” I found myself reaching for her face again, cupping her cheek, and staring deep into her stunning eyes. “So that’s why I’m going to need you to agree to go out with me tomorrow night. Think you can do that, Blue?”
I watched as her throat contracted and her eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates from my question. It was hard to tell if she was blushing from nervousness or if her cheeks were already red from crying, but it didn’t matter to me anymore when she captured her lower lip with her top teeth. My eyes were immediately drawn to the subtle movement, and my cock hardened.
Shit.
Focus, Decker.
“I think I can… try, yes.” The sides of her mouth tilted as the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen smiled back at me. There was nothing extraordinary about it that would make any other stranger turn to look, but fuck me, I wanted her to smile like that at me all the time. Every day of my life, I wanted to be the one to make her smile like that.
“Good.” I dropped a brief kiss on the top of her nose. “How good are you on skates?”
