Page 8 of Hockey Halloween
“Willa!” I yell, dodging a group of drunk pirates spilling out of a cab. “Wait!”
She doesn’t turn or stop. So I sprint faster. “Willa, please!”
Her pace falters and that’s all I need. I catch up to her before she reaches the end of the block.
“Please, don’t walk away. We need to talk this through, because if I let you go, I won’t forgive myself. I have a feeling we met for a reason. It might seem crazy, but I truly do.”
When she turns to face me, the sight of her hits me like a puck to the face. Her makeup is smudged, mascara streaked beneath red, puffy eyes. No matter what, she’s still the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you who I was. You’re right about that. But tonight with you was the first time in years I could beme. The slightly awkward nerd who lovesThe Mummy, history and dorky jokes. Not a hockey player on one of the best teams in the League.” Her expression softens, shoulders relaxing, so I continue. “I didn’t mean to lie or keep the truth from you. I just got lost in the way you looked at me. Like I was a person. Not a name on a roster or some guy in a jersey.”
“You still should’ve told me.” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “At least before she did. I’m not mad you’re famous or play a sport for living. I’m madyouweren’t the one to tell me.”
“I know,” I admit. “Trust me, everything I said tonight—that was all real. I wasn’t lying or trying to be someone else. You got the entire Nolan Benedict Ford experience.”
A tear slips down her cheek. I brush it away with my thumb. She leans into the touch, enough to break something open in my chest.
“You made me feel,” she murmurs, “like maybe I wasn’t crazy for wanting something real. Something that lasts.”
“You’re not. If you let me, I’ll try my damndest to prove it to you. Knowing my issues with dating and trusting new people, I most likely will fuck up along the way, but please give me a chance to show you how good it could be between us. All I’m asking is that you don’t walk away. Not from this. Not fromus.”
Her breath catches, and for a moment, I’m afraid she might stepback. Instead, she leans forward. It’s barely a shift in space, but it sends everything inside me into motion. It’s all the invitation I need.
I close the gap between us, my hands lifting to cup her face. My thumbs sweep gently across her cheeks, catching the remnants of her smeared mascara. Her skin is warm beneath my touch and familiar in a way that makes my chest ache even more.
Pausing, I hover close, letting our breaths mingle while giving her one last chance to change her mind. She doesn’t.
So I kiss her.
A brush of our lips is tentative at first. As if we’re both holding our breath, testing the waters of something neither of us is quite ready to name. Her hand finds the front of my shirt, fingers curling into the fabric. Her mouth starts moving against mine with urgency, and suddenly, we’re not being careful anymore.
The kiss deepens, our mouths meeting in a way that feels both a question and an answer all at once. Her lips part beneath mine and I take the opening, sliding my tongue over hers, the kiss turning hungrier. She tastes like oranges and something uniquely her.
My palms slide back into her hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands as she presses closer like she can’t get enough.God, neither can I.The way she kisses me shows me exactly how much she wants me.
When we finally pull apart, it’s not because we want to. It’s because we have to breathe. She stays close, her forehead resting on mine as our chests rise and fall in sync. Her eyes are closed, and when she speaks, her voice is a whisper.
“I’ll stay if you promise to always be honest with me.”
Her words land with their honesty and everything shifts with them. I nod, brushing my thumb along her lower lip. “I promise: no games.”
She opens her eyes, and in them, I see everything I didn’t know I’d been waiting for: admiration and hope.
Leaning in, I kiss her again. This time it’s less frantic and more certain, sealing the building connection between us. Her hands slide up to cradle my jaw and I swear I could live inside this moment forever if I had a chance.
Willa
After another kiss, my heart is racing as he’s looking at me as though I’m something precious, something worth fighting for. The weight of the moment settles deep in my chest. It’s a sensation I wasn’t prepared for. But here we are.
The truth is I’m scared. Scared of everything I’ve avoided for so long; letting someone in and trusting them with pieces of myself I’ve kept buried since my ex. Then he brushes his thumb over my cheek, and I close my eyes at the touch. The gentleness in it makes my insides flutter.
Nolan gestures behind him. “Want to go back to the club?”
“I have something else in mind, if you don’t mind walking.”
“I left my jacket in the cloakroom.”
“Shoot, my coat is there, too.”
