Page 27 of Accidentally Fudging the Beast
I also don't have the energy to argue, not with his hands on my body, his thumbs brushing the sensitive skin under the edge of my shirt.
He shuffles us until I'm crowded up against the counter, trapped between it and his body. "You afraid they'll judge you?"
"No," I say, which is a lie. They will absolutely judge me. Girls like me do not end up with men like him anywhere except in movies. "Maybe? I don't know. I just… I need this job, Trent. I can't screw it up because I–" I almost say, "love you," but manage to keep that under wraps at the last second. "Because I got carried away."
He studies me, his green eyes bright. "You think I'll let anyone threaten your job?" He drops his forehead to mine. "You think the other guys would? Everyone loves you. And I don't care if everyone knows about us. Christ, Iwantthem to know you're mine, Dani."
I try to stay strong, but it's impossible when he's this close, this warm, and this irresistibly honest. He wants people to know that he's with me. He doesn't want to hide our relationship. If this isn't a Christmas miracle, I don't know what is.
I sigh, caving like a paper house in a windstorm. "Fine. But I'm telling them I'm your unwilling hostage."
"Don't give me any ideas."
"That was not an invitation to tie me to your bed, Trent."
He rumbles laughter before kissing me, slow and sweet. When he pulls back, he links our fingers together, pulling me into the living room.
He flops down on the couch and pulls me with him, so I end up tucked under his arm like we've been doing this for years.
He puts on a movie but immediately turns toward me, ignoring it.
"What was it like, growing up in foster care?" he asks, like it's a normal conversation starter, playing with the still-damp ends of my hair.
I snort. "Chaotic, mostly. But I didn't have to share a bathroom with a dozen other girls until college, so that was nice."
His amused laugh brings a smile to my face. "I bet your brothers were worse."
"Oh, they were absolutely worse," I agree cheerfully. "You ever seen what happens when four teenage boys get into a fight over the last bag of Doritos? There's blood. And broken bones. I got really good at patching up wounds."
He looks at me, his head tilted. "You said that's why you got into PT?"
I nod. "That, and I like feeling useful. Like I can fix things, you know? I was never really able to do that growing up."
"You mean with your mom?"
"Yeah," I whisper, swallowing hard. "I guess I like knowing that there are things and people in this world that I can help put back together when they're hurting."
He's quiet for a second, processing my confession, and then his eyes meet mine, his expression soft and deep. "You fix a helluva lot more than you know, Sunshine."
I don't know what to say to that, mostly because I know he means it. He's had a rough couple of years with a lot of injuries, but he keeps pushing anyway because it's who he is and what he knows. Hockey is his life. I like knowing that I've made this season a little easier for him. He deserves that.
I lay my head on his chest and focus on the movie, which is some terrible Christmas rom-com. Trent doesn't even try to pretend he cares about it. He spends the entire time tracing circles on my thigh, or kissing my temple, or pulling me so close I'm basically on top of him.
After a while, I work up the courage to ask him what I really want to know.
"Why don't youwant to retire?"
He shrugs, but there's something sad in his eyes. "Hockey's all I've ever known. I'm not honestly sure who I am if I'm not playing."
"Trying to figure out where you belong is a bitch," I say with a sigh.
"Yeah," he says softly. "It is. But you know what?" He glances over at me, his expression open and earnest. "I think I'm finally figuring it out."
Those butterflies are hard at work in my stomach again, and I don't know how to respond. Mostly because I think maybe I'm figuring it out too, and that's far more intense than I'm mentally prepared to handle while watching a Christmas movie.
"Maybe you should coach," I tease, changing the subject. "I hear Little League is a vicious battleground."
He laughs. "Are you trying to get me sent to prison for punching a ref, Sunshine? Because that's pretty much how that would work out."
