Page 136 of Playing the Pucking Game
“Are you okay?” Linc asks, his heavy footsteps moving closer.
“Yeah, of course,” I lie.
I open my eyes, but the view before me is now blurry with tears.
Tipping my head back slightly, I will them to subside, but it’s pointless.
“Shit, Parker. What’s wrong?” Linc asks the second he steps up beside me and finds the tears clinging to my lashes.
I turn to look at him, there’s no point hiding now, and the second I look into his eyes, I shatter.
“Fuck,” he grunts as I step into his body.
Without hesitation, he wraps his arms around me and holds me tight while I sob into his chest.
All the worry and the stress from the last couple of weeks spill free. I’m powerless to stop it.
His hand slowly rubs up and down my back as I fall apart, and it only gets worse when his hot breath rushes over the top of my head, and he presses his lips against me.
“It’s okay, little P. I’ve got you.”
Why does he have to say the most perfect things?
Why does he have to smell so good?
And why does his embrace make me feel so safe?
“I’m sorry,” I whimper as my sobs begins to lessen.
“Take your time.”
A broken laugh erupts. “We only have a few minutes.”
“Fuck that. You’re more important.”
I suck in a ragged breath as his words wrap around my heart.
“You can’t say things like that,” I murmur.
“Why not? It’s true,” he confesses softly into my hair. “You’ve always been more important than anything.”
Another sob bubbles up, and I allow myself another three seconds enjoying his embrace before I force myself to take a step back.
With my head lowered, I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand, trying to clear away my tears.
“Hey,” he says, reaching out and tucking his fingers under my chin. “Let me see those pretty eyes.”
He tips my head up, but I keep my eyes lowered, terrified of what he’ll see when he looks into them.
“Parker,” he growls when I refuse to comply.
The second his commanding tone hits my ears, my eyes jump.
Fuck.
I’m pretty sure I’d do anything he asked of me if he used that voice.
“There she is,” he says. His eyes bounce between mine, searching for…something.
