Page 231 of Playing the Pucking Game
Her chest heaves as she stares at me, her eyes wide and circled with exhaustion.
Her walls are down. Crumbled around her feet.
I hate it.
I want her fight, her sass, her witty comebacks and insistence that she hates me.
I know how to handle that.
This…this I have no fucking clue how to navigate.
A sob erupts, and I act on instinct, sitting up and pulling her into me.
“Please don’t cry,” I whisper as I hold her tight.
Her body trembles against mine, her tears soaking my chest.
I don’t move. I won’t.
If she needs me, I’ll stay like this all fucking night.
Eventually, her sobs subside and her hands slide up my chest before her arms wrap around my neck.
She pulls back and hesitantly looks up at me through her wet lashes.
“You can go, if you want. You don’t need to stay and?—”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I assure her softly. “I’m sorry about today. I was trying to do something nice. It backfired.”
“It was nice. I really appreciated the coffee. And I’m sorry too. I’m trying to do the right thing, and yet, all I want to do is the wrong thing.”
At her confession, my lips twitch into a smile.
“Tell me more about this wrong thing. Sounds fun.”
She smiles too, the twinkle I love so much coming back into her eyes.
“You’re a nightmare.”
“Maybe so, but I’m your nightmare, if you’ll have me.”
“This is crazy, Linc.”
“I know,” I agree. “But don’t you think we’ve waited long enough to find out if this could actually be something?”
“What if it goes wrong? What if I can’t?—”
“What if it goes right?” I counter, lifting my hand to cup her cheek, my thumb dragging over her tempting bottom lip.
Her eyes shutter at my touch, and when they open again, they’re blazing with fire.
Fuck, I want her.
I want her in a way I’ve never wanted anyone or anything before.
“Parker,” I breathe.
“Please,” she begs.
