Page 148 of Cross the Line
“If he carries on, she’s going to pee on him with all the laughter,” Eli says, embracing me from behind.
His body curls around mine, cocooning me in his earthy scent. I burrow deeper into his hold, coiling my arms around his at my waist.
“I don’t think JJ would care,” I say, tipping my head back to press a kiss to Eli’s jaw.
“No, he wouldn’t.” His chest swells on a long inhale. “He’d make a great dad.”
My heart wrenches at his wistful tone. When I glance up, his gaze lowers to mine.
“So will you, Eli.” The words tumble so easily and freely that it takes a beat to realize why he’s looking at me like I’ve hung his moon.
“Is that what you want, sweet girl?” he asks, brushing a gentle kiss to my nose.
“The idea is definitely growing on me. I mean, look at us—we’re nothing like the people who raised us. We actually fit in here. Don’t we? With these people and each other… and Bibi is right, Jayden’s heart, your heart… they’re so big…”
“So is yours, Fin. The biggest of all,” he sighs, rocking me playfully as we turn back to JJ.
Jayden is still swinging Kayla around while Kinan tries to help her twin escape. Just like us, The Sire and Brian watch on with his moms.
Slowly, it’s dawning on me that it’s not the world I’m meant to fit into; it’s me. It’s not the world that matters or that needs to accept me. Eli and JJaremy world, and they accept me.
Their love is unlike anything I’ve ever known. Unequivocal.
“This is all we need, isn’t it? Big hearts and good intentions. That’s all we ever needed, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, Angel,” Eli murmurs, kissing my temple. “I guess it’s why we gravitated toward each other.”
“Maybe heaven had this plan for us all along.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“And maybe one day, it’ll be our kid JJ’s throwing around. It’ll be our kid learning to take the perfect shot from the two of you or trying to teach me how to do that trick with the puck and the stick.”
“Poor kid will be trying for a long time,” he chuckles. “You’re great at handling sticks, just not hockey ones.”
“Elijah Benjamin Sylkes!” I choke on a gasp, swatting his arm. “Is that your attempt at a crude joke?”
Eli grins down at me. “It made you laugh…”
“It did.”
“Then yes, it was.” His teeth graze my nose.
“And technically, I am great at handling hockey sticks.” Rolling onto my tiptoes, I turn to face him and hover my lips over his. “Ask my hockey players.”
“Maybe later you’ll have to remind them,” he whispers, nipping my lip.
Coiling my arms around his neck, I nip his in return. “Maybe later I will…”
Cool lips find the curve of my neck as Eli hitches me up his body, and instantly, JJ’s strong arms cinch us all together.
“What are you two whispering about?” he hums over my skin.
The chill on his lips mixed with the heat of his breath sends shivers through me, trapped between their hard bodies.
“Our girl was saying how she’s going to show us just how good she can handle our sticks,” Eli retorts, the playful tease sparking a frisson of excitement through me.
“Not before my surprise,” Jayden says, giving my earlobe a leisurely suck.
