Page 151 of Break the Ice
I glance down at the floor, hoping that I can clear the thoughts from my head. But the gold over-the-knee boots are the nail in the coffin of my hope.
Every vision I had when I picked out the oversized jersey pales in comparison to the real thing. It shouldn’t surprise me because that’s Finley—this girl is more than I ever thought a woman could be to me. She’s everything I never knew I could wish or hope for. And I’m going to make her mine.
CHAPTER 45
FINLEY
Deep breaths.Deep…deep breaths.
I’m shaking all over, holding my stare right where Jayden’s arm is wrapped around the bottom of Elijah’s back. Their shoulders are touching, and their heaving chests are in sync.
Leaving the apartment dressed like this was harder than I thought it would be. That whisper of doubt that kept berating me. Constantly accusing me of calling attention to myself.
Seductress.
Delilah.
Whore.
I’m trying to breathe through every self-deprecating thought when a warm, calloused hand molds to my face. Dark velvet-soft eyes greet mine with a gentle half-bitten smile lighting them up.
“You look beautiful, sweet girl,” Elijah says.
His voice is liquid lava running through me, and when his thumb caresses my cheek, I can’t stop myself from nuzzling into his palm before I throw myself at him. My pulse throbs harder as he wraps me in a tight embrace.
“You look so damn good, Fin, I’m still trying to catch my breath,” he murmurs into my ear, warm breath tickling my earlobe. “This is new,” he says, pulling back to look at ear cuff Christina insisted I wear.
The gold star-shaped cuff is decorated with a small pearl that’s marginally bigger than the studs Jayden picked out for me.
“It’s not an actual piercing,” I tell him.
“It’s cute.” Elijah combs my hair behind my ear so it’s visible.
My eyes flit up to Jayden when he leans closer to inspect it too. His lopsided smile hitches up into a soft grin. “It’s hot... aaand, there’s only a couple of weeks left until you can wear those hoops.”
“Next, we’re getting matching tatts, right, Amish?” Christina nudges me with her shoulder. “We can lose our skin virginity together.”
Jayden chuckles, and the sudden bout of laughter pulls Elijah out of his quiet trance.
“As long as it’s Nano… right there,” Jayden chuckles, tracing his thumb across my forehead. “Did you enjoy the game?”
“It was nerve wracking.”
“Nerve wracking?” Christina groans. “My blood pressure has never been this high in my life. You guys have a death wish out there.”
Jayden chuckles, allowing Christina to ramble at him about all the times she almost puked. Meanwhile, I steal a moment with Elijah.
“Thank you for the flowers,” I tell him when his stare flits back to my ears.
“I hope today was a good day,” he says, stepping right in front of me.
He’s close enough that his warm breath soaks over my lips when he tips my head back and brushes my hair over my shoulders.
“It was the best.” Brushing my hand over his number on my bicep, I smile at him.
Wearing his jersey feels so right, so gratifying, as though it’s the only clothing I was made to wear.
“The jersey was all Jayden,” Elijah tells me.
