Page 130 of In Your Wildest Dreams
“Mmmm.” He hums. “You had on a black sweatshirt and a bunch of rings and I kept moving closer, trying to figure out what color your eyes were. You didn’t want to give me the time of day. It was a real ego hit, babe.”
I sit on my knees beside him and Ash crooks a hand behind his neck.
“You took off your jersey to give it to a little girl in the crowd and I thought it was the cheesiest gimmick I’d ever seen. I really wanted to find you both annoying and unattractive.”
He laughs.
“Now I know that’s just who you are.”
“Annoying and unattractive?”
“No.” I shake my head. “You work so hard at making the people around you happy. By your words and your actions.”
His smile is shy and crooked.
“You make me so incredibly happy.”
“Same, babe.”
I move my hand around and open my palm. He stares at it a beat, then takes it and runs a thumb over the Wildcat hockey logo.
“You kept the puck I gave you? You said you gave it away.”
“I didn’t even know you, but I wanted to keep some piece of you with me. Now that I do know you and your big heart, I want to keep all of you.”
He stiffens. “Does that mean you’ll come with me?”
“Yeah.”
He circles my waist and pulls me down onto the bed with him.
“Oh, and one more thing,” I say. “I lied to you once. Actually twice.”
His brow quirks up.
“My best kiss…you. And my favorite celebrity crush is…also you.”
Instead of the cocky retort I was sure was coming, his face softens. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
* * *
We wake up the next morning to the doorbell incessantly ringing combined with pounding on the front door. Ash groans.
I didn’t drink as much as him, but it’s way too early for this.
“Want me to get it?” I ask him.
“No.” He groans again.
He gets up and pulls on a pair of sweats before trudging out of the room. I quickly dress and follow him. He’s opening the door to Leo and Callum when I catch up.
“Finally,” Leo says as he barges past Ash with his little boy in his arms. “Do you not answer your phone anymore?”
Ash runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know where my phone is right now.”
“Have you seen this?” Leo shoves his phone toward Ash.
