Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 99723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Her gaze lifts to my face, going from one eye to the other, to my mouth, and back to my eyes, as she thinks and thinks some more. “Nothing has changed,” she warns, “but yeah, I’d like that too. We’ll come to the game.”
Neither of us move our hands, but it feels like huge progress has been made between us. At least to me it does.
After lunch, we’re walking across the parking lot and her hand brushes mine. I feel like a scared teenager that’s not sure if it’s an invitation or accident. But as much as I want to grab her hand, pull her against me, and taste the sweetness of her lips, I don’t. Afraid of going too fast for a woman who isn’t sure she wants to go down this path at all, I hesitate.
As I reach for the door handle, Briar spins and puts her back against my truck, trapping her hands behind herself. “Did you know that albatrosses mate for life?”
Is this her version of flirting? Spitting out random animal facts while looking up at me through her lashes? I think it might be.
We’re only a foot apart, but I lean in a little, curious to see where this is going. “I did, actually.”
“They’re not the only birds that do that either. Certain swans, eagles, and cranes do too.” She licks her lips. “But when one partner dies or disappears, the living albatross will eventually find another mate.”
“You don’t say.” I move closer, my nose nearly touching hers. I tilt her chin up with a gentle touch.
“It takes years sometimes, so potential new mates have to be patient.”
“So patient,” I agree, nodding.
“The most patient-est.”
I want to kiss this woman more than I want to breathe. Hell, I want to kiss her more than I want to play hockey, and that’s my entire purpose for living. But this needs to be her move. She hasn’t had the chance to be in charge of her life in a long time, maybe ever. And she should. She deserves that opportunity.
I don’t want to fuck this up. Not for me, but for her. I’m almost scared to ruin the progress she’s making toward her own freedom. I’m not a man who usually sits back and lets things happen to me. But in this, I need to be. For her.
So I slow the internal drum of my heartbeat that chants kiss her, kiss her, kiss her and instead, enjoy the close-up view of her eyes, noting that they’re not simply blue, but there are flecks of brown at the centers. I let my body burn with the need to touch her, and focus on the way her breathing has sped up. I wait for her, soaking up her nearness and staying present in the moment, as if there’s anywhere else I’d rather be than this close to Briar.
Closer?
Okay, that’s fair. I’d love to be even closer to her, curled around her, protecting her from everything bad in the world until all she knows is good, and I’d love to be inside her, both her body and beyond her walls. I tell my aching cock that the delayed gratification will be worth the pain and pray that I’m right.
“Should I start flapping my wings or making bird noises to court you?” I say lowly.
She presses her lips together, fighting back a laugh. “You’d do that?”
“Ca-cawww,” I say with the utmost sincerity.
Her eyes twinkle. Her lips part. And slower than a sloth, she lifts her lips to mine.
I don’t dive into her the way I’d like to, which is completely and passionately. I let her set the pace, willing myself to give her what she needs, not take what I want. And her lack of urgency feeds something unexpected in me too. I relish the softness of her lips, savor the press of her freed hands on my chest, cherish the moment she opens her mouth to deepen the kiss.
I celebrate Briar Johns finding herself again and feel like the luckiest fucker in the world for getting to not only witness this moment, but be a part of it.
Chapter 12
Briar
“What can I help you with?”
My nose crinkles at Dad’s tone. “Can’t a girl just call her father without wanting something?”
“Some girls, yes. You, no.” He says it so matter-of-factly that there’s no sense in arguing. He’s right. We don’t have the type of relationship where I call him for fun catch-up chat sessions. Of course, I don’t call to ask for favors, either, but here we are. “Plus, it’s season opener week, Briar. So again, what can I do for you?”
I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I warned Dominic as much. Dad’s singular focus on hockey still pricks, though. But this isn’t about me. It’s about Dominic and the team.
Don’t lie to yourself! You know dang good and well it’s mostly about Dominic.