Page 122 of A Major Puck Up

Her golden eyes shimmer. “It was time.” She slides her hand lower, continuing her soothing ministrations.

When she dips beneath the water. I hiss. She sucks in a breath and slides her hand up again, but I grasp her wrist to stop her, holding her fingers right on my abdomen.

“Gav,” she pleads.

I hold her gaze and squeeze. “Time for what?”

A knock at the door cuts through the silence, startling her so badly she pitches forward into the bath. Before she can hit the water, I catch her. We stay like that for a moment, heads close and our breaths mingling.

“Shit.” She blinks and pulls back. “That’s probably room service with your medicine.”

She gently disentangles herself from my hold and points toward the door, the wall coming down between us again. “I’ll go handle that. Don’t get out until I’m back.”

I nod, though I have no intention of staying in this bath now. Not after our close call a moment ago.

When she returns, a bottle of water and pills in her hand, I’m seated on my bed, toweled off and in a pair of shorts.

“You’re a terrible listener,” she murmurs, handing me the water and medication.

I point at her with the neck of the bottle, my lips tipping up. “Pot, meet kettle.”

With a snort, she looks away and points to the door. “I’ll be in the other room if you need me.”

“Could you—” I clamp my mouth shut before any other words slip out.

Millie turns back, her golden eyes open and shining, her heart laid out for me, allowing me to take from her again. “Anything, Gavin. I will do anything you ask.”

Pain lances my chest at her words. I close my eyes and breathe through it. I’m really starting to believe her. Truly starting to believe that not only would she do what I asked, but she’d do it happily, and not just because it would make me happy. That maybe it would make her happy too. That I could make her happy too.

So I say what I should have said months ago. The single word that’s been burning a hole through my body, trying to escape. “Stay.”

Without hesitation, she rounds the bed and sits on the other side of the mattress, her head tilting my way. “Of course.”

What she doesn’t know is I wasn’t talking about for the night. What I need more than anything is for her to stay with me forever.

FORTY-TWO

MILLIE

Gavin’s fever broke around three, and once we were all up and Vivi was fed, we boarded his private plane to head back to Boston. The rest of the team returned after the game. Even before Gavin got sick, we’d planned to return separately so Vivi wasn’t up all night traveling.

By the time we walk into his apartment, I’m dead on my feet. Between checking on Gavin all night and dealing with a teething Vivi, I don’t think I got more than an hour of sleep.

Gavin is still sick, and someone needs to watch the baby, so sleep is the last thing I’ll be getting right now.

“Go lay in bed. I’ll place an order for soup and more meds.”

He slumps, his head hanging. “You’ve got to be exhausted. Let me check with my brothers and Ava. Maybe one of them is available to watch her.”

I press a kiss to Vivi’s soft head, irrationally annoyed that he sees me as nothing but her sitter. Easily replaced by anyone he knows. “It’s fine,” I say, keeping my tone even. “No sense in potentially exposing anyone else to the flu.”

“You think—” His brows pinch. “You think she’ll get sick?”

My heart softens. He is such a good dad. “If she does, we got this.” I give him a small smile. “I want to take care of her. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if someone other than you or me is with her.”

Gavin nods and thumbs over his shoulder. “Okay, I’m just going to—” With that, he disappears down the hall.

“Okay, Vivi girl. How about we order some groceries? Then maybe you’ll want to take a nap.”

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