Page 122 of Mine to Take

I glance at her again, only to find concern etched across her expression.

“I won’t.”

With that, she spins away, retreating into the living room.

I stare at the closed door. I fucking hate the ball of nerves that has settled in the pit of my belly along with the memories mushrooming up inside me.

The fear.

The lack of control.

The anger.

I have to mentally prod myself into rapping my knuckles against the door. I wait a beat. Then another. When a response isn’t forthcoming, I push open the thick wood and peek inside the dimly lit space.

Every muscle constricts when I find Willow curled up on the bed under the covers with her eyelids closed.

She doesn’t bother to open them. “Who was it, Holl? Not the holy rollers again?”

I step inside the room before closing the door and clearing my throat. “Nope, it wasn’t them.”

Her eyelids flutter open and her tongue darts out to moisten her lips. “Maverick?” She glances at the clock on the nightstand next to the bed. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the library?”

I cock my head. “Hard to do when my tutor bailed on me.”

“She did?” Her brow furrows. “That doesn’t sound like Stacie.”

“I meant you.”

There’s a beat of silence before her gaze shifts and understanding dawns. “It seemed like it might be better for both of us if you worked with someone else.”

I take another step closer. It feels like there’s an invisible thread binding us together. “What if that’s not what I want?”

“Maverick…”

“What?” The mattress dips as I tentatively settle on the edge. Unable to stop myself, I reach out and run my hand over her cheek.

Her skin is surprisingly hot to the touch.

There’s a beat of silence before her solemn gaze flickers back to mine. “I have to know… Did you only sleep with me to get back at River? Is that all it ever was? A game?”

38

Willow

His featherlike touch drifts over my face, pushing the sweaty strands of my hair away from my forehead. All I want to do is press my cheek against his cool palm.

The silence that stretches between us sets my nerves on edge.

“The first time I saw you sitting in the stands, I couldn’t stop staring. As corny as it sounds, it felt like time stood still. I was afraid that if I looked away for even a second, you’d disappear.” His lips quirk. “The fact that you were wearing River’s jersey pissed me off. It’s the reason I went after him.”

Air leaks from my lungs as a shiver dances down my spine.

The moment I saw him on the ice during the game will forever be singed into my brain for all eternity. Even though I should have been focused on my brother, I couldn’t take my eyes off Maverick.

He eclipsed everything and everyone around him.

“Afterward, I figured I wouldn’t see you again. But you showed up at the bar and I knew at that point, I had to have you. It didn’t matter who you were with or belonged to. I wanted you to be mine. At least for one night.” He jerks his shoulders. “Long enough to fuck you out of my system. Instead, I woke up the next morning only wanting to get my hands on you again, and you’d disappeared, leaving behind your necklace. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get you out of my head. All I wanted to do was find you. See you again.”

---