Page 172 of Power Play

“Magic.”

“Yes, I want to go outside and talk when you’re finished with that. I should probably go ahead and get up, because you’re going to be ready to go by the time I put my coat on.”

I scoop the last bite of pasta into my mouth and grin. “You’re already behind, Pipsqueak.”

Ten minutes later, I make my way outside and inhale a deep breath of fresh air. The temperature is tolerable, and I take a seat on one of the chairs on the patio.

“Dammit.” Piper closes the door behind her and frowns. “How did you beat me?”

“Probably the height advantage. It helps. I also didn’t start talking with Grant about the latest TikTok trend. That’s where you went wrong.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“Come on over.” I pat the spot next to me and she walks my way, dropping on the chair and pulling her jacket tight around her. “Are you warm enough?”

“I think so. Unless you have a fire pit in your pocket, I’ll survive.”

“Fresh out of those.” I glance at her and knock her knee with mine. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m going to come out and say it, and I’d like it if you didn’t interrupt me, okay? I’ve been practicing this in my head all day, and I want to get it right.”

“Okay.” I nod. “The floor is yours.”

“I know when I first came to you about this plan between us, we were going to do our lessons and pretend to date through your sister’s wedding. We also agreed this was casual. That it wouldn’t go anywhere outside the bedroom, but… I don’t want to lie to you, Liam. I… I’ve started to… well, I like you. Not just sleeping with you, but spending time with you doing normal things, too. And I know that goes against your wholeno distractionsrule, and I’m sorry for breaking it, but I don’t want to sleep with you again without you knowing what I’m feeling and how I’m feeling toward you. Which is that I like you. More than a friend. I know it’s my fault for falling for the emotional side of sex, but… why are you looking at me like that?”

My lips twitch. “Like what?”

“Like your mouth is broken.”

“I think that’s called a smile.”

“No. You look like a creepy clown.”

“Your compliments get better and better.”

“It’s freaking me out and making me forget what else I want to say.”

“What else do you want to say?”

“I… I don’t know what else I want to say.”

“Can I say something now?”

“Only if you stop with the weird smile thing.”

I laugh and rest my hand on her thigh, squeezing once. “I feel like I’m back in middle school saying this, but I like you too, Piper. I have for a while now. Alana gave me a lecture five minutes before she walked down the aisle at the wedding, and I’ve ben thinking about it ever since.”

Piper blinks at me. “She did? What did she say?”

“That I need to get my head out of my ass, and I do. Look. We’ve found ourselves in some weird position where we’ve slept with each other, we’re married to each other, and now we’re realizing we like each other. It’s all fucking backwards, and I’m having a hard time keeping up.”

“Hockey is your priority. You’ve told me multiple times hockey is the most important thing in your life. Anything besides casual will interfere with that, and I could never do that to you. Not when I know how hard you work to be as good as you are.”

I’ve thought about that a lot since I’ve been home.

The balances in my life and what’s actually important to me.

If I never played another game, would I be disappointed?

---