Page 29 of Conner

“It’s no trouble at all,” he said.

“Thank you, Conner, for everything. You’ve been a big help today.”

“That’s just what friends do,” he said with a smile, but even as those words came out of his mouth, he knew they were a lie. Sasha was more than a friend, and he was starting to think maybe it was time he started acting on the feelings he had been trying to deny for the past couple months.

After their food came, Sasha sat down on the other end of the couch while Conner watched a hockey game. Once it was over, he told himself to go home, but leaving didn’t feel right. There was another important game starting in twenty minutes, he should go… it was getting late, but he just turned on the other game. Sasha looked up at him and smiled when he did.

At the start of the third period, it was getting late. He should go home, but he just couldn’t get the look on her face when they were in the parking lot out of his head. There was something going on she wasn’t telling him about. He wouldn’t press her for information she wouldn’t freely give, but he also wouldn’t let her feel like she wasn’t safe.

He looked over at her and she was asleep, there was something so vulnerable about her sleeping peacefully with her laptop still open next to her. He closed it and set it on the table before covering her with the soft blanket that was on the back of the couch. He should leave…but the game was almost over.

Halfway through the third period she shifted, he looked down expecting to see her awake, but she was still sound asleep and appeared to be leaning his way. She snuggled into his chest and that was all it took. Ever since he found her in the parking lot, he had been pretty sure it was time to finally figure out what it was that kept pulling them together, but with how good she felt pressed into his side there was no choice. He needed to tell her how he felt and see if she felt the same.

As the game ended, he was telling himself to go home, but she would need a ride to work in the morning. He had his gym bag in the car which was all he really needed for work in the morning. It was just a video review meeting and then a special teams practice.

“Sasha,” he said, gently waking her. “Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll sleep here on the couch.”

She sat up adorably disoriented, wiping the sleep from her eyes. “What?”

“You fell asleep. Why don’t you go to bed, and I’ll just crash here on your couch?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll feel better knowing you are safe here tonight, plus we can go into work together and I can take you to get your car whenever it’s ready.”

She gave him a sleepy smile. “You’re not so bad after all, Conner McPhee,” she said. She sleepily stood up and walked to the hallway before turning around to look at him. When her eyes met his he noticed they were a bit more awake. He was worried she might be about to send him home, but then she bit her lip and gave a small smile. “Good night. Do you need anything?”

“I’m all set.”

After she made her way into her bedroom, Conner sighed and let his head fall back against the wall behind the couch. What was happening? That was a problem for tomorrow. He picked up a phone and set an alarm before laying down into her surprisingly comfortable couch and pulled the blanket over himself. It was still warm and smelled like her, he should not be enjoying this as much as he was. It was time he made some changes in his life where Sasha was concerned.

17

Conner

Conner woke up after a surprisingly restful night's sleep on Sasha’s couch. He sat up and stretched and could smell the coffee from the kitchen. He also smelled something else lingering in the air…Sasha. It must have been from her shower, or maybe she just put on perfume, either way it smelled amazing.

He grabbed for his phone. It was eight. He was usually up by now and had run on the treadmill and was making breakfast. It was at that moment Sasha came out of her bedroom looking fresh as a daisy and beautiful as always.

“Good morning,” he said quietly.

She looked over at him with a bashful smile. “Good morning,” she answered back quietly. “Do you need a shower or anything?”

“No,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I can just shower when I get to the center. I wouldn’t say no to an extra toothbrush though.”

“I set one out on the sink for you.”

After Conner was finished up in the bathroom he came out into the kitchen.

“Do you want coffee? I have eggs and bagels…not much else.”

He got a mug down from the cupboard and turned to go to the coffee maker at the exact moment Sasha turned to go to the fridge and they bumped into each other with an oof. His hands flew to her waist to steady her. Their eyes connected as he held her close to his body. Her lips parted on a small gasp, and he could feel himself starting to harden in his shorts.

He quickly dropped his hands and turned away from her. “Sorry, I should’ve been more careful,” he mumbled. He needed to get himself under control, but all he wanted to do was kiss her. Well, kissing wasn’t all he wanted to do, but he wouldn’t let himself think about that right now.

He cleared his throat. “Coffee’s good. I can just make a smoothie once we get to the center. They have all the stuff there.”

“Right, well I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes,” she said, taking her bagel and disappearing into her bedroom.

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