Page 80 of Good Pucking Luck

Hayes frowns. “You’re not in love with me?”

“No. Iamin love with you. I was just going to work my way up to that and figured I should do a little groveling first.”

“Saying you love me is a good start.”

I can’t stop my grin from growing. This man is it for me. There’s no question in my mind about that. “I’m in love with you,” I say again.

He looks down, and my breath catches. Is this where he tells me it’s over? That he doesn’t feel the same? But then why would he have told me my admission is a good place to start?

“Really?” Hayes finally asks.

“Yes. God yes. I’ve known for a while now. I’m sorry I gave you reason to doubt me.”

He looks up at me, eyes watery. “You did, but you also didn’t. Part of the issue was just me. Do you think I could come in?”

Oh yeah. Crap. I have no idea why I’m leaving him standing on the porch. I move out of the way, and Hayes comes in.

“I wasn’t thinking when I canceled on meeting your friends. I just got all up in my head about hockey and the playoffs. That’s probably a thing that I’ll do. It’s hockey.”

He chuckles like I hoped he would.

“I get it, I really do, but it felt pretty shitty. It took a lot for me to feel comfortable introducing you to them, and then you agreed only to cancel at the last minute. I—”

“I’m sorry,” I interrupt.

“Hold on. Let me finish. What I didn’t consider is how at times I likely made you feel the same…when you wanted me to meet your parents, or when you introduced me to Mads. I’m sorry if I hurt you. Neither of us is completely innocent or at fault. We’re just…human.”

“It’s our only downside.”

He grins. “So I’m sorry too. I’ll be better at trying not to let my insecurities get in the way. I understand why you would want to wait until after the season to go public. I honestly do too, so it wasn’t fair to get upset with you about that.”

“No…but it was fair to get upset at how I behaved and my worry about your friends. The truth is, we have a lot to navigate, and I shouldn’t have jumped the gun. If I expect you to trust Mads and my parents, I should be willing to trust your friends. And I want you there…to see me play. If you’re comfortable withit, I’d love to get you and the guys tickets to our first home playoff game. They can know who I am to you. While we don’t have to make a huge announcement to the world, I don’t want to hide either. You’re my guy. I’m proud of that.”

“Jesus. Are you even real? I don’t know what to say. How did I get so lucky?” he asks, and when I open my mouth to respond, he speaks first. “Scratch that. I deserve you. You’re still really awesome, but I deserve you. I’m tired of believing I’m not worthy of good things.”

My heart speeds up, and I’m pretty sure my chest swells. “That was hands down the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. Come here, baby. God, I missed you.”

We both move toward each other, meeting in the middle. My arms encircle him, Hayes burying his face in my pecs the way he does.

“I saw Malcolm,” he says, and though I try not to, I feel myself tense up.

“Are you okay?” I rub my hand up and down his back, wishing I could see Malcolm and teach him a lesson or two.

“Yeah, actually. It was pretty incredible. I stood up to him, and it gave me courage to listen to your voicemail and tell you how I felt today.”

“You didn’t feel comfortable listening to my voicemail?”

“It’s a me thing. I convinced myself you were breaking up with me, and now I realize I need to be okay with that.”

“Um…not sure I like where this is going.”

He chuckles. “I don’t want to lose you, I don’teverwant to lose you, but I can’t let my worth lie in my relationship status.”

Damn. He’s done a lot of self-exploration over the last few days, and I’m here for it. Here for every way Hayes can grow, ways that I can too. “Look at you saying all these sexy things. You don’t have to try so hard to get me into bed,” I tease. “I’m a sure thing, except…”

“Except?” He pulls back and looks at me.

“I just realized I professed my never-ending love for you, and you didn’t do the same. It’s okay if you’re not there yet, but—”

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