Page 52 of Tame the Player

Holden sucks in a breath. “Which is it, because you’re killing me here.”

I pull back my shoulders and tilt my head back so I’m looking him straight in the face. “Holden, I like being with you because usually my mind goes a hundred miles a minute, but with you, it’s like there’s a calm that comes over me.”

Before he can say anything, I take a step towardhim and put my hands at his waist. He sucks in a breath on contact, but he doesn’t reach for me, and I can’t say I blame him. I’ve been hot and cold, and he deserves more than that. “I like that you make me laugh. I like that you’re good to my son. I like that you care about your family. But no, Holden. I don’t like you.” I shudder a breath and force the words out. “I’m falling in love with you. I love being with you, and it scares the hell out of me.”

His hands go to my shoulders. “Why?”

I lift my shoulders up. “Look at your life. I can’t compete with that.”

He blurts out a laugh. “You don’t get it, Cat. You want to know what I was thinking about at my game tonight?”

I blink at him, scared to ask, but I have to know. “What?”

“You. None of it mattered since you and Cole weren’t there. I know it seems like this all happened so fast, but it feels like forever that I’ve been waiting for you. I love you, Cat, and I know that scares you, but I can’t do the secret thing anymore. I want the world to know you’re mine.”

I’m trembling, but I’m not going to let my fear hold me back. “I love you too, Holden.”

He wastes no time. He pulls me flush against his body and kisses me until I’m breathless. The only reason we pull apart is because there’s clapping, and when we lift our heads to look, we see King, Haven, and Cole all sitting in King’s car. King leans out the window. “See you later.”

Holden twirls my hair in his fingers. “I talked to Cole out there tonight. I asked him if he was okay with us dating.”

I bite my lip and try to contain my smile. How is this my life? “I don’t even have to ask what he said. I’m sure he said he was happy about it.”

Holden presses his finger to my lip and soothes across where I was biting it. “Yeah, but he told me that if I was serious about you that I should think about marrying you.”

I can feel all the heat rush to my face. “Oh my God, he didn’t.”

He’s chuckling. “He did. Does that freak you out?”

I’m surprised by his question, but instead of answering him, I ask him the same thing in return. “What about you? Does that freak you out?”

He cradles my face in his hands. “No, I told him I’d see if I could talk you into it.”

Speechless, all I can do is stare at him.

He doesn’t blink, look away, or hesitate. “I’m going to get you used to the idea of us being together, but eventually, you’re going to be Mrs. Catherine Gray.”

“Oh, Holden.”

He pulls me in for another kiss, and before I get too carried away, he pulls back. “I’m sorry, but I have to go back to Jasper tonight. Let’s go get Cole and let me get you two home.”

“I’ll go get him so you can get back. I’m going to come to the game tomorrow, if that’s okay.”

His eyes light up. “Okay? Of course it’s okay. I want you both there. I’ll leave you tickets at the gate.”

I grasp his hand. “Walk me to my car.”

Hand in hand, we walk. “This doesn’t feel right. I want to be with you tonight.”

“Your last game of the season is tomorrow, Holden. We can be together after that. I mean, you may want to celebrate or do something else tomorrow night, but we can be together another day.”

He stops walking. “You don’t get it. I want to be with you… I win, I lose, whatever. I want to be with you.”

I go up on my tiptoes. “I want that too.”

We kiss again, and my heart does a little flutter in my chest. Holden makes me feel things I’ve never felt before, and even though it scares me, I’m going in full force. No more hiding, no more fear, I’m going to love Holden for as long as he’ll let me.

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