Page 75 of His Jersey

“Are you trying to negotiate with me? If you don’t remember, business hours were over the moment we left the restaurant, your father, and Aston.”

I’d like that to be true. I answer Ella’s question. “I want a big family too. But maybe not that big. Though I could be persuaded.”

“Teach me how to play hockey; a family of twelve could have proper games. Bark Wahlburger can be the referee,” she adds with a laugh.

I love that she thought of that. Pausing under the streetlight, Ella glows softly, sweetly. She’s too good for me. But for a little longer, we can pretend. Only, deep down, that notion digs in like a lie. I want her. Now. Tomorrow. Forever. I can’t say it with words, so I drop my gaze to hers.

Her eyes spark with interest.

I smooth her hair with my hand. “I like this.”

“My hair?” she asks with a laugh as if she knows that’s not exactly what I’m talking about.

“Yes, and this.” I brush my finger down her nose.

Her eyes cross slightly and she laughs.

“And this.” I slowly swipe my thumb across her lower lip.

She lets out a shaky breath.

“But also this. Us.”

“Me too.”

Our lips meet, igniting the flames inside, illuminating everything I adore about this woman.

My hands dig into her hair and her fingers trail my jaw and down my neck before I lose track of where I end and she begins along with the boundaries between real and fake. The inner hunger I have matches hers and the pace of our kiss increases.

My pulse pounds.

Her breath trembles.

This kiss with Ella erases my doubts, fears, and reality.

Her fingers intertwine with mine and I drop my mouth to nibble her ear, chin, and neck, breathing her cocoa butter, which is all I need. Then, I find my way back to her lips. She grips the sides of my face and the kiss deepens once more.

When we part, we stroll back the way we came, hand in hand, quiet until Ella asks, “Is hockey still fun for you?”

I ponder this for a moment. “I guess I kind of lost track of that in the competition, the exertion, and the attention. But I think with you in my jersey, it’s about to get a lot better.”

When we reach the SUV, it’s warm inside. Ella rests her head on my shoulder and her breathing quickly turns soft. She’s so open and vulnerable. So sweet and beautiful.

When we’re nearly at the condo, my father texts, and I glance at it briefly.

Dad: If you’re smart, you’ll lose the distraction.

Of course, he’s talking about Ella and not the device in my hand, even though Aston is the worst offender. But maybe my fiancée is inadvertently onto something. Perhaps life is better without a phone, especially with messages like these.

29

ELLA

With Bark Wahlburgerlooking out the oval window, we’re back on the private jet en route to Nebraska. Jack has my feet in his lap while I’m checking my emails, feeling very normal even though every moment with him is like a fairytale dream. The problem is, I’m just waiting for the wicked stepmother to pull me into a nightmare.

As for my dad, the latest update on his health is that it continues to fail. I guess that’s one thing you can’t throw money at. But at the end of the email, it says,Thank you for the payment and the generous donation.

It takes me a long moment to process the words before they make sense.

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