Page 134 of Heart of Thorns

“You should consider being a lawyer, Ms. Hart.”

I can’t help it. I smile wider.

When we’re out of the dean’s earshot, Thorne leans in close and whispers, “Do you think he’d know it was you if a mural of his face with a nice set of devil horns on top of his head appeared somewhere on school grounds?”

I laugh, and Thorne catches the tail end of it with his mouth.

My back presses into the wall with gentle force. He takes both of my hands in one of his and traps them above my head while his tongue sweeps inside.

I’m breathless by the end. When our lips part, Thorne stares into my eyes, and it feels like our hearts are beating as one instead of two.

What started out as us working together as a team has ended the same.

He has my back, and I have his.

“I like seeing you happy,” I whisper. “I wasn’t going to let your parents, nor the dean, take away your happiness.”

Thorne’s brow furrows. “The only thing that could take away my happiness is you, kitten.” He shakes his head. “You know that, right?”

A genuine smile slips onto my lips. “Mm-hm,” I press my mouth to his briefly before I pause. “But I kind of like being a jersey chaser.”

Thorne laughs against my mouth. “You know being a jersey chaser means you have to wear my jersey to all my games, right?”

“The horror.”

“You know the best part about wearing my jersey?”

I think for a second, nipping at his mouth. “What?”

Thorne’s free hand roams over my body before falling to the small of my back. He brings me flush against him. “That I get to peel it off you after every game.”

A hot thrill rushes through me. “Maybe we should practice that. Aren’t you the one who said practice makes perfect?”

Thorne’s warm, golden eyes darken. “We can never have too much practice, kitten.” He picks me up and swings me over his shoulder. “I’ve got several jerseys you can borrow.”

My laughter follows us all the way to his bedroom where we stay for the rest of the night.

BRIAR

THREE YEARS LATER

The plane lands with a whoosh.I stretch my stiff leg and roll my ankle a few times. My phone comes to life, and I smile with the text messages that come through.

Cassius

It’s half-time. We’re up by 3.

I can’t wait to hear all about your trip. I hope you make it in time. If not, I’ll see you at home.

I love you, kitten.

Dad

Wow, that man of yours can really throw a spiral.

I laugh quietly when I read the last text. My dad says the same thing every single time he watches a game. Thorne is the son he never had, and my dad is the father who Thorne never had.

My parents have loved Thorne from the moment they met him. They weren’t happy three years ago when they found outthat he was training me to play hockey again, but they quickly got over it once we graduated and moved on to other things.

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