Page 24 of Second Down Scrooge

Her eyes get a little cloudy, and she reaches out for me. I allow her to guide me, and she pulls my arms around her waist as her eyes find mine.

And then a question falls from her lips that I’m not expecting. “How have you changed?”

“I stopped pulling stupid shit in the locker room. Coach Bruce gave Chase and me the chance in practice a few weeks ago to show what we were made of, and I couldn’t take down my friend. I fought honestly, and I won. For the first time in a long time, Iwon. And I never told you this, but I withdrew my membership at Coax.”

Her brows knit together. “You did? When?”

“Last January.”

“LastJanuary?” she repeats.

I nod and clear my throat. “Right before Mia was born.”

She looks taken aback by that admission. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’ve been quietly doing things to change for months—for myself, for Mia. For you. But you just asked me how I’ve changed, so I guess I’m laying it all out on the table. And to be honest, Kelly, when you went out on a date with someone else, something snapped in me. I don’t want you dating some other guy. I want you to be with me.”

Her eyes flick to my lips, and I don’t know how much longer I can stand this close to her, her warm cinnamon scent wrapping around me and her eyes hungry for me.

But I don’t dare move. I wait for her to make the first move. The last thing I want to do is scare her off, but the need echoing through me is about to scaremeoff.

“Fuck it,” she murmurs, and then her lips move to mine again, and that’s my ticket in.

Chapter 12: Kelly Kaplan

Six Entire Long Months

Two Weeks Until Christmas

What do I have to lose besides everything?

When he told me he thinks he’s in love with me, that was everything I wanted to hear. But when he told me how he’s changed, I think that was everything Ineededto hear.

Six months? He’s waitedsix whole monthsfor me?

I’ve waited, too—mostly because I’m a single mom who just doesn’t have time to date, but I’ve been holding myself back from him out of the fear that I could be next on his hit list. Or worse, Mia.

I know it wouldneverbe Mia. He loves her too much, and that love is pure and sweet.

But if the fear of getting hurt will always be at the forefront of my relationships since I’ve been hurt in the past, like Ava reminded me earlier, what am I supposed to do? Give up on love forever? Never take a risk again?

No. I think Ava was right when she said I should jump in headfirst and see where it takes me.

If she and Grayson could forgive Austin…what grudge am I holding onto?

He reaches under me, and I lift myself up and link my legs around his waist. He thrusts toward me, and I can feel it—feel him. He’s hard and ready. This is far from the first time we’ve done this, and he knows my body. He knows my signals.

It’s part of what’s so addictive about him. He’s ridiculously skilled when it comes to sex, and my judgment always becomes clouded when I’m around him because of it.

But this feels like far more than just sex. This feels like a renewed promise. Like the start of something big and epic and wonderful. It feels like our future is laying in front of us, and it’s up to us to grab hold with both hands.

He pulls back, both of us panting from this intense kiss. “Are you sure about this?”

I nod, and he lifts me higher, tossing me over his shoulder as he carries me down the hallway. I laugh the whole way there, slapping his ass as I yell, “Put me down!”

But he just chuckles as he carries me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing at all. I guess that’s just one of the fun perks of being with a professional athlete.

He doesn’t carry me to my bedroom like I’m expecting, instead stopping in my family room and tossing me down onto the couch. He’s hovering over me a second later, impressing me with his speed and agility, and his mouth finds mine again. We make out on the couch, and while I could kiss him forever like this, my body is aching all over to get to the main event.

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