Page 74 of Dream Girl Drama

A sparkle set off the blue of her eyes. “I wouldn’t mind watching you put on your hockey pads. Do you think you’d be able to sneak me into the locker room?”

Sig squirted white shaving foam onto the flat surface of his four fingers and begun smearing it evenly over the lower half of his face, noting that Chloe watched this happen with grave fascination. “What is this apparent obsession with hockey pads and how have I been unaware of it for six months?”

“I love hockey pads,” she whispered.

His throat hurt from holding in a laugh. “Because they make me look bigger?”

The suggestion seemed to surprise her. “No, because they keep you safe.”

Now his throat hurt for a whole different reason. “Oh. Yeah, they do. Although Burgess pointed out recently that I used to be a lot more reckless. I didn’t realize until I played a few games and noticed what he meant. I keep my guard up, I anticipate better. I keep... me safe, too, Chloe. For you. You did that.”

She released a long exhale and scooted closer to him.

For several moments, she watched him shave in silence, the quiet scraping sound filling the scant space between them.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything,” he responded.

“What was it about me... that first night? What did you see?”

Sig’s hand dropped to the counter like a stone, the importance of the question obvious. So important to her, he could feel the weight everywhere. “It was your voice, first. You sounded... essential. You turned everything alive and brought the present into focus. Made it bigger. More beautiful. And that was before I even turned around.” Letting go of the razor, he reached up to cup her face, his heart turning over when her eyes took on a light sheen. “You talk about trustingme, Chlo? That night, I saw a person who made me want to trust the good in people. In life. Because you were the proof, standing right in front of me. I saw all of that in one night because you’re not hidden. You’re a fucking star that fell out of the sky and I was lucky enough to be standing in the right place.”

“Sig.” She took a big, heaving breath. “That’s so much more than I expected.”

I love you.

I’ll love you until the sun goes dark.

Sig wasn’t sure what made him put those words off for another time, maybe it was that elusive dread that continued to drift in and out of her eyes, so brief each time that he wondered if it was there at all. And all Sig could think to do was make her smile. Take away anything but the happiness they could share tonight.Everynight. Together.

“You want to see how much I trust you?” He picked up the razor and handed it to her. “Take a stroke.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Dead.”

“That’s whatyou’regoing to be.”

Sig chuckled. “Nah, you got this.” He guided her hand to his lathered jaw. “Easy. Easy. You’re going to do fine.”

She screamed in her mouth as the razor glided upward, letting out a shaky breath when nothing but a clean path was left behind. “I didn’t cut you?”

“Hey. I’m looking into your eyes, Chlo. I’d die happy.”

“What a beautiful thing to say,” she said on a watery laugh, dropping the razor into the sink. “I’m still never doing this again.”

“What? You’re shaving my back next.”

“Did I mention I have a doctor’s appointment tonight?” She started to slide off the sink. “I should probably get moving.”

Sig trapped her against the counter before her feet touched the ground. “You’re not going anywhere,” he growled against her mouth.

“I know,” she whispered back, openly trembling at their contact.

“Listen.” He rode his mouth over the top of hers, tangling her tongue in a kiss that could only be described as carnal. A precursor to sin. “While I have you here, I might as well tell you some bad news.”

“Bad,” she said, staring at his mouth as if hypnotized. “What could be bad?”

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