Page 53 of Sven

“Nothing. It’s my day off.”

“Well, it’s a rest day for the guys, and Taylor’s birthday is on their next road trip, so I’m kind of planning a fun escape room thing if you want to come. I think it’s going to be us, Cash and Evie, and Murphy. He loves puzzles like that.”

“Yeah,” said Natalie. “That sounds really fun!”

“Great, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll text you the time and address.”

“Perfect! Thanks for coming over and explaining the game to me.”

“Of course. Goodbye to you,” she said, giving Winnie’s hand a squeeze.

After Alice left, Natalie and Winnie went on the couch to watch some more of the post-game—because she wanted to learn more about hockey, not because she was hoping for another glance of Sven. She kept watching while the commentators talked about what a good night Sven had and kept showing his goals over and over. A text came through her phone.

Sven: one for you and one for me.

She was glad only Winnie was here to see her silly grin. Maybe Alice was right. Maybe something with Sven wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.

19

Sven

Sven shoved his phone back in his bag as he climbed onto the bus. He had never been more ready to be home in his entire life. Yes, this was the longest he’d been away from Winnie, but there was something happening between him and Natalie. Yes, he’d been attracted to her since the interview, but she was turning into his best friend, and he wasn’t prepared for that. He wanted to know all about her, and he wanted to know her opinion on everything. This was not like him.

He had never really cared what a woman besides Tillie cared about until now. Now he wanted to make Natalie smile, but he also loved to make her glare at him. With the look on her face when her brows pinched and her round cheeks reddened ever so slightly, he could tell she was holding back a smile. He lived to put that exasperated expression on her face.

“What’s got you grinning?” asked Conner as he sat across the aisle from him.

“I’m just ready to get home.”

“Anxious to get home to Winnie?”

Sven tilted his head. “Yeah, I am. I’m sure I’ll get used to road trips, but this was the first long on I’ve been on since she came to stay with me.”

The bus got ready to pull off. They were taking a late flight home. He tried to sleep, but every time he did, he picture Natalie. He had been so close to kissing her the night before he left and needed to get those feelings in check before arriving. Messing up this situation for Winnie by sleeping with the Nannie was old-Sven behavior, not Dad-Sven behavior.

He knew he had been flirting with her, but he just couldn’t seem to help himself. No matter how many times he told himself he needed to rein it in, she would roll her eyes at him with that small but undeniable smile, and he suddenly felt like a teenager trying to impress her.

When Sven pulled up to his house, he was surprised to see the lights on. He had thought Natalie would have been in bed a long time ago. As he opened the door into the kitchen from the garage, he walked into the house. It was quiet, but the TV was still on.

When he turned the corner, the sight nearly took his breath away. There, on the couch, was Natalie asleep, with Winnie on her chest. Both his girls were cuddled up on the couch, and if the TV channel was any indication, they’d been watching his game. He needed to find a way to navigate this thing with Natalie because he had never felt about anyone the way he felt about her. Why was that trouble?

He quietly made his way over to them and carefully took a sleeping Winnie from her arms. Winnie stirred about to wake.

“Shhh,” Sven said as he snuggled her to his chest. She settled back down, and he took Winnie up and put her in bed.

He made his way back downstairs and just watched her. Even though he tried to tell himself he wasn’t being creepy, hecouldn’t take his eyes off her. Her soft blond hair and her round cheeks all called to him. She wasn’t like the normal girls he usually slept with. She was more.

He sat next to her and brushed her hair off her forehead.

“Natalie,” he whispered.

His thumb traced her cheek. “Natalie,” he said again a bit louder.

Her eyes blinked open, and the smile that crossed her face lit him up inside.

“Sven,” she said in a breathy voice that shot straight to his cock. “Am I dreaming?” Her small hand reached up and caressed his face.

Fuck, he needed to end this, though every cell in his body was telling him to kiss her. Not like this. He wanted her fully awake and consenting before anything like that ever happened.

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