Page 40 of Power Play with My Brother's Irish Friends

22

MIRANDA

Flying had never exhausted me before, but I almost stumbled walking off the plane and grabbed the nearest handrail to steady myself before I pitched face-first onto the blue carpet. My head whirled until I took several slow breaths and my ears popped. The dizziness was a new thing I’d talked to Doctor Martin about when it first started yesterday. She’d given me a checkup and cleared me to fly after I promised I’d take it easy and call her if I experienced any other unusual symptoms.

I checked the time on the giant board stretched across the wall when I exited the hallway and joined the throng of people looking for their flight information. I had a couple hours before the game. Long enough to make it to Austin’s and change, but not enough time for him to pick me up. People jostled from both sides until I fought my way clear of the masses and into an empty spot near the glass wall overlooking the pickup lines outside. My carryon suitcase bumped to a stop behind me, almost clipping my ankles when I pulled it around in front of me to keep anyone from grabbing it while I concentrated on scheduling an Uber. I’d meant to set things up last night but had fallen asleep on the couch in the middle of rewatching Duncan’s interview.

“Hey there.” A slow, Irish drawl lilted across the lobby.

I raised my head, the voice clicking in my mind but not registering until I saw Patrick walking my way. His smile widened, his blue eyes sparking with delight when he took in my shock. “What are you doing here?” I checked my phone. “You’re supposed to be at the rink.”

“Came to get you.” He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “When I found out Austin couldn’t pick you up, I pried the information out of him and came myself.”

“That’s…” shockingly heroic. Gentlemanly. All the things I’d chosen not to associate with Patrick because of the reputation he bandied about like his own personal victory. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“But I did. And I’m here.” He took the suitcase handle from beneath my fingers and tugged. “Need to stop by Austin’s?”

“Yes.” I scurried to catch up when he began walking. “If you have time. I don’t want you to be late to the game.”

“Time doesn’t matter when you’re around.” The automatic glass doors opened at our approach. Patrick switched the suitcase to the hand furthest away from me and set his palm in the middle of my back. “This way.” He guided me down the sidewalk and around to an impressive SUV with blacked out windows and a chrome finish shiny enough to cast my reflection up at me. “Once Austin admitted you were coming to town, I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“Patrick, you really didn’t have to do this.” It took considerable effort to keep my voice steady in the face of the romantic move he’d pulled.

“You’re worth the time.” He hefted my bag into the back seat and opened the passenger door.

I hopped into the seat and reached for the seatbelt while Patrick closed the door and jogged around the hood. He looked fantastic. His dark hair drifted down over his forehead, the slim line of his jeans cupping his ass while the t-shirt stretched taut over broad shoulders that flexed when he yanked open the driver’s side door and joined me. “How have practices been going?” I launched into the conversation as soon as we left the airport and hit the first main stretch of road.

“To quote your brother, we’re kicking ass.” He grinned, shooting me a quick look. “How’s New York? Good things happening?”

“Eh.” I waved off the question. “New York is fine. I want to know about things here. How’s Austin?”

Patrick grunted. “He’s never been happier. That girl you met at the pool party, Samantha?” He waited for my nod confirming I remembered before he continued. “They’ve been hanging out a lot. I won’t swear on it, but I think Austin might be getting serious about her.”

“No way.” I turned to face him, even though he had to focus on the road. “He’s not talked about her much.”

“Which means it’s more serious than I thought. He’ll probably talk to you about her eventually.” Patrick patted my knee where I’d tucked it on the seat to give myself a better view of his profile. “You know Austin. He’s cautious. He won’t talk about it until he’s ready to pop the question, but he’ll want to make sure you approve of her first.”

“Yeah.” He’d made a good point. Austin and I were close, but there were some things he took more seriously than I did. “What about you? How are you?”

A sudden tenseness in his jaw sent my hand out to settle on his arm. He released the steering wheel and covered my hand with his. “It’s not been great, Miranda.”

“Oh?” I lost my breath…and my ability to further articulate the question.

“I’ve missed you. It’s been hell trying to keep quiet and not call you every single day.” He pulled into Austin’s drive and rolled to a stop in front of the steps leading to the ornate front door. “This is not the kind of missing you that can be forgotten or thrown away. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and honestly, it’s a little scary how much I want to be with you.”

The words struck me speechless. I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing in rapid succession.

“I’m not good with feelings. Or with being vulnerable.” His gaze dropped away from mine. “I’m willing to throw myself out there because it’s you.” The hand that had guided me to the SUV ran lightly over my shoulder and to my cheek. “Not being able to see you every day has been unbearable. I almost got on a plane weeks ago.” Reaching past me, he clicked open the glove box and pulled out a ticket. “Bought the ticket and everything.”

“That’s the day of your last game.” I traced the numbers, my brows locked with a sudden tightness as tears pricked my eyes. “I’d have been so mad if you left your team hanging like that.”

“I know. That’s the only reason I didn’t use the ticket. I wanted to see you like this, proud and happy.” His thumb traced my cheekbone before he pulled his hand back.

This couldn’t be real. This version of Patrick contradicted the bad-boy impression he threw around like confetti. Was my decision to take care of the babies alone a miscalculation too? If I’d underestimated Patrick this badly, what else was I wrong about?

“I don’t know what to say.” He’d shocked me to my core and stirred up all the feelings I’d attempted to bury while in New York. Leaving him, Duncan, and Charlie was the hardest thing I’d ever done. But the way Patrick looked at me made me want to take back all that wasted time.

His lips met mine in a slow kiss that stole my heart and nestled it within his grasp. I gripped the front of his shirt with both fists. The more I tried to let him go, the harder my fingers dug into the soft material and strained to find the firm muscles beneath. A shift of our bodies and he dragged me across the seat to settle on his lap. My legs landed on either side of his as he kneaded my ass and lifted me up to cup his erection between my thighs.

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