Page 66 of Heartfelt Goals

And then he was crawling onto the bed, reaching for her, drawing her into him—closing the space between them for good.

14

LAFRENIÉRE

Dustin laythere in the hazy glow of dawn, his fingers idly twisting through the soft ringlets of Laurel’s hair. The dark, wavy strands curled around his fingers, silky and hypnotic. He loved her hair—always had. It was a cascade of beauty that had captured his fascination from the first moment they met. Now, it was tangled against his skin, spread across the pillow, a physical reminder that last night had been real.

His chest tightened at the thought. He’d wanted her for so long, but wanting and having were two entirely different things. Having meant risking everything. It meant waking up like this, with her nestled against him, and feeling the weight of what they’d just done. It meant the terrifying realization that he could lose her if she regretted it.

“We’re good?” he murmured, his voice low, almost hesitant, as he traced his fingertips along her shoulder.

Laurel stirred against him, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. In the dim light, her eyes were soft, warm—everything he didn’t deserve but wanted more than anything.

“This isn’t one of those next-morning moments where you’re filled with regret or freaking out about what just happened,right?” he added, forcing a small smile to mask the vulnerability threatening to claw its way to the surface.

She chuckled softly, the sound sending a warm ripple through him. “I’m beyond ‘good’ right now,” she assured him, pressing a lazy, affectionate kiss to his chin.

His heart melted all over again.

Relief surged through him, but it didn’t erase the lingering fear. He had been so darn scared to take this step, not just for himself but for all the ways it could impact the people around them. Laurel wasn’t just some woman he’d fallen for. She was his sister’s best friend. She was the only constant in Kendall’s life, and now—whether she realized it or not—she was a part of his.

One wrong move, one misstep, and he could screw up everything.

“No regrets except for ‘why’d you wait so long?’” she teased, her lips quirking into a smile.

A laugh rumbled from his chest, blending with hers, filling the quiet space between them. He let his fingers drift lazily down her arm, mapping the smooth curve of her shoulder, the warmth of her skin. He loved the way she shivered under his touch, the way she responded to him so effortlessly.

She was here. She was his.

And still, the weight of everything he’d kept locked inside pressed against his ribs, demanding to be let out.

“We can talk about everything, right?” he asked, the question slipping from his lips before he could stop it.

She turned her head slightly, her brows knitting together in curiosity. “Of course.”

Dustin swallowed, hesitating. His instincts told him to hold it in, to carry it alone like he always had. But he couldn’t—not with her. Not when the secret he’d learned tonight felt too big to bear alone.

“What would you do if you were me in this situation?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light, but the weight in his chest made it impossible. “What would you do in one of your dragon-boinking books…”

Laurel groaned. “Oh boy…”

“Oh boy,is right…”

She lifted her head fully this time, her expression shifting. “What’s wrong?”

He exhaled slowly, bracing himself. “Someone let something slip tonight during the game, and I think it’s a problem.”

Her face softened with concern. “Who was it?”

“Matthieu…”

“Oh no.” Her reaction was immediate. She knew exactly what that meant. “What’s wrong?” she asked again, shifting so she could look directly at him.

“I know you really like the man and?—”

“I do, which is why I want to try to help and need to fix this if I can,” Dustin admitted, the helplessness gnawing at him.

Laurel studied him for a long moment, then, in a voice so quiet it barely registered, she whispered, “Sometimes you can’t fix other people’s problems.”

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