Page 31 of Slap Shot Daddies

I don't get it. The sex was phenomenal, but it transcended mere physicality.

The way she looked at me with eyes that seemed to delve into my soul, the way she softened when she thought I wasn’t watching, the way her laughter mingled effortlessly with the guys’, as though she belonged with us.

It was genuine, authentic.

So why does she keep running?

I let the curtain fall back into place, rubbing my jaw, feeling a prickling rawness that I shouldn't be experiencing. I don’t do emotions, not since Lara.

I certainly don’t let myself get attached to women I sleep with.

But this is different.

And it's beginning to wreak havoc in my mind.

I perch on the edge of the bed, my eyes fixed on my hands as if they hold the answers to questions I've yet to ask.

Lara used to do this too, run. Not in the literal sense; she lingered long enough to convincingly play the role of the contented wife. But emotionally? She was always miles away, a ghost in the house we shared.

Throughout our marriage, I believed she was the kindest soul I had ever encountered. Little did I know how far from the truth that really was.

She betrayed me, with two different men, and not in the kind of open, consensual way that some might envision. The recollection of it all causes my jaw to clench with lingering resentment.

Years have passed, yet the bitterness still pricks at me sometimes.

Not because I yearn for her. I definitely do not, but because it pains me to think of the years squandered on someone who never truly returned my love.

Then there's Kenzie.

Kenzie is a breath of fresh, untainted air. I see it in the sparkle of her eyes, the sincerity of her words, the genuine warmth in her touch. She carries no facade, no deceit.

She's a delightful mix of bashfulness and boldness, with an authenticity that is rare and precious.

And somehow, that raw honesty is even more intimidating.

I shake my head, allowing my thoughts to drift toward Wyatt, my son, my anchor.

It's been far too long since I've held him close. He is my universe, yet the constant back-and-forth between here and Grand Forks is no easy feat.

I pray he understands the depth of my love, even when I'm miles away, striving to carve out a future before my body surrenders to time.

Kenzie fled. That's her choice.

But I want her, badly.

And I'm growing increasingly weary of keeping up the charade that I don't.

I stand up and stretch my arms over my head, feeling the tension in my muscles as I try to shake off the lingering thoughts. I shouldn't be feeling this way.

I hardly know her, after all. But the way she made me feel...it's different.

This isn’t like my usual quick flings driven solely by lust. Sure, she's incredibly beautiful, with those mesmerizing big brown eyes and that sharp, quick-witted mouth that never runs out of clever remarks, but there's more to it.

It's the essence of her.

The way her face lights up with passion when she talks about animals, the intense focus she has when discussing her work, the boldness she showed the first night we met, calling me out on my shabby hoodie without a hint of intimidation.

She's truly fun.

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