Page 112 of Playmaker

She poked me with a finger. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m sure I won’t like it.”

She’d argue about it, but there was no way I wasn’t going to enjoy treating my partner. Lover. Girlfriend. “But you’re doing this. Giving us a chance. Dating, being together.”

She let out a long sigh. “Yeah. I am. And I should say this to you…”

“Not if you don’t want to. Not if you don’t mean it.”

“I never say things I don’t mean. At least, not intentionally. I do love you, Cooper, but I’m not sure I’m any good at it.”

“I’m not sure either. But I’m sure I’m gonna try.”

“I don’t want to hurt you. I never want to do that, but I will. I don’t know how to say the right things, and when I’m upset I block everyone out. It’s how I’ve had to deal with things all my life.”

“I can be patient. I keep people out too.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “But what I feel for you is bigger than anything I can remember. So I’ll try. You’ll have to give me chances, but I will try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

I drew her close, breathed in her scent. She wrapped herself around me, dropping kisses on my neck, which led to more kissing and…

After a second round, she finally took the tour of the condo. I watched her as she wandered through the place, wearing one of my T-shirts. It had my name and number on it, so I’d never worn it, but I liked it on her. It marked her as mine.

I’d chosen neutral grays for the space, with red and yellow accents and black leather furniture in the great room. It reflected the team’s colors, which had provided this space. I expected a comment from her on that, but she didn’t say anything until she looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows, over the lake.

“I made some other decisions.”

I crossed to her and wrapped my arms around her from behind. Whatever she wanted, I’d support her.

“I don’t know how to do relationships, and I’ve been spending most of my time working, trying to be noticed as a potential partner. But after your visit, it was obvious I could make that goal by using you. And that felt wrong.”

“They asked you to bring me in as a client?”

“Nothing that blunt, but I read between the lines. I remember you asking me why I chose that firm. Now I’m second-guessing whether Anderson, Krys and Chan is the right place for me after all.”

I kept my arms around her and kissed her neck. This was a hell of a big thing for her.

“I’m going to scale back my hours to a more normal level for the next several months. While we do this relationship stuff. I’ll see if that changes things at the firm. I’m not going to wait to live my life anymore. And if that’s a problem for them, if the only way to make partner there is to work eighty-hour weeks, maybe it’s not right for me after all. If they work with your family, well…”

“Whatever you want, I’m here. If I can help, I will.”

She twisted in my arms so she was facing me. “I still want to make partner on my own. I appreciate your support, but I don’t want to earn a position using you any more than I do using sex. But the partnership can wait, and maybe it won’t happen. I’m damned good at my job, so I’ll always have work if I want it. Have you seen the job openings for tax attorneys?”

I shook my head, but I could believe she’d kept an eye on that. She pressed up and kissed me, and what I was feeling inside was so big, it felt like my body couldn’t contain it.

“You’ll always be safe, Callie. You might not let me give you everything legally, but it’s all yours. The stuff on paper, and…” I lifted her hand to the left side of my chest. “Everything else as well.”

A corner of her mouth ticked up. “Maybe I should accept the Ferrari.”

I growled and picked her up. This tour was over and we were going back to the bedroom.

Epilogue

A special kiss cam

Callie

The air was cool,smelling of ice. Did ice have a smell? I thought so. Excitement vibrated through the people in the arena, the crowd still a little sparse as the players spilled onto the ice for their warming up routine.

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