Page 140 of The Nanny Goal

I make a wounded sound, and she laughs.

“You’relaughing?” I mutter.

She tips her head up and I crush my mouth to hers. It’s bittersweet and aching, and every time I try to deepen it, she pulls away just enough to keep it soft.

But she doesn’t cut it short.

She kisses me and kisses me and kisses me, until I can taste her tears. Because we’re both this emotional, we will be all week. Saying goodbye is hard, even if it’s not forever.

And then I wrap her in my arms again, tight, tighter, and press my face into her hair because then she won’t know that I’m crying, too.

“I got you a present,” I finally say when I don’t sound choked up.

“Is it another jersey?”

“In a manner of speaking. Come outside with me.” I weave our fingers together and lead her out to my car.

In the trunk there are two boxes. One very, very large and the other a flat rectangle, just like a jersey box. I hand that one to Emery. “Carry this.”

I manhandle the massive box into the foyer, then indicate for her to open the gift she’s holding.

Inside, it doeslooklike yet another of my jerseys.

But I think Emery figures out what it is pretty quickly, because her fingertips go to the collar, and the new buttons that have been added, before lifting it in the air.

“Oh, Alexei.” She looks pleased, really pleased.

“I know you can’t wear it in a real kitchen, but?—”

“I’m never wearing it tocook, in any kitchen, but I’m definitely going to wear it to a game, and I’ll have pictures taken in it!” She pulls off her sweatshirt, then slides her arms into the custom chef’s jacket I had made for her out of my jersey.

I button it up for her, then hold on tight as I brush a soft kiss on her mouth. “I’m proud of everything you do. I want to celebrate it as much as you celebrate me.”

Her eyes shine up at me. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She looks at the big cardboard box. “And what is that?”

“A play kitchen.”

Again, she gives me a pleased look, and the feeling I get when I surprise her like this is as good as any other high I’ve chased in my life. Being drafted. Winning a hard fought game. Getting the nod as a starter in the NHL.

Loving Emery Granger with my entire being is such a fucking rush.

I hook my arm around her, holding her close, because I can. Because I love fucking touching her, and in a few days, I won’t be able to. “Since you taught Inessa to play hockey while I was away, I thought I should play chef with her while you’re in New York.”

“She’s turning that thing into a net, you know.”

“We’re a multi-tasking family. It’s fine.” I drop another kiss on her, and it gets a little wild, because that, too, is going to stop being a thing in a few days.

I’m going to miss you, my heart pounds.

But she clings to me in a way that promises,I’m coming back.

CHAPTER46

EMERY

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