Page 100 of Unleashed

“I missed you too.” His voice dropped to a low rumble. “Missed having someone who saw past the C on my jersey. Someone who made me think. Who challenged me to be a better man, be the man she wanted.”

“Jack—”

But his mouth covered mine before I could finish, stealing the rest of the words and whatever breath I had left.

This time, his lips claimed mine. Hungry. Familiar. Certain. Like he already knew how I’d respond. Like he’d waited long enough. His hands tangled in my hair as my fingers fisted in the front of his shirt, dragging him closer. The desk bit into my back. I didn’t care. I would’ve let him tear the whole world down around us if it meant keeping that connection.

He tasted like rain and memory. Like trust rebuilt and second chances earned. His fingers slid into my hair, anchoring me in the moment, tilting my head so he could take more—give more—until I gasped against his mouth.

Then Bright chirped, loud and insistent.

I would’ve locked my pet in a closet if I didn’t love him.

We broke apart just enough to breathe, foreheads pressed together, air shared between us while the storm rattled the windows

“Stay.” The word revealed too much, but I didn’t care anymore. I let every ounce of what I was feeling show on my face. Perhaps because I’d fallen in love with him in the middle of lies, but I couldn’t —wouldn’t—shy away from the truth ever again. Not with this man. “Not just for the night. Not because of the storm. Stay and build a life with me. One we don’t have to justify or filter or shrink down to fit someone else’s script.”

His hands framed my face, thumbs tracing my cheekbones. “You sure about that, Hollywood?” His voice dropped low, threaded with challenge and the softest thread of hope. “Small town life doesn’t come with a red carpet.”

“I’ve never been more sure.” My heart kicked hard, but my voice held. “All I need to work is people, and Three Corners is chock full of interesting characters. But beyond that, Adele and I have lots of ideas. She wants to lean into her music connections. We might have to do some traveling, but 3C makes a great home base. Especially if you—” I leaned in, pressed against him, let the warmth of his body filter through me. “You’re here.”

His answering kiss tasted like promise. Like trust earned and forgiveness freely given. Like the kind of love worth choosing, worth fighting for, worth building brick by careful brick.

Outside, the wind eased. The rain lightened.

Inside, wrapped in Jack’s arms with Bright’s rumbly purr overhead, I finally felt steady. Like all my scattered pieces had found their way home.

“I love you.” The words came easy now, as natural as breathing. “The hockey player and the man. Every complicated, beautiful piece of you.”

His smile—the real one, the one that crinkled his eyes and made my heart stutter—lit up his whole face. “Love you too, Hollywood. Grilled cheese disasters and all.”

This time when he kissed me, it felt like beginning. Like the first chapter of a story worth telling. Worth living.

Worth choosing, every single day.

Epilogue

Viggy

Hockey Rule #129: Stick taps mean more than speeches

Media Rule #129: Reputation is built off-camera

Thechampagnebarelyregisteredas I watched Lily work the room, slipping between conversations with the kind of quiet fire that always turned heads. A minute ago, she’d been beside me—her hand in mine—before another industry hotshot pulled her away. Her award—heraward, not Malone’s, not anyone else’s—sat heavy in my hands. The weight of it matched the pride in my chest and I couldn’t hold back my smile. A big, fat, that’s-my-girl grin I wouldn’t be losing for a long time.

She caught my eye across the crowded hotel ballroom, a secret smile we’d perfected over time lighting up her face. The same smile she’d given me right before taking the stage, right before bringing the whole room to their feet with a speech that proved exactly why Three Corners Productions had just swept the sports documentary category.

“This award represents choosing integrity over easy success,” she’d said, those sea-glass eyes finding mine in the crowd and lighting me up inside. “I learned that lesson from a hockey player who showed me that legacy isn’t measured in trophies, but in the lives we touch. In the stories we leave the next generation.”

You might take the girl out of Hollywood, but there was no taking the Hollywood out of Lily.

God, she was stunning. Not just the dress or the makeup or the way her dark hair curled just right around her cheekbones. No, her beauty ran deeper. Lily at full wattage—clever, quick, radiant from the inside out. The woman I used to catch glimpses of around the arena, behind guarded smiles and half-finished jokes, now stood fully in her skin.

And I was a goner all over again.

She’d taken to the challenges of a start-up in a new town like no one’s business. The stress left her eyes, the worry dropped from her shoulders. The clever, funny woman I’d seen hints of a year ago thrived now and every time I thought I couldn’t love her more, she proved me wrong.

“Jack.” A hand landed on my shoulder—Commissioner Nelson himself, looking exactly like he had when I’d accepted my first Selke. “That development program of yours is making waves. Got half the owner’s asking when you’ll take a real coaching position.”

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