Page 67 of Second-Rate Superstar

It was time to go for broke.

“You shared a story with me, so I think it’s only fair that I reciprocate.” She eyed me quizzically but didn’t protest. “I’m not sure if you know this, but I went last in my draft class.” Her eyes dipped, giving away she already held that knowledge, but I didn’t care how she’d learned it. “Honestly, while I sat there with the inevitability of falling short of living up to my brother’s larger-than-life legacy staring me in the face, I was relieved. I’d spent years crumbling under the pressure, and I thought I would gain my freedom—the chance to carve my own path and make a name for myself independent of Jaxon. But even that choice was stolen from me.”

Dakota nodded in understanding. “Because the Comets picked you.”

A wry laugh fell from my lips. “They did my brother a favor by trading their pick to ensure I didn’t go undrafted. Or so they thought. In reality, they handcuffed me. I would never escape his shadow. With the two of us on the same team, it would become glaringly obvious that I could never measure up. We’re side by side on the ice, for God’s sake.”

Her hand stroked up and down my shoulder. “Does he know how you feel?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Natalie does. Jaxon would never understand. He trains hard but is so naturally gifted. Heisthe measuring stick everyone else holds themselves up against. He doesn’t know what it feels like to be found lacking.”

“Maybe not,” she mused. “But I can’t imagine he’d want you to continue feeling this way. He wouldn’t want you to feel small so he could stand taller.”

“It’s hard not to feel small when your worth is tied to your performance on the ice. Right after I got drafted, my long-time girlfriend, the girl I thought I was going to marry—yeah, I know I was only eighteen and didn’t know shit about life—dumped me. Flat out told me that I was going nowhere because I was drafted last. She’d been using me for years, buying into the hype that I was headed down the exact same path as my brother.”

“Braxton. I’m sorry.” Dakota dropped her forehead to mine.

“You know, it’s funny. The night we met, I thought you were so cool, standing up for yourself, pushing back. No one has ever done that to me before. Usually, they’re giggling, falling all over themselves to gain my attention, and touching me without permission. But you? You held your own, and I have to believe you would have been even harsher if you’d known exactly who I was.”

She huffed out a laugh, and her breath fanned my face. “You’re telling me you thought to yourself after that night,Yeah, I wanna take the hard road. I’m gonna fight the uphill battle with a girl who wants absolutely nothing to do with me?”

I shrugged. “What can I say? I like a challenge. More than that, I likeyou. And not just because you’re the first girl to ever not care about what I do on the ice, but because you’re an incredible person in your own right. The more I get to know you, the more I realize I don’t want to spend time with anyone else.”

Pausing, I took a deep breath. “So, I’ll ask again. Be mine, Dakota. Let me treat you the way you deserve while we continue learning everything there is to know about each other.”

“Exclusive?” That single word was said so softly I almost didn’t hear it.

I would have been insulted she even had to ask, but given what she’d shared about her mom and knowing what she’d witnessed with Bristol, I knew she needed to hear me say the words.

Heart in my throat, I dared to glance up at her. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” That was the God’s honest truth.

Lip trembling, she nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes?” I needed to hear her say it again.

“Yes.”

Warmth spread through my chest at the smile on her face, and I couldn’t stop myself from gripping both sides of her face and pulling her back down for a kiss. Dakota laughed against my mouth, and my heart soared.

Was she really mine?

For the first time since coming to Connecticut, I felt pure, unfiltered joy.

Maybe the Comets had done me a favor after all.

Chapter 16

Dakota

Braxton:Normally, I’d come to the door, but I’ve got precious cargo, and I’m not messing with this car seat until I absolutely have to.

Smiling, I grabbed my coat and flung open the front door to find Braxton’s car parked along the street. Locking up behind me, I walked to the passenger side and peeked through the backseat window.

Charlie was buckled in tight for our shared ice rink date. Braxton had made good on our promise to his niece that she could join us the next time we went out on the ice.

My heart had melted on Thanksgiving for that man. First, when I saw him with his nieces and nephews—he was so fun-loving with them, especially the younger ones who demanded his attention. Then, there was the game of mini sticks in the basement. I should have known his competitive drive would match my own, though mine was usually reserved for internal competition. But when he’d found me in the basement after the disaster at dinner? He was so kind and patient, listening without judgment. I shouldhave known he wouldn’t condone my father’s actions—given he wasn’t thrilled with Nix’s antics—but hearing the words from his mouth was needed. He took care to share his own story, opening my eyes to the fact that athletes were just as prone to being used in a relationship as their partners. Braxton saw my vulnerability and raised it with his own, baring insecurities he hadn’t shared with many others.

And that kiss? God, I could still feel it on my lips, even a week later.

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