Page 56 of Wilder Puck
So, I'm relieved—and thrilled—to find her waiting on my front steps when I pull into my driveway twenty minutes later.
“Hi,” I say as I jump out of my truck. “You didn’t reply, so I thought you were sleeping.”
She stands, a huge smile on her face. “I had to come to congratulate my best friend in person, didn't I?”
She throws her arms around my neck, and I catch her easily, burying my face in her vanilla citrus-scented hair. We hold each other tight, just breathing each other in. My exhaustion from the game fades away, replaced with contentment.
“I'm glad you're here,” I murmur. “I know it's late, so thank you.”
She leans back to cup my face in her hands, her eyes so warm in the light. “Ryan. I know this friends-with-benefits thing is…”Complicating things?She can’t finish the sentence. “But I will always be here to cheer you on no matter what.”
My heart kicks against my ribs. I tighten my grip on her hips. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she says softly.
She smiles and opens her mouth to say something else, but I can't wait anymore. I need to taste her, to show her how I feel even if I can't say the words yet.
I haul her up against me and slant my mouth over hers in a hot, urgent kiss. She makes a surprised noise that quickly melts into a moan, her fingers sinking into my hair. I lick into her mouth, greedy for the sweet taste of her. She kisses me back,and it feels fucking beautiful to know she feels the same way about me.
This feels like coming home, like the last piece of the puzzle snapping into place. Kissing Addie is a revelation every single time, fueling the fire in my chest. I didn't know it was possible to want someone this much, with every cell in my body.
I walk us backward, fumbling with the front door without breaking the kiss. We stumble over the threshold, hands already roaming, seeking skin. I want to touch her everywhere at once, map every curve, dip and hollow until I know her body better than my own. I press her against the wall.
Addie breaks away with a gasp. I glance at her luscious lips. “Ryan.”
I freeze at the sight of her face, panting harshly. Shit. “Yeah?”
The expression she’s wearing is far from excitement.
“Are you okay?” I ask, worried.
My heart hammers against my ribs as she pulls away.
Chapter 19
His mouth on mine is hot and insistent, and I'm completely lost in him. The solid heat of his body pressing me into the wall, the way his hands grip my hips like he can't get close enough. It's intoxicating, the way he consumes me.
But even as I sink into the kiss, even as my fingers tangle in his hair to keep him close, a voice whispers in the back of my mind. A voice of doubt, of fear, of all the ways this could go so terribly wrong.
It's that voice that has me tearing my mouth from his, gasping for a breath as I push at his chest.
“Ryan,” I breathe.
He pulls back instantly, concern etched into the lines of his face. “Are you okay?”
I pull away and don’t know how to answer.
“Addison,” he says sternly.
“No, no, I'm fine.” I try to smile, but it feels shaky. “I just–I think we need to talk.”
His brow furrows and he steps back, giving me space. I immediately miss his warmth, but I know I need a clear head for this conversation.
I take a deep breath, trying to corral my thoughts. “I know I suggested all this. I said let’s practice on each other, but I didn’t know.”
A smile quirks his lips. “Blame it on my stupid question over text. And winning the game. It’s got me all worked up. I’m sorry.” He takes a step back. “I’m sorry, Addie. Please forgive me. I know I just crossed a boundary there.”
Heat rushes through me as I think about the lists we sent each other. The flirting. The anticipation. “Don’t be sorry, please. It’s making me think you might regret all of this.”
