Page 36 of Accidentally Fudging the Beast
For a second, we just stand there. Trent's hand finds mine, lacing our fingers together, as if he needs the connection as much as I do.
"How pissed are you right now, Sunshine?" he asks, his voice oddly tense as he stares after Ryan.
I study his profile, the sharp lines and strong angles, trying to understand the shift in his mood when he glances over at me. There's a vulnerability in his eyes I've never seen before, not on the ice, not even yesterday in the ER.
Realization hits like a hammer blow—he's risking just as much as I am here, and he's just as terrified as I am.
If this all goes to hell, it's not just my job or my reputation on the line. It's his, too. His standing with the team, his future, and his heart.
He's in love with me. That's never been as obvious as it is right now.
I reach up and touch his cheek, my thumb brushinghis beard.
"I'm not mad at all," I whisper. How can I be? Even before I knew there was an us, he was fighting for us, for me.
He exhales a soft, relieved breath, hauling me up against his chest as if he's afraid I'll vanish if he lets me go. "I meant what I said," he murmurs, his forehead pressed to mine. "I want you, Dani. I want this. So fucking badly it's terrifying."
I believe him. I really, truly do. And, for the first time, I let myself imagine what it might look like if I stop running and just let him catch me.
If this is what's at stake, maybe my career is worth risking. Maybe everything is.
I squeeze his hand, trying to decide what happens next. I don't have any answers, though, at least not tonight. This isn't the place for them.
"Come on," I say. "If we don't get back soon, they're going to send a search party."
He laughs, the sound genuine, as he tugs me even closer. "We can't have that."
We walk back into the party together. The music is louder, the lights are brighter, and the crowd is rowdier than before. But with Trent's hand in mine, none of it feels overwhelming anymore. It feels…hopeful.
I catch Ryan's eye across the room. He gives me a thumbs up and mouths, "Good luck," before a pair of kids tackle his legs.
Trent tugs me closer, and I lean into him, letting myself be seen. Letting everyone see us.
It's terrifying.
And absolutely, completely worth it.
Chapter Seven
Trent
By the time wemake it back to Dani's place for the night, she's giddy, tipsy, and radiant as hell, laughing like she's never been hurt in her life. But, as I'm coming to learn, her past is seasoned with more pain and disappointment than I think anyone realizes.
She's been hurt, let down, and neglected for most of her life. But somehow, impossibly, she still puts her whole heart on the line for the people she cares about.
"Careful, Sunshine." I hold onto her as we stumble through her front door, her arm tangled with mine, her boots tracking mud and glitter across the floor.
Her only response is another soft laugh that turns my blood to steam. She's wrecking me tonight, completely unraveling me at the seams. I don't think she even realizeshow beautiful she truly is when she's happy, but it's impossible to miss the way she glows.
I wasn't the only one who noticed it tonight. My teammates did. Their dates did, too. The puck bunnies were practically shooting daggers at us before we left, jealous that she was the center of attention. As if they could ever compete or compare.
There is no competition or comparison. Dani is the magic in the world. They're what's left when it dies. She has an endless well of light to pour into the world. I think they flickered out a long goddamn time ago.
Dani nearly lands on her face outside her bedroom, but I catch her, one hand gripping the curve of her ass, the other clutching her wrist. The sound that leaves her mouth is one hundred percent illegal in seventeen states.
She bites her lip, her blue eyes wide, and then grins up at me. "Did you have to catch me by my ass?"
"Full service," I say with a straight face. "You fall; I catch. No exceptions."
