Page 106 of Full Tilt
Tommy
We got an early flight home and Archer told me where you’d be with the girls.
Me
So it appears.
Tommy
Come on a date with me, Hellion.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
TOMMY
“Full transparency.” I stop just in front of Jenna, throwing ice onto her black jeans.
She looks down at the wet patches forming where the ice melts, her hands propped on her hips in disgust.
“You’re way better at skating than I thought you would be.”
Reaching up, she cups my cheek in one of her palms. She’s wearing black gloves since I took her home to get wrapped up before driving us to the ice rink under the Brooklyn Bridge, for what I’m convinced is my first official date with a girl.
“Tommy, ever the cocky one. I went skating with my brother and his friends a ton. If I wasn’t playing soccer, I’d probably be playing hockey.” She smirks up at me, rosy cheeks only heating further when I bring my mouth closer to hers. “I wanted to be a goalie so I could boss asshole defensemen and women around.”
I point at myself. “But assholes can still be endearing, no?”
She taps her chin in thought. “I’m thinking I can make an exception for you.”
My stomach flips at her words, and as she turns around to skate away from me, I wrap my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder.
Even beneath the layers of clothing separating us, I’m sure I feel her heart rate pick up. The puffs of air she exhales in the darkening night sky for sure become bigger and more frequent.
“This is what you want, right, Jenna? To feel safe and wanted in your man’s arms?”
I know a picture of us can’t go any further than my own phone gallery, especially given Jenna’s brother doesn’t know about us, and announcing I have a girlfriend I don’t officially have as a first social media post might be taking things a step too far. Still, I pull my phone from my pocket, opening the camera to selfie mode.
Jenna turns her head over her shoulder, our lips close, breaths mingling. “What are you doing?”
“Making you another curry,” I sarcastically reply.
She rolls her eyes at me, and I snap the first picture of us. It seems fitting that the first photo we take is one where she’s irritated with me.
“Can we take another?” I ask, turning her around to face me.
She rests her arms over my shoulders, and it’s all the excuse I need to press my mouth against hers and take another picture of us kissing.
“What if someone recognizes you?” she whispers into my mouth. “I mean, I’m hardly famous, but someone is bound to notice you.”
“Do you care?” I ask her. “Because I don’t give a flying fuck.”
She shakes her head. “No, I don’t care what anyone here thinks. But I do think I should talk to Holt.”
“What are you going to tell him? That I’m your man?”
She looks up at me, two big pools of blue that make me want to submerge myself in her forever.
Jesus Christ.
