Page 21 of Wrapped Around My Heart
“With everything we’ve talked about and seen, you’re drawing the line at knowing that I think red bras are hot as hell on a woman?” Landon asks and the guilt comes back in full force.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut, and huff out a breath.
“It’s not that. It’s just, not what that looked like.”Liar.Sucking in a calming breath, I force myself to relax and flash Landon a flirty grin. “But now that I know what you like, I’ll make sure to pack one for our next away games.”
Landon whacks me on the back of my head, begging me not to do anything like that. It effectively shifts the conversation away from the picture that is seared into my brain. My fingers itch to look at it again, to memorize every single detail, but the last thing I want is for Landon to look over my shoulder again.
I wait another fifteen minutes and fake needing to take a piss before finally responding from the bathroom.
Me: S.O.S. Pretty sure your brother saw your tit.
Ari: Does he know it was MY tit or just A tit?
She is much calmer than I expected.
Me: … A tit
Ari: oh okay then.
Me: You’re not mad?
Ari: At you? No.
Ari: Am I actively brainstorming ways to teach my brother not to peek at someone else’s phone? 100%
I laugh, only to remember the guys on the other side of the wall and quickly turn on the sink just in case it happens again.
We text back and forth for another minute. I offer to bring pizza when I pick up Cora tomorrow afternoon so we can plot against Landon and my heart practically leaps from my chest when she agrees.
The sound of Landon and Dom laughing from the other side of the door makes me jump. I snap into motion. Pocketing my phone, I turn off the water and stare at my reflection in the mirror.
Arianna makes me feel things I’ve never felt for anyone before. I’ve dated, flirted, and hooked up with women all through college and my first few years of hockey. But no one made me feel like this.
I’m counting down the hours and minutes until I’ll see her again. Dreaming of what it was like to touch her, to hear those beautiful sounds she makes when she comes for me. Hoping for another evening where the two of us talk and laugh for hours. She’s consuming my every thought, and I don’t even want to stop it.
Even knowing I’m sneaking around, knowing that eventually Landon will find out how deeply I care for his sister, none of it makes me want to stop. Especially after her beautiful admission at Thanksgiving.
Things are growing between us. Both of us are fighting it, trying to deny that this is more than just sex because neither of us wants to upset Landon. I’d hope he wouldn’t be mad, considering his sister is a grown woman who can make her own decisions. But it’s a fine line we’re still walking, wanting to avoid the confrontation for as long as we can.
With a decisive nod to myself, I reach for the handle with my mind made up and head back out to the guys.
Landon is my best friend. His opinion matters more than almost anyone else’s in my life. However, Arianna means just as much to me. I will do whatever she wants as long as it means I get to keep her in my life.
I just need to tell her that.
Arianna is wrapped around my heart, tightly and comfortably, like a piece of my hockey gear that fits perfectly in place. She’s all I’ve thought about for years now and I’m done holding back. If she doesn’t feel the same, then at least I’ll know, and we can stop this teasing game.
And if she does feel the same, then we can figure out what to do next. Together.
CHAPTER 8
Arianna
“Shit,”I mumble to myself when the doorbell rings.
Cora’s head pops up and she lets out a small woof but doesn’t move an inch from where she’s curled up beside me on the couch. After an accidentally extra-long walk at one of the local nature conservations this morning, we’ve been cuddled up and watchingNew Girlreruns.
It’s an effort to untangle myself from the pile of fuzzy blankets and I’m glad no one but the dog witnessed how close my face came to meeting the coffee table.
