Page 115 of Three Pucking Words
There’s no hesitation. “I do. I really do.”
“Hoffman!” someone yells. My father. “Get your ass over here and stop shmoozing my daughter. You’ve got interviews.”
I laugh. “You better go before he makes you do extra laps or conditioning at your next practice. We both know he will.”
Bodhi winces at the thought. “Are you coming to dinner with us? It’ll just be me and Gem. Helen has to go back home to make sure Joe isn’t doing more than he should, and I know Gemma would love to have you there.”
One of my eyebrows raises. “Depends. You’re not considering that our date, are you?”
He snorts. “Honey, I don’t take my kid on dates. I plan on being very thorough with you when we do go out just the two of us.”
Heat blasts my cheeks. “Is that a yes then?”
He kisses my cheek. “That’s a hell yes.”
I giggle. “Go. My dad is glaring at you right now with his coach face on.”
Bodhi flinches. “Shit. That’s not good.”
I wave him off. “I’ll meet you by the locker rooms. I love y—” I stop myself with a sucked in breath when I realize what I was about to blurt.
He stops, nearly tripping over his skates at the three words I’d nearly said. His eyes are wide as they stare back at me. “What?”
“I love…yogurt.” I close my eyes at the embarrassing sentence but decide to go with it. “We should get froyo for dessert.”
My voice is a notch higher than normal, giving away my nervousness.
Bodhi’s face softens, and his eyes do a quick scan over my stressed features. “I love yogurt too, honey.”
My heart reacts in a way I can only describe as galloping.
Because we’re not talking about yogurt.
*
Bodhi picks upGemma from where she passed out on my lap playing dolls for the last hour and a half. According to her, my doll was an undercover cop fighting for the rights of all unicorns who want to be president. Hers was a queen, no other backstory.
When Bodhi asked if he could join us, she told him it was girls only and he wasn’t allowed to touch her toys.
ButIcould.
And I bet the feelings swelling in my chest were similar to the ones Bodhi felt in that moment.
It isn’t long before Bodhi comes back down and stops at the end of the couch. “She let you play with her favorite doll.”
There’s an odd look on his face—a sad one. Is he upset he couldn’t play with us? “I’m sure she’ll let you join next time. You can be the undercover cop—”
“No” he cuts me off, shaking his head and sitting on the edge of the couch. “She doesn’t let anybody touch those dolls. Not me. Not Joe. Not even Helen. Inez…” His voice sounds fragile. “Hermother gave her those, and she’s always been territorial over them. But she letyouplay with them.”
Oh.Oh.I reach over and touch the top of his hand. “Is that…okay? I don’t want to step on any toes or—”
Bodhi stops my concern with the most heated kiss of my life. It’s hot and hard and ends far too soon. “Are you kidding me, honey? It’s the best fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”
The next kiss steals my breath away, barely giving me time to process it before my mouth is opening for him.
I scooch closer to find a better angle, using my palm to cup his jaw until I melt into him.
Then everything changes.
