Page 67 of Her Greatest Mistake

“Stinky or not, I can’t fucking wait, Curly Fry,” he says as we start across the road.

I lean my cheek to the side of his head and intertwine my fingers at the base of his throat. A whiff of his cologne blows up at me from his front, and it finally hits me why I’m so familiar with it.

“I bought you this cologne when we were seventeen,” I say, inhaling the scent.

“You did,” he confirms.

“And you still wear it?”

If I remember correctly, it’s cheap. Definitely not what I would expect the NHL’s top player to be wearing.

“Do we have to talk about this?” he asks quickly, and I swallow back a surprised giggle.

“Oh my God! Are you embarrassed?”

He pinches my thigh, making me squeal as he blows out a long breath. “Yes. Of course I am.”

“You’re adorable. Don’t be embarrassed. I’m actually kinda flattered. Have you been buying it all these years?”

“No, I’ve been using the same bottle for nine years,” he says, sarcasm heavy in the words. I roll my eyes. “Yes, I’ve been buying it. I have to order it online now because it’s not popular enough to be in store.”

I drop my face to the crook of his neck and laugh into his shirt.

“You laughing at me isn’t exactly helping with the embarrassment, you know?” he grumbles.

My heart skips when I ask, “Did you really miss me that much?”

When he suddenly crouches and releases my thighs, I take the hint and drop to my feet, staring up at him, confused. It’s now that I realize we’re in the parking lot of my clinic. Theemptyparking lot. His truck is only a few feet away, and the street lamps are on, casting the faintest glow on the pavement.

Maddox turns and meets my gaze with dark eyes. There’s no hint of the lighthearted energy that was just buzzing around us. Instead, the air is buzzing for an entirely different reason.

“I missed you more than I’ve ever missedanything. You took a piece of me that day, and I’ve been searching for something, anything, to mould into the hole left behind, but it was impossible. Now you’re here, and that hole? It’s gone. So yes, sweetheart. I missed you. And wearing the cologne you got me made me feel like I didn’t lose you entirely while you were away. I’ve worn it every single day.”

“Dox,” I breathe, blinking back tears. His vulnerability today has shaken me, and I know it’s my turn.

Without speaking, I reach toward him and slide my purse from his shoulder. I unzip it and reach inside, rooting around until I feel what I’m looking for. The thin elastic band and square beads make my fingers tingle as I grip the bracelet tight and pull it out, holding it up in front of me.

His eyes fall to the bracelet, and he sucks in a breath.

Maddox’s Girl.

Along the length of the elastic, eleven tiny square beads that he slid on one by one when we were seven shine under the street lamp. A single double knot keeps it all held together.

“I’m not as good with my words are you are. But I’ve kept this with me every single day. So, please don’t be embarrassed about the cologne. I missed you just as much as you missed me. If not more.”

“I want to kiss you,” he croaks, and I notice a sheen to his eyes that makes my knees shake.

The corner of my mouth lifts. “Then kiss me.”

There’s nobody around to see, but one time without the pretense of practice won’t hurt. At this point, I don’t care if it does.

He clasps his hand over the one I have holding the bracelet, and our fingers curl around it as his other hand comes up to hold the back of my head and he pulls me close, kissing me hard.

The kiss is hard but soft. Urgent but patient. Confusing but all too clear at the same time.

In other words, it’s entirely real.

25

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