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I beam up at him, brushing his nose with mine. “I wouldn’t miss this. I am so proud of you, and I had to be here to cheer you on.”
“I don’t think you realize how much this means to me.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I promise, stroking my fingers along the back of his neck. “Plus, you score so much better when I’m around.”
Ciaran’s eyes burn for me, and he drops his lips to mine. He squeezes me to him, feeling as if he wants to become one. I wouldn’t complain; I’d willingly be an extension of him. He parts from me, only a mere inch, before whispering, “Lou.”
His voice is so hoarse, so full of emotion as our gazes lock.
“Ciaran.”
He swallows hard, his jaw ticking as his eyes search mine. My heart starts to pound in my chest, and something shifts between us. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m so trapped in his eyes, I can’t even try to figure it out. In a way, it doesn’t matter as long as he keeps looking at me like this. Like no one is here, like he shouldn’t be warming up instead of holding me. Then it dawns on me that he probably does need to get back on the ice. As much as I don’t want to, I say, “I have missed you so much, but don’t you need to get?—”
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “I need to say something.”
My brows draw together, my heart speeding up once more. “What?”
Such adoration fills his features, and he leans in, his eyes dancing with mine as his hand comes up to cup my jaw. “I can’t go another moment without telling you that I am completely and entirely in love with you.”
My breath hitches as my eyes widen.
“I have felt like this for a while. I was waiting to hear if you loved me, but seeing you here, knowing you’re here to support me, I can’t not tell you how much you mean to me. How much I love you. Which is a lot.”
The tears come fast and rush down my cheeks. His eyes widen in surprise as he catches each one, wiping them away. I can see he is about to apologize, but I shake my head, stopping his words. “Ciaran, I love you too. I’ve loved you for a while now.”
I see love swirl in his blue depths. “You have?”
“I have,” I admit, nodding. “Since the moment you fell into my bed and didn’t leave. I knew my heart was yours.”
He sighs deeply, pressing his nose into mine. “Say it again.”
I smile against his lips. “I love you.”
“Again.”
I laugh as I promise, “I love you.”
He kisses me then, a soul-deep kiss that has my body going taut and leaving my brain fuzzy. Our tongues dance, our hands clutch at each other, and when we part, we’re both out of breath. His eyes meet mine, and a smile pulls at both our lips, our love burning bright between us.
“I’ve never wanted to hear those words until you.”
My heart swells. “I’ve never loved anyone in my life, and I know it’s because I was meant to love only you.” Ciaran kisses me again and continues to do so until I finally have to push him away when his teammates are calling for him. “Go. We have all night.”
He doesn’t go far, still holding on to me. “We have forever, and I still don’t want to let you go.”
Oh, this guy. “Go score for me.”
“Done,” he says before kissing my nose. “I love you.”
I kiss his lips. “I love you. Go have fun.”
He winks in such a playful way, I’m left breathless. As I watch him head back onto the ice, a grin so wide it brings on a fluttering in my belly, I know deep inside me that no matter the distance, no matter what happens, I’ll never love anyone as much as I love Ciaran Carter.
CHAPTER 44
Ciaran
I’ve never loved anyone in my life, and I know it’s because I was meant to love only you.
