Molly slapped her hand over Cleo’s face. “Nope. Don’t you fucking dare, ChoCho. And just for that near-miss with The Feels.” She shuddered theatrically. “You’re going to buy me nachos.”
Chapter 20
Finnegan
They’d won the game, they were Final Four champs. The roof had been lifted off the arena with the cheers of their fans, but none of it mattered. Not really. He was on his way to see his girl and he was going to celebrate in style – buried to the hilt inside her perfect pink pussy.
Molly stood at the end of the tunnel, chatting to the away team’s goaltender about their loss. Somehow she managed to talk to the losing players without upsetting them even more than they already were. She had a capacity to write their pain on the page, while not rubbing in the fact they’d lost.ESPNwere fucking crazy not to take her on for the summer internship. He was still pissed about it.
She lived and breathed the game almost as much as any player on the team – she always had. She was smart as a whip, sharp, and she had a way with people. One thing about Molly Morrison was she never half-assed anything. She always gave her entire ass to everything she put her mind to doing.
And with any luck, that ass would be doing him sometime soon. He already had a semi. Fuck.
She leaned against the wall, somehow cradling a Dictaphone between her last two fingers, and a notepad between her thumb and forefinger in the same hand. She was recording, but taking extra notes too, as the goalie spoke, and Finn couldn’t help but smile at her thoroughness. Her features were soft, even in the harsh lighting. She had fur-lined brown ankle boots, jeans that looked like she’d been poured into them, and a Snow Pirates jersey that fell to her mid-thigh.
Something poked at his chest. She’d only ever worn her own name and her favorite number, #7, on her shoulders, but perhaps that was something he could change in the future. There was nothing hotter than the woman you loved wearing your name on her body.
Love. The word should probably have made him twitchy, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he’d always loved her. His love for her simply was. Like the sky was blue and the grass was green. She also turned him into a soppy ass freakin’ poet.
She tucked her pen into her back pocket and rubbed a soothing hand up and down the guy’s bicep. She was elated at their win, Finn had seen her from the ice – hell, he could have sworn he’dheardher from the ice and given the fact it was a full arena with thousands of screaming fans that was no small feat. But as she stood comforting their opponent, the genuine empathy radiating from her was touching.
Finn shivered, he’d been on the receiving end of her empathy more times than he cared to count. She’d been there for him so many times over the years, but never let anyone be there for her. Would that ever change? Would he ever be able to be there for her like she’d been there for him?
When the player finally turned away from her, Molly said something into her Dictaphone and glanced around the hallway. When her eyes found his, she smiled and he could have sworn her breath hitched.
She tossed him a wiggle of her fingers and he jerked his chin at her, taking a step in her direction. “Wanna talk to a winner?” He winked.
She dragged her eyes down the still-open notebook in her hand like she was looking down a list of names, before checking her nails. “Thanks, but I already spoke to Seb.”
“Ouch, Doll.” He covered his heart. “You wound me.”
Her smile grew into a savage grin. She reached between her and the wall, grabbed something, spun toward him and unleashed the biggest confetti cannon he’d ever seen right at his face.
A couple of heads poked out into the corridor from the locker room, but Finn just gawped at her while she giggled maniacally. She tossed him a nonchalant shrug.
“Oh. It’s like that, is it?” He spluttered a piece of colored paper from between his lips and dusted a few off his shoulders and hair.
“Oh. It’s definitely like that.” She arched an eyebrow.
He waggled a finger at her. “This isn’t over.” If he wasn’t mistaken, a shudder passed through her body at his words. Good. Let the anticipation drive her every bit as crazy as it was driving him.
“I figured we’d… talk… later.” The pink flush blooming in her cheeks was fucking adorable. This softer side of Molly was one he rarely saw, but knowing he had an effect on her did things to him.
Finn leaned forward, brushing the curve of her ear with his lips. “I mean we can if you want, but I wasn’t really planning on doing much talking later. Unless you count pleading with me to let you come.”
She gasped, covering it with a cough.
“Still here?” Will clapped Finn on his back with one hand and handed him a brush to clean up the confetti with the other. Every muscle up his spine tensed. Had he heard what Finn had said? Not likely, considering his fist wasn’t embedded in Finn’s face. He needed to be more careful. He couldn’t let his overwhelming desire to make Molly blush ruin any chance they had at being together.
Will didn’t wait for a response. “Good game, brother.”
Finn turned to accept the awkward hug from Will. His captain, his best friend, his brother. Brother. Fuck. A lead weight sank deeper into his stomach. He wanted to come clean, to lay his heart on the line and tell Will his intentions with his sister. Maybe if they were upfront about it, it wouldn’t be so bad.
But Molly didn’t want it. He knew she was reluctant to expedite their deaths, she probably wasn’t even convinced she and Finn would amount to anything, so there was no point in telling Will anything if it wasn’t for real.
Except itwasfor real. Finn had opened the door to their future and Molly’s toes were across the threshold. He loved her, with every ounce of his being, and while she might never openly say it back to him, she loved him too. Everything else was window dressing. They’d overcome it all.
He’d do it her way – for the time being – keeping their secret from the world. But that didn’t mean guilt wasn’t going to gnaw his insides like mice through wiring.
