We lay there in the quiet, the Christmas lights from outside casting amber shadows on the ceiling. I could feel his breath evening out, feel the slow relaxation of his muscles as he softened against me. My hand drifted down between us, brushing through the damp hair at his groin, and I smiled when I felt him twitch.
"Round two?" I murmured.
He laughed, low and tired. "Give me five minutes."
I kissed his jaw. "I'll be here."
And I would be. Not just tonight, but tomorrow and the day after and all the days we had. For the first time in my life, I wasn't waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was just lying in the arms of the man I loved, feeling the future open up in front of us—one heartbeat at a time.
THIRTY
KIERAN
I blinked awake slowly, and the memory of the night before came rushing back. The conversation. The tears. The confessions. The I love you’s. A smile tugged at my mouth before I could stop it.
Thane’s face was buried against the back of my neck, his breath stirring my hair with every exhale. His arm was draped across my waist, heavy and possessive. Sometime during the night, he'd apparently decided personal space was optional.
Honestly? I wasn't complaining. I shifted slightly. The arm around my waist tightened immediately. A sleepy grumble sounded behind me.
Then lips brushed the back of my shoulder. "You're awake."
The roughness of his voice made my smile widen.
"Maybe."
A kiss landed against the back of my shoulder. Then another.
"Definitely awake." I rolled onto my back so I could look at him.
His hair was a mess. His eyes were still half closed. I'd never seen anything more attractive in my life.
A slow smile spread across his face. "You're staring."
I brushed my fingers through the hair falling across his forehead. "Maybe."
"Good."
His answer made me laugh.
He caught my hand before I could lower it and pressed a kiss into my palm. The simple affection of it nearly undid me. It felt like he'd been doing it forever.
His thumb brushed over my knuckles. "There is something I wanted to ask you."
Something in his expression immediately caught my attention. It wasn't nervousness... more like hope.
"What?"
"We have a home game on Saturday."
For a second, I simply looked at him. Then realization dawned. "Oh."
His smile softened. "I want you there. Would you come with me?"
I looked at the man lying beside me and realized this wasn't really about hockey. It was an invitation. To his world. To the people who mattered to him. To being seen.
The thought was terrifying. And wonderful.
Thane must have seen something on my face because he simply waited. Giving me space to choose. The same way he'd done last night. The choice was mine. Not fear's.
