Page 188 of Lucky Mother Pucker

She cuts me off with a kiss. Then she pulls away and holds my face in her hands, looking me square in the eye.

“I don’t care. I’ll be with you through it all, Leo. No matter what.”

I look at her, stunned. “I could lose everything, Luce. You sure you want that?”

“I’m positive. Look, I know how much hockey means to you. If you can’t play anymore, that’ll be devastating. But that’s not why I’m with you.”

She slides her hand up my chest, pressing her palm over my heart. “I’m with you because you’re the most incredible guy I’ve ever met. I’ve never met such a kind, generous, pure soul.” She swallows. “I’m with you because you always do the right thing, no matter what. I’m with you because of the way you make me feel. You make me feel safe and cared for and special. Like I matter.”

Emotion flashes in her misty eyes, and my pulse kicks up. “I don’t care if everything falls away, and it’s just you, me, and Wally living in a car. I would still be the happiest because I’d have you, Leo.”

That tight, overwhelmed feeling burrows deeper in my chest, wrapping tight around my heart.

I hold her face in my hands and kiss her, soft and sweet.

And then, when we break apart, I say the words I’ve been aching to say. The words I can’t hold in any longer.

“I love you, Luce.”

Her eyes are as big as saucers.

“I know it probably freaks you out to hear me say that because it’s way too soon, but I can’t hold back anymore. I love you so much, and I⁠—”

She grabs my face and kisses me. When she finally stops, I’m dizzy and breathing hard.

“I love you too.”

I stare at her, mouth open in disbelief. “Wait, seriously? You love me?”

She lets out a cute laugh, and her eyes go teary. “Of course I love you.”

I pull her against me and kiss her, slower this time. I want to savor everything about this moment. The sweet taste of her mouth. The warmth of her body. The softness of her skin. The way I can feel her heart beating against my chest as she touches me and kisses me.

I want to remember every single thing about this moment, when the world around us fell away, and everything was perfect and right because Lucy Bailey told me she loves me.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you,” she says against my mouth.

“Since when?” I rasp.

“Yesterday when we were in bed together.”

I pull away, breaking our kiss so I can look at her. “Really?”

She nods, biting her lip. I brush her wet hair out of her face.

“That’s when I felt it too,” I say. “I wanted to tell you. But I thought it would freak you out.”

She lets out a breathy laugh that echoes within the shower walls. “That’s why I didn’t say it either. I’d thought you’d go running for the hills.”

I walk her back so she’s against the shower wall, then I lean down and kiss the side of her neck. She whimpers as I lick her skin.

“Oh, Luce. The only direction I’m running from now on is straight to you.”

She makes a sweet, desperate noise as I run my mouth up the delicate slope of her neck.

My cock is throbbing, aching to be inside of her. Not yet though. I need to make her come first.

She reaches up and runs her fingers through her hair, pulling my mouth to hers. Our kiss is filthy and teasing and hot. My pulse hammers through my whole body. All I can feel and see and smell and taste is her.