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But then his lips caress mine. My core tightens and I can’t think of a single reason not to stay with Hagan.
“Just stay.” His golden brown eyes hypnotize me as he touches me lightly. I feel my back hit the fridge. Oh God. My heart bangs against my rib cage. And I melt into his touch. Sink into his arms.
“Okay.”
ChapterTwenty-Six
Hagan
Fear flashesin her eyes before she relaxes. Neither of us know what to expect, so I keep kissing her until Joe and Ginger interrupt us. “Hey, we’re leaving. I’m staying at the home run house with Joe tonight. Do you want us to drop you off on our way?”
I look at her hoping she doesn’t change her mind. “No. Umm. I’m staying here tonight.”
Ginger who has absolutely no filter says, “Well hot damn, Addy Bug.” She pulls Adalee into a hug and drags her into the other room. Ginger’s jumping up and down like she won the grand prize at a carnival.
“Okay, Joe, let’s go. You two have fun.”
With a little nod, they leave. Zane leaves. Mac takes a call from his girl in Texas. And Logan, the most focused fucker in the world, turns on game film.
We slip upstairs undetected. I realize I left my phone downstairs, and when I walk into the living room, Logan has my phone in his hand.
“Hey, your sister texted a bunch of pictures, “he says as he throws me the phone.
“Thanks.”
When I get back to my room, I show the pictures to Adalee. She keeps shying away from me, but I scoot closer, pointing out each family member, and of course, the most well-known Kodiaks and their families.
“Wow. You have a large family. Is it suffocating?”
Even though I had a sweet treat in mind for dessert, the downturn of her lips and the gentle blinks of her lids, leads me to believe that she’s lonely. But I answer honestly. “It can be. But when one of us is carrying a burden, all of us help bear the load.” I remove the phone from her hand, setting it aside. “You know how we are taught to disperse the weight in engineering to support the load?”
She nods.
“Well, that’s what my family does for each other. It’s what I can do for you. What I want to do for you. If you’ll let me.”
A few errant tears glide over her cheeks falling into her lap. Adalee’s lips flutter against each other, making small popping sounds. Because I’m from a big family that loves hard, I know what she needs right now isn’t talking—she needs to be held.
At first, I slide my arm around her waist and pull her close to me, but the tears start falling faster. With a slight twist of my body, I lift her up and place her on my lap. She snuggles her face into the slope of my shoulder.
My hands trail over her back, reassuring her that I’m here and I’m never fucking leaving. She may not understand yet, but I mean ever. Nothing can keep me from loving this girl. With every somber sob, I squeeze her tighter, and soon, her embrace tightens around me too.
Thinking through my experiences with Harper’s anxiety, I don’t speak until she releases me from the hug. I wipe away the residue from the tears and press my lips against hers. It’s not sexual or wanting—it’s comfort.
“What made you so sad?”
She shrugs and I see the uncertainty in her eyes. Instead of pressing her, I stand us up pull my shirt over my head. “Let’s get in bed. It’s late and we both have early mornings.”
Despite her sorrow, her face lights up as she inspects my abs. I’m sure she’s seen lots of guys with six packs before. She’s a gymnast, and although those guys are smaller in stature, they’re ripped. Chaz flashes through my mind. She’s been with Chaz...ugh. How could he say Adalee isn’t worth it? She’s worth every risk in the world.
Once her gaze meets mine, I wrap my fingers around her wrists and bring her hands to my skin. The cutest little gasp escapes her mouth as her hands skate up, stopping on my pecs. Then her hands fall, hitting my forearms as she backs away.
Now it’s my turn to watch her nimble fingers push through the button on her jeans. They’re skinny jeans so she shimmies them down. They get stuck at the ankle and she reaches for me to steady herself. Instead, I bend down and tug her feet from the jeans.
Despite wanting nothing more than to feast on her body, my intuition says I need to nourish her mind and feed her heart. My fingers graze her calves and thighs as I stand, linking our hands together. I pull back the edge of the gray and navy striped comforter, motioning for her to get in.
When we’re both settled and our bodies face each other, I tuck her hair behind her ear, staring into her eyes. Her lips move like she’s speaking but words aren’t coming out. I wait for a minute before I say, “I’ll help you carry the load; I promise.”
Her hand floats over my cheek. “There’s so much. I don’t know where to begin.”
