Falling for the Backup
Page 18
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“You got quiet on me; what’s up?” she asked, causing him to look over at her.
“Sorry, I was thinking,” he said, giving her his full attention.
“About?” she asked, a sweet smile on her face. His mouth pulled up at the side when he saw that she had a little piece of whipped cream on her lip. Reaching over, he licked the cream off, replacing it with his lips. She tasted of the cake and wine, and he basked in it as he moved his mouth over hers. Parting slowly, but with a few small kisses before pulling completely away, he looked at her beautiful flushed face. His heart hammered against his chest as he held her gaze, her hand resting against his cheek.
What if he told her and she decided not to see him after this? He wouldn’t be able to handle it. She was funny, beautiful, crazy, and she scared the living shit out of him, but he wanted her. All of her. The thought of not being able to kiss her or touch her was not an option. He didn’t understand how this had all happened so quickly, but it had. Now he was left in the position of telling her about his unsteady future and hoping for the best. Really, though, what was the best? No matter what, he would be leaving her behind and someone would get hurt, but even knowing that didn’t stop him from wanting to see her. Be with her, sleep with her, and laugh with her.
He couldn’t walk away.
Taking a deep breath, he looked down before saying, “I need to tell you something.”
Aynslee decided that she liked every single thing about Jordan.
Holding his face in her hand, she took in every delectable thing about him. She loved his eyes, his mouth—hell, his whole face—but most of all his mind. He talked with such confidence now that he was past his initial shyness. He was a completely different guy from the one she’d talked to on the plane or even at Starbucks. He was relaxed and even funny. It probably had a lot to do with the fact they’d skipped the first date and jumped right into bed. She liked the Jordan from before, but this Jordan, she was sure she could fall for.
Hard.
It was scary, and she couldn’t believe she was thinking that so soon, but it was hard not to when his hand grazed along her knee, or held her hand, or, really, when he just looked at her. When he talked, he looked directly into her eyes, veering away only to eat or to take a drink. And when he laughed, he laughed with everything inside him. He was so f**king hot, it should be illegal. Who would have known that having sex first would loosen this guy up?
Aynslee had been nervous that when he left to go home and change she would never see him again, but there he was, at her door promptly at six o’clock, devouring her with kisses before taking her to one of her favorite restaurants. He was sweet and caring, but what totally blew her away was how much they had in common. He loved Greek mythology! He loved dogs, he wanted kids, and he was basically everything she wanted in a man. It was refreshing and exhilarating, and she was sure she had never felt this way about anyone. In her heart she felt good about Jordan, and throughout the whole dinner she’d believed that her heart was right and that maybe he did feel something for her. But then his eyes had dimmed, and she could see that something was wrong. She just hoped that he wasn’t about to walk away, because she was pretty sure he’d take a big chunk of her heart with him.
“Yes,” she said, looking down at the cake they were sharing, “what’s that?”
“You know how I said I was the backup goalie for the Assassins, right?”
She nodded before saying, “Actually, a friend told me; you confirmed it.”
He rolled his eyes playfully as she giggled, hoping to lighten the mood, but when he looked at her again, all the seriousness was back.
“Okay, well, I’m not happy with that. It bothers me. To be honest, it drives me insane that I’m not on the ice as the starting goalie. My dad—he’s my agent—knows that I’m not happy and has been looking at other teams for me to transfer to.”
Aynslee didn’t know what he was talking about, but she had a feeling it wasn’t good. Nodding her head she said, “Okay …”
“Well, the reason I was in Buffalo was because I had a meeting with the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. Unfortunately, they don’t want me, so that leaves the other team I wanted to go to, which is the Carolina IceCats.”
“Okay,” she said again. He looked at her as if all this meant something, but she was completely confused. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are trying to tell me.”
He took in a deep breath before he said, “I’m probably going to leave Nashville and move to another state that has a team I can start for.”
Whoa, what?
Her eyes went wide. “What? I thought you loved Nashville.”
“I do,” he said softly. “I love my team and I love this city, but ever since I hurt my knee, they don’t want to play me, and, Aynslee, hockey means the world to me. I want to play; I don’t want to retire. I am healthy, and I need to play.”
She knew he was awesome. All the videos she’d watched on YouTube proved that, so why couldn’t he stay here? Why couldn’t he be the starting goalie for the Assassins?
“When?”
He turned his eyes away. “I’ll finish the season here and then start somewhere new next season. I am hoping for Carolina, since my family is there, but if that doesn’t work, then I’m not really sure.”
She nodded and asked, “It’s a sure thing? That you’ll be moving, that is?”
“Sorry, I was thinking,” he said, giving her his full attention.
“About?” she asked, a sweet smile on her face. His mouth pulled up at the side when he saw that she had a little piece of whipped cream on her lip. Reaching over, he licked the cream off, replacing it with his lips. She tasted of the cake and wine, and he basked in it as he moved his mouth over hers. Parting slowly, but with a few small kisses before pulling completely away, he looked at her beautiful flushed face. His heart hammered against his chest as he held her gaze, her hand resting against his cheek.
What if he told her and she decided not to see him after this? He wouldn’t be able to handle it. She was funny, beautiful, crazy, and she scared the living shit out of him, but he wanted her. All of her. The thought of not being able to kiss her or touch her was not an option. He didn’t understand how this had all happened so quickly, but it had. Now he was left in the position of telling her about his unsteady future and hoping for the best. Really, though, what was the best? No matter what, he would be leaving her behind and someone would get hurt, but even knowing that didn’t stop him from wanting to see her. Be with her, sleep with her, and laugh with her.
He couldn’t walk away.
Taking a deep breath, he looked down before saying, “I need to tell you something.”
Aynslee decided that she liked every single thing about Jordan.
Holding his face in her hand, she took in every delectable thing about him. She loved his eyes, his mouth—hell, his whole face—but most of all his mind. He talked with such confidence now that he was past his initial shyness. He was a completely different guy from the one she’d talked to on the plane or even at Starbucks. He was relaxed and even funny. It probably had a lot to do with the fact they’d skipped the first date and jumped right into bed. She liked the Jordan from before, but this Jordan, she was sure she could fall for.
Hard.
It was scary, and she couldn’t believe she was thinking that so soon, but it was hard not to when his hand grazed along her knee, or held her hand, or, really, when he just looked at her. When he talked, he looked directly into her eyes, veering away only to eat or to take a drink. And when he laughed, he laughed with everything inside him. He was so f**king hot, it should be illegal. Who would have known that having sex first would loosen this guy up?
Aynslee had been nervous that when he left to go home and change she would never see him again, but there he was, at her door promptly at six o’clock, devouring her with kisses before taking her to one of her favorite restaurants. He was sweet and caring, but what totally blew her away was how much they had in common. He loved Greek mythology! He loved dogs, he wanted kids, and he was basically everything she wanted in a man. It was refreshing and exhilarating, and she was sure she had never felt this way about anyone. In her heart she felt good about Jordan, and throughout the whole dinner she’d believed that her heart was right and that maybe he did feel something for her. But then his eyes had dimmed, and she could see that something was wrong. She just hoped that he wasn’t about to walk away, because she was pretty sure he’d take a big chunk of her heart with him.
“Yes,” she said, looking down at the cake they were sharing, “what’s that?”
“You know how I said I was the backup goalie for the Assassins, right?”
She nodded before saying, “Actually, a friend told me; you confirmed it.”
He rolled his eyes playfully as she giggled, hoping to lighten the mood, but when he looked at her again, all the seriousness was back.
“Okay, well, I’m not happy with that. It bothers me. To be honest, it drives me insane that I’m not on the ice as the starting goalie. My dad—he’s my agent—knows that I’m not happy and has been looking at other teams for me to transfer to.”
Aynslee didn’t know what he was talking about, but she had a feeling it wasn’t good. Nodding her head she said, “Okay …”
“Well, the reason I was in Buffalo was because I had a meeting with the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. Unfortunately, they don’t want me, so that leaves the other team I wanted to go to, which is the Carolina IceCats.”
“Okay,” she said again. He looked at her as if all this meant something, but she was completely confused. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are trying to tell me.”
He took in a deep breath before he said, “I’m probably going to leave Nashville and move to another state that has a team I can start for.”
Whoa, what?
Her eyes went wide. “What? I thought you loved Nashville.”
“I do,” he said softly. “I love my team and I love this city, but ever since I hurt my knee, they don’t want to play me, and, Aynslee, hockey means the world to me. I want to play; I don’t want to retire. I am healthy, and I need to play.”
She knew he was awesome. All the videos she’d watched on YouTube proved that, so why couldn’t he stay here? Why couldn’t he be the starting goalie for the Assassins?
“When?”
He turned his eyes away. “I’ll finish the season here and then start somewhere new next season. I am hoping for Carolina, since my family is there, but if that doesn’t work, then I’m not really sure.”
She nodded and asked, “It’s a sure thing? That you’ll be moving, that is?”
