Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
No pictures of Melissa.
The door opens, and I swing that way to see Cannon walking in. His eyes move to the bookcase I’m standing in front of. “Checking out my career?”
I grin. “You were a really hot hockey player.”
Cannon snorts, closing the door behind him. He moves toward me purposefully, and goose bumps break out on my arms from the expression on his face.
He wants something, and he intends to get it.
Before I know it, I’m in his arms and he’s kissing me breathless. When his mouth pulls from mine, he smirks down at me. “Sorry… I have a press conference to go to, but I had to get a kiss from you first.”
“Oh God,” I say, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. “You need to go do that.”
“Needed that kiss first,” he says, his embrace tightening.
It’s a concession. A decision to put hockey on hold to have a few moments of personal time, and I’m not sure why he’s doing it. It’s not necessary because I didn’t expect it.
“Did you like the game?” he asks.
“Loved it!” I exclaim. “I don’t understand everything, but I got the gist.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never been to one before,” Cannon says with the same level of surprise he had earlier when he called to explain where I should collect my ticket.
Derek loved to go to hockey games and always went with his work colleagues. His company had season tickets that they parceled out to the higher-ups, but I was never invited.
“And,” I gush with exaggerated excitement, “there was a proposal.”
Cannon laughs. “I thought you might like that. Pretty slick, huh?”
God, that was so cool. Baden proposing on a pre-recorded big-screen video and then the cameras panned up to one of the luxury boxes to his girlfriend, Sophie, who was clearly accepting.
“How could a woman say no to that?”
“Sophie would never have said no, no matter how he proposed. Those two have a bond that’s unlike any other. It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you about it, but I have to get to the press conference.”
Cannon kisses me again, and I’m finally released from his grasp as he backs toward the door. “Just wait here if you don’t mind. Twenty minutes tops. I’ll try to cut it shorter.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He ignores my offer and instead asks, “What do you want to do? Go out for drinks and some food?”
“Not really,” I say, hesitant to turn down what would most likely be considered a date.
Cannon’s lips twitch. “Do you want to come home with me?”
“Does that make me a brazen hussy?” I ask with a smirk.
“Do you care?”
“No. I mean… our time is kind of limited, so I want to maximize it.”
Cannon laughs. “Then I can’t wait to take you home with me.”
“My car—”
“We’ll leave it, and I’ll bring you back in the morning.”
“Okay,” I breathe out, excited about this choice of how our evening will end. Maybe I am a hussy.
Cannon moves to step over the threshold and then stops, a frown on his face as he looks back. “You know that when I bring you to my place, it doesn’t mean we have to have sex.”
I cock an eyebrow at him.
He shrugs and grins. “Well, okay… yes, I want to have sex with you, but it’s not like I’m expecting we just go right at it when we get there. We can relax and talk, watch a movie, or—”
“Cannon,” I say, cutting him off. “I know all that. How about we worry about what we’ll do when we step foot in your place?”
His eyes glint with dark promises as he fully faces me. “If I have my way, I want you to know I’ll probably bend you over the couch and fuck you hard and fast. It’s the closest piece of furniture.”
A shudder runs up my spine, but I point a finger at him. “Out. Go do your press conference.”
Cannon grins, winks, and then disappears.
And I don’t miss the fact that my heart flutters over that entire exchange. The dirty talk that forecasts how tonight will probably go. The effort he’s making to give more than what he’s told me he’s capable of giving.
To create tiny pockets of time and slot me into them.
What does it mean he took the time to come and kiss me before the press conference? Why would he do that?
“Stop it,” I whisper, pressing a hand to my chest. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
CHAPTER 12
Cannon
I really didn’t want to make it about sex… inviting Ava to my house after the game. Hell, I even told her that in my office so my intentions have been offered to the universe. I drove us across the river and into downtown after the press conference, throwing out different movies we could watch when we got to my place. I offered to make us hot chocolate from scratch and turn on the gas fireplace, figuring that might make things more romantic.