Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 83927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Dani laughs, shaking her head at their display. “Those two are perfect for each other.”
I bring her attention back to me. “Just like another couple I know.”
“Couple?” she asks, raising her eyebrows at me.
“Yeah. I told you, I’m done waiting,” I tell her, hoping she truly hears me this time. “You’re mine. I know it. You know it. Hell, the whole fucking campus knows it. So it’s about time you accept it and embrace the goodness that is us.”
She looks at me with curiosity and is silent for a while. “So, if I’m yours, does that make you all mine to do and have as I please?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
She grins up at me and launches herself into my arms, crushing her soft lips to mine. I feel her smile against me, and I know she’s just overcome something massive. She’s finally ready to leave the past behind and focus on her future. To move past all the hurt and betrayal her ex caused and let herself trust again. She can look forward to a future with me where she won’t always be looking over her shoulder or worrying about where I am at night because, no matter what, I’ll always be coming home to her. She’ll never have to fear that she’ll be hurt again, whether it’s physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Dani pulls back from me with a new air about her, and I realize a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. “Come on,” I tell her, lacing my fingers through hers and escorting her out to my Escalade. “Let me take you out for the night of your life.”
We drive for half an hour, and I pull up by an outdoor restaurant that overlooks the lake.
“Wow, this is beautiful,” Dani says as she takes in the lake and open-air restaurant. “I had no idea this was here.”
“Neither did I until Tank clued me in.”
I lead her down into the restaurant and find our table. “So, tell me more about your sister,” she asks as we sit down. “I feel kind of bad for leaving before I could meet her.”
“Don’t worry, she can meet you another time,” I tell her, then smile at the fond memories of my little sister, trying to figure out a way to sum up the million amazing things about her. “Mia is . . . I don’t know how to put it. She’s a bit of everything. She’s frustrating and charming at the same time and easily the best little sister a guy could ask for,” I smile.
“It’s nice she came to watch you skate. I kind of wish I had a sibling like that,” she says.
“Yeah, to tell the truth, I’m kind of pissed she drove all the way here. She hasn’t been driving for that long.”
“Really? How old is she? I could have sworn she looked around nineteen or twenty.”
“Nah,” I laugh. “She wishes. She’s only seventeen. She’ll be finishing high school this year and will hopefully be here next year. She wants to be a doctor.”
“Wow, that’s huge,” she smiles.
“Yeah, it is. She’s the kind of girl who will work her ass off to get what she wants. She’s a bit like you.”
Her face flushes, but our conversation falls short when the waiter arrives with menus and water for the table. “Okay,” she says, looking back up at me, “Tell me about last season. I’ve been dying to know. What was that big fight about?”
“What is this? Twenty-one questions?” I laugh.
“It can be,” she smiles and fixes me with an innocent look as if to say I’m waiting.
“Fine,” I smirk, knowing damn well I would give in to anything this woman asked of me. “So, we were up against the team from LA, and Danny, our captain, had a bit of trouble with a few of the guys on the other team. All because of some girl. I think someone slept with someone else’s sister or something like that. So, come game night, it got rough. It was penalty after penalty. A fucking bloodbath. The further in we got, the uglier the game became. There were taunts and comments thrown around everywhere. We were just minutes out from the end and only two points down when it turned into a fucking blood bath. We lost the championship and our reputation, all because Danny couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.”
“Woah. I wasn’t expecting that,” she says, trying to hide her amused smirk. “I mean there are heaps of stories going around about what happened, but nothing quite like that.”
“Yeah . . . Coach didn’t want that one getting out.”
“Shit,” she laughs. “What happened to Danny?”
“He was supposed to get signed to the NHL, but he lost his contract. Ruined his career before it even began,” I explain.
“Well, it’s a good thing the Dragons have a good captain this season.”