Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
She gives me a pointed look. “You’re the best coach I know.” She threads her fingers with mine again, and we start to skate. “Talk to me.”
I press my lips together, and she squeezes my hand. I look over to see her watching me, support shining in those navy depths. “I feel like I failed. We should have won. I know that not all games are wins, but fuck, I wanted this one. I wanted to be done with the series. I wanted to move on to the next round and win the Cup.”
She nods. “Are you still playing for the Cup?”
I side-eye her, confused. “You know I am.”
“Then you’re not failing,” she says simply. “You’re still in this. The boys are going to rally, and let’s be honest, they play better in Michigan. Should they have won this game? Yeah, it was tight, but whatever. At least you’re still playing.”
I know she’s right, and hell, I almost said the same thing to my boys. But why didn’t I believe my own words when I was saying them? Why did I feel like a fraud in front of my team? Yet, this beautiful girl with her killer eyes and bratty attitude tells me almost word for word what I already yelled at my boys, and I’m hanging on every word she says. “You’re right.”
“I know. I usually am,” she says with an exaggerated wink.
I can’t help but snort at that. “Hardly.”
She squeezes my hand. “Whenever you start getting down on yourself like that, ask me. Have I ever lied to you?”
“No.”
“Do I sugarcoat things with you?”
I shake my head. “No. You’re a brat.”
“Exactly! So you know I’ve got you. If you suck, I’ll tell you, Grandpa.”
I gather her in my arms, bringing her close. Our chests touch, and she looks up at me, her lips parting as she giggles. I lean in until our lips are almost brushing, our eyes locking. “I’m tired of you calling me ‘Grandpa.’”
“Then stop acting like one,” she throws back, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Be my big, strong daddy who gets me all hot and bothered.”
My cock twitches in my pants as I blow out a breath. I don’t know how this girl can take me from such a bad mood to wanting to grin at every turn. She makes me feral to the point of madness. I want to take her to the nearest surface and spank her ass until it’s red with my handprint, before I wreck her pussy until this arena knows the chant of not only the Bears, but of my name.
But I can’t. Not yet, at least. She’s right; I am a great coach, and I’m nowhere near done with her.
I trail my hand down her arm to her wrist, where I know she has a hair tie. I snap it over her hand, and she quirks her lips when I gather her hair up into a high ponytail. As I wrap the hair tie around her thick mane, I kiss her nose then her top lip. When I know her hair is secure, I kiss her bottom lip before pressing my forehead to hers. “You know what, my love?”
She pulls her brows together. “Love? I’m your baby girl.”
I shake my head. “Nope. You’ve been upgraded.”
Her eyes twinkle with laughter, her lips twitching into a smirk. “I’ve been upgraded?”
“Yeah,” I say, gathering her in my arms and pulling her up on the tips of her skates. “You have become a very important part of my life, someone I don’t want to live a second without. So, you’re my love.”
I watch as emotions move over her gorgeous face. Shock, excitement, giddiness, and, dare I assume, love. I see it bright in her eyes, and I wonder if she’ll say those three words. If she does, will I say them back? As those scary thoughts plague me, a sweet flush fills her cheeks, and I can’t help but smile. I know if I don’t let her go, I never will, so I move away a bit. “Well, I need to upgrade you.”
I lift my brows. “To?”
“I don’t know,” she laughs, the sound beautiful. “You’re not a pet-name kind of guy.”
“I could be for you,” I say, and her eyes dance for me.
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“Okay,” I say, squeezing her hips. “But for now, my love, it’s time for me to teach you how to shoot.”
She bobs her head up and down. “Okay. I mean, you keep calling me that, I’m bound to do anything you want.”
I chuckle as I pull her closer. “Anything.”
She nods, playfulness on her face. “Anything.”
My chest goes tight as I lean in. “Kiss me, my love.”
She closes the distance, and with a wicked little tilt of her mouth, she says, “Okay, snookums.”
The next second, we both dissolve in laughter. My body shakes violently as she cries out, her laughter so loud and deep, it hits me square in the chest. When she leans into me, still giggling and making my heart pound loudly, it’s clear what I would say if she said those three words to me.