Chapter 28 #2
My chest is tight. “You think you’re the only one who’s scared here?
” My voice is low, rough. “I’ve never cared about anyone like this.
Not the girls before you, not my teammates, not even the game.
I spent my whole life thinking that monogamy wasn’t something I wanted, and then you show up and turn that upside down.
And that scares the shit out of me.” I shake my head, swallowing hard.
“The thought of losing you fucked me up.”
Her eyes flicker, softening, but she doesn’t speak.
She just studies me, like she’s trying to decide if she can trust what she sees.
I lower my hand to her hip, anchoring her to me.
“I don’t want to play games with you, Ingrid.
I don’t want to chase headlines or elevate my image.
I just want you. All of you.” I let out a breath, finally saying what I should’ve said weeks ago. “I love you.”
Her lips part, her breath uneven, and in the silence that follows, I feel like I’ve laid my entire soul bare at her feet.
It’s absolutely fucking terrifying.
For a second, the only sounds are the strains of the party from inside and the ocean crashing against the shore, steady and relentless.
That and the thundering of my own pulse.
I’ve said the words, put myself all the way out there, and it feels like standing on the edge of a cliff waiting to see if she’ll jump with me.
Her lips tremble. She blinks fast, like she’s fighting tears. “I love you, too.”
The words slam into me, knock the air straight out of my chest. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear them until now. I never even knew I needed them. Not until Ingrid walked into my life and walked right back out.
She exhales shakily, eyes shining. “That’s why it hurt so much. That’s why I was so angry. Because the thought of being nothing more than a name on your list–just another story–it would’ve destroyed me. You could destroy me.”
My fingers curl around her waist. “I’d rather destroy myself first.”
She licks her bottom lip, plump and red, and I bend, capturing her mouth with mine.
The kiss isn’t gentle. I’m taking back all those unanswered calls and sleepless nights, of wanting her so badly it bordered on madness.
She gasps against me, and I take advantage, sliding my tongue against hers. Jesus, she tastes so good.
Her hands fist in my lapels, yanking me closer, pressing that molten-steel dress against me. The fabric is cool, her body is hot, and I can feel every curve, every shiver as she arches into me. I let her feel me back.
“Jefferson,” she whispers against my lips.
“I missed fucking you so much.”
“Yeah, well, I missed you fucking me too.” She eyes me, a look that goes straight to my balls. “You wear the hell out of a suit.”
I groan, dragging my mouth down the line of her jaw, tasting the salt of her skin. My hands skim her hips, the gown slipping under my palms like liquid metal, and I swear I’d set fire to the entire ballroom, donate my first year's salary, if it meant keeping her right here, just like this.
Her nails scrape the back of my neck, and I nip at her lower lip, pulling back just enough to look at her. Her pupils are blown wide, lips swollen, chest rising and falling like she’s run a marathon. “How long until I can get you naked?”
A throat clears, deep and gravelly. Ingrid reacts before I do.
“Daddy,” she says quickly, voice higher than usual.
Her father’s gaze drops to where my hand still rests on her hip. I make no move to remove it–Ingrid isn’t something to hide, and neither am I.
“You must be the hockey player,” he says, taking us both in.
“I am.” I extend my hand, firm shake, eyes steady. “Jefferson Parks.”
Before he can say more, Madison pops her head out of the glass doors. She approaches the three of us. “Sorry for interrupting, but it’s time for your speech.”
She squeezes my arm, gives me one last searching look, then slips back into the house, the noise of the party swallowing her whole.
That leaves me standing face to face with the man whose opinion suddenly matters more than I’d like to admit. I run a hand through my hair. “This isn’t how I expected to meet you but–”
He cuts me off. “My daughter deserves a man who can meet her on every level. Perseverance–that’s key.
You showed up. That’s what’s important to her and to me.
” He slides a hand in his pocket. “Being with Ingrid means you get all of her. The ups and downs. The manic writing highs, and the spiral when the bad reviews come in. Are you up to that?”
His words land heavy, not like a threat, but like a line being drawn in the sand. “I know a little bit about wins and losses, sir, but I know that no matter what happens, I want her by my side.”
Then he grins, claps me on the back with surprising force and starts inside. I follow, taking a deep breath, ready for everything that comes next. Hockey, fame, prestige. None of it meant anything, until I got Ingrid back. And now that I did, I’m never letting her go.