Chapter 31
Dane
Nothing compares to winning a hard-fought game and then following it up with a great night out with friends. And tonight was that kind of night.
Cale and Sommer had catered a dinner at their house, and we spent the evening playing stupid card games and getting to know the women, especially Sommer. Every time I managed to look at Halle, her face was glowing. It’s given me a full heart to know I was able to offer her this adult night out.
She may not ever admit it to me, but after all the stress of moving, starting a new job, getting Lenni settled in a new daycare arrangement, and recovering from her illness, she undoubtedly needed a night to enjoy adult company.
So did I. And hanging out with the two other couples has been good, clean fun, but not dull.
And as we near the end of the night, I don’t want to let Halle go.
We haven’t had a chance to talk about the things between us or what’s ahead. It’s the elephant that sits in the room between us, and I want to kick it out and close that distance.
“Thanks for teaching our daughter the Ax move, by the way,” she jokes from the passenger seat of my car, sarcasm dripping from her tone as she demonstrates the motion for me. “Lenni wouldn’t stop doing it when I told her about today’s plans.”
I laugh, briefly taking my eyes off the road to smile at her.
It’s surreal to have her alone in my car again.
We spent a shitload of time together in the front and backseat of my old Jeep, talking, joking, and making out.
And when things got really intense, she’d climb on top of me with my seat laid out flat, and we’d fog up the windows from the heat of our bodies.
We were desperate and wild for each other, and I never wanted anyone as much as I wanted Halle. I was mesmerized by her smile. Her taste. Her fearlessness. And her effervescent light that outshone even the sun.
The sad part was we both knew the clock was ticking, that things would get complicated when she left for school.
I may have been an adolescent on the cusp of adulthood, but in my heart, I was willing to go the distance.
At least, I had told myself that. Halle had been right, though.
We were too young, and it wouldn’t have ended on a good note. I was not up to the task at the time.
But I’m ready for it now.
Knowing what I do now, I realize my desire for Halle wasn’t just because I was young and horny. It was a deep gnawing centered straight in the middle of my gut. I craved her like a starving man craves food.
And that hasn’t changed one bit. It’s only intensified since she’s returned to my life.
I grin at the fact that she didn’t say my daughter this time. It could be just a slip of the tongue, but I want to believe she’s finally turned the corner and made the decision to allow me to be part of Lenni’s life.
Not as a trusted adult friend, but as her father.
That one word fills me with hope that we can move forward. Together. As a couple and as a family.
The evening is cool, but we have the windows cracked, letting the autumn night air filter in. I turn down my street, lined with maples that have all but lost their leaves, and pull into my driveway. I watch her from the corner of my eye as she scans the house in front of us.
“Is this your place?”
I turn off the ignition and shift in my seat toward her. My gaze roams over her as I drink her in.
From her unique teal-blue eyes twinkling in the light that shines through the window to the long, loose waves of her auburn hair that give even the most colorful autumn leaves a run for their money.
When I walked into the lounge after the game and saw her wearing a red sweater that fits her like a glove, accentuating her narrow waist and incredible curves, I nearly swallowed my tongue and lost my ability to speak.
My fingers twitched to undo each cream-colored pearl button cascading down that sweater’s front one by freaking one, making her body come alive as I cup each swell in the palm of my hand.
Although I gave her a hard time over not wearing any Vikings apparel to the game, her choice in clothing is still casual yet alluring. So very Cherry.
Our eyes lock and time rewinds so I’m back to where it all started. I reach for her hand and draw it to my chest, where I clutch it against me.
“I thought maybe you might want to… I don’t know… see my place.” It comes out more as a question than a statement.
Jesus Christ. This woman has me practically stammering over my words. Who am I right now? I’m the Ax Man—proven ladies’ man, playboy, whatever you want to call me, but I don’t get tongue-tied around women.
Except around Halle. She steals my breath and takes all my logic. It’s like getting pummeled into the boards by a top defenseman.
When she remains silent, I continue. “No pressure, honest. I just want to spend time with yo—”
My words are stolen when Halle’s lips crash over mine, and I’m stunned. I don’t know which way’s up or down.
She leans over the console, winds her hands behind my neck, and kisses me with those warm, wet lips that taste better than I ever remembered. My brain finally kicks in, and I lift my hands to frame her face, sealing my mouth over hers and keeping her locked tight to me.
A hungry, feral groan rises from my chest, one that’s met with a soft purr from her. My tongue strokes the seams between her lips, and she parts them to allow me access. One sweep of my tongue and I’m a goner. Every cell in my body awakens and vibrates with need.
I hesitantly pull back. With hooded eyes, I take her in, searching her expression for any signs of potential regret. Her lips are wet and swollen, her cheeks flushed. Her nipples pucker through the sweater and her chest rises and falls with a quickened breath. Then she lets out a shuttering sigh.
I lick my lips. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to take this inside. We’ve had enough time in cars together, don’t you think?”
She chuckles and gives me a nod. “I’m more than okay.”
I practically jump out of the car, sprinting to open the passenger door and offer her my hand. Halle’s giggle is light and airy.
“So chivalrous,” she teases, and I can’t wait to touch her again.
I rake my fingers through her wavy hair and shove her back against the car door. My dick reacts instantly as I press my hips into hers, and there is no mistaking that I want her.
Halle opens her mouth to welcome my frantic need, and I swallow her gasp with my mouth. The kiss is all-consuming, an uncontained fire that ignites upon contact and threatens to overtake us with its sheer ferocity.
Her hands slide behind me and find purchase on my ass. She is so soft and willing, and I am hard and greedy.
I keep one hand tangled in her hair and glide the other to her jaw, tilting her head so I can slide my lips along the expanse of her neck.
“Fuck, you taste so sweet, Cherry. Just like you always did,” I murmur against her skin, then suck along the sensitive curve, smiling when I feel her tremble in my embrace.
I grind against her. Knowing I shouldn’t. Knowing we’re exposed to the prying eyes of the neighbors who would just love to sell the story about Viking player Ax Axelrod and one of his many conquests.
I pull away but keep my gaze firmly set on her as I flick the buttons of her sweater. “This sweater looks so wholesome,” I say, voice thick with desire. “But I want to do very unwholesome things to you.”
Spinning her around, I glide my palm over her ass. “And I can’t do any of those things out here. Now scoot.”
Then I swat her on the butt with a wink.