Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Love - Wyatt
Grace loves me.
I stand rooted to the sidewalk, stunned by her declaration. I can’t breathe. My heart is slamming against my ribs.
We haven’t been together long. Christ, we haven’t even had sex or even come close to it.
I should question her feelings. If they can be real at this point, especially when she’s never been in a relationship before or even been physical with someone.
But how can I question that when I know I’m in love with her, too?
“I’m sorry if you think it’s insta love or too soon or not real, but I thought you should know that. Because it’s very real for me.”
I go to open my mouth, but I’m too choked up to speak. Nobody has ever said this to me before.
But the fact that she loves me? I could drop down to my knees and thank God for giving me this gift.
My Gracie girl.
Grace stares at me, her eyes growing tearful, her face shifting to one of panic as I remain silent. Then she whirls around and hurries down the sidewalk, misinterpreting my silence as rejection.
Damn it!
“Gracie!” I yell, rushing after her.
I dart in front of her, bringing her to a stop. I put my hands on her bare upper arms, holding her in place. “Gracie, listen to me.”
Grace turns her head, shifting her attention to the Phi Sigma house instead. “Wyatt, please forget I said it,” she begs, and I hear her voice wobble as she pleads with me over the loud thumping of the club music. “Let’s just go back to what we were.”
“I can’t forget those words,” I say firmly. “Gracie, look at me. Please.”
She turns back to me, her eyes filled with tears. I swallow down my own as I stare back at her. “You can’t take it back,” I say.
“I—”
“You can’t take it back,” I repeat, cutting her off, “because I love you, too.”
She gasps. “Bu—”
“I love you.” I say the words firmly so there’s no mistake. “I fucking love you, and it should scare me, but it doesn’t. I love you.”
Grace’s blue eyes stare up at mine, searching my face, seeking reassurance that my words are real.
It’s like something has broken inside of me and I don’t want to stop saying the words I never thought I would say to a girl at this point in my life.
Love was something I wasn’t supposed to want or need.
I was taught it was best to save it for later, to push it aside until I was in the NHL.
I need to focus on school and hockey, and this is something that can ruin all of it.
But the opposite has happened. Love has made everything better.
I’m overcome with emotions as I realize this. I know what I want, what I need, and I want to say the words. I need to say them over and over because I want Grace to know it.
I grasp her face with my hands, and her eyes flutter shut as a sob escapes her throat.
“I don’t say things I don’t mean, and I’m not about to start now,” I tell her as her eyes open again.
“I love you, Grace. I’ve never said that to another girl, but I’ll say it over and over to you until you believe me.
I love you.” I lower my forehead to hers. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she says, her voice breaking.
I close my eyes and soak in the words again. She loves me. Grace chose to give her love to me.
And right now, I want to lose myself in her. In whatever way she can give me. If that only means kissing and some touching, that’s fine. But I need to show her what I feel, in ways that words can’t. “Can I take you back to my place?” I murmur.
“Yes.”
I stand upright, brushing away the tears that have slipped from her eyes, and she stares up at me with such a look of wonder and love, it knocks the wind from me.
“How far is your car?” she suddenly asks.
“Um ... a couple of blocks down. Why?”
Grace winces. “These boots are killing my feet.”
I take a step back from her but grab one of her hands so we’re still connected.
I hadn’t really noticed her outfit before because I was furious about Ryan, but now I can really see her.
She’s wearing a black halter top, with a silver pin on one of the straps.
My gaze travels down, and my pulse quickens when I see she’s got on these mini black shorts and tall high-heeled boots.
Fuck. All kinds of dirty thoughts run through my head as I see all that skin. I know we won’t have sex, but I plan on exploring everything I see in front of me right now.
First with my hands. Then with my mouth.
“I could give you a ride back to my car,” I offer.
“Ride?”
I turn around and look at her over my shoulder as I lower myself by bending my knees a bit. “Hop on my back.”
She begins to laugh. “Wy, no! I can walk.”
“Gracie girl. I promise I bench press way more than you weigh, so get on.”
Her face lights up as soon as I call her Gracie girl, and I’m so damn happy to see that smile, it’s downright stupid.
“Okay, but put me down at any time, okay?”
“Not happening but thank you for your consideration.”
She places her arms over my shoulders, and I reach back and put my arms underneath the back of her legs, feeling the smooth, satiny skin slide against mine. I rise up, and she tightens her hold around me. “I’m not going to drop you,” I promise.
“I trust you. I just like being able to hold you like this,” she says, kissing the side of my face.
As soon as I turn around and start walking down the sidewalk, Grace begins to laugh. “I think I like this better than Uber,” she declares.
“Do I get a tip when we get back to my car?” I tease.
“That depends on how my ride is.”
I grin. God, I love this girl. “Like?”
“I have safety concerns. You could drop me.”
“That would be bad.”
“The vehicle can’t be dirty,” she continues. “Because that I would give a bad mark for.”
“Dirty?” I ask, laughing.
“I’m pleased to report your T-shirt smells like laundry.” She nuzzles her nose into my hair. “And your hair always smells good.”
“You noticed that?” I ask, intrigued.
“Yeah. I love your shampoo or product or whatever you use.”
“It’s some herbal stuff.”
“I’ll need to go into your shower and read the bottle.”
My body tightens. Now I’m picturing Grace in my shower.
“Your cologne is good, too.” She cocks her head so she can brush her lips against my neck and press a warm kiss there. “Woodsy and citrus,” she murmurs sexily into my skin.
Jesus, how am I going to get back to my car without getting completely hard when she’s doing this kind of stuff to me?
“So A-plus on cleanliness of the vehicle and no driver odor,” Grace declares.
“Driver odor? What kind of Uber rides have you had in the past?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“You’re probably right, I don’t. What’s next?” I ask as I continue to carry her down the street.
“Well, I trust you aren’t going to get me lost.”
“Nope.”
“And you haven’t been rude—well, besides not being able to tell me you love me back right away. It was rude to give me a panic attack like that.”
“Oh, but that didn’t happen during your ride so you cannot deduct on that,” I counter.
She giggles. I grin like an idiot in response.
“Fair point. My last item would be grading for inappropriate behavior.”
I nearly stop walking when she says that. “Has that happened to you?” I ask quickly.
“No, no, no! Never,” she clarifies.
“Thank God,” I say, relief rushing through me.
“But you haven’t said anything inappropriate to me,” she says, her voice low against my ear now.
“Do you wish I would?”
“You could.”
My blood runs hot. “Nah. I don’t want to ruin this excellent review I’m getting so far.”
She drops a kiss onto my temple. We reach my car and she hops off my back, and I turn around and stand upright again.
I move my arms around her, realizing her top has barely any fabric on the back, and greedily run my hand up and down that smooth, sexy skin of hers, my fingertips floating along her spine. “I like your outfit.”
“Hm. I was just thinking how much I don’t like it.”
I lift a brow in surprise. “Why? It’s hot.”
A blush colors her cheeks, and I continue rubbing my hand up and down her back. She links her hands around the nape of my neck and stares up at me, her eyes flickering with something new in them. “I think I’d rather you see me out of this outfit.”
Holy shit.
“Wyatt?” she says, drawing her lower lip between her teeth.
“Yeah?” I ask, trying to ignore how my heart is beginning to pound against my ribs.
“I’m ready for more. Tonight.”