Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
“Got some news from the team doc,” Damien said as we walked to the door. Everyone else had moved to their cars, but he hung back, nodding for Brianna to go on without him.
Damien’s jaw clenched, looking far more nervous than he had in the past. My jaw tightened, unsure if this was good or bad news. Had they benched him for good? While it had always been a possibility, that would be hell for my friend.
When Damien first got injured, he’d become a ghost of himself.
For over a decade, he’d been a powerhouse on the field, demanding respect from both his teammates and the fans.
There was no doubt that, one day, we’d all be attending his induction in the Hall of Fame.
But a nasty fall right before the playoffs stripped that away, leaving him to deal with an uncertain future and dying dreams.
“I’m good to play,” he said, chortling before wiping his hand over his face. “Fu—hell, man, never thought I’d say that again.”
I pulled Damien into a hug, clapping him on the back.
He’d waited so long for this—suffered through grueling PT and sat on the sidelines for every game.
We needed him back on the field. While a lot of teams didn’t bother with captains, Damien was our leader, the guy you could always count on to get your head right.
While we’d done okay in our last few series, the team wouldn’t feel complete without him.
When we broke apart, he ran over his face to hide the sheen in his eyes. “Wanted you to be the first to know—after everything.” I nodded, unable to articulate what that meant to me. “Also, Bri agreed to marry me.”
“No shit,” I barked, clapping him on the shoulder. “About damn time, old man.”
“Tell me about it,” he grumbled, but his tone only held warmth.
No matter what Damien said, he would have waited forever to hear yes, as long as he got to spend it at Brianna’s side.
“We’re going to elope—keep it small. Only us.
But we might have a ceremony and reception when we get back for friends and family, and if we do, I’d like it if you stood with me as my best man. ”
Now, it was my turn to duck my head. “You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fucking sure.” He motioned behind me. “I’ll fill you in on everything later. Right now, get back to your girls.”
With one last goodbye, he joined Brianna in his car, darting off down the block.
When the taillights faded into the distance, I headed inside, shutting the door behind me.
I should’ve headed home myself. We had back-to-back games this week, and my body was already feeling the effects of the season.
I’d splurged on a high-end mattress when I first got signed, needing it to work out all the kinks after long days on the field.
But lately, I’d barely slept in it, not wanting to leave Kinsley’s place until the last possible moment.
Moving over to the couch, Anna lay on the cushions, her chubby cheeks smashed against it.
I took a seat next to her and pulled her into my arms. Today had been a lot for her—in the best way.
No surprise, my girl loved the attention, just like her dad.
She’d gone to every single person, pulling them into games and demanding their participation.
By the end of the afternoon, she’d stolen all their hearts, just as she had mine.
In the past, that would have been enough to scare me off.
I’d never liked being bound to someone, never liked the idea of belonging to anyone but myself.
I’d spent enough of my life under my father’s legacy, seeing how he used his family as pawns to protect his image.
I’d never wanted anyone else to have that kind of control over me.
Until my daughter entered my life.
Anna’s fist rubbed at her eyes, and then they blinked open. She squinted at my face and broke out into a wide smile, her fingers holding onto the edge of my shirt. “Duh, duh, duh, duh.” Her soft voice babbled random sounds, but my heart skipped a beat.
“Daddy,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her soft curls. “I’m your daddy, little one.”
She sighed as her eyes fluttered closed, but her fist remained wrapped around my shirt. Fine by me. Nothing could get me to leave this spot right now.
Kinsley rounded the corner, and her feet suddenly stopped as she spotted us on the couch together. “Do you want me to take her?”
“No.” Not even a little. Having my daughter resting on my chest was the perfect end to an already very good day. With my free hand, I patted the spot next to us. Kinsley sank down at our side, leaning back on the couch with a long sigh. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I just forgot what that was like.”
“What?”
She turned, her dark eyes sparkling as she stared at me.
“Having people around. When you first said they were coming over, you called them your family. And I didn’t get it—not at first. And now…
you’re more than a team, Jace. I haven’t had that, well, ever.
Even growing up, it was always just me and my mom.
” She ran a hand over Anna’s back. “She’s going to have so many more people watching over her. ”
“Just wait.” I grinned over at her. “When she tries to date, she’s going to have an entire team of over-protective uncles watching her back.”
Kinsley laughed, the sound so light and free, it stole the breath from my lungs.
All afternoon, she pulled my attention, making sure my friends took care of her.
Not that I should have doubted them. They folded her into the group without a word.
Hell, Hadley and Brianna might like her more than me.
Not that I could blame them—there was something about Kinsley.
Despite her walls, she pulled people close, even without meaning to.
“I can put her in the crib if you need to get going.”
I shook my head. “Just a little longer. Please?”
“Okay.” Kinsley grabbed the remote, turning the volume down before flicking through the different apps. “Want to watch a movie?”
“Sure, but be warned—I’m going to judge you for your choice.”
Kinsley rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “Do movie preferences earn more or less judgment than breakfast choices?”
“Oh, it doesn’t even come close. If you put on some war documentary, we’ll make it work. But if you decided you hated breakfast food?” I pointed to the door. “I’d already be gone.”
“Glad we cleared that up.” Kinsley frowned as she scanned the different options, turning every few ones to gauge my reaction. After I gave her nothing, she pulled up a rom-com from the early 2000s. She stared at me. “So are we still friends?”
My laugh was dark and full of warning. “Oh no, Kins. There’s no part of me that wants to be friends with you.”
Her head snapped to the side, meeting my eyes with an expression so full of confusion and hurt, I regretted my words. Shaking my head, I shift a little closer to her, enough that she could read every truth in my expression. “I want more than that, mama.”
Her breath hitched as her eyes dripped down to my lips. Anna in my arms was the only reason I stopped from claiming her mouth. She swallowed, her voice a whisper as she said. “How much more?”
Everything. The word rang out before I could stop it.
It was too soon, wasn’t it? At least, it seemed too soon.
But as Kinsley’s dark eyes met mine again, the truth became crystal clear.
It should have scared me—this innate knowledge that Kinsley was it for me.
But it had been there years ago, and it had only become clearer after the last month.
Some people would question if it was because of Anna, but it had nothing to do with that.
Instead, it had everything to do with the woman in front of me.
Her strength, her courage, the way she loved so fiercely.
I cleared my throat, saving those confessions for another day. “'I’d like the kiss you were going to give me this morning.”
“Who said I was going to kiss you?” She smirked. “I told you to do it. Maybe I was just daring you to see if you would.”
Blood coursed through me, temptation and the lingering promise of Kinsley’s lips enough to zap all rational thoughts from my mind. But Anna stirred against me, anchoring me back into the moment. As much as I wanted to claim that kiss—claim her, it had to wait. “Gonna test that theory, mama.”
Her eyes widened, her pupils lust blown as they met mine.
The breath hitched in her lungs, as if she wanted me to take that chance, wanted me to reach across the couch and pull her into my arms. And fuck, I wanted that too.
The movie played on in the background, but, with every passing scene, the tension grew between us, the unspoken promise of more waiting for the credits to roll.
We’d barely hit the half-way mark when Kinsley turned toward me. “Let me put her to bed, Jace.”
There was no point in arguing, not when her voice held that husky tone, begging me to crawl to her. And fuck, I would. I’d do anything if it meant another taste of her, if I got to sink back inside of her, that sweet heat clenching my cock like it was made for me.
I leaned forward, supporting Anna’s head and back as I passed her into Kinsley’s waiting arms. She kissed the side of our daughter’s head before standing; the move was so practiced, she must have done it a million times before.
Part of me admired her—admired how effortlessly she handled motherhood.
And yet, there was another part of me that hated how she’d always done this alone.
As much as I tried to let go of the guilt surrounding our circumstances, it didn’t make it any easier.
Would I always wonder what would have happened if I stayed?
If I’d never left the Hawks? Probably, but that was a worry for another night.
The soft click of the bedroom door made my spine stiffen, an awareness of what was about to happen flooding through my veins. Kinsley moved next to the couch, toying with her fingers. She looked all around the room but avoided my gaze.
“Hey…” I said, offering out my hand. She paused before taking it, and, when she rested her palm against mine, her finger shook. I tugged her closer, waiting until she stood between my knees and couldn’t avoid my stare. “Talk to me, Kins.”
She chewed on her lower lip, and her eyes lowered. She opened her mouth several times, but no sounds came out, so she snapped it closed with a huff. Understanding deflated me. “You’re nervous.”
She exhaled, her words a hushed whisper. “This feels big, Jace.”
Kinsley didn’t have to say anything else for me to understand.
This felt big—life-changing, earth-shattering, all those emotions the guys on the team used to describe falling for their partners, but I’d been too young and dumb to listen.
When we’d first come together, there were no promises, no plans for the future after our one night.
And now? Anna tied us together, so if this failed—if we failed—the person who would suffer most would be our daughter.
But what if we worked?
If Kinsley asked, I’d give her everything.
As I stood, I released her hand, choosing instead to sweep some of her hair over her shoulder.
A shudder worked its way through her body, and, for a moment, I almost said fuck it and claimed that sweet mouth like I’d been dying to all day.
“There’s no rush with us, Kinsley. I know what I want, and I’m willing to wait for it. ”
Her dark eyes flashed, some of that earlier lust and desire flooding back into her umber irises. “What do you want, Jace?”
Images flashed in my mind, all too easily picturing Kinsley at my mercy, holding her—kissing her until her lips were red and flushed.
I wanted her on top of me, her full tits bouncing as I drove my cock in deep inside her wet and wanting heat.
And while those words sat at the tip of my tongue, Kinsley's trembling grip on my hand held me back.
“I want it all with you, Kins, but if you’re not in this with me, we need to stop now. Because yeah, this is big, and if I get to have you again, I can promise, I’m not letting go this time. So, before anything else happens, you need to decide if that’s what you want too.”