Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Taking a deep breath, Stephanie lets out a sigh and gives me a sympathetic look. For all the ways I think she can be the immature one in the relationship because of her hang-ups, she responds to me with amazing sensibility.
She steps up to me and places her hands on my hips. “I want you to be yourself, Luc, and you’re not a mean or cruel person. I know this, and I’m apparently as much a hothead as you are, which doesn’t make the greatest combination in the worst of times. You’ve always been so confident in yourself and what we have together, I don’t think it ever occurred to me that you might have some bad days too, and perhaps I could be a little more empathetic.”
“Now I really feel like shit,” I mutter in acknowledgment to the absolutely perfect fucking words she’s saying to me right now to diffuse the situation.
“Don’t,” she says.
“I’m a moron,” I grouse.
“But a cute moron,” she says with a tiny grin and a bat of her eyelashes at me to lighten the fuck up.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her as my arms gather her in close to me. She hugs me back and pats me on my ass, again in a move to cut the tension.
She pulls her head back to look at me solemnly. “Let’s go in and get you packed up and off to the arena. I’ll be at the game tonight with Simone screaming my ass off for you. And then I’ll stay with you tonight and just get up a little earlier to go into work, okay?”
“I don’t deserve that kind of response from you when I was just such a dick.”
“You were a dick,” she concurs with a laugh. “The big thing is you’re aware of it, and perhaps you can figure a way to not do that again.”
“Of course I can,” I tell her with a huge exhale of contentment. “I hate I took this out on you. Of all people, it shouldn’t be you.”
“You’re forgiven.” She squeezes my waist hard so I know she’s telling the truth.
“I should take it out on Simone,” I mutter as an afterthought when I release Stephanie. “She’s the one who moved my lucky underwear.”
She stares at me a moment, then bursts out laughing. I grin back at her before taking her face in my hands and giving her a knockout kiss that takes her breath away.
“I’m sorry,” I say again softly when I lift my mouth from hers.
“It’s fine. We’re fine.”
“Lucas,” we both hear Simone calling out, and we turn to see her standing on the porch holding my phone. “You got a call. It’s Mom.”
“My good luck call,” I say to Stephanie in explanation as I take her hand. “She always calls before a game, but not my dad. He texts because he’s too nervous to talk.”
“That’s adorable,” she returns sweetly. “Are you nervous?”
I shake my head. “Not really. We’re ready and we’re playing the best we’ve played all season.”
“I love confidence,” Stephanie praises me as we cross the lawn. “Your quiet type of self-esteem. You’re not bold or cocky, but completely composed and genuine. It’s one of the reasons that you’re so comforting to be around.”
I stop in midstride and look down at her with shock over her words. This is very unlike Stephanie to admit these things without a lot of provocation; she usually does so only after I’ve wrecked her with orgasms.
“What?” she says in mock offense as she takes in my astonishment. “I can be complimentary.”
I grin at her before I give her swift, hard kiss of appreciation because she’s so fucking cute and awesome and I love it when she’s out of her element. I love that she’s growing continually and it makes me so fucking hopeful for the future.
She grumbles something under her breath and pushes me toward the porch. “Go answer your phone call.”
Laughing, I let her hand go and trot up the steps to snag the phone from Simone. “Hey, Mom.”
“Wanted to wish you luck, sweetheart,” she says in her mom voice that brings back memories of her packing me off and out the door to hockey practice growing up. She always wished Max and me luck on our way out. She continues, “I don’t want to hold you up on game day, but your father and I would like to come in next weekend if that’s okay with you to meet Stephanie.”
“Okay,” I say casually, although I’m excited as hell on the inside. “Sounds like a plan, and I’ll let Simone and Max know too.”
My eyes go to Stephanie as she watches me in silence, and I listen as my mom makes her goodbyes. When I hang up, I tell her, “My parents are coming next weekend for a visit.”
“Because they want to see you play hockey?” she guesses.