Page 70 of Puck, Marry, Kill

“What about next season?” Griffin asks, his tone merely curious, but there’s a million inherent factors at play to answer that question.

I came here with every intention of fixing Kipson’s shit and going home. To Griffin and Penny. To the brothers on my team, the Hawks. It was supposed to be a one-season side quest, a quick in and out, just an asterisk on my career before I returned to the life I’d carefully built. But now? I’ve built an entirely different life, here ... with the Blizzard and more importantly, with Briar and Harley. I have a family here, a brotherhood, and a home. Not in this short-term rental, but at Briar’s side. Wherever she is, that’s home now.

I look at the woman who has changed everything for me, seeing the doubts trying to bloom in her eyes. She would never ask me to stay. Hell, she probably expects me to leave. So I pin her fidgeting hands with my own, stare deep into her soul, and never look away as I answer Griffin, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here.”

Briar’s smile spreads slowly, the hopeful belief gradually drowning out any remaining demon whispers.

Griffin’s reaction is much louder. “Thank fuck,” he rumbles. “I was so afraid I’d need to physically yank your head out of your ass.”

Laughing, I finally turn to him. “What?”

He holds his hands up toward me and then Briar, exclaiming, “I mean, I would’ve done it. I’d have to return the favor since you did it for me once.” Sounding much more relieved, he adds, “But I really hoped itwasn’t gonna be necessary and that you could see what a good thing you have going.” He lifts his chin toward Briar, then glances toward Harley.

I nod, running my thumb over Briar’s hand. “I see it.”

“Probably need to put out an announcement to the league, though—Dominic Lee, asshole whisperer, is out of the business of fixing your screwed-up players,” Penny suggests, waving a hand through the air like she’s writing that on a marquee. She probably would literally do that. Or send out an email newsletter or make a social media post about it. She’s good at that stuff since she does marketing for her own business.

Griffin groans, telling my sister, “He’s gonna be even more stubborn and arrogant now.”

“Well, can you blame me?” I joke. “I fixed you, Kipson, a whole damn team ...” I count them off on my fingers proudly.

“And me,” Briar whispers.

I freeze and catch her eye. “Nah, you fixed you. I just helped you knock the dust off the shine so that you could see how much you’d already done,” I say with a wink. “Made the reward worth the risk too.” My voice is filled with sexy promises, but I mean it so much more deeply than that. Briar broke every rule she had for herself for me, and I intend to make that gamble pay off in every way I can.

“Dom,” she whispers, a pink blush coloring her cheeks as she dips her chin. I see her check on Harley, to make sure he didn’t hear us, but he’s passed out asleep on the floor in a post–sugar rush crash.

“You two are so cute,” Penny coos.

“Not as cute as us,” Griffin corrects.

I cut my eyes his way. “You are not cute. You fucked my sister behind my back,” I remind him. I don’t care anymore. That ship has long since sailed, but it’s a nice screw to twist every once in a while. Again, affection through shit-talking.

He grins wolfishly. “Yeah, I did,” he says unapologetically. “And you wanna know something?”

Before I can ask, Penny finishes for him. “Welovvvvvvvvvvedit.”

Chapter 25

Briar

“Are you sure about this? I understand that you have a game tomorrow,” I tell Dominic as he closes the door behind Griffin and Penny. They’re headed back to the team hotel for the night, but we’ve had a great evening of talking and laughing.

I was nervous about meeting Penny and downright terrified of meeting Griffin Mahoney given his reputation, but they were both welcoming and friendly and had made it easy and comfortable. I think seeing them was also good for Dominic. He seems more relaxed, steadier somehow.

“I’m sure,” Dominic says quietly. He’s watching me, though, checking if I’m okay.

I have never spent the night at a man’s house before. I’ve certainly never tucked Harley into bed in a guest room and then gone to sleep with the guy I’m dating in another room. But I’m doing it tonight. It’s probably a minor thing to most people, but to me, it feels like a huge step. Especially after meeting Dominic’s family.

“Okay, I’m gonna check on Harley one more time, then I’m ready.”

Ready for bed. Ready to see where this all goes. Tonight and beyond.

I peek through a crack in the door and see Harley curled up in the bed, snoring lightly. He’s a good sleeper. He never even stirred whenDominic carried him in here, though my ovaries were stirring enough for us both. I will never forget the image of Harley’s head on Dominic’s shoulder and him laid out across his arms like a sleeping prince. I blow a kiss Harley’s way with a happy smile. Back in the living room, Dominic is folding the blankets Penny and I used, dropping them into their basket home.

“Think that’ll be enough light?” Dom gestures to a dim lamp. “Just in case he wakes up and doesn’t remember where he’s at. The guest bathroom has a nightlight too.” That he’s aware and cares that a young boy might wake up in the middle of the night and need a light to safely find his way in a sleep-addled state is downright sexy to me.

“It’s perfect,” I assure him.