Page 29 of Offside Possession
“I travel a lot for work.” Holy crap, was he about to give me the ‘this isn’t you, it’s me’ speech? After I’d decided to take a chance on him?
“Right, I just mentioned that.”
“And you work remotely, right?”
“Right,” I whispered. I couldn’t get myself to look away. If this was the last time I’d be in front of him, I should really take it in. That’s not what this is, a little voice whispered in the recesses of my mind.
“Look.” He stared at me and then ran his hands through his hair before standing up and taking my hand, urging me to stand with him.
“Scott, if you changed your mind—“
“Hell, no, not even close.” He leaned forward, resting his forehead against mine. He chuckled and then groaned. “Once upon a time, I think I was kinda good at this, but maybe I’m too old now, or maybe it’s because this is actually serious and real—“
“Scott, you’re talking in circles,” I gently pointed out. He chuckled roughly.
“I like that you call me out on my shit.” He pulled away, holding my face in his hands, tipping my head slightly so our gazes connected. “I like that you see me, not the hockey player but me. The man.”
“Honey—“
“I think the very moment you started talking to me at the bar was when it happened,” he confessed, and I blinked. That all-too-familiar warmth fluttered over my skin.
“The moment what happened?”
“I fell in love with you.” Nerves started to wash right out as excitement pumped through my veins. “I looked at you, and everything inside me knew. Not only that you were going to be important to me, and my life, but that you were going to be my entire universe.”
“Scott—“
“I know things are complicated, Stella. You just moved here, you haven’t even been in Houston for a month, you haven’t finished unpacking. The season is starting, and I’ll be on the road. Then there’s the fact you’re my buddy’s little sister.” I made a face, and his lips quirked upward.
“We can figure out Sam later. I’m okay waiting. We can FaceTime and—“
“That won’t be enough,” he groaned.
“Won’t be enough…”
“Okay.” His arms pulled me in closer, forcing me to bend my head back further to look into his chocolate-brown eyes. “We could try, but with time zones and travel, I don’t want to risk you getting bored or some guy stepping in.” I giggled.
“You really think there could ever be anyone else for me?” I asked, feeling the way his chest rose and fell heavily against mine.
“Go on the road with me.”
“Scott…” I licked my lips, at a loss for words. My first instinct, my guts, and intuition were yelling at me to say yes! To jump up for joy and head out with him. But something stopped me, almost like a self-conscious feeling of being too much like I usually was that held me back.
“You’ll get bored of me,” I whispered, feeling oddly vulnerable.
“I won’t.” The way he answered, so full of confidence and honesty, made my knees almost buckle. “I don’t want to end my days without you next to me. I don’t know how the hell you did it, trouble, but you put some kind of spell on me.” His confession made me giggle. I buried my face in his chest, soaking in the heat that radiated off his body, keeping the chill from the ice rink away.
“I think you like me,” I said against the warm slab of muscle. His arms wrapped around me tighter. God, I wasn’t sure when Scott started to feel like home, but that was exactly what he felt like.
Scott felt like home.
Like mine.
Like I was his.
“Baby, I told you, I more than like you.” His deep tone rumbled all around me, his chest vibrating against my face. He pulled back, tipping my chin up so I’d look at him. “I love you, Stella Miranda. I know it’s fast, probably insanely fast, and I’m not expecting you to—"
“I love you, too,” I blurted. “I do. I… Leaving your bed yesterday morning…” I shook my head, unable to find the words. “I love you, Scott Chance. If you’re sure, I’ll go with you. On the road, I mean, but with one condition.”
