Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Kayla lays her hand on Riggs’s and leans into him. “That’s the point,” she tells him with a soft smile, her eyes dancing from his eyes to his mouth like she’s going to kiss him any second. Riggs thinks so too, quickly licking his lips in preparation, and Kayla’s sultry smile says she knows exactly what he’s thinking, but she leans back, sitting properly in her chair. “Proud is one thing, but I am a lady,” she teases. “At the moment.”
“You were no lady last night,” he growls, a teasing smirk of his own twisting his lips.
They’re flirting hard, and quite obviously. Not for show, but because it’s real between us. There’s no doubt about what this is—a date between three people.
By the time our food arrives, four brave souls have stopped by the table to ask for autographs or photos with me and Riggs. I sign a couple of things, Riggs politely refuses as per his personal policy, and we pose for a couple of pictures. Everyone has been kind, talking up last season and wishing us well for next, while casting knowing glances at Kayla.
But once we have food, they leave us alone, watching from afar.
“Is it always like this when you go out?” Kayla asks. “Autographs and photos and adoration?”
Riggs grunts. “Annoyingly so.”
“Are you okay with that?” I search her face for any sign of discomfort, but if she’s uncomfortable, she’s trained too well to let it show. Still, I offer, “We can leave if this isn’t what you wanted.”
Kayla’s idea to make a very public appearance surprised me, but I understood her reasoning… once she explained it to me. Hiding away in shame only amplifies that there is something weird or wrong about us, when there’s not. People who are in love go on dates, so that’s what we’re doing, which in turn, lets us control the narrative. But I won’t mind when we can go back to quiet nights at home alone, just the three of us. I think that’s what we all truly prefer.
Or at least, I do. For a guy who has spent most of his life as the lively center of any circle, I find that my favorite moments are when we’ve had dinner and moved to the couch where we snuggle up with Kayla between us while Riggs and I watch a replay of a game and Kayla reads investment proposals or a book, and we talk about everything and nothing. All with the knowledge that the little touches throughout the evening will end with us fucking for hours before collapsing into bed together. No, clearly, now, it’s more than fucking. It’s making love for hours. That’s become the best night I can imagine, so I could be easily swayed to bail on this dinner if she wants.
“I’m fine. And I think Dad was right,” she says, taking a bite of her salmon. “As usual.”
Okay, I can’t hold back my curiosity on that any longer. “How’d your conversation with them go?”
“Shockingly well.” She laughs. “I truly thought Mom was going to be the progressive one who accepted it at face value, and Dad would pull some sort of ‘not my daughter’ act, but it was the complete opposite.” She gives us the rundown of how her afternoon went, informing us that we have a family dinner this weekend to meet everyone, which sounds much less terrifying and a lot more amazing now. What feels best, though, is that after that, she asks about our day.
“I called my parents too,” Riggs tells her. “They’re happy for us.”
A laugh bursts past my lips. “That’s what you’re calling it? Happy for us?” I echo mockingly. Kayla looks at me in confusion. “Tell her what they really said.”
He growls in annoyance but admits, “They were surprised… about you.” He takes a big breath before explaining, “They follow my career closely, which means they know about my reputation with this guy.” He cringes again, the same way he did today when his mother revealed she already knew about the ‘Mad-Trick thing’, as she called it. “Apparently, they thought we were going to figure out that we didn’t need a third person. They were fine with that already, so the three of us being together is just ‘more love to go around’, according to my mom.”
It must be a trick of the candles’ flickering light because there is no way in hell Riggs Patrick is blushing, but I swear his cheeks are going red, and not in anger.
Kayla presses her lips together, trying unsuccessfully to hide her grin. “They sound great.”
“They are,” he admits, somehow sounding grumpy about that fact.
“I talked to my parents too. They want to meet you, but they’re hiking in Utah right now. They asked if you’ll be at the season opener, though?” I want her to say yes. More than anything, I want to hit the ice knowing that the woman we love is up in the crowd, watching us play the game we love.