“Thing?” I jolted back, my eyes widening as hurt flared to life. “What the fuck’s that meant to mean? Thing?”
Eddie blanched. “I didn’t mean…” He shook his head. “This has just been all so fast and now it’s impacting your game. Your dreams.”
Emotion, thick and fast, threatened to bowl me other. At the pinnacle was a punch of incredulous anger. “Five fucking years I’ve been in love with you.” The words shot out. “If that’s fucking fast, we need to work on the definition.” I clenched my jaw and pulled in a deep breath.
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to ignore our time together, our friendship—”
“Really?” I gave a humorless laugh. “’Cause I have to say, Eddie, right now it feels like the past five years were completely irrelevant and my feelings are invalid.”
“No.” He stood up quickly and I was so, so tempted to take a step back. This was not how tonight was meant to go down. “Of course your feelings are valid, and real. I’m sorry. I’m doing a shit job at apologizing and a worse job at telling you how I feel.”
I loosened my tight jaw and took a big breath. “And how do you feel?” My voice was tight and low while my pulse picked up speed, freakin’ terrified at what would fall from his mouth.
Automatically, my muscles contracted, and I held my breath, preparing to protect myself.
“I love you so much that just the thought of you hurting because of me breaks my fucking heart.”
A fast, unsteady breath whooshed out of me. “You’re a fucking idiot,” I whispered shakily and took the necessary steps to engulf him in a hug. “Jesus, I thought you were trying to end thisthingbetween us.”
He squeezed my waist. “That’s the last thing I want.” He shook his head and blew out a breath. “I just wish you’d been able to see my message before the game so at least you knew what was happening. I wasn’t trying to say you’re incapable. My head’s just a mess and I freaked the fuck out. I’m sorry. I definitely don’t want to be ending things between us.”
I swore my heart tripped over itself at his words. “It’s a good job, as there’s not a chance I’m letting you go.” I searched for his mouth, capturing it a second later, pouring everything I felt for this man into every touch.
Passion burned in my veins, fueling me to show Eddie just how much his words meant. Dragging my mouth away and panting, I stared at him, realizing I hadn’t said the words back. Sure, I’d shouted them at him, but that wasn’t quite the same.
“What?” Confusion furrowed his brow, but he didn’t lose the desire in his gaze.
“I swear it feels like I’ve loved you forever.”
His mouth curved at my words. “Forever, huh?”
I grinned, affection clogging my throat. “Five years… forever… same difference.”
Rather than answer, he drew me back in for a kiss, our lips exploring, never letting up. Each movement, each taste seeped beneath my skin, burrowing its way even deeper into my soul.
The clusterfuck of a day didn’t matter. Not when Eddie in my arms was so right, so perfect. More than that, it was everything. And I could barely get my head around the fact that we were finally here.
When I pulled away for the second time, he growled, the sound scorching my skin in the best of ways.
“Tomorrow,” I said, once more capturing his gaze. “I want us to tell Lottie that we’re together tomorrow.” I held my breath, waiting for his response. While his telling Lottie was ultimately his decision, it didn’t mean I wasn’t prepared to push or plead if necessary.
I wanted to be able to hold this man’s hand whenever and wherever. I wanted to share his bed and wake up beside him. Sure, the reality of my career was a huge fucking elephant between us, let alone in the room, but I had to believe we’d figure it out.
“Okay.” He nodded. “We can tell her first thing.”
“Yeah?” The grin on my face was wide and so full of relief, his smile softened.
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Thank Christ.” And then I was on him, tearing free of our clothes, our kisses fast and messy as we stumbled while undressing, trying to get to the bed. “I want inside you.”
His breath caught and body shuddered at my words. “Yes.” Eddie clambered onto the bed, turned so his ass was before me, and dug around in his bedside drawer.
“Holy fuck, yeah, just like this.”
A sultry smirk that told me he’d known exactly what he was up to when he’d searched for the lube lifted his lips as he glanced at me. He threw the lube on the bed, and I swiped it up, opening the cap as I kneeled behind him and showered him with kisses.
A soft sigh slipped from his lips when I finally inserted a slick finger. He leaned further, head resting on his hands on the mattress, his perfect ass in the air, waiting for me to take good care of preparing him.
