“Wow. Who knew you could have all that ego and not want presents.”
His brows popped up. “The two are entirely unrelated.”
Maisie picked up a present and put it on his lap. “I am now the proud owner of a Guardians jersey so I’m not the only random-present giver.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d noticed he was good at doing things for others but not so much for himself.
He opened the first one slowly and the smile that broke out on his face was better than any award, any contest she could win, any accolades she could receive from her mom.
“This is incredible,” he said, awe reverberating in his voice.
She peeked over his arm to see which one he’d opened. It was the photo she’d taken of Ellie and Asher outside. Ellie had liftedher son up, hands under his armpits, and she was mid twirl with him, both of their faces bursting with the kind of happiness that couldn’t be faked. She’d tweaked the colors so it looked just a little vintage but sharp and clear.
“There’s more,” she said, handing him the next one.
This one was of Asher concentrating on getting the puck in the net. Maisie had caught them practicing in the games room. Asher’s little face was so serious and he held the stick like he’d obviously been taught. Nick stood just to the side, in profile, pride and love shining his expression. Setting the frame down, he reached out, pulled her close, and kissed her hard, like he didn’t want to let his emotion escape through words but needed her to feel it.
“I love it.”
I love you.The words zipped through her head like a freight train, making her heart bounce unsteadily behind her ribs.
He picked up the third one without prompting and unwrapped it. Maisie bit her lip, folding her hands on her lap to keep from making him open it faster.
The final one was Nick and Ellie laughing outside. Both of their heads were tipped back in laughter and Nick, in particular, looked so carefree and happy, it made Maisie smile just looking at it.
“I sent a digital copy of them to Ellie,” Maisie said.
Nick turned his gaze to her, studying her with an intensity that would make her squirm if she weren’t already restless.
“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you should be doing something else. Talent is elevated when the person with it truly loves what they do. Your passion for photography, your ability to see what others don’t, blows me away. I love all of these. Thank you.”
Maisie’s lips trembled so she pressed them together tightly, nodding her thanks. Nick took each of the photos and stacked the frames carefully on the nightstand beside him, then crumpled all the paper together and tossed it.
When he’d done that, he turned his body and reached for her. “Come here, Maisie. I need to thank you.”
He laid her back on the bed, brushed her hair back from her face, traced the pad of his index finger along her hair line, over her jaw, and stared into her eyes.
“You make me want things I never imagined I would.”
Me too.Though, for her, it was things she never imagined shecouldhave.
Maisie reached up, cupped his jaw, ran her thumb back and forth over the soft scruff.
“Kiss me,” she whispered. Here, in the quiet of her bedroom, lost in Nick’s arms, what they did for work and who they were didn’t matter. They were a couple, lost in the newness of falling hard for one another. Maisie wasn’t one to jump without a parachute, but if anyone could make her want to, it was this man, whispering how special she was to him. No one knew where they’d land in the end. Wasn’t there a saying about the journey being the most important part? Nick King was the best adventure Maisie would ever have.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
IT SEEMED FITTING THATit was raining as Nick pulled into the visitor parking at Climate Pledge Arena on the thirtieth. He and Maisie spent yesterday lost in each other and just hanging out. His gut was tense but so far, he was pulling air in and out of his lungs properly. When he’d left her early that morning—which fucking sucked because every time he looked at her, he could see hints of worry and unasked questions in her gaze. He’d chatted with his therapist for over an hour. Nick needed to focus on one step at a time.Get out of the truck. Go in. Greet the guys.
Walking toward the team entrance, Nick was looking straight ahead when two guys flanked him. Huge guys. Guys he’d missed like hell even though it’d only been a couple of weeks.
“There he is,” Aaron Gable, the Guardians’ goalie said, throwing an arm around Nick’s shoulder.
At the same time, Charlie Gable, Aaron’s twin brother, centerfor the Guardians, came up on his other side. “Damn, dude. Did you get uglier?”
All three of them laughed. Three years earlier,Peoplemagazine had called Nick a pretty boy and the guys had taped the glossy magazine pages all over the locker room.
“Still not as ugly as you,” Nick said, the pressure easing off in his chest even as his nerves felt like live wires. How could something youlovedbring so many sensations in tandem?
