Page 123 of Don't Fall for the Goalie
“I mean, partly because of you,” I say.
His brows pull together.
I sigh. “You publicly announced me as yours without asking.”
His mouth opens.
I lift a hand. “I know. You didn’t mean it that way.”
Except maybe he did. A little.
Maybe more than a little.
His silence tells me he knows it, too.
My voice softens. “But I also know why it happened.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.” I swallow. “Because someone brought up Landon, and you lost your mind.”
His eyes close briefly.
When they open, there’s something raw there. “I don’t like hearing his name near yours.”
The words slide under my ribs and stay there.
I should back up. Make a joke. Diffuse this before it becomes too much.
Instead, I whisper, “Neither do I.”
Daltyn reaches for me slowly, like he’s giving me time to move away.
I don’t.
His hand settles on my waist, warm, steady, and possessive in a way that should scare me more than it does.
“I made this worse,” he says.
“You made it louder,” I correct softly. “That’s not the same thing.”
His thumb flexes once against his sweatshirt that I’m wearing.
His eyes drop to it, then back to my face. “I don’t want anyone hurting you.”
“I know.”
“No,” he says, his voice rough. “I don’t think you do.”
My breath catches.
The air between us changes, becoming heavy.
He looks like he wants to say more. Like the words are right there, clawing up his throat.
But then his phone starts ringing.
It’s Connor. Again.
