Page 131 of The Risk Taker

“I love you,” he says, my heart soaring as the words work themselves deep in my veins. “I’m sick of pretending I’m not in love with you. I want to be with you. And I’d be proud to be with you. To tell everyone we’re together.”

Holy fuck.

I almost laugh, almost cry.

Nathan Hayes loves me.

I don’t think my heart’s ever going to recover from that.

I can’t help the grin that breaks across my face. “Finally,” I manage, my voice breaking on a laugh. “Took you long enough.”

I reach for him, sliding my hand up the back of his neck, my fingers tangling in his hair and kissing him again. His hands fist in my jacket, tugging me closer, and I let him. I want to be as close as possible. I want to burn the feeling into my bones.

I slide my palm up and cup his jaw, brushing my thumb along the rough line of his cheek. He sighs against my lips and it goes straight through me.

We break apart just enough for me to breathe him in, for me to see his eyes, wide and unguarded in the yellow streetlight. I’m hyper-aware of where we are, of the noise from the bar behind us, of how easy it would be for any of the guys to walk out and see us like this.

“Anyone could see us,” I tell him, but I don’t pull back. I don’t want to.

Nathan doesn’t flinch like he usually would, though. Instead, his mouth curves into the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen and he gives a small shake of his head. “I’m not scared anymore,” he says. “Not if it means I get to have you.”

For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can breathe.

He’s still holding onto me like he might never let go, and I hope he never does.

We might not have won the game tonight, but out here, with him, I’ve never felt more like a winner.

35

NATHAN

The door clicks shut behind us, and I don’t even get the chance to breathe before Logan’s mouth is on mine again. It’s a little messy and desperate. He kisses me like he’s furious about how long we’ve waited.

And I don’t even blame him.

He pushes me back a step, then another, his hands grabbing my jacket, tugging until it’s sliding off my shoulders.

He pauses when my jacket hits the floor, just… watching me for a while, like he’s not sure if this is really happening. Like he’s scared if he blinks, I’ll disappear back into the guy I was a week ago, a month ago. The one who kissed him in secret and looked away in public.

Not anymore.

His lips twitch into a grin, and he shakes his head, letting out a little laugh. “I still can’t believe you kissed me right in front of the bar.”

I huff out a laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck, playing with the hair at the nape. “Turns out life without you is so much scarier than whatever I was scared of before.”

His grin settles and his eyes soften as his hands slide down my arms, fingers curling into mine. “I’m going to be so good to you, Nathan. I promise.”

I don’t need him to promise. I know he’s going to make me the happiest man alive because he already has, in the short months since this whole thing started.

He leans in and kisses me slowly, my eyes fluttering closed at the feel of his lips on mine. His lips are on my jaw, then my throat, and I’m already groaning, already hard, already losing any chance at control I might’ve had.

His hands slide into my hair, pulling me closer, and I melt before I can think twice.

We stumble back until my knees hit the mattress. I sit, dragging him with me, his mouth still on mine, letting out a muffled laugh when our teeth knock.

He pushes me down, sprawling over me as he straddles me. He grinds down once, grinning at the sound I make.

My head drops back with a groan. “Fucking hell,” I mutter.