Page 134 of Securing the Pucking Rebound

38

CALVIN

Irest my ass back against the hood of the car and wait, my eyes locked on the street up ahead.

Nerves rattle through me.

I’ve never done anything like this before. Never put myself out there, laying everything I want on the line. Well, apart from hockey. But this is very, very different. If anything, I want it more. And that really is saying something.

The street in front of me is long and full of people spending their afternoons doing a little retail therapy. But despite the mass of people, the second she steps onto the street, I’m aware of her.

Arms linked, they walk toward where I’m waiting with wide smiles on their face as they talk animatedly about something.

Seeing Sienna’s happiness lights me up inside and helps me to push the anger away that’s been buzzing around me since she confessed her past and her fears to me last night.

Whoever that guy was who hurt her so badly, I want to find him and wrap my hands around his motherfucking throat and watch the life drain out of him.

My dark thoughts are interrupted by the sweet sound of her laughter.

The second it hits my ears, my entire body relaxes, and I’d be lying if I said my dick didn’t jerk happily.

They get closer still. Sienna is too distracted by what they’re talking about to see me waiting. But Bea knows I’m here. She helped me set this up, after all.

“I know, I said that to her. But she wasn’t having it. Client knows best, and all—” Sienna’s words stop abruptly when she finally realizes someone’s sitting on the hood of her Mini. “Calvin?” she breathes, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Hey, darlin’.”

“Oh, swoon,” Bea breathes beside her, placing her hand over her heart.

I push from the car and walk right up to her. For the first time in my life, I’m not aware of our surroundings or who's witnessing or taking a photo of this.

I take her face in my hands and brush my lips over hers.

“I missed you,” I say so quietly that only she’ll hear. Or at least, I thought it was.

“Damn, you guys are incredibly cute.”

“Well, we couldn’t have you and Rett winning any awards for cutest NHL couple now, could we?” I taunt, making them both laugh.

“Right, well, this is where we part,” Bea says to Sienna. “Calvin is taking it from here.”

Sienna’s mouth opens and closes like a fish.

“We’ve got a shopping trip of our own to do, remember?”

She narrows her eyes at me as she thinks back.

“Oh,” she says, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. “You really were serious.”

“I was. Ready to get into the holiday spirit.”

“I can’t believe you’ve got her to agree to this. I’ve been moaning at her for years about not decorating,” Bea complains.

“Well, what can I say? I'm clearly better at convincing her.”

“Hmm, yeah. I wonder why?” Bea deadpans while Sienna’s cheeks heat. “Anyway, have fun, you two. Don’t do anything Everett and I wouldn’t do.”

“Like get pregnant in a club?” Sienna teases.