Page 218 of Securing the Pucking Rebound

“It’s perfect,” I say, getting comfortable on his couch. Despite it being huge, he doesn’t sit on the other side of the sectional; instead, he lowers himself right beside me, so close that our shoulders brush.

“You okay?” he asks as he hands me a bowl.

“I’m great. You?”

“Incredible. Gonna miss you again when you leave town, though.”

“You’re spending the holidays with the guys, right? Like you did Thanksgiving?” Unease twists me up inside that he might be planning on spending it alone.

That can’t happen. It just can’t.

“That’s the plan.”

“Good. I’ll only be gone for a few days; I have to be back for work. We’re fully booked in the run-up to New Year’s.”

“That’s incredible.”

“We went to see the places I found to expand into,” I tell him proudly.

“Yeah?” he asks, his eye lighting up. “And?”

“They’re both great. Bea is seriously considering it. She’s going to look more at it in the new year. She’ll be on maternity leave and will have more time to crunch the numbers, but I have a good feeling about it.”

“That’s incredible. I’m so proud of you.”

I smile at him. “I’m proud of you, too. Everything you’ve achieved since we met that summer is unbelievable. And I know, deep down, your family is proud of you too.”

60

CALVIN

Bea: Sienna and the others are in Club 52. She might need someone to dance with…

“Fuuuuck.” I groan as I stare at the message that came through a few minutes ago.

Despite being desperate to get up, get dressed, and go and find her, I force myself to stay where I am.

I’m overthinking it. I know I am.

What if she doesn’t want me to turn up?

What if she’s annoyed that I ruin girls’ night?

I grew up with two sisters. I might have left home at the earliest possibility, but I was around them for long enough to know that women take girl code very seriously.

As if she can read my mind, the dots start bouncing on the screen. I wait with my stomach knotted with indecision.

Bea: Unless you want her to dance with someone else.

“Fuck it. Fuck. It,” I state, cutting through the silence of my apartment as I finally get to my feet and march through to the bedroom.

I take a deep breath as I step over the threshold. I know it’s crazy. Sienna was only in here for a few minutes really, but I swear her scent still lingers in the air.

I didn’t see her last night—she worked late, and I had a fundraising thing that I couldn’t get out of. By the time I was done, she was already asleep, so I was forced to crawl into my bed alone. But much to my delight, my pillow still smelled like her, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t press my nose into it and inhale her. I was hard in a heartbeat. I jerked off with the memory of her here with me, coming all over my face, but while it felt good, it barely scratched the surface of what I need.

I need her.

And right now, I know exactly where she is.