Page 79 of Puck Me Twice

Loves me.

And for the first time… I start to think that maybe, I can love him, too.

twenty-six

. . .

Sven

Vanessa’s breath slows to a moderate pace. She’s not panting like she’s just run a marathon—or had a fantastic orgasm—and she’s not choked up like she might cry again.

When I peek down at her face, she’s calm and relaxed. Pliant.

Her hand moves from my belly up to my sternum, and she looks up at me, a satisfied smile on her face. Her blonde waves are messy, and her makeup is smeared over her face—and she’s absolutely the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.

How the hell did we get here? How did I get so lucky as to get this second chance with her?

One thing’s for certain: I’m not going to waste this opportunity with her. I waited for her for nine years. I can wait a little longer for her to be ready.

Vanessa arches up against me as she moves her legs to remove her panties, shuffling up the bed until she can set her hand on my cheek, and she lowers my head down for a kiss. She lets out a groan, no doubt tasting herself on my lips. Deepening the kiss, she slips her tongue into my mouth, tangling with my own.

As I slide my arm more firmly around her, I shift us so we’re both on our side, facing each other. I draw her leg up over my hip, opening her up again—but I don’t touch her.

She tries to pull me on top of her, tries to rub her core against me. The sensation of her hot, wet cunt, brushing against me through my pants is enough to overload my brain. With everything I possess, I force myself to still.

She breaks the kiss and frowns up at me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“You’re… stiff.” She runs her hand down my arm. “What happened? What did I do?”

I have wanted this for so fucking long, and now that it’s here… I almost don’t know what to do.

This thing we have between us—it’s more than just sex.

I mean, sure. She’s the only person who can touch me without a full body shiver in a bad way. And she’s the only person I’ve ever felt completely safe around. Okay, and yeah, she’s the only person I’ve ever wanted to pursue.

It’s more than that, though.

Isn’t it?

I love the way she bites her lip when she’s thinking, and the little furrow in her brow when she’s concentrating, and the way she lets out a happy sigh after her first sip of coffee. I love the way she always has a kind word for everyone, the way she’s always ready with a fist bump or high five for the guys after a good play or a goal, and the way she fits so effortlessly with the team, like she was made to be part of us.

Since the moment she walked back into my life, all of my thoughts have centered around her in one way or another. Yet I didn’t even let myself consider a world in which this could ever happen.

And now that it’s here…

Vanessa sets her hand on my cheek.

“Hey, it’s just me,” she says quietly. “This is just us.”

My eyes flick to hers, so full of kindness and understanding. My throat gets choked up and I have to swallow to force all of my feelings back to a place where I can navigate them.

And that’s when it hits me: this is a lot.

She told me, but I didn’t understand, not really. My feelings for her aren’t little, they’re all-consuming… and right now they’re threatening to consume me.

So how did she feel when I bombarded her with my declarations? She didn’t even have the benefit of four years of wanting on her side.