Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
My brows draw together, my heart speeding up once more. “What?”
Such adoration fills his features, and he leans in, his eyes dancing with mine as his hand comes up to cup my jaw. “I can’t go another moment without telling you that I am completely and entirely in love with you.”
My breath hitches as my eyes widen.
“I have felt like this for a while. I was waiting to hear if you loved me, but seeing you here, knowing you’re here to support me, I can’t not tell you how much you mean to me. How much I love you. Which is a lot.”
The tears come fast and rush down my cheeks. His eyes widen in surprise as he catches each one, wiping them away. I can see he is about to apologize, but I shake my head, stopping his words. “Ciaran, I love you too. I’ve loved you for a while now.”
I see love swirl in his blue depths. “You have?”
“I have,” I admit, nodding. “Since the moment you fell into my bed and didn’t leave. I knew my heart was yours.”
He sighs deeply, pressing his nose into mine. “Say it again.”
I smile against his lips. “I love you.”
“Again.”
I laugh as I promise, “I love you.”
He kisses me then, a soul-deep kiss that has my body going taut and leaving my brain fuzzy. Our tongues dance, our hands clutch at each other, and when we part, we’re both out of breath. His eyes meet mine, and a smile pulls at both our lips, our love burning bright between us.
“I’ve never wanted to hear those words until you.”
My heart swells. “I’ve never loved anyone in my life, and I know it’s because I was meant to love only you.” Ciaran kisses me again and continues to do so until I finally have to push him away when his teammates are calling for him. “Go. We have all night.”
He doesn’t go far, still holding on to me. “We have forever, and I still don’t want to let you go.”
Oh, this guy. “Go score for me.”
“Done,” he says before kissing my nose. “I love you.”
I kiss his lips. “I love you. Go have fun.”
He winks in such a playful way, I’m left breathless. As I watch him head back onto the ice, a grin so wide it brings on a fluttering in my belly, I know deep inside me that no matter the distance, no matter what happens, I’ll never love anyone as much as I love Ciaran Carter.
CHAPTER 44
Ciaran
I’ve never loved anyone in my life, and I know it’s because I was meant to love only you.
Louisa’s declaration carried me through the game. It had to, because the moment she made that statement, my nerves were gone and were replaced by confidence that only she provides me with. I thought of her words the whole time I was on the ice. Each time I looked at her, it was as if she was saying the words all over again. I’ve never felt so damn alive in my life.
And it’s all because of her.
Louisa stands at the end of the players’ exit beside Austen, her eyes bluer than anything right now and set just on me. Seeing her waiting for me has the butterflies playing their own game of hockey with my heart. I’m in awe of her, I’m in love with her, and I never want to let her go. Ever. I watch as her gaze lands on me, and then her eyes widen at the bouquet of red roses I paid an attendant to go get me after warm-ups. It seems trivial to give her flowers when I want to give her the world, but from the look in her eyes, I’m glad I got them.
Louisa starts for me, the grin that moves across her face leaving me breathless. I reach for her just as she does me, our lips meeting with heated need as I wrap my free arm around her luscious body. I cradle her against me as my tongue slides with hers, and her hands cup my face with such gentleness. When she pulls back, I groan deeply with need for her, and she grins up at me. “You were incredible,” she gushes, bouncing on her heels. “I can’t even. You belong on Assassins’ ice!”
I beam at her, pleasure coursing through my body at her words. “It was all for you,” I tell her, and her eyes darken. I fight back the smirk I want to flash her, and I hand her the roses. She takes them, sweetness in her eyes as she brings them to her nose to smell them. Before she does, though, I watch as her brows pull together. She reaches into the bouquet and brings out the puck that I scored my first NHL goal with. My name, number, and the date are written along tape that they wrapped around the puck. Her stunned gaze meets mine, and I smile. “I want you to have it.”