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“What?”

“I like you like this.”

“Like what?” she shifts, anxious under my scrutiny. I don’t let up. She needs to get used to it.

“Eating a cheap soup.” I hook a finger in the neck of her shirt, pulling her close enough to get a peek down the front. “Wearing my shirt.” I lick the drop off her chin. “Looking like you just had the best orgasms.”

Her lips part and I kiss her, tasting all that salty goodness. I release her though before it goes too far. Sitting back and taking another spoonful, I ask. “Want to watch Springfield?”

“Okay.” She sets her bowl on the table. “What is this?”

“What is what?”

“This? Do you do this with all your hookups? Sit around, acting all cute, offering to watch shitty TV.”

“First, do not degrade Springfield like that. It’s a masterpiece of teen soap opera that occasionally has a ghost.” She stares at me. “And second, no, I don’t. Ever.” I unscrew the cap of my water bottle and take a swig. My heart is pounding. I don’t know why. I guess I’ve just never had to do this before. Never wanted to do it. But with Nadia, I want to make it perfectly clear. “And third, this,” I point between us, “this isn’t a hook-up. Not to me at least.”

“Then you meant what you said in there? That you want to spend the next six months with me?”

There is no fucking way I can dump my emotions on this girl, especially after telling her about my future. I want Nadia. For the long term, although I suspect that living in Texas, movingto the Kingdom, isn’t one of her goals. She wants a man in a uniform. A man getting knocked around and sweaty. Not one standing on a stage, preaching stuff he doesn’t really believe to an unsuspecting flock.

But playing it safe has never been my style. YOLO. I’ve lived every day at Wittmore like it was my last. I’m not stopping now. If I can only have her until graduation, I’ll take it. We’ll figure out the rest then.

“What we did in there,” I take her hands and kiss her knuckles, “and what we’re going to do after we binge watch some Springfield, makes you mine. I don’t mean just in the bedroom. Or when it’s convenient. Or when one of us wants to get off. I mean all the time.”

“You mean, public.”

“As much as you want.” I run my hand through my hair, suddenly aware that she may not want the same thing. “As much as you’ll give me.”

“Axel Rakestraw–committed boyfriend?” She tries it out, then shakes her head. “Are you sure?”

“You think I can’t commit?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“In theory, yes, but isn’t this wild, unpredictable goalie your whole thing?”

“That’s the thing about goalies, darlin’, we’re the most committed player on the ice. When you’ve got a two-hundred pound power forward barreling toward you, hurling a puck seventy miles an hour, you have no choice but to commit or get seriously hurt.” I pull her onto my lap. “Commitment isn’t a problem for me, T. I’ve just never found the girl I’ve wanted to slow down for.”

She exhales, eyes wide. “God, this is scary.”

“Being in a relationship with me scares you?” Fuck, I’m doing this all wrong.

“No.” She shakes her head. “Being in a relationship with you excites me. What scares me is the other thing we have to do; tell Twyler.”

“You’re clean.”

It takes a moment for his words to process, at least until Reese slams his elbow into my side.

“Son of a–” I mutter, rubbing the spot. Coach’s eyebrow rises. “Sorry, Coach. I guess I was just scared something would happen and the test would show up positive again.”

“Check it yourself.” He hands me the card with the test results. And sure enough, the blood test is clean.

“Thank god.” I exhale, unaware of how I’d been bracing myself for bad news. “Because I’m clean as a damn whistle. I haven’t touched anything for weeks. Not even a drop of alcohol.”

Bryant nods. “You’ve shown a lot of maturity during this, Rakestraw. I’m impressed. Your focus has been on the ice, and the results are there.”

My focus hasn’tstrictlybeen on the ice. There’s a hot little piece of trouble I can’t stay away from. Her body is more addictive than any drug I’ve ever taken.

“I did want to let you know that due to the presence of rohypnol in your prior test the NCAA reported it to local and campus authorities.”