Page 62 of Clear Shot

“Quick shower and then bed,” he says, reaching for the soap.

I have to agree because as wonderful as what we just shared was, I really am tired. And I know he is too. We’ve been going nonstop since yesterday morning and he has to play hockey in two days. He needs his rest more than I do and I’m not so selfish that I’ll keep him from getting what he needs.

It takes us about ten minutes to finish showering, brush our teeth and change into clean pajamas.

“Now.” Aiden pulls me into his arms. “Let’s talk.”

Oh.

That catches me off-guard.

I assumed we would sleep.

But my husband continually surprises me.

“We’re tired,” I say softly. “And you need rest. You have to play and?—”

“I can’t sustain this schedule long-term, but under the current circumstances, I’ll be fine. Tomorrow night I’ll sleep early and get ready for travel. Tonight, I need to focus on you.”

What does that even mean?

Our situation was complex long before we added a marriage certificate to the mix.

“What are you thinking?” he asks. “For real—right now, what was in your head? Tell me the truth.”

“I was thinking that our situation was complicated from the day we met. The attraction that was there. Concern about me being your teammate’s sister. How badly we wanted to sleep together but deciding, ultimately, that friendship was better.”

“Right.” He pauses. “And?”

“And now we’re married. If you break it down—it’s nothing but a piece of paper. I signed a prenup so technically, we could part ways tomorrow with very little fanfare.”

“But?”

“But I don’t want to,” I whisper.

“Because of your visa.”

“No.”

His arms tighten and he brushes his lips across my forehead. “Tell me what you do want.”

“I don’t think that’s fair.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“I want this to be real,” I say in a tiny voice. “I want you to wake up every day glad that you married me. I want to hold your hand in private, not just in public.”

“Okay.”

There’s a weird silence as I try to read between the lines.

What is he trying to say?

In this context, the word “okay” could mean a lot of different things.

“Okay?”

“Okay. Yes. I want those things too.”