Page 14

14

LAFRENIéRE

Dustin lay there in the hazy glow of dawn, his fingers idly twisting through the soft ringlets of Laurel’s hair. The dark, wavy strands curled around his fingers, silky and hypnotic. He loved her hair—always had. It was a cascade of beauty that had captured his fascination from the first moment they met. Now, it was tangled against his skin, spread across the pillow, a physical reminder that last night had been real.

His chest tightened at the thought. He’d wanted her for so long, but wanting and having were two entirely different things. Having meant risking everything. It meant waking up like this, with her nestled against him, and feeling the weight of what they’d just done. It meant the terrifying realization that he could lose her if she regretted it.

“We’re good?” he murmured, his voice low, almost hesitant, as he traced his fingertips along her shoulder.

Laurel stirred against him, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. In the dim light, her eyes were soft, warm—everything he didn’t deserve but wanted more than anything.

“This isn’t one of those next-morning moments where you’re filled with regret or freaking out about what just happened, right?” he added, forcing a small smile to mask the vulnerability threatening to claw its way to the surface.

She chuckled softly, the sound sending a warm ripple through him. “I’m beyond ‘good’ right now,” she assured him, pressing a lazy, affectionate kiss to his chin.

His heart melted all over again.

Relief surged through him, but it didn’t erase the lingering fear. He had been so darn scared to take this step, not just for himself but for all the ways it could impact the people around them. Laurel wasn’t just some woman he’d fallen for. She was his sister’s best friend. She was the only constant in Kendall’s life, and now—whether she realized it or not—she was a part of his.

One wrong move, one misstep, and he could screw up everything.

“No regrets except for ‘why’d you wait so long?’” she teased, her lips quirking into a smile.

A laugh rumbled from his chest, blending with hers, filling the quiet space between them. He let his fingers drift lazily down her arm, mapping the smooth curve of her shoulder, the warmth of her skin. He loved the way she shivered under his touch, the way she responded to him so effortlessly.

She was here. She was his.

And still, the weight of everything he’d kept locked inside pressed against his ribs, demanding to be let out.

“We can talk about everything, right?” he asked, the question slipping from his lips before he could stop it.

She turned her head slightly, her brows knitting together in curiosity. “Of course.”

Dustin swallowed, hesitating. His instincts told him to hold it in, to carry it alone like he always had. But he couldn’t—not with her. Not when the secret he’d learned tonight felt too big to bear alone.

“What would you do if you were me in this situation?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light, but the weight in his chest made it impossible. “What would you do in one of your dragon-boinking books…”

Laurel groaned. “Oh boy…”

“ Oh boy, is right…”

She lifted her head fully this time, her expression shifting. “What’s wrong?”

He exhaled slowly, bracing himself. “Someone let something slip tonight during the game, and I think it’s a problem.”

Her face softened with concern. “Who was it?”

“Matthieu…”

“Oh no.” Her reaction was immediate. She knew exactly what that meant. “What’s wrong?” she asked again, shifting so she could look directly at him.

“I know you really like the man and?—”

“I do, which is why I want to try to help and need to fix this if I can,” Dustin admitted, the helplessness gnawing at him.

Laurel studied him for a long moment, then, in a voice so quiet it barely registered, she whispered, “Sometimes you can’t fix other people’s problems.”

Her fingers trailed light, distracting swirls over his chest, and for a second, he almost let himself get lost in it. Almost. He caught her hand, stilling it, because he needed to think—needed to focus on the storm raging inside him.

“I know,” he murmured. “But if this gets out…”

She stilled, eyes locked on his.

“What happened?”

Dustin hesitated. He trusted her. Gosh, he trusted her more than anyone, but saying it aloud made it real. Made the consequences feel inevitable.

“You can’t say a word,” he said, his voice tight. The emotion pressing against his ribs felt almost unbearable.

“I won’t,” she promised without hesitation. “You know me.”

Dustin exhaled, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. “I do. And I trust you.” He swallowed. “But this is big. If it got out, it would be… it would change a lot.”

She reached for him, her fingers tracing a slow path over his jaw, grounding him in a way only she could. “Dustin, you’re stalling,” she murmured with a small, knowing smile. Then, as if sensing how much he needed her, she nestled back against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Talk to me.”

His throat worked as he forced the words out. “Matthieu lied.”

Laurel blinked. “About what?”

“He and Jeannie aren’t married.”

“What?” she whispered, stunned. She lifted herself up slightly, her eyes wide with disbelief. “That was a condition of the spot on the team,” she sputtered, shaking her head. “It was the reason we got married and?—”

“I know,” Dustin said, his voice raw.

“They’ll cut him if they find out,” she breathed, her hand gripping his arm.

“I know,” he repeated, the words aching in his chest.

The room fell into silence, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Dustin closed his eyes, pulling her closer, needing the warmth of her body against his own. He held her as if he could protect them both from the storm that was coming.

He knew what it felt like to be in Matthieu’s shoes—to feel like everything you’d worked for could be taken away in an instant. He knew the fear of making a desperate choice, of gambling with your own future, because there was no other way.

And now, Matthieu’s secret was out. How long would it be before someone else knew? Before someone guessed? They had to provide a copy of the marriage certificate, so how did he get past that obstacle… and that meant that Jeannie was in on the lies, too.

Why?

Dustin pressed a lingering kiss into Laurel’s hair, breathing her in.

He didn’t know how to fix this.

In a perfect world, he’d say ‘Get married’ and be done with it, but there was the paperwork. Someone would find out sooner or later, because the media loved to dig up old skeletons in the closet, and Boucher was a perfect example of that. Matthieu was too young to realize that, to understand, and he didn’t want the starry-eyed arrogant kid to end up in the same mess… not after seeing how it nearly destroyed Boucher.

Closing his eyes, he quickly kissed Laurel’s forehead and felt her squeeze him in silent understanding. No, this was beyond them, beyond anything any of them could do. He had to keep himself free of the mess because he couldn’t afford to get penalized or lose his job. Not when he had Laurel and Kendall, his family, to take care of.

“Even though I messed things up for a while, I’m so glad we took these steps together,” he whispered tenderly, kissing her once again. “I’m never looking back.”

“Me neither.”

“You mean the world to me,” he admitted, hesitating and scared to use the ‘L’ word, afraid that it was too soon, too much. “Laurel, if you didn’t already know it, you truly mean everything to me, and I don’t want you to ever have regrets or wonder about things. I know you want more…”

“I want you happy,” she interrupted, stressing that in the silence in a hushed whisper as she lifted up to look at him, meeting his eyes. “I want happiness for you and for us to work on building our relationship and creating a home together.”

He nodded, overcome with emotion, as he realized she wasn’t pressing him for more.

“I am happy,” he confessed hoarsely, his eyes searching hers. “I’m happier than I ever dreamed possible with you.”

“Then that is all that matters,” she replied tenderly, giving him a soft smile before she curled against him again. “Get some rest; it’s barely five in the morning.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he breathed, wrapping his arms around her.