Page 36 of Hold Me Tight

“I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”

I force out the next question. “What about Zane? He’s your friend and teammate. Won’t this cause problems?”

He swallows up the remaining distance between us until he’s close enough for me to feel the gentle press of Nora against my chest.

“Zane and I haven’t been friends for a long time,” he says in a low tone. “I’ve spent years waiting patiently for you. And now I’m done waiting.”

His words send an undeniable thrill shooting through me.

In this moment, I can’t tell if I’ve just made the best decision of my life…

Or one that will shatter me completely.

16

River

The bed is assembled, and Nora’s sleeping soundly in her new room.

Callie stands beside me with her arms folded tightly, as if she’s bracing for impact.

I don’t blame her for being cautious. After blurting out how much I’ve always wanted her, you could have knocked the woman over with a feather.

And she’s still reeling.

“Are you hungry?” I ask, wanting to turn her attention to something else.

I picked her up this morning and couldn’t help but notice that she hasn’t eaten a single bite all day. Not even when we made a pitstop to grab Nora some nuggets and fries on the way to my place.

I shoot her a sideways glance.

That ends now.

Callie needs to take better care of herself. The woman should be eating well and getting enough sleep. She can’t keep running on fumes.

What she deserves is a man who will put her first.

Every damn time.

Every damn day.

Little does she know that she’s found one.

She might not think there’s a difference between me and her ex, but I’m going to show her exactly how wrong she is about that assumption. Zane and I are nothing alike.

Maybe early in my career, I let the fame and money go to my head. I hung around with players who made headlines every time they stepped onto the ice or walked into a club. It didn’t take long for me to straighten myself out.

All right, fine… if you want to get technical, my twin sister, Willow, might’ve had a hand in knocking some sense into my head. Getting to be a good role model for my niece and nephew were just the icing on the cake.

She shrugs. “Maybe a little.”

“Come on,” I say. “We can talk more over dinner.”

She glances toward Nora one last time, as if reluctant to leave her alone, before following me into the kitchen. Her gaze roams over the interior. It’s all open space, clean lines, and windows that spill light across the hardwood floors. There are gray marble counters, chrome fixtures, and glass cabinets.

As much as I want to know what she thinks of my home, I keep the question buried inside. She’s already a nervous ball of energy. I don’t need to freak her out by telling her that we could find a new place, one she likes better.

“Wine?” I ask, congratulating myself on keeping the convo light as I grab a glass from the cabinet.