Page 36 of Pucking My Grumpy Accidental Husband

"You really think I can do this?"

"I think you're already doing it. The question is whether you're going to trust yourself enough to do it with confidence."

"Thank you," I say finally. "For the perspective. For helping me see it differently."

"That's what I'm here for."

"Is it?"

Her eyes meet mine.

"Professional consultation hours are over," she says quietly, setting her notebook aside.

"And now?"

"Now we're just Dax and Tessa. I'm going to overthink this," she warns. "I'm going to panic and probably try to convince myself we should stop before we really start."

"I know."

"And you're going to get frustrated with my anxiety and wonder why you're bothering with someone who can't just enjoy a good thing without analyzing it to death."

"I'm not going anywhere, Tessa."

"You say that now..."

I reach out and take her hand, stilling the nervous movement of her fingers. "Hey. Look at me."

She does, and I can see vulnerability in her hazel eyes that she usually keeps hidden.

"I'm not Marcus Williams. I'm not going to turn this into something twisted or use it against you. And I'm not going to disappear when things get complicated."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I've been thinking about you non-stop since Vegas. Because talking to you tonight has been the best part of my week. Because when I imagine the future—the captaincy, next season, anything—you're there."

Her breath catches slightly. "Dax..."

"I'm not asking you to have it all figured out right now. I'm just asking you to try this with me. Really try, not just secretly hook up and hope no one notices."

"What does that look like?"

"I don't know yet. We figure it out as we go. But honestly, openly, together."

She's looking at our joined hands, her thumb tracing across my knuckles. "This is a terrible idea."

"Probably."

"We could both lose everything."

"We could. Or we could have something amazing."

I'm about to kiss her when she pulls back slightly, a small smile playing at her lips.

"But first, let’s just... be normal for a while? No more heavy conversations about our future or analyzing our feelings to death?"

I laugh, some of the tension leaving my shoulders. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. What do normal people do when they're getting to know each other?"