Page 19

Gracie

Fireworks explode in the sky around us, their brilliant blooms reflecting in Bennett's eyes as his lips crash against mine. The old year slips away, and Bennett's arms sweep under my knees and back, lifting me as though I weigh nothing.

"Happy New Year, Gracie," he says against my mouth.

"Happy New Year," I gasp back, clinging to him, my fingers tangling in the soft mess of his blond hair. His steps are sure and steady as he navigates through his house and up a flight of stairs.

He kicks open the door to his bedroom that is only lit by the moonlight shining through the window.

Setting me down gently on the edge of the bed, his hands find my cheeks, tilting my face up to meet his gaze.

"Gracie," Bennett starts, thumb caressing my cheekbone, "I love you. I've been dodging this truth, but I can't anymore. Not when it feels like this."

My chest tightens, a mix of fear and exhilaration making it hard to breathe. However, there's no turning back, not now.

"I love you too, Bennett." The words spill out. "I was scared to let myself feel it, to say it, but what I feel for you is real."

His smile is slow, lighting his face up as he traces the hem of my jersey with confidence. With a lift and a tug, the Miami Kings logo fades into the pile of discarded clothes.

"Beautiful," he murmurs, his lips mapping a warm path from my collarbone down. I thread my fingers through his tousled blond hair once more. He glides kisses over my skin with a precision that leaves me breathless.

"Ben..." I sigh as he finds the waistband of my jeans, unbuttoning them with a tender urgency. My jeans join the jersey on the floor.

Bennett worships my body, every kiss an echo of the love he just confessed. His gaze never leaves mine as he dips lower, his breath hot against my thigh.

There's only sensation. Bennett's mouth finds my center, and my world narrows to the feeling of him between my legs. He teases and tastes, drawing moans from me. My grip on his hair tightens, my hips arching instinctively towards the source of pleasure.

"God, Bennett," I gasp, the words spilling out unchecked. I'm close, so close, the world tilting on its axis as he brings me to the brink. With so much skill, he pushes me over, and I come undone beneath him screaming his name.

He doesn't stop, though, not until he's sure I've felt every aftershock from the waves of bliss he's created. When I finally flutter back down, spent and quivering, Bennett's eyes meet mine again. There's pride and tenderness there.

We're both breathing hard, chests rising and falling in sync.

Bennett reaches for the nightstand and fumbles with a foil packet. I see the determined set to his jaw, but before he can tear it open, I place my hand over his, stilling him.

"Let me," I whisper, heart racing as I take the condom from his grasp. He watches me intently as I carefully open the package. There’s something incredibly intimate about this simple act, the prelude to what we both know is coming.

With a steady hand that belies my inner tempest, I roll the condom down over Bennett's hard cock. It's an act of trust, and it feels like I'm sealing our connection with each move. His breath hitches, and it stokes the fire in my belly.

"Gracie," he breathes out.

Bennett lowers himself down to hover over me and lines himself up before pushing forward to enter me. Slowly, so slowly, filling me up until there's nothing but the sensation of him becoming part of me. When he starts moving, it's with a rhythm that's as natural as breathing.

I wrap my legs around his waist, drawing him closer, deeper. The sounds of our lovemaking smack loudly without care. His hands roam over me, strong yet gentle, leaving trails of fire wherever they touch. I cling to him, nails digging into the muscles of his back, marking him as surely as he's marked me.

"Gracie," he groans again, and this time there's no mistaking the worship in his tone. My name on his lips is sweeter than any New Year's champagne, more intoxicating than the headiest drink.

"More," I urge, and Bennett obliges, his thrusts picking up pace. The bed creaks beneath us.

The pressure builds within me and threatens to consume me whole. From the look in Bennett's eyes, from the way his body tenses and his breath catches, I know he's right there with me. We climb higher, chasing the peak together, until finally, we crest the edge.

"Gracie!" Bennett's shout is raw as he comes, his climax triggering my own. Pleasure courses through me. We ride it out, holding onto each other, our hearts beating as one.

As we come down, panting and spent, I realize that every fear, every doubt I had about us, has melted away. This is real and undeniable. This is love, and it's ours.

Lying there, in the tangle of sheets that barely cover our cooling skin, I listen to Bennett's heartbeat.

"Gracie," he whispers, a tender urgency in his voice that makes me turn to face him. "I've been thinking..."

His fingers trace the line of my jaw and tuck that unruly lock behind my ear.

"About us," he continues, swallowing hard. "You know how my schedule is during the season, and yours is just as crazy as mine... I don't want to miss a single chance to wake up with you like this."

He pauses.

"Move in with me, Gracie. Let's stop wasting time apart when we could be together."

My mind spins with the possibilities and the fears. Although, looking into Bennett's eyes, I see the love he has for me.

"Yes, I'll move in with you," I answer without thinking more about it. This time, I’m letting my heart do the talking instead of my head.

There’s relief in his smile. We inch closer until our foreheads touch.

"I love you, Bennett Halliday," I confess once more.

"And I love you, Gracie Hogan," he says, his lips catching mine in a kiss that seals the deal, no contract needed.