Page 31 of Safety Net (Mendell Hawks #3)

LINCOLN

The plan for the night was to bar hop, and Celeste surprised us all by agreeing to join.

Sam, Naomi, and Ellis pulled out their phones, narrowing down the list of places to visit.

Since Celeste was on board, they dedicated themselves to crafting the best experience for her.

She wasn't drinking, so I busied myself making her a mocktail and then a cup of tea before we headed out.

"Might help some with the nerves," I offered her the warm cup.

"Thank you." She tilted her head up for a kiss.

"It's better this time," I promised with a knowing smile.

She laughed. "I'm sure you've been practicing hard."

Being hers was so easy. We took care of each other as if it were second nature.

"Alright, carpool situation?" Halle asked, loud enough to be heard over all the conversations. "I'm not driving because I'm drinking."

"Same," Ellis said.

"So, I'll take your car," Kaya offered. "And you two can come with me."

"The rest can pile in the van," Finn offered. He rarely drank since his accident. The disorientation of drunkenness had become triggering for him.

"Want to ride together?" I asked Celeste, wanting a little extra alone time after sharing her with everyone all day.

Her smile let me know she'd been thinking the same. "I do."

It took us all an hour to eat, get ready, and head out. By the time we got on the road, it was ten, and all the best spots were just starting to come to life.

Celeste rummaged around in her bag when we got to a red light, letting out a sigh when she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"What is it?" I asked.

"My phone." She shook her head, still digging through the bag with one hand. "I think I left it at the house."

"U-turn up here," I said.

"Sorry," Celeste whispered, shaking her head as she turned on her signal. She chewed on her bottom lip, the telltale of her feeling guilty about producing even the smallest amount of inconvenience to someone.

"Hey." I placed a hand on her thigh, giving her a gentle squeeze. She released a sigh, relaxing into my touch. "It's fine. We'll get there when we get there. No rush. And, I wanted an excuse to be alone with you, remember? There's so much talking happening when everyone's around."

Her smile was back. "You love talking."

"Obsessed," I agreed. "But I love it on a whole other level I never thought existed when you're the one doing it. And you do it less when other people are around, so I'm starting to make a list of ways and excuses for us to find pockets of alone time. Wanna hear what I got so far?"

She smiled and covered her hand over mine just as I was about to pull it away. "Definitely."

"Losing a phone." I held up a thumb and counted. "A very believable late excuse."

She laughed. "You said you made this list. That one's stolen from me."

"What can I say? You're a constant inspiration."

She rolled her eyes. "What else?"

"Need your help with that thing I was talking about," I said, playing up the fake-acting. "You remember the thing?"

"What thing?"

"See, you can't say that or people will know we’re lying. You just nod and follow me, and voila. We're alone."

Celeste gave me a look. "Seriously?"

I laughed and had the urge to cup her chin in my hand and pull her closer. But she was a cautious driver, and I wouldn't distract her. And her free hand was still on mine, so I was basically in heaven.

"What? It works," I said. "It's best to keep these things simple."

"It's not that creative, though," she mused.

"Ouch." I held my hand to my chest. "Tell me what you really think."

"Sorry, sorry."

I leaned over and kissed her cheek and my favorite spot on the corner of her jaw because I couldn't resist before pulling away. "I'm kidding. I can take a punch. Hell, I can take a whole-body check."

"I would hope so."

"Give me your best shot," I dared.

"Alright. I think that guy who writes weekly 'who dun it' has a lot more to offer."

I blinked, surprised at the ease with which she shared. "You believe in me?"

"Of course, I believe in you," she said thoughtfully. There wasn’t an ounce of doubt in her dark eyes. There was a lump in my throat born from gratefulness.

"I was sad when you told me you didn't think you're worth the investment," Celeste continued. "There are so many paths for you to take, and I think all of them begin with that entertaining brain of yours."

"I'm giving hockey a fair shot," I shared. "I've been working these last few weeks to train and win back Anthony. I'm going all in."

"Lincoln, that's incredible. And that's what you want, right? Not Sam, or Henrik, or Finn. You?"

I nodded and looked down for a second with a smile on my face. It was scary admitting it, but it was the truth.

"Perfect." She squeezed my hand. "As long as it's what you want, it's perfect."

We were back at the house before we knew it, beginning the search in the living room because that was the only place she'd been.

"I don't get it." Celeste tossed a couch pillow back into place. "It's not here."

"It's here," I assured, opening the refrigerator.

Celeste let out an easy laugh. "Really?"

"Hey, one time I left a whole tablet in this thing overnight," I said. "It happens."

She kept laughing. "Could you call me? My ringer's off, but maybe we'll hear the vibration."

I nodded. As soon as the call went through, something buzzed nearby. I found her phone tucked under the cushion of the barstool she'd been sitting on.

"Thank you." Celeste smiled and hurried over.

"When did you add this?" My stomach jumped at what I saw on her screen.

I turned the phone to her, pointing to the pink heart she'd placed by my name. I couldn’t not ask when all the excitement in my body turned into a buzz far better than any I'd find at the bar tonight.

Thank God I hadn't taken a shot. Being sober left enough headspace to get drunk on the shy smile she offered me.

She reached for the phone, but I didn't let go.

"It was after that first practice when I panicked and you listened," she said, leaning into our tug of war.

"So, before the kiss backstage?"

Celeste pressed her lips together for a second, trying to read my face. "You seem surprised."

"I am. I mean, I fell for you the moment I laid eyes on you, but I know it's not the same for you."

She stopped tugging, brows raised, and her eyes went big. "At the arena. You fell for me at the arena? Over a year ago?"

I laughed at the shock in her voice. "Of course."

"Lincoln." She scoffed. "Seriously? Let's be…serious."

"I'm being serious," I promised. "Come on, you know this."

"I didn't know. I thought you were exaggerating."

"Celeste." I tilted my head to the side.

"I came to that community every weekend for months.

I called your dad a chill dude. He is not a chill dude; I ran out of material because I was panicking about talking to you.

And I never panic. I could give a TED Talk in the nude and not blink an eye.

But I couldn't breathe when I was in the same room as you.

That's very serious. None of my friends know CPR—that's actually very concerning, considering I live in a household where no one knows a life-saving technique. We should fix that."

"Lincoln," she warned.

"Sorry, right, focus," I said, bringing myself to center. "I know it's taken longer for you. And I figured nothing strong enough to warrant a heart beside my name had happened before our kiss. Before the treehouse."

"That day…I don't know, something just unfolded,” she said. "It kept unfolding, and it felt like a pink heart, so…you got a pink heart."

I'll never forget everything about her in this moment. The soft way her brown hair curled around her shoulders. How her wide eyes search mine, no longer trying to read my thoughts but instead, trying to connect.

I closed the remaining distance between us, leaning down and letting her have her phone.

Our noses brushed, and I closed my eyes, getting lost in her scent and warmth.

Celeste tilted her head, hands holding my face, and she kissed me.

Her hips were soft under my grip, shirt slightly ridden up so I felt the heat of her skin.

"Are you okay?" I asked, a little worried about how warm she was.

"I'm okay," she promised with her eyes still closed. "Just really thankful we got this creative excuse to be alone."

I chuckled and pulled her feet on top of mine because it was easier to kiss her that way. She smiled against my mouth.

"This is impressive," she whispered against my lips.

"You haven't seen anything yet," I teased, kissing her between every word. It was hard to stop once I started.

Celeste laughed between our kisses. "Yeah?"

I hummed, too turned on to verbally confirm.

"What else you got?" she asked.

For the first time, words didn't feel like enough to me.

I kissed her until we're both heaving for breath.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, holding on tight as I walked her backwards.

As soon as we reached the back of the couch, I lifted her onto it.

My hands were free to hold onto her face while I kissed her, thumbs rubbing circles on her jaw.

"What else do you want?" I pulled back enough to get a good look at her and let her have the chance to see me. "I'd give you anything. Everything."

"You. You're enough." She tugged on my shirt, gentle in how she pulled me back into her.

Despite the tenderness in her grasp, her mouth sang a different tune.

She was more comfortable with taking the lead.

Celeste arched her back, pressing her chest firmly against my body.

I was grateful the couch blocked her from feeling how hard she made me.

"Well, here I am," I told her. "Yours. For as long as you'll have me."

"Or as long as you'll have me," she said.

I shook my head. "There is no scenario in which I wouldn't have you, Celeste. It's the one thing I know for certain. It's written in the stars or etched in some stone on a remote island. It's all ancient and mystic and true."

"We're two college students who just decided what we want to be for the rest of our lives," she reminded me with a smile. "You really think this is ancient and mystic and true?"

"I know it, Celeste," I promised with a grin. "There's some painting about us on a cave wall somewhere. Or an oral story passed down through the ages. A ballad about a beautiful flute player and a head-empty goalie."

She tilted her head back when she laughed.

I kissed her neck, my lips feeling the fast and steady drum of her pulse.

Celeste's laughter faded into a small sigh.

It was soaked in eroticism, and I was harder than ever—I didn't even think that'd be possible at this point.

I found my way down to her collarbone and to the space between her breasts.

She pressed herself into me, her breathing labored and as longing as I felt.

"Maybe one day you'll know it too," I said. "Feel all these connecting dots and overlapping strings. It's incredible to be so entangled with you."

"I feel them," she insisted. "All the dots and tangles...and now, I'm realizing something."

"What's that?" I lazily pulled myself up so I could meet her gaze. All this kissing and realizing was torturous, but to be honest, I could do it forever and never tire of it.

"I've never seen your room."

"My room?" I raised a brow, unsure why she'd brought that up now.

Celeste chewed on her bottom lip and nodded as she watched me. I waited for more. Some further explanation. It took me a bit longer than I'd like to admit to realize what she meant.

"Oh, damn, my room," I said. "You want to see my room."

She smiled, relieved at not having to expound.

"It's not in the best shape," I warned, straightening to my full height. I kept my hands on her waist as I talked. "I wasn't planning on showing you so…early."

"Oh." Her shoulders sagged. "Do you not want to show me? You don't have to—"

"No, no," I said quickly. "I want to show you, trust me. I just want you to want me to show you."

"Lincoln, I asked." She laughed and rested her hands on my chest.

"I know, I'm just trying to be sure," I said. "Trying to let you know that I want to go at your pace. Room reveals are a big thing, you know."

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?"

I shook my head and pressed my forehead against hers. "If you're sure and willing to give me two minutes to clean up, then let's do it."

"You got it."

"Four minutes," I corrected and shook my head. "No, maybe five."

She laughed, that light, musical, beautiful laugh that I will always strive to hear. "How about you take all the time you need and call me when you're done."