Page 20

October

“ I t’s about time the two of you caught on to my matchmaking,” my grandfather says with a mischievous smile.

I have to blink several times in rapid succession for my brain to process what I’ve just heard. Maybe that bread didn’t soak up the alcohol as well as Bennett had hoped.

My grandfather thinks he played matchmaker?

“And how do you suppose you played matchmaker?” I ask a few moments later after my mouth can catch up to my brain.

He rolls his eyes at the pair of us sitting across from him in the small sitting room of his suite.

“I may have heard whisperings of a past between the two of you. And the look on Bennett’s face when he saw you in my office that first day was all the confirmation I needed.

Tell me, Firefly, how many players have I suggested you take back to your office to talk to? ” he questions.

I notice Bennett’s posture stiffening and his fist flexing once, then twice, at my grandfather’s question.

“One,” I answer and watch Bennett’s shoulders relax at my response.

“And when did I happen to inform you about the stipulation of ownership?”

“During that meeting, right before Bennett walked in,” I reply, slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together .

“Bennett, how many family and friends preseason skates have we done during your time with the organization?”

“None, sir,” he responds.

“Exactly, none. It wasn’t a coincidence. I decided to add a few more opportunities for the two of you to run into each other in hopes that you’d figure it out. And enough of that ‘sir’ business. Call me Joseph as you always have. Besides, we’ll be family shortly,” he tells him in an amused tone.

“And you’re okay with that—with the two of us getting married?” I ask him, slightly bewildered at his plotting. If I’m being honest, I’m impressed he was able to pull this off with his health slowly declining.

“Of course. I’ve known Bennett since he was a teenager just entering the league.

I couldn’t think of a more stand-up gentleman for my little Firefly to marry.

But it doesn’t matter what I think, Scarlett, the only opinions that matter are the two of yours.

I’m not the one entering into this marriage.

” My grandfather pauses, looking back and forth between the two of us before finally looking down to where Bennett’s hand is wrapped around mine.

“Do you want to know what your grandmother’s father told me when I asked for his blessing? ”

The two of us nod, and he continues. “Her father told me that the key to a successful marriage is friendship. That first and foremost, the two of us be friends. And that if we put that friendship before anything else, if we always remained each other’s best friend, we could get through any curve or challenge that came our way. Do you consider yourselves friends?”

Bennett’s gaze meets mine and he gently squeezes my hand in his before turning to answer my grandfather. “Yes, Scarlett is my friend.”

It’s a simple statement—not a romantic declaration of love—so it shouldn’t have my chest squeezing, but I think being Bennett’s friend means more to him than most. From what I’ve seen, he keeps his circle small.

I’m not quite sure why that is, but I know opening himself to me in this way is major for him.

I turn to my grandfather and nod in response, unable to find any words at the moment.

“Good, I’m glad to hear it. Bennett, will you be joining us for Sunday dinners now when you’re available?” my grandfather asks him.

“Uh—” Bennett looks over at me in question.

“Gemma, Gunner, and I try to have dinner with my grandparents every Sunday. It’s a tradition we’ve had since I was a little girl, and it was important to me that we continued it after my dad passed away.

You’re more than welcome to join us when you’re in town if you’d like,” I offer, but I don’t expect him to spend more time with my family than he needs to.

“I’d love that, thank you for including me,” Bennett says, surprising me.

“Of course, my wife will be so excited to hear the big news. Why don’t we celebrate when we get back to town since you’ll be back on the road this Sunday?”

“Just tell us when and we’ll be there,” he answers for the two of us, and I’m oddly okay with it.

Moments later, Bennett is escorting me back to my room when I stop in the hallway. He halts his steps, turning to face me. “Thank you for that,” I blurt.

“For what? You have nothing to thank me for,” he replies.

I train my gaze on my shoes, unwilling to meet his eyes.

“For agreeing to come to Sunday dinners. They’ve always meant a lot to me, but after losing my dad, and now, with my grandfather’s diagnosis, they’ve become sacred.

It will mean a lot to my grandparents to have you there, and to Gemma and Gunner. And, well, me too. ”

Bennett softly grips my chin and lifts my face until our eyes meet. “Don’t thank me, it’s not a favor. It’ll be my pleasure to join you for Sunday dinners whenever I’m in town.”

I stare up at him and my breath hitches when I catch his gaze retreating to my lips. Bennett eliminates the space between us, and my heart slams in my chest in anticipation.

“We didn’t finish what we started earlier,” he rasps.

“We didn’t,” I agree in a whisper.

Instead of pulling me in for a kiss like I had hoped, Bennett takes a step back and runs a hand through his hair. “I believe I suggested we play twenty questions to get to know one another better, but we didn’t finish before the movie started.”

I almost whine in frustration, but quickly mask my disappointment. Friends, we’re supposed to be friends first and foremost. Even if this is temporary, I should probably get to know my future husband better than I do now.

“When’s your birthday?” he asks, starting off the questions.

I play along and answer him. “May twenty-first. And yours?”

“December twenty-third.”

“Oh, you and Gemma have the same birthday!” I point out.

“It’ll be her sweet sixteen, right? I know Gunner said he was five, but I kind of assumed Gemma was fifteen when I saw her driving with you. She does have her permit, right?”

“Yes, she’ll be sixteen and she has her learner’s permit.” I roll my eyes at him.

“And how do you feel about her getting her license?”

I wince at the thought of my baby sister behind the wheel, and in the dead of winter, no less.

“I’m hoping I can convince her to hold off until she’s eighteen to take her driver’s test. ”

He chuckles as he presses the button for the elevator. “Good luck with that. The day I turned sixteen I took my driver’s test and couldn’t wait to get that bit of freedom.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. She’s at the height of her hormonal spiral and some days it feels like I’m doing everything wrong,” I admit to him, shifting my weight in my heels before deciding to forego them altogether.

I place my hand on his shoulder for balance, but before I can bend my leg to take off my heels, Bennett lowers to his knees.

Bennett fucking Wilson is on his knees before me. What in the actual hell is going on right now?

With my hand still resting on his shoulder, he looks up at me from his knees. “I’m not a parent, but I think that means you’re doing everything right. From what I’ve seen and heard so far, I’d say you’re doing a hell of a job raising them on your own.”

My cheeks heat from his compliment and the sincerity in his tone.

“And I’m not sure what you’d like my role to be with them, but if we’re doing this, I’d like to be involved,” he tells me as he grabs the back of my ankle, lifting my foot off the ground so he can slip my heel off.

Goosebumps erupt on my skin from his heated touch.

“You’ll quickly learn that I’m the all-in kind of guy.

Once I set my mind on something, there’s no half-assing it on my part. ”

I stare into his hazel eyes and try to find the hesitation or unease hidden beneath them, but come up short in my attempts. Instead, Bennett looks genuinely interested in being involved with my siblings.

God, what would that be like? To have someone to share in the good and bad with?

To have a partner to lean on when things feel too heavy to fall solely on my shoulders.

Gemma and Gunner have never been a burden to me, but I have to admit that raising them on my own the past five years has weighed on me .

I love them immensely, truly I do. They’ve been my entire world. So letting someone in and trusting them to be a part of their lives is no small ask of me. Can I really trust someone I’ve only known such a short time to be around them?

“They’ve already lost so much. I can’t ask you to make that commitment to them. We know the deal, three years and then we part ways. Where will that leave the two of them?”

“I understand where you’re coming from, I do, Scar.

But keeping people at arm’s length to avoid hurt may just cause more hurt and loneliness in the long run.

I’d like to be a role model to them—a male presence in their lives.

I want to be the best partner to you, and being there for them is the only way I can do that. ”

He’s not wrong. After experiencing so much loss, I’ve pushed people away and built walls around my heart as barriers to protect myself. It’s only natural that I’d also want to protect Gemma and Gunner, who are an extension of my heart beating outside my chest, from any hurt and pain that I could.

But I’ve also seen how great he has been with them in such a short time.

And he’s the one asking me if it’s okay if he’s a role model to them.

How can I deny my siblings the opportunity to have someone as special as Bennett in their lives?

I shouldn’t. Although I think it’ll take time for me to get there.

Bennett lowers my foot to the ground and I shift my weight as he grabs the back of my other ankle, lifting my foot so he can take off my other heel.

When he sets my other foot down, he maintains eye contact with me as he slowly grazes his hand from my ankle to my knee.

My breathing becomes stuttered, and when I don’t stop him, instead nodding down at him, his hand continues up my inner thigh at a torturously slow rate until he pauses at my uppermost thigh.

If he moves his fingers mere centimeters, he’ll touch me exactly where my pussy is throbbing with need.

Instead, the elevator doors open and Bennett lowers his hand to gather my heels before turning his back to me in a squat. “Hop on,” he commands.

“What? No. I can’t in this dress.” Even with the slit, I’d probably rip the tight fabric of the skirt if I got on his back for a piggyback ride.

“Fine. Have it your way,” he says as he stands to his full height and faces me again.

“I’m perfectly capable of—” I’m cut off when Bennett scoops me into his arms full-on bridal style and I let out a yelp instead. “What are you doing? Put me down you barbarian!”

“Consider this practice for our wedding night, wifey,” he says with a chuckle, clearly delighted with himself.

“I haven’t signed my life away yet—it’s not too late,” I protest.

“Yes, it is. And do you wanna know why?”

“Sure, I’ll humor you,” I tell him as he steps into the elevator and presses the button for my floor, still refusing to set me down.

“Because you’re wearing my ring on your finger. And it’s me your needy pussy is weeping for right now,” he rasps, and holy fucking hell, he’s right.

“You’re wrong,” I start and he smirks at my pathetic attempt at a lie.

“Then why did I feel how soaked she is without even touching her?”

She? Her?

“You didn’t,” I try again, but he just shakes his head and lets out a low, menacing chuckle.

“I did, because she remembers. Your tight, aching pussy remembers what it’s like to stretch around my thick cock. She’s been deprived for far too long, Scar. It’s a shame we agreed to those rules.”

Ohmyfuckinggod. Fuck the rules !

“She’s gotten plenty of attention in the years since,” I double down on my lie, feeling slightly lightheaded from how breathless his words are making me.

“If I recall correctly, I believe I warned you what happens when you bring up other men, Scarlett.”

“Hmm, did you?” I feign ignorance, hoping like hell he’ll remind me.

“You’re playing with fire, Little Red.”

And yet, I’m begging to be burned.