Power Play (Nashville Assassins: Next Generation Book 2) Read online

  “My girl.”

  Her brow perks. “Huh?”

  “I make my girl super proud.”

  She curves her lips. “You do.”

  I slide my hands up her thighs once more, cupping her ass. “So, tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “Well,” she starts, running her fingers along the hair on my jaw. “I was thinking back to what you said about your plan to tell everyone we’re together.”

  I meet her gaze, and I’m unsure why my heart is stopping in my chest. I shouldn’t be worried, but for some odd reason, I am. “Yeah?”

  “I don’t want to live in your house.”

  My stomach drops. “You don’t want to live together?”

  “No, I do. But not in that house.”

  I cock my head. “I’m confused.”

  “It’s Julia’s and your house. I don’t like it, and I don’t like the memories it brings up for you. I’d rather start somewhere new. Somewhere that’s ours,” she says, searching my eyes. “That is, if we’re together and all.”

  “We’ll be together,” I say confidently. “You’re not nice to me on the ice, and I still can’t stop thinking of you. I like the abuse, apparently.”

  She beams. “I’m beyond sweet to you.”

  “You threw your glove at me and then threw the other at Wes to make it seem like you weren’t singling me out.”

  She throws up her hands. “I said cut left, and you went right!” she yells, her eyes wild. “It was a simple switch play, Boon. I mean, hell!”

  She’s so passionate, so headstrong. I love it. “See, I’m so turned on right now,” I admit, and she laughs loudly, freely, and I can’t get enough.

  “You are a glutton for punishment.”

  “Only from you,” I say with a wink, kissing the side of her mouth. “And I get it. I don’t like living there either.”

  She nods. “I know. You hate it.”

  “I don’t know why I picked it.”

  “She ruined it for you,” she reminds me. “And that’s okay. It’s not your forever home.”

  “Nope, it’s not.”

  “So, you’re not mad at me, right?”

  “Not at all,” I say, holding her closer. “Like I said, I understand. Maybe I can sell it to Wes or rent it to him and a couple guys.”

  “That’s an idea.”

  “Or maybe I can sell it to Aiden. Aren’t they looking for a place?”

  “Yes, but wouldn’t that put you and Wes out since they’re looking now?”

  I shrug. “I’ll move in here.”

  Her lips quirk. “Oh, is that right?”

  “Yup. I have closet space.” I gather her closer in my arms. “And tell me you don’t want me here.”

  “I can’t do that,” she whispers as our lips come close together. “You’ve got some kind of hold on me.”

  “I know I do. It’s the same one you’ve got on me,” I say, our eyes locked together passionately and perfectly. “I like that you’re thinking of our future. I didn’t think you were.”

  She licks her lips as she shrugs. “I don’t let it happen much. I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

  “Why not? It’s fun.”

  She giggles as her fingers dance against my neck, sending chills down my spine. “I don’t know… I get worried.”

  “About what?”

  “That you’ll drop me.”

  “Bullshit,” I insist. “I give you no reason to think that.”

  She searches my gaze. “You don’t.”

  “I know I don’t, so don’t think like that. It’s pointless and detrimental to us. I like us a lot, and you should too. We’ve got an awesome thing going here.”

  “But doesn’t it seem too good to be true?”

  I give her a dry look. “We fought two seconds ago about where to put the silverware. If this was a perfect relationship, you’d do what I say.”

  She laughs. “You’re impossible.”

  “And you’re everything I want, Posey. Honestly.”

  My words stun her, and I take great pride in that. I’m being truthful, though. I’m completely and utterly in love with her. The only reason I haven’t said it is because I don’t want to scare her. I’m not saying she’s skittish, but I get nervous that I love her more than she cares for me. It’s no fault of her own; I truly believe she may love me. But I told Julia I loved her first. I was so eager to have her love me. So this time, I want to give Posey time to feel for me what I feel for her. I don’t know when I fell, but if I had to pinpoint a moment, it was the night she wasn’t feeling well when we were on her first road trip. I held her close to me, wanting nothing more than to protect her and make sure she felt all right.

  She seems breathless as she asks, “Really?”

  “Of course. Is it not like that for you?”

  “Oh God, yes. Do I not show it?”

  I smile, my body pulsing for hers. “You do, which is why I’ve never questioned it.”

  “I’m sorry if I don’t,” she says, almost panicky. “I just don’t want to be too ‘OMG, I really like you,’ and you be like ‘Whoa, child. Calm down.’”

  I laugh. “Lovely, you aren’t a child.”

  “I can act like one.”

  “So can I,” I admit, grabbing her jaw. “It’s what makes this fun. Don’t you have fun with me?”

  “Oh, Boon, so much fun. The most fun I’ve ever had.”

  “Exactly. I think you’re amazing just the way you are.”

  She swallows hard, her eyes burning deep into mine, making me feel all kinds of things. My heart is racing, my palms are sweaty, and shit, all I need is Mom’s spaghetti, and Posey has me acting out an Eminem song.

  When her eyes get a little misty with tears, my heart about stops. “My dad used to sing that song to my mom,” she admits.

  “Which one?”

  “Bruno Mars, ‘Just the Way You Are.’ I can still remember it playing and them dancing or him singing it to her. I wanted so much to find a man who would do that with me.” A single tear rolls down her sweet face. “I remember Shelli singing it one time and my parents dancing like they had just met. It was incredibly sweet. All I’ve ever wanted was to meet a man like my dad. Someone who would protect me, dance with me, and look at me like I’m the only one in the room.”

  “Done, done, and fucking done, Posey,” I whisper, and I grin at her. The words are right there, ready for me to say them. Scream them, even. I love you. Instead, I pull my phone out of my back pocket, and as I hold her, I put on “Just the Way You Are.” But it’s not the Bruno Mars’ version; it’s the one by Boyce Avenue instead. As soon as the soothing guitar solo starts, I lift her off the counter. She wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck.

  And then we’re dancing in the middle of her kitchen.

  Hell, she doesn’t know it yet, but it’s our kitchen.

  “Dancing twice in one day?”

  “Lovely, if we can dance, we will. Unlike you, I never got to see someone dance with my mom. Now I wish I had.”

  She sighs softly and squeezes me tight. “I wish you had too.”

  I kiss her neck. “Bruno is your mom and dad’s. But Boyce, they’re ours.”

  She nuzzles her face farther in my neck as our hearts beat together. I feel my skin tingling. Only she does that for me. When she starts to sing along, I close my eyes, my heart thumping hard inside in my chest. Her voice is beautiful, like an angel. And I don’t care what anyone says—Posey is the “twin” everyone needs to pay attention to. Then again, fuck that. I’ll give her all the attention and then some. When she pulls back a bit, looking down at me, I grin.

  “How’s that sound, lovely?”

  She doesn’t say anything. Her eyes are intense, and she looks as if she has something else to say rather than answering my question. Shit, does that not sound good? I thought it was a kinda cool idea. Kinda sweet. Shit, I do suck at this—

  “Do you love me?”

  Wow. Okay, talk ab