The Sweet Talker (Boston Hawks Hockey #1) - Gina Azzi Page 0,71
eight-thirty. She’s not exactly pulling an all-nighter. You need to man up here. Tell her how you really feel and go all in. Unless, you don’t want to be all in?”
“I am all fucking in!” I snap, narrowing my gaze at a car’s headlights as it turns onto the street.
“See, I knew it all along. Now go get your girl.”
“I think this is them. Pulling up right now,” I say to Easton. “I gotta go.”
“Call me later, Noah. And congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I hang up the phone.
The second the car pulls up in front of Indy’s building, I spring to my feet. The car idles at the curb and I see Indy in the passenger seat. I watch as she unclicks her seatbelt. Her head tips back, her dark hair brushing her shoulders. She laughs at something. My hands clench into fists as I narrow my gaze, drinking in the scene like the desperate man I am.
She went on the date.
You made her go on the date!
She had fun.
Can I really deny her that? After all the stress she’s carrying around, I’m going to be angry that she’s laughing?
My temples throb and a hot flash blazes through my bloodstream. Yeah, yeah I am because she should be laughing with me.
She leans over the center console and I stride toward the car, wanting to rip open the damn door and pull her from Aiden’s kiss. But she’s already opening the door, her quick hug with Aiden not developing into anything more.
She closes the door, bends down, and waves goodbye. As soon as she turns, she sees me, frozen halfway between the building and the street, and she stops.
The passenger window of the car slides down and Aiden leans forward in the driver’s seat, his eyes boring into mine. He looks between me and Indy before calling out, “You good, Ind?”
She nods without turning around, her gaze still latched on me. “I’m good. ‘Night, Aid.”
Aiden stares at me for one long beat and something passes through his expression. It’s not sinister or angry. It’s…encouraging? He flips his chin at me and I nod, signaling that I’ve got her from here. Aiden pulls away from the curb and my eyes find Indy’s.
God, she’s breathtaking. Even bundled up in a winter parka and a thick scarf around her neck, her hands tucked into her coat sleeves, her feet strapped into fuzzy boots. You can barely make out her shape and still, my mouth waters.
“I miss you,” I blurt out the truth.
“What are you doing here?” her voice is soft but her eyes are hard, hesitant. Fuck, I hate that I put that uncertainty there.
I tilt my head toward her building. “Can we talk inside?”
She nods and walks past me. I follow her to the door, up the winding staircase, and into her apartment. When she enters, I help her out of her coat and she turns to look at me over her shoulder.
I keep my expression as neutral as possible. I didn’t come here to argue with her. I didn’t come here to upset her. I came here to tell her that I’m a man. Her man. Our baby’s dad. And I’m not going anywhere.
She blows out a breath, her cheeks pinking even more than they did in the cold. Once she shrugs off her coat, I hang it on the hook.
“How was your dinner?” I ask.
“Delicious.” She walks into the kitchen and drops a kettle on the stove. “Tea?”
“Sure. What’d you eat?”
“Steak.”
“Nice choice. And”—I work a swallow—“Aiden?”
“Steak. He ordered for us.”
I frown, irritated. “Why the hell would he do a thing like that? You can order your own food, Indy.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I know, thanks.”
I bite down on the corner of my mouth, waiting for her to get to the point. When she doesn’t say anything, just turns calmly back to the tea kettle, I snap. “Indiana, I lied to you. Again.”
At that, her head whips back around. She backs up until her back rests against the countertop, her hands gripping onto the lip behind her. “Wh-what?”
“I know I said this was casual. Maybe I even believed I could do casual with you. But it was a crock of shit from the start. I’ve always cared about you more than I wanted to let on. We’re having a baby, Indy. You’re going to be a mother and I’m going to be a father and we’re creating a family.”
Her eyes track my every movement as I step closer to the kitchen, closer to her.