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“One day, some girl is gonna walk into your life and flip your whole world upside down and you’re not gonna know what the fuck to do with yourself except drop to your knees and beg her to never leave.”
“I’d rather bury my entire face in a mountain of snow out front.”
“Captain of the Vancouver Vipers. And you can take that ‘sweetheart’ and stuff it up your ass.”
“Oh, Mr. Beckett. You are as naïve as you are pretty.” She gives my chest a patronizing pat. “The very last place I’m going is home with you.”
you’ve told me to go fuck myself in at least three roundabout ways, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this attracted to someone.”
“Has anyone ever been able to tell you no?” she asks on a whisper. My chest puffs with pride. “Never.” She grins, and Christ, it’s a glorious sight. “Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” My forehead crumples as she steps out of reach. “What?” “Enjoy the rest of your night,”
There was a moment, a very brief one with my hand in his, his piercing emerald eyes holding mine, that I might have … considered it. Maybe
His grin is explosive, handsome, sexy, infuriating. Leaning over the boards, he stares down the length of his stick at me, the tip resting on top of the glass. “Hi.”
“I’m gonna score a goal for you.” There’s a sureness in his deep timbre, an arrogance that makes my stomach tighten with anticipation. With a wink and the shimmy of his hips, he skates backward and drops to his knees, spreading his legs as he stretches his groin and blows a big, pink bubble, all without taking his eyes off me.
“But then he does stuff like this.” She tosses a piece of popcorn over the glass, and Carter catches it on his tongue, pink glob of bubblegum nowhere to be found before he singsongs his thank you,
“I’m not—” I stick my nose in the air. “What I lack in height I make up for in attitude.” That’s what my dad says, anyway, and I tend to agree with him.
But when I try put a tiny bit of space between us, Carter pulls me back, bends his neck, and … presses a fleeting kiss to the crown of my head.
Cute
“I like it when you smile,” he murmurs. “It makes me want to smile too.”
“A-ha! I’ve fucking cracked her!” He grips my waist, spins me in the air, drops me to my feet, and … peppers my entire face in kisses.
Every year, we hold a tree lighting fundraising event on the first day of our Christmas break. This year, it’s on the twenty-third. The Family Project is Adam’s pride and joy,
Just trust me, he’d said. Well, it’ll be the last time I do. I’d sat down with a clear face and stood up with #87 painted in blue and green on my left cheek. The kicker is the obnoxious pink heart surrounding it. I’d say at least I don’t have Olaf on my face, but Carter seems incredibly proud of the cartoon snowman that covers his cheek.
You can have anybody you want, Carter.” His laugh is hollow, long fingers skimming the sharp angle of his jaw. “I can’t, clearly. Because what I want is you.”
“Shut up.” I smile up at him. “I’ll see you on New Year’s Eve.” He nods. “Not a date.” “Not a date,” I repeat. Then he shuts the door, hits me with two finger guns, and yells, “It’s a date!”
“If I find something like you and Dad had, the last thing I’ll do is let it get away from me.”
“Carter’s Palace of what?” I urge. “Don’t,” Carter warns him lowly. “Don’t you dare.” A beat of silence stretches between us, the tension palpable. “Love,” Garrett whispers. “Carter’s Palace of Love.”
her.”
“You can’t kiss my not-a-real-date-but-actually-is-a-real-date at midnight!”
I’m not a test run to see if being in a relationship is something you actually desire. You need to decide what you want first before you go after the girl.” “What if the only thing I’m sure about wanting is you?” She sweeps her thumb over the indent in my chin. “Sometimes wanting something isn’t enough.”
Because I can do better, be better, and I can do it for Olivia. I want to do it for Olivia.
As I sink down to the cushion beside her, I find myself wondering if everything is always going to be until Olivia, if this is that point in my life where everything changes.
I’m just fucking staring at her, this breathtaking masterpiece, so wildly contradicting with the way she spits fire and sarcasm while simultaneously caring too much about what people think. And honestly? I fucking adore her.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Never, Ollie. I just want you to consider … consider giving me a shot. Consider me. That’s all I want, Ol. A chance with you.”
Sweeeet
“Can I keep you?” he asks. “Yes.” My heart skitters to a stop at the simple answer spoken without thought, and only when Carter tilts my chin and captures my mouth a kiss does it restart. It’s in this moment that I realize how earth-shatteringly fucked I am.
Her wide eyes lock on mine, cheeks blazing, hand hanging there in midair, holding on to a … A goddamn Oreo.
Woman’s my fucking soul mate.
You’re taking two lives and merging them. That requires a lot of work and a strong commitment. Is that what you want?” “Yes.” It’s strange what a simple three-letter word can do, one spoken with so much certainty, the weight that lifts with the epiphany that comes with it. Yes, I want to choose Olivia, over and over again.
wanna tap that man like a maple tree.”
“He makes me laugh a lot, and he’s kind of a big goofball. He makes me feel good about myself. He’s painfully honest, and I like the way he smells and the way he plays with my hair. And when he looks at me … when he looks at me, it’s like it’s only me and him. I like the way he looks at me. I like that his house is his escape, that he likes to stare at the stars and the mountains and forget the noise. He has the prettiest smile and the best dimples, and he was so sweet with the kids at the fundraiser and such a good sport at taking pies to the face, and he’s a good friend, and—”
It’s of Carter, loading up a plate with pizza while he sings. “Don’t go bacon my heart! Mmm, mmm! I won’t go bacon your heart! So, oooh, oooh! Don’t go bacon my heart!”
hate to tell you this, but if you’re scared of falling in love with him … you’re already halfway there.”
“I’m all in, as long as it’s you I’m all in with.” My
“Oh, that’s absolutely why. You’re the first thing I’ve been hyperfixated on since I discovered hockey.”
“Trust me, princess, it’ll get boring fast.” My nose scrunches. “I’m not a princess.” He pulls into traffic, winking at me. “You’re my princess.” I roll my eyes to distract from the fact that I might like the ridiculous nickname.
as I flip through the books in Hank’s audio library, I wonder if I’ve just found my new best friend. “Hank,” I murmur, turning to him. “Oh no,” Carter whispers, eyes flicking to the tablet. “What is it?” Hank asks, head moving between us. Carter swallows. “Olivia just found your smut collection.”
Olivia manages to pull her gaze away. “I coach Alannah’s hockey team.” “You—” I accidentally slam on the brakes, bracketing my arm across Olivia’s chest to catch her. “Sorry, sorry. I just—you just—I think I might love you,”
Secondly, no. No freaking way. I like him, I have him, I want to keep him.
“As fun as it is to listen to how my own brother thinks I can’t possibly be good enough for a man like Carter Beckett, I’m gonna get going.”
Sad
“Carter?” she calls suddenly, the words thick with sleep. Her eyes are still closed, and I think she might be dreaming. “Yeah, princess?” “What if I fall in love with you?” “Then I’ll fall with you, too, Ollie girl.”
“I think you wanna be my pumpkin.” “I wanna be your anything.” His hand glides up my belly and closes over my throat, angling my face toward his, his movements never slowing. “How about my everything?”
“I’m so lucky to be the man who gets to keep you by his side, Ollie.” Burying his face in my neck, Carter makes a soft, happy noise. “Goodnight, pumpkin. Like you.” “Like you, too, Carter.”
Her warm palm cups my jaw. “You make me happy, Carter.” “That’s good, ’cause I’m kinda obsessed with you.”
“If you want obsession, fierce appreciation, wild, unrestrained passion … If you want fucking magic, Ollie, then it’s me. Let it be me.”
need you to know that I’d never hurt you. Hurting you would break my heart, and you own that thing. You’re my Ollie girl.”
don’t want a love that’s anything other than crazy, and crazy about you is the only way I know to describe how I feel.”
He whips his gloves off, cups his hands around his mouth, and breathes on the glass. The tip of his finger etches a heart into the fog, and when he writes C + O my weak heart takes flight, as embarrassing as this is.
