Delayed Call
Page 114
“I don’t either,” she whispered, lacing her fingers with his.
“My therapist says I play best on the delayed call. With my back against the wall and I have to score with that extra man advantage. You’re my advantage, my partner, and together we can score.”
“Wow, that was really hockey-ish,” she muttered as the tears gathered in her eyes. He grinned big with so much love in his eyes. Just like that, happiness hit her hard, like a runaway train, as she held his gaze. “You’re lucky I know what you’re talking about.”
“I am. But just in case… Brianna Soledad, I fucking love you,” he said, loud and proud. “That was a five-thousand-dollar I love you, and let me tell you, I know it was worth it. But just in case, let’s make it ten thousand dollars because I won’t ever love anyone the way I fucking love you.”
Her tears spilled over her, rolling down her cheeks as she took his face in her hands, pulling him to her. “I fucking love you too.”
He gathered her in his arms, and their mouths met in the kiss she had been craving since the moment he had left that morning. As his grip on her tightened and their tongues met, she knew things were just getting started for them, and she never wanted it to end. The giddiness, the possibilities they had, it was all just so overwhelming and miraculous.
Pulling back, he brushed his lips over hers as he asked, “I wonder if I’ll be fined for your cuss words?”
“Probably not.”
“So we’ll both be out some money.”
She nodded. “Worth it.”
“Completely.” His eyes were full of the love she always had known was there. “I was an idiot.”
“You were.”
“Forgive me?”
“Always. I love you.”
“I love you.”
They grinned against each other’s lips, and she snickered, “Can we discuss the Sharpie on your chest? Who drew that?”
“No. And Jensen.”
She started to giggle. “Did you really chicken out?”
“I told you we aren’t talking about it.”
“But you’re the legend!”
Smothering her with a kiss, he leaned her back off the box, holding her as he kissed her and she clung to him, her lips curving against his. He pulled back, looking down into her face with his beautiful brown eyes sparkling. Her breath caught as he said, “You’re damn right, I’m the legend.”
“My legend.”
“Only yours.”
“My legend who is scared of needles.”
“Shut it, woman.”
Snorting with laughter, she pressed her nose to his. “I love you, JoHo.”
His eyes went bright as he kissed her lips. “I love you too, my big pain in the ass.”
“That’s fifteen grand.”
“Jesus, this is the most expensive grand gesture ever!”
“If only you weren’t a hoodlum.”
“I’d be so boring.”
“Dreadful,” she agreed, moving her nose along his. “But I’d still love you.”
“Good, because I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know, I’ll break your kneecaps if you try.”
“And you say I’m the hoodlum,” he whispered right as her lips curved into an unbreakable smile. His lips pressed into hers, his arms came around her, and her heart exploded in her chest. As he lifted her off the box, Brie wrapped her legs around his waist, and he carried her away, despite Russell’s protest. She wasn’t sure where they were going or what he was about to do to her, but she didn’t care.
She was with the one she was made to love.
Her legend.
Vaughn Fucking Johansson.
“Well…”
Staring at the counter in her bathroom as she sat on the toilet, she wasn’t exactly sure how this had happened. It seemed like only yesterday that she had gotten Vaughn Johansson fined for cussing during his interview with her. And after that was the whirlwind of their romance. She had fallen into bed with Vaughn without really thinking it through, which led to two more rounds of sex before he broke her heart and then got her back. Fast forward to the moment she told him she loved him after he fought for her job with the Assassins, followed by him not telling her he loved her back. He then dressed up as his best friend and wrote on his chest with Sharpie that he did love her. And now, she found herself sitting on the toilet.
So yeah, she guessed she did know how she got there. That all seemed like centuries ago, but it had really only been three months. Three months of complete and utter bliss with the man she loved more than life itself. They had moved in to her apartment together. Tricksie had a doggie bed fit for a queen, and Jensen was happy across the hall, except when they were too loud, as he said, not that they believed him. Rodney’s heart was working perfectly, he hadn’t had any episodes, and everyone was really positive. He was in heaven at NateWay, and rumor had it he had a little romance with Phyllis that Marl wasn’t very happy about.
Things were going great. Perfect, even. But as she sat on the toilet staring at the counter, she wasn’t exactly sure how Vaughn would take the news.
When the door opened suddenly, her eyes widened as Vaughn said, “Hey, come here for… What are you doing?”
Her lips parted as he looked down at the counter and then back to her. Holding up her hands, she waved them awkwardly and said, “Surprise.”
“What?”
Standing up, she picked up the pregnancy test and handed it to him. “Remember that one time you said you had crazy strong sperm? Guess you were right.”
Glancing down at the test that read pregnant, he then looked back up to her. “So you’re pregnant?”
“No, I bought this off a crack whore on the side of the road yesterday.”
He gave her a dry look. “Really?”
She nodded. “Really.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“So you’re pregnant.”
“I think that’s what those words mean.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, apparently. It’s the fourth one.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“Pregnant?”
“Yup, me. We did it.”
He shook his head, bringing his gaze up to hers. Though, she couldn’t really read him. “I told you we should have done it in the butt.”
“My therapist says I play best on the delayed call. With my back against the wall and I have to score with that extra man advantage. You’re my advantage, my partner, and together we can score.”
“Wow, that was really hockey-ish,” she muttered as the tears gathered in her eyes. He grinned big with so much love in his eyes. Just like that, happiness hit her hard, like a runaway train, as she held his gaze. “You’re lucky I know what you’re talking about.”
“I am. But just in case… Brianna Soledad, I fucking love you,” he said, loud and proud. “That was a five-thousand-dollar I love you, and let me tell you, I know it was worth it. But just in case, let’s make it ten thousand dollars because I won’t ever love anyone the way I fucking love you.”
Her tears spilled over her, rolling down her cheeks as she took his face in her hands, pulling him to her. “I fucking love you too.”
He gathered her in his arms, and their mouths met in the kiss she had been craving since the moment he had left that morning. As his grip on her tightened and their tongues met, she knew things were just getting started for them, and she never wanted it to end. The giddiness, the possibilities they had, it was all just so overwhelming and miraculous.
Pulling back, he brushed his lips over hers as he asked, “I wonder if I’ll be fined for your cuss words?”
“Probably not.”
“So we’ll both be out some money.”
She nodded. “Worth it.”
“Completely.” His eyes were full of the love she always had known was there. “I was an idiot.”
“You were.”
“Forgive me?”
“Always. I love you.”
“I love you.”
They grinned against each other’s lips, and she snickered, “Can we discuss the Sharpie on your chest? Who drew that?”
“No. And Jensen.”
She started to giggle. “Did you really chicken out?”
“I told you we aren’t talking about it.”
“But you’re the legend!”
Smothering her with a kiss, he leaned her back off the box, holding her as he kissed her and she clung to him, her lips curving against his. He pulled back, looking down into her face with his beautiful brown eyes sparkling. Her breath caught as he said, “You’re damn right, I’m the legend.”
“My legend.”
“Only yours.”
“My legend who is scared of needles.”
“Shut it, woman.”
Snorting with laughter, she pressed her nose to his. “I love you, JoHo.”
His eyes went bright as he kissed her lips. “I love you too, my big pain in the ass.”
“That’s fifteen grand.”
“Jesus, this is the most expensive grand gesture ever!”
“If only you weren’t a hoodlum.”
“I’d be so boring.”
“Dreadful,” she agreed, moving her nose along his. “But I’d still love you.”
“Good, because I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know, I’ll break your kneecaps if you try.”
“And you say I’m the hoodlum,” he whispered right as her lips curved into an unbreakable smile. His lips pressed into hers, his arms came around her, and her heart exploded in her chest. As he lifted her off the box, Brie wrapped her legs around his waist, and he carried her away, despite Russell’s protest. She wasn’t sure where they were going or what he was about to do to her, but she didn’t care.
She was with the one she was made to love.
Her legend.
Vaughn Fucking Johansson.
“Well…”
Staring at the counter in her bathroom as she sat on the toilet, she wasn’t exactly sure how this had happened. It seemed like only yesterday that she had gotten Vaughn Johansson fined for cussing during his interview with her. And after that was the whirlwind of their romance. She had fallen into bed with Vaughn without really thinking it through, which led to two more rounds of sex before he broke her heart and then got her back. Fast forward to the moment she told him she loved him after he fought for her job with the Assassins, followed by him not telling her he loved her back. He then dressed up as his best friend and wrote on his chest with Sharpie that he did love her. And now, she found herself sitting on the toilet.
So yeah, she guessed she did know how she got there. That all seemed like centuries ago, but it had really only been three months. Three months of complete and utter bliss with the man she loved more than life itself. They had moved in to her apartment together. Tricksie had a doggie bed fit for a queen, and Jensen was happy across the hall, except when they were too loud, as he said, not that they believed him. Rodney’s heart was working perfectly, he hadn’t had any episodes, and everyone was really positive. He was in heaven at NateWay, and rumor had it he had a little romance with Phyllis that Marl wasn’t very happy about.
Things were going great. Perfect, even. But as she sat on the toilet staring at the counter, she wasn’t exactly sure how Vaughn would take the news.
When the door opened suddenly, her eyes widened as Vaughn said, “Hey, come here for… What are you doing?”
Her lips parted as he looked down at the counter and then back to her. Holding up her hands, she waved them awkwardly and said, “Surprise.”
“What?”
Standing up, she picked up the pregnancy test and handed it to him. “Remember that one time you said you had crazy strong sperm? Guess you were right.”
Glancing down at the test that read pregnant, he then looked back up to her. “So you’re pregnant?”
“No, I bought this off a crack whore on the side of the road yesterday.”
He gave her a dry look. “Really?”
She nodded. “Really.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“So you’re pregnant.”
“I think that’s what those words mean.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, apparently. It’s the fourth one.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“Pregnant?”
“Yup, me. We did it.”
He shook his head, bringing his gaze up to hers. Though, she couldn’t really read him. “I told you we should have done it in the butt.”
