Play It Dirty: A College Hockey Romance (Players of Hannaford U Book 1) by Michelle Hercules

Author:Michelle Hercules [Hercules, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Infinite Sky Publishing
Published: 2023-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 34

GIA

I toss and turn, waiting for Noah to come to bed, and after an hour alone, I decide to check on him. I find him sleeping on the couch with Marshall lying across his chest. His arm is keeping the puppy from falling. I melt at the sight, and at the same time, guilt pierces my heart. Noah is amazing, and he’s given me proof time and time again that he’s into me. Why am I still hesitating?

Maybe because he’s too good to be true.

In the box, the puppies are whining. I realize it’s time for them to eat again. Instead of waking Noah, I head for the kitchen to prepare their formula. I warm it up in the microwave and then split the mix into the small bottles the vet gave us.

Without his help, I can feed only two puppies at a time, but he looks so peaceful sleeping I don’t want to disturb him.

I get comfortable on the floor and fish two puppies out of the box. Their eyes are still closed, so I have to place the bottles against their little mouths, but then they take over.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Noah asks in a groggy voice.

I lift my face. “I wanted to let you rest.”

He sits up and covers his yawn with a fist. Marshall is also awake and moving in his hand.

“You shouldn’t have to do this all by yourself. They’re my responsibility too.”

“I know. It’s okay. I already prepped their formula. Now we just have to feed them.”

Noah sits crossed-legged on the other side of the box facing me and takes two bottles from the coffee table where I set them. He feeds Marshall and another puppy first.

We work in silence, and I can’t tell if he isn’t talking much because it’s late or if he has something on his mind he isn’t telling me.

“I’m sorry about what I told Harper,” I blurt out.

He scrunches his brows together. “I don’t follow.”

“About us co-parenting Marshall not being a big deal. I didn’t want her getting ideas about us.”

Noah smiles. “It’s okay, Gia. It didn’t bother me.”

“Are you sure? You didn’t come to bed.”

He cocks his head, watching me in amusement. “You missed me, sunshine?”

“As a matter of fact. I did. I like to cuddle.”

His smile broadens. “You won’t go without cuddles while you’re with me.”

The while gets me. I’m the one who told him this is temporary, but it hurts when he says it. Ugh. Why am I such a mess?

“What’s wrong?” he asks. I must have shown the turmoil on my face.

I shake my head. “It’s nothing.”

“Talk to me, babe.”

My heart twists, and it hurts so much I can’t breathe properly. I don’t want to burden him with my problems. If he finds out I’m not the self-assured person I portray, will he care less about me? And then comes the next question—why would it bother me if he did?

“I’m just tired… and cuddle deprived.” I smile, hoping he believes me.

He watches me

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