A Little Secret (The Little Things #4)

Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

FINLEY

I t’s early. And cold. I tuck my toes between Griffin’s calves as he lays on his back. The guy doesn’t even flinch from the temperature, but his chest rumbles under my cheek. “You’re freezing.”

Yesterday afternoon, he sent me a text asking if I wanted to binge murder documentaries and eat junk food. Obviously, I obliged, then jumped his bones and fell asleep on his chest. Now, here we are. Sharing a bed and soaking up each other’s warmth as the morning light slips through the blinds.

Lifting my head, I look up at him. “Good thing I have my own personal heater to share a bed with me.” I grin. “How’d you sleep?”

“Okay.” He hesitates and rubs at his tired eyes. “You?”

“Just okay?” I nudge the divot between his ribs. “Figured last night’s orgasm would’ve knocked you out.”

A low chuckle reverberates through his chest. “It should’ve.” Trailing his hand along my bare spine, he dips lower and squeezes my butt. “You’re good at knocking me on my ass. ”

“So, what’s up?” I ask. “Are you nervous about today’s game?”

He nods. “Something like that.”

He’s lying. Or, at the very least, dodging my question. He should know I can read him better than this. The bags under his eyes? The cadence of his breathing? He’s nervous.

Why are you nervous, Griffin?

Resting my chin on his chest, I push, “Okay, for real, what’s going on? Is the Tornadoes’ General Manager going to be at the game again? Is that why you’re acting weird?”

His silence rings loud in the quiet room, and I sit up even more, letting the blankets pool around my naked body. As his eyes fall to my boobs, I arch my brow. “Better look your fill, boyfriend, ‘cause after Everett and Raine move in, you can kiss this view goodbye.”

Lifting his head from the pillow, he kisses the tip of my nipple, and my breath hitches. Seriously, this man owns my body, and I doubt he even realizes it. As he lays back on the bed, he hooks his hands behind his head and replies, “Then it looks like neither of us are moving for a few more hours.”

With a laugh, I smack his chest playfully. “You’re ridiculous. And you’re also avoiding my question.” I bend forward and kiss him, not even caring about our morning breath. Not when I have someone like Griffin Thorne in my bed. “Talk to me.”

“It isn’t the Tornadoes’ GM who will be there.”

My forehead crinkles. “Then who?”

“The Lions’ GM.”

“Why would you care if the Lions’ GM is going to be at the game?” He stays quiet, and I jab his pec. “Tell me.”

“I did something.”

“Something,” I repeat .

“Yeah.” He scrubs his hand over his face. “Something.”

“And what did you do?” I prod, caught between my own curiosity and how cute the guy looks when he’s squirming.

“I, uh, I asked Uncle Henry if the Lions would be interested in a new right wing.”

With a frown, I point out, “But you’re signed with the Tornadoes.”

“The Tornadoes are across the country.” Reaching up, he brushes my hair away from the side of my face, pulling it over one shoulder while leaving the opposite side of my neck fully exposed as he stares up at me. He looks…nervous.

Why are you nervous, Griff?

“The Lions are here,” he explains. “With you. And your doctor. And your friends. And your family. And LAU.”

My lips part as I register his words. “A-are you trying to see if you can stay in Lockwood Heights?”

“I know I should’ve talked to you?—”

“Griffin, tell me you’re staying,” I push.

“I’m doing everything I can to?—”

I press my mouth to his, cupping both sides of his face. His scruff tickles my palms while his own hands trail down my spine. His grasp tightens, and he picks me up, forcing me to straddle him. Not that I care. Honestly, my mind is spinning. I can’t believe he talked to Uncle Henry. He’s so big on not riding the coattails of his infamous hockey god of a father, yet he called in a favor? It’s confusing and flattering and…a little unbelievable.

Pulling away from him, I rub my thumb against his bottom lip, trying to keep my emotions—and hope—in check as I hold his soft gaze, memorizing the flecks of navy in his eyes. “You’re really staying?”

“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere, Fin,” he rasps. “There’s only one…problem. ”

“Other than your contract with the Tornadoes?” I offer dryly.

He forces a smile, then sobers. “Everett also asked to be traded.”

“What?” I pull back. “Why?”

“I’m not the only one leaving people I care about in Lockwood Heights, Fin.”

Shit.

He’s right. Everyone Everett and Griffin care about is in this small town. Moving across the country to chase your dreams isn’t easy, and it sure as hell doesn’t come without sacrifices. I guess I always figured they were okay with it, though. The sacrifices. That the pros outweighed the cons, and we’d be nothing but a speck on their radar as they chased their dreams. Their futures. The ones they’ve been building for as long as I can remember. Knowing it isn’t entirely the case is…sobering, I guess.

Chewing on the edge of my thumb, I finally ask, “And what are the odds of Uncle Henry trading for both of you?”

Griffin hesitates. “I’m gonna go with…not great.”

I grimace, hating how I’d already reached the same conclusion. “Well, that’s…inconvenient.”

“You could say that.”

“Maybe I can bribe Uncle Henry with Grandma Taylor’s cookies,” I offer. “Think it would work?”

Running his hand up and down my bare back, he chuckles softly. “Worth a shot. Might wanna wait until I’ve told Ev I’m his competition, though.”

My eyes bulge. “He doesn’t know?”

“Not yet.”

“Does he know you know?”

He shakes his head.

“Well, are you gonna tell him?” I prod, caught between being impressed with the man’s audacity and a little scared for his life because Ev? He’s not someone you want to piss off, and he sure as shit has no problem holding a grudge. Add in my relationship with Griffin, and we’re already treading some pretty tumultuous waters. Now, this? This is…bad.

Griffin’s jaw clenches, and I have zero doubt he’s thinking the same thing.

“Maybe after the game,” he mutters. “Or…after the Lions make a decision. Or…” He scrubs his hand over his face. “I dunno.”

Climbing off him, I rest my back against the headboard. “Pretty sure Everett hasn’t even come to terms with us dating yet. Add in the competitive side of things and the possibility of him losing or disappointing Raine, and he is not going to be happy.”

“He’ll get over it.”

I look down at Griffin, his mussed hair, the worry creases around his eyes. He’s worried. He might act like he isn’t, but he can’t fool me. And he knows Everett all too well.

“Get over it?” I challenge. “We’re talking about my brother, right?”

With a groan, Griffin tosses his forearm over his eyes. “Fuck, don’t remind me.”

Grabbing his wrist, I force his arm back to his side and laugh, hoping to lighten the little dark cloud of chaos surrounding us. “It’ll be fine.”

“You sound so sure,” he mutters.

“One of us has to be, right?” I shift forward and kiss him again in hopes of softening the stubborn divot from moments ago. When I pull away, I realize it hasn’t done shit. Yup, the thing is so deep it’s basically a gulch. Running my thumb along the mark, I murmur, “For now, it’ll be our little secret. Focus on the game. Do your best. And we’ll…play the rest by ear.”

He nods slowly, grabbing my wrist, bringing my fingers to his lips, and kissing them softly. “Yeah. Yeah, it’ll be fine. Add it to the list, right? But first, we have to help your brother and Raine move in.”

My nose scrunches. “Damn. I kind of forgot about that.” With a groan, I collapse onto his chest and snuggle into his warmth. “Or, we could hide away until Reeves has done all the heavy lifting.”

With a laugh, he squeezes me softly. “All right, one more hour, then we gotta get up.”

“So bossy,” I note, letting out a sigh and breathing in his familiar scent.