Make Your Move (Aston Archers Hockey #1)

15. Nova

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

NOVA

N ash and Lincoln got in late last night when I was asleep. My brother called me before their flight left, telling me they’d be home in the middle of the night, that way I didn’t panic if I heard movement downstairs. Thankfully, I heard nothing and slept through them getting home.

Posey sits at the counter in the kitchen, and I set a plate in front of her with cut up pancakes and some fruit. She smiles at me before spearing a piece with her fork. I lean back against the opposite counter, slowly sipping my coffee as I watch her eat.

“Something smells amazing.”

I lift my head in a rush, looking past Posey, over to the doorway that leads to the foyer. Lincoln’s there, leaning against the side of the door with his hands tucked in the front pockets of his gray sweatpants. They’re loose, hanging low on his hips, and he’s not wearing a goddamn shirt.

My heart feels like it forgets how to function properly as it skips around beneath my ribcage. His hair is a tousled mess on top of his head, and his eyes still look tired.

It should be a literal crime to look as good as he does right now.

“Did you want some?” I question him as I lift the mug of coffee to my lips.

He stares at me for a moment with a fire dancing within the depths of his irises. His movements are slow as he pushes away from the doorway and begins to stalk across the kitchen to me. As he passes Posey, he gently rubs her head before making his way to me.

Stopping in front of me, his hands reach for my mug, and he takes it from me as he peers down at me. “Do I want some what, Nova?” His voice is low and husky, thick with sleep.

My mouth is instantly dry, and my brain forgets how to process words for a second. “Food,” I practically whisper, watching him as he takes a sip of my drink and hands it back to me.

“There are a few things I want…” He pauses for a moment, his eyes burning holes through my own. “I’ll settle for some food for now, though,” he says with a wink.

Oh, okay…

I’m left speechless, frozen in place, as he walks over to the stove. The muscles in his back move as he picks up the spatula and places two pancakes on the empty plate beside him. He looks over at me as he walks to the island and sits down next to Poe. They share a smile before the two of them start to eat.

“What time did you get in last night?” I ask him as I recover from whatever the hell that was. It’s better if I pretend he didn’t just say that right now.

Lincoln swallows a mouthful of food. “It was probably close to three.”

Turning my back on him, I grab an empty coffee mug and fill it up. “You’re up early then,” I say as I turn around and set the drink down in front of him. “I thought maybe you’d sleep in later.”

“My body is too used to waking up early,” he admits with a shrug. “Thanks for the breakfast and the coffee.”

“Of course.” I nod, smiling at him, although I can still feel the butterflies fluttering around inside my abdomen. “Did you want some creamer?”

“Yes, please,” he says as he looks at Poe. “How’s my favorite little girl?”

She giggles, blushing as she bats her eyelashes at him. “Good. Mommy got me Winky.”

“She got you Winky?”

Posey nods as she tries to scoot off her chair. Lincoln leans over, lifting her up and setting her down on her feet. “I show you.” She goes running into the living room.

“We were at the store, and there was this stuffed hockey player,” I explain to him as Posey comes running back into the kitchen with her new stuffed toy. She holds it up to Lincoln, showing it to him. “She decided to name him Winky.”

“Winky meet Winky.” She giggles, smiling at Lincoln as he takes the stuffed hockey player and looks at it.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Winky.” Lincoln laughs at the toy, pretending to shake his hand before he hands it back to Poe. “You better take good care of him.”

“I will!” Posey says with so much excitement before she runs over to me and hands me him. I take it from her before I grab her to put her back in her seat.

“You need to finish eating, little miss. Grandpa will be here in a few hours to pick you up.”

Lincoln’s eyebrows pull together. “Where’s she going?”

“My dad wants to take her to some live Bluey show this evening, and she’s just going to spend the night at his house.” He made the plans for them about a month ago, and I know he was really looking forward to taking her.

“Well, that should be fun,” he says with a smile as he looks at Posey. “I hope you have the best time and you get to eat all the sweet treats there.” He looks back at me. “Do you have plans since you won’t have her?”

I shake my head. “Honestly, I planned on cleaning and just relaxing.”

Lincoln stares at me for a moment, the corners of his lips twitching as he nods. “Well, that sounds like a perfect evening.”

“Are you doing anything?”

Lincoln shrugs and directs his attention back to his food. “Not sure yet,” he tells me and shoves another forkful of food into his mouth. “I’ll let you know, though.” As he chews his food, he looks at Posey as she starts to talk to him.

I stare at him wanting to question him on it, but I let it go. It’s not my business what Lincoln does in his free time. We just share a house together and nothing more. He’s free to do what he wants, with whomever he wants to do it with.

But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to be the one he decided to do something with.

It’s later in the afternoon, a few hours after Posey left with my father, that I come out of my room again. After she left, I ended up cleaning my room and hers before taking a nap. I didn’t plan on sleeping this late, but since I have nothing else going on, it’s not that big of a deal.

Although, I do know it will end up affecting my sleep. Whenever this happens, I have a habit of staying up much later than I should, and it messes up my entire sleep schedule.

“Come on, Linc,” I hear my brother talking in the living room as I walk down the stairs into the foyer. “Don’t be such a buzzkill.”

“Just because I’m not going to go doesn’t mean you can’t.”

“Well, obviously,” Nash deadpans. “I’m still going to go anyway, but you should too.”

Following the sounds of their voices, I walk into the living room where they both are. Lincoln is sprawled out on the couch with the remote in his hand as some sports channel plays in the background. Nash is standing right in front of the couch, looking down at Lincoln.

“What’s going on?” I question the two of them as I walk over and sit down on the opposite part of the couch.

Nash lets out a sigh. “Some of the guys are going to go bar hopping for the night, and Mr. Square over here doesn’t feel like going along.”

“Wanting to stay home does not make me a square,” Lincoln interjects as he sits up. “We were on the road for over a week. It’s not illegal for me to want to stay in tonight.”

Nash looks at me for some kind of help. “Are you not going to help me here?”

I shrug and shake my head. “Lincoln has a point, and honestly, it’s up to him. He can do whatever he wants to do.”

“Of course you’re on his side.” Nash rolls his eyes. “No worries, your loss,” he tells Lincoln. “I’ll catch you guys tomorrow.”

“Have fun,” I tell him as he walks over to the door that leads to the foyer. Nash looks back at me and smiles before giving Lincoln a dirty look.

My brother disappears from the living room, and I hear him collecting his things from the foyer. The silence stretches between Lincoln and me. I look at the TV, my eyes staring at the screen without me actually paying attention to anything that is playing. Instead, I’m acutely aware of Lincoln and only him.

The front door opens and quickly closes as Nash leaves the house, leaving Lincoln and me alone.

I can feel his eyes on the side of my face before I look at him. Our gazes collide instantly.

“Well, it looks like it’s just you and me tonight.”

I swallow roughly, nodding, feeling a heat creeping up my neck. I’m not nervous around him, but I swear it’s like my brain and mouth have disconnected from one another. “Looks like it.”

“Let’s do something, Nova,” he says as he turns to face me. His face lights up at the prospect, and the anticipation rolls off him in waves. “What do you want to do?”

“You don’t have plans?”

Lincoln shakes his head at me as a smile dances across his lips. A playfulness dances in his irises, but there’s something else burning within as he stares directly through me.

“I’m all yours tonight.”