Page 154 of Rookie Attraction

“No need to ask.”

We seal the morning with a deep, drugging kiss. Finn’s right: with us, it gets better every time. When I slowly pull back, however, I notice he’s still got dark shadows under his eyes.

“More of that when you’re feeling better,” I promise with one last kiss. “It’s off to bed for you. For sleep.”

“Sel, you freaking tease.”

“Right back at you.” I stand up and there’s no missing my erection. “Now stop flirting with me, I need to get ready for practice.”

Finn nods and I move to help him stand up. Despite the side eye he’s giving me, he holds tight to my arm as I steer him back to the bedroom to get settled. Once he’s sitting with the pillows propping him up, I lean over and kiss his temple.

“Sleep now.”

Finn makes a sharp inhale, looking up at me with widened eyes and a shocked expression that has my gut twisting tight.

“Oh my fucking god,” he whispers.

“What is it?” I ask, worried. “It is your shoulder?”

“Oh no. Oh no.” He slaps his right hand over his face. “Holy shit, holy shit.”

I sit down beside him, my body ice cold. Is he having a delayed freakout about the “boyfriend” thing? Was that too soon? Is this the moment he wants out and never comes back?

“What, sweetheart? What’s wrong?”

“I told you,” he mumbles.

I gently lift his hand away. He’s blushing so hard that it’s spread to his ears, which are redder than his hair, but it’s the expression in his eyes that I can’t quite read.

“Told me what?”

“Last night, while I was lying here, I didn’t fall asleep right away. I was talking to you, and I⁠—”

My gut clenches tight with hope.

“I can’t believe it. I was half asleep when I said ‘I love you’ for the first time, and I didn’t remember when I woke up. Not until now,” he confesses. “Sel, I’m so, so sorry. Fuck, only me.”

“Yes,” I chuckle. “Only you, Finn.”

I smile and cup his face, rubbing my thumb over his soft lips.

“Say it again, sweetheart,” I urge. “Because guess what? I love you too.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

FINN

I’m not half asleep this time, and the pain pill hasn’t kicked in yet, so I know what I heard.

Sel loves me, he loves me… he loves me!

“I’m so—” I pause, my voice cracking. “In love with you.”

I scramble to sit up, and he levers me into his lap, mindful as always of my shoulder, holding me with gentle strength.

“But I hate that I can’t hug you properly with this bum arm,” I add.

“I’ll take you any way I can get you.”