“I couldn’t manage like I do without my family, though. They watch her when I’m on the road. They help me get her to special classes while I’m at practice. They come to my place and tuck her into bed for my home games. I cover the mornings and get her to school, and we spend most weekends together, depending on my schedule.”
“Gabe said something about your contract coming to an end? What’s going to happen then?”
“Yeah.” He sighed the word, heavy with stress. “This is the last year in my contract with the Rough Riders. I’m at a mid-level age and have a lot of good years left. But the better I play this year, the better my options for the coming years will be. And what I really want is an eight-year contract with the Rough Riders. If I can’t get that, I’d take one with the Capitals, because my priority is to stay here so Lily can stay close to our family.”
“What if you don’t get that?”
He sucked air between his teeth and shook his head. “I can’t think like that right now. I’m livin’ like I’m going to keep doin’ what I’m doin’ until I’m not doin’ it anymore.”
He took a few turns on streets in an upscale neighborhood with large houses on spacious, thickly treed lots, then finally started up a long driveway. “Here we are.”
The house at the end of the drive, nestled into a gentle hill, was the stuff Architectural Digest covers were made of. Multiple levels, lots of glass, a curved main stairway, and double, heavily carved, wooden entry doors reminded Eden of the homes she used to breeze in and out of without noticing all the gorgeous details. Exterior lights, landscaping, and stone pavers created an elegant yet calming welcome.
Eden must have missed something somewhere. A house like this here cost at least a million if not more. “This is the house you bought for them?”
“Mmm-hmm. Wait till you see the back porch. Amazing view of the Potomac. I could sit out there all day.”
He came to a stop in front of the triple garage.
“Didn’t you say you used your first professional paycheck for this?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t making as much then, but the signing bonus helped.”
She pried her gaze off the house and looked at Beckett with her mouth open but thoughts jumbling. “Hockey players must make a hell of a lot more than I realized.”
He met her gaze with a look she couldn’t read. A little amused. A little questioning. Maybe a little sarcastic? “You don’t know how much I make?”
She frowned. “How would I know that?”
“It’s public. All you have to do is google my name and NHL contract and you’ll have as many details about my hockey contract as I do.”
“That’s stupid. Why is it public? It’s no one else’s business.”
His mouth kicked up in the cutest lopsided smile she’d ever seen. He laughed and leaned over the console, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. His were warm and gentle and felt so good on hers. She wanted to sink in and stay there. When he pulled back, he met her eyes and murmured, “Have I mentioned how crazy I am about you?”
Eden’s heart twisted. Emotions and logic tangled. And she groaned.
Beckett’s grin sparkled in the darkness. “You’re crazy about me too.” He kissed her again. “Come on,” he cajoled in that low sexy voice that made heat burn between her legs. “Admit it.”
“Pffft.”
He kissed her again, cupping her head in that way that made her feel precious. Opening his mouth over hers and pressing hers open. Sliding his tongue inside and stroking hers until she sighed out a moan and leaned into him.
“Mmm.” He pulled out of the kiss slowly, leaving Eden a little dizzy and a lot hungry. “Let’s get inside before I change my mind about this visit and take you back home.”
He turned and got out of the car, leaving Eden with a fresh batch of what-the-hell-am-I-doing nerves bubbling to the surface. This was a futile effort. She didn’t want serious. She didn’t want attachments or commitments. She certainly didn’t want a freaking family.
A flutter of panic attacked her stomach as he opened her door.
When she turned toward him, he stroked a hand down her arm. “Hey, relax. Really, this doesn’t have to be a big deal. How many places have you walked into, interacted with people, and walked out? Hundreds? Thousands?”
“Not thousands.” She breathed deep and forced a smile. “But you’re right. I’m fine.”
On the walk to the door, he curled his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Be forewarned, it will be noisy and chaotic. My mother will try to feed you, and my father will try to ply you with alcohol.”
She was smiling when she walked up the elegant curved front steps. Before they reached the front door, a squeal eked out from somewhere inside, followed by a chorus of giggles.
Beckett grinned at her. “Told ya.”