Gloves Off: a marriage of convenience hockey romance (Vancouver Storm Book 4)

“Are you warm enough?” I ask on Christmas morning as we walk through the snow-covered forest. She couldn’t find her gloves so I have her hand tucked in my pocket.

She nods, giving me a small smile. “I’m fine.”

“Your nose is red.”

Her mouth curves, pretty and distracting. My phone rings, and I fish it out of my pocket. “It’s the team’s immigration lawyer.”

Her eyes go wide. “Answer it.”

I put the phone on speaker. “Hello?”

“Sorry to call on Christmas,” the lawyer says, “but it’s important.”

I look to Georgia like a lifeline. “Is there another problem with the paperwork?”

Georgia presses her hands over her mouth, eyes wide and worried.

“No,” the lawyer laughs. “It’s approved.”

Georgia and I stare at each other in silence. I’m trying not to jump to conclusions.

“Your citizenship has been approved,” the lawyer repeats.

“And my parents’?” I’m holding my breath.

“And your parents’,” she confirms.

Relief crashes through me. Georgia lets out a muffled yelp of excitement, jumping up and down in the snow, and I wrap an arm around her, tucking her against my chest. The lawyer talks me through the last of the process before we wish each other happy holidays and hang up. Georgia throws her arms around my neck.

“Call your parents,” she urges. “Call them right now.”

My chest squeezes with affection for her, and when we tell my parents the good news, her eyes well up.

“You okay?” I ask after we hang up, and she nods.

“Just happy for you all. And relieved you get to stay.”

“Same.” I sigh, taking her hand as we start to walk back to the house. “Finally, this nightmare is over.”

At my side, her smile falters.

A frown snaps onto my face. “I didn’t mean you.”

I love her, but I can’t tell her, because she’ll panic, but fucking hell, I don’t like keeping it from her.

She blinks, looking stricken like she just realized something. “Now that I have my inheritance and you have your citizenship, there’s no reason to stay married.”noveldrama

Like touching a hot stove, my whole body reacts with repulsion to the idea of ending this. Is she ready to hear how I feel, though? One glance at her face tells me no. I like her, I’d said, and she was practically climbing the walls to avoid looking at me.

She’s chewing her bottom lip. I wish I could wipe away the panic in her eyes.

“We should keep this going,” she rushes out, darting a glance up at me. “It would look weird if we separated right away.”

She feels the same way. I don’t know if she loves me, but she feels something, and she isn’t ready for this to be over, either.

She’s terrified, though.

“And the bunnies just got settled,” I add, watching her pretty eyes.

“Yeah.” She nods. “It would be irresponsible to uproot them again so quickly.”

“How about another six months with me, Hellfire? Until the end of the season. Think you can manage that?”

She starts to smile, soft and lovely. “I can manage.”

We walk back to the house, our boots crunching in the snow, and I’m flooded with resolve.

I’m going to do everything I can to make this woman fall in love with me like I have with her.