“I’m your mother’s friend, Max,” he says, extending his hand to mine.
“Nils.” I shake his hand. “I don’t understand. Why is she here in Chicago?”
“She had this crazy idea of spending Christmas with you. She chickened out and didn’t contact you. We ate dinner in our hotel room, since everything was closed. Then we decided to take a walk. We were crossing the street when a guy came out of nowhere and ran her over. I thought she saw him coming fast around the corner or else I would have hung on to her. It just all happened so fast, you know. One minute we’re talking; the next I’m dialing nine-one-one,” the man explains.
Hearing Mother had come here to see me for Christmas tugs at something in my heart. I think back to the talk I had with Sierra months ago about getting in touch with Mom. How sorry she feels for having left me. I know people make mistakes. I have a list of my own to deal with.
Sierra’s hand rests on my shoulder, giving me comfort.
“I’m going to go ask the nurse when they are expecting the neurosurgeon,” she says against my ear. I’m so happy she’s here.
“Thank you,” I say, feeling a responsibility for my mother I haven’t felt in a long time. As a kid, I had wanted to protect her from my demon father, and then my anger over her leaving me ruled my life.
“P-please forgive me,” Mom says.
The guy—Max—stands beside me. “She told me all about you. I know what happened back in Sweden. She feels terrible for leaving you. She found herself leaving one abusive relationship only to get involved with a man who wanted to control her every move,” he explains. “She wanted to come here to explain to you that she’s sorry. That she misses you terribly,” Max says. He seems like a genuinely nice man but Mom clearly didn’t tell him that she chose someone else’s daughter over her own son. Or that she never tried to contact me at all. Not even on my birthday.
“P-p-please,” my mom mutters.
My head falls between my shoulders as a tear slips down my cheek. I don’t remember the last time I shed a tear, but I must have been a very small boy.
“S-so many mistakes. S-sorry. So s-sorry,” Mother murmurs. Her words hurt. They don’t feel therapeutic. What happens if she dies right now?
I lift my head and take her fragile hand in mine. “I forgive you.”
Thirty-Three
Sierra
After giving me a rundown on Maria’s prognosis, the nurse says, “They are prepping the OR now. Doctor Strauss is one of the best in Illinois. She’ll be in good hands.”
“Thank you.” I sigh.
I head back into the room and call Nils outside.
He walks my way and swipes at a tear. When we are on the other side of her hospital room door, I update him. “He’s the best, Nils. They don’t know if there will be lasting damage, but this doctor is the best. They feel very hopeful,” I say.
He doesn’t say a word when he leans down and wraps me in the tightest hug. “I’ve missed you so damn much,” he says.
The confession sucks the air out of my lungs.
I don’t say anything. I just hold him tight.
“I don’t want her to die,” he croaks.
“I know,” I say, and my tears begin to flow again. “She has a good chance of survival. Let’s pray she makes it.”
The nurses arrive. Nils and I break apart.
“We’re going to take her now,” a female nurse says.
We watch Maria being wheeled off. They direct us to a waiting room. We take a seat. Max says he’s going to get coffee.
Nils and I sit side by side. He doesn’t breathe a word, but he holds my hand tight, and I pray that Maria makes it through because my wish tonight for Nils is to have his mother back.
Thirty-Four
Nils
“She’s going to be alright,” I tell Sierra, lifting her up in my arms and swinging her in a circle. “The doctor said she has a long road to recovery. She will have to do physical therapy and work with an occupational therapist. They don’t know what her mobility and speech will be like, but there isn’t any brain damage.”
“That is such good news,” Sierra says, sounding cheerful.
I place her back down on her feet. It’s close to six in the morning. We spent the night on a hospital chair, and the doctor delivered the news to me while Sierra remained fast asleep beside me.
I set her down. “I would have never made it through last night without you here by my side.”
“Don’t be silly. You would have been just fine. You always are,” she says.
“Let me rephrase.” I press a finger to my lips and think of better words to express what I want to say. “I want you by my side always, Sierra. I’m so in love with you. I’m sorry for being slow and taking so much time to realize what was in front of me all along.”
Her jaw drops. Her glasses aren’t on straight, and I level them on her face. “There. That’s better.”
“Can you go back? I don’t think I heard you right,” she says.
I throw my head back and laugh. “You’re adorable. I said I love you. I think I always have. I just didn’t understand what all my feelings meant. I want to be with you forever. I don’t want anyone else to have you. Damn, when I thought of that guy from last night putting his hands on you, it made me crazy. You’re lucky I didn’t punch him out.”
“Klause and I are just friends. He never had hands on me, and you know you can’t just punch people out,” she says, lifting her finger like she’s admonishing me.
“I’ve been through anger management. See? It’s working. I didn’t punch him out. Thoughts don’t count,” I say.
“So you love me, huh?” she asks playfully.
“With all my heart,” I say, leaning into her. I pause before our lips touch, and she pouts. “It would be nice if you said it back,” I say, lifting my right brow.
“I love you, Nils. I think I fell in love with you back in Minnesota, then I fell in love with you all over again in Chicago,” she says.
“I know I was an idiot. Mata said your vagina was singular and I didn’t believe her,” I say.
Her hazel eyes turn so round they look like they are going to bug out of her head. “She said what?” she screeches as her cheeks flame red.
“The night of Oli and Sloane’s wedding. When you went into the bathroom, Mata told me I need to take care of your vagina because it only wants me.” I chuckle. “I told you that she said you were willing and pliant. I just didn’t tell you what she said before that. The woman has some good intuition.”
“You . . . you . . .” She smacks my chest playfully.
“Aw, come on, beautiful. Don’t be embarrassed. I like that you are mine. That I am the only one who can get you all hot and bothered,” I whisper against her ear. When I look down to check out her nipples, which are pressed against me, they are sharp points. “I can’t wait to get you in bed. I love you.”
I kiss her hard, sucking the air from her lungs because she is the air I breathe.
My life, my heart, my everything.
“I love you too, Nils. So, so much.”
Epilogue
As I cut up fruit and set it on our kitchen table, I hum the song from our wedding. Even though it was a year ago, the memories are fresh in my mind. Sauntering over to the pantry, I grab the granola and make my way over to our fridge. I take the yogurt out and set it on the table.
Nils is upstairs getting ready. I hear footsteps, which means he’s out of the shower. I fry up some eggs and turkey bacon. After our sex marathon last night, I’m starved, and I’m sure Nils is, too.
With a full spread on the table, I start the coffee machine just as my husband walks into the kitchen. His hair is wet, and he’s wearing a pair of lounge pants low on his waist.
I grab two cups from the cabinet and pour the coffee.
He wraps his arms around me from behind and peppers slow kisses down my neck. “Hmm, you taste good. I’m hungry as hell.”
I spin around to face him, and I’m met wi
th his hard cock pressed against my belly. “Really?” I look down to his swollen member. “We just finished making love.” I giggle.
“Knowing I’m going out of town and leaving you makes me want to have as much sex as possible,” he says.
“Let’s eat first. I don’t want our food getting cold.” I pat his chest and he groans.
“Okay, beautiful.” He walks over to our kitchen table and takes the seat beside mine.
We bought a piece of property outside the city when we first got together. I was the primary architect, and Nils and I went through exactly what our dream home would be. It isn’t as large as some of the homes on our street, but it exudes the warmth we wanted to feel inside it with wood trims, large expansive windows, and an open-concept layout. It’s good the neighbors are far away because we’ve made love against almost every window in this house.
“How long will you be gone for?” I ask.
“Four days,” he groans. “I wish you could come with me.” He frowns. Sometimes on weekends I am able to get away and watch him play in other cities.
“We have a big project. I told you. It’s the first of its kind in Chicago. It’s important to me,” I say.
When I finished my degree, I landed a job in a prestigious architectural firm. We will be designing the first eco-friendly low-rise building in Illinois. A technology firm commissioned the project, and they want to set a new standard in the industry for reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. It’s truly very exciting.
“I’m excited for you,” he says, giving me a warm smile.
“Thank you.”
We both devour our food and drink our coffee. It’s these normal life situations with him that I crave. It isn’t about him making me feel wanted either because I know in his eyes, I am beautiful and that’s all I need, but this sense of belonging and family has me feeling at peace.
I end up on his lap. My arms wrap around his neck and our lips brush in soft strokes against one another. His tongue slides against mine, and that wave of heat that always sucks me under when we touch flows over me like a tsunami. I twist myself a little so that I can sit on his lap, facing him, my legs dangling either side of his waist. His swollen cock pulses against me. I’m wearing a nighty with no panties. My wetness rubs against the fabric of his pants.
“Nils,” I moan.
“What do you want, beautiful?” he asks, his tone gruff and raspy.
“You, inside me.” I whimper, rubbing myself unabashedly against him.
He removes his hands from my waist, and I stand to give him leverage to remove his pants. With his cock free, he slides inside me. I rock against him. He hisses and groans, his carnal pleasure evident on every part of his face. He thrusts his hips into me, and my need grows. The orgasm I want so badly is threatening to take over, and I shut my eyes as my head falls back.
“Yesss, baby. Ride me,” he says.
I shudder, my body exploding with sparks of heat and lust, as I ride out every wave of bliss. Nils’s body contracts, and his hot cum pours inside me, making everything feel so much more intense. When we’ve completely ridden out the last of the shockwaves of our orgasm, I fall limp, resting my head on his shoulder.
“Kick ass this week,” I say, pressing a kiss to his neck. Goose bumps pebble on his skin.
“You know I will,” he says. As much as he pouts about leaving me, he’s been at the top of his game, which is good, because the Blackhawks just extended his contract. It was a relief because Oli, Sloane, Flynn, Myles, Dave and Kelsey aren’t far away, and they are our family.
Nils’s mom went back to New York after she spent months in physical therapy here in Illinois. She will have a limp for the rest of her life, but we are grateful she made it through because it gave her and Nils a chance to grow closer.
I speak to my dad about once a month. He is who he is. Nothing is going to change that. I’ve learned that you can’t teach a person how to love or how to care. At the end of the day, they are who they are. For me, it’s been more about acceptance and letting go, not holding a grudge for his past behaviors.
Nils and I get cleaned up after remaining stuck together on the kitchen chair for far too long. I hope this month I will become pregnant. We’ve been trying for six months now, with no luck. We went to a fertility clinic to get tested, but the results showed that we are both able to make a baby, which means we just need to be patient. We have all the time in the world. At times, I stress about not getting pregnant, but I try to follow the doctor’s advice and tell myself it will happen when it’s meant to be. For now, I have what I need.
My crazy life brought me to this moment, to this man, and he is my everything.
Stay tuned for Kierran and Matt’s story coming 2020.
Flip the page to read an excerpt from The Truth About Us: A Brother’s Best Friend Romance!
THE TRUTH ABOUT US: A BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND ROMANCE
SYNOPSIS
She was my best friend’s little sister—forbidden.
Jolie Campbell was my solace in a dark life. Jolie was my first love, my first kiss. She was a soothing balm, loving me, keeping me from sinking in a ship of life that experienced storms daily. I promised her forever but I should’ve known better.
I made mistakes and ruined everything. Jolie is my favorite memory and my biggest regret. My need for her hasn’t faded even after all these years. She loved me for who I am. There was never a choice about moving on. I’ll always be alone. It’s what I deserve after leaving her the way I did.
Until fate hands me a second chance. A funeral brings me home to a place I swore I would never return. My memories and mistakes come crashing down on me before the plane even lands. I want to keep my distance from Jolie but my old feelings return like a tidal wave sucking me under while breathing life back into me. I tell myself to keep my distance from her. That no good could come of us, but she’s too hard to resist and I want my second chance with the only girl I ever loved. Too bad fate has other plans. . .
FLIP THE PAGE TO READ AN EXCERPT!
Excerpt from The Truth About Us
Christmas
Ten years ago
Two days till Christmas and I wait anxiously by the window. When will he be here?
I stand up and sit back down. Excitement courses through me. It makes my heart beat fast. As I stare out the window small flakes fall ever so slowly. It’s so pretty, adding a magical essence to this time of year.
The gloomy wintery day isn’t a downer at all because Griff is home visiting from College in Florida. We will be able to sneak time alone together. That is, if my family stays out of the house. If my brother Logan ever caught on to what was going on between Griff and me, he would lose it. Griff has been his best friend since kindergarten. And if Daddy ever found out, all hell would break loose, but we are careful . . .
I text Griff. Everyone left more than an hour ago. This is quality alone time for us.
When are you coming? Dad is out of town.
Griff was my first kiss junior year of high school. He was a senior. That kiss locked our
fate. Since then, I’ve only wanted to kiss him.
Not a good idea. I see your brother all the time. He’s my roommate. We need space from each other. I can’t just come over and hang with you. Even though I can’t wait to kiss you.
Grr.
Logan isn’t home and neither are Jenn and Mom. Everyone is out for the day.
Now that changes everything. See you soon!
Yesss!
I squeal. I’ve crushed on him since I was young. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would fall for me, the simple sister. Jenn is beautiful. A human version of a Barbie doll with blond hair and blue eyes. I am simple with my chocolate-brown hair, green eyes, and naturally tanned skin. We barely look like siblings, but that’s because Logan and Jenn look more like Dad with his Scottish background, and I look more like Mama with her Italian heritage.
I jolt from a knock on the door and stand quickly from my
seat. As I bolt toward the door, my smile spreads across my cheeks. Excitement gets my blood pumping hard and it feels like I’m going downhill on a roller coaster, my breaths coming fast and my heart beating rapidly.
OMG. He’s finally here. I haven’t seen him since he left for college with Logan at the end of August.
I fling the door open and gasp as Griff stands tall and handsome in the doorway. His aquamarine eyes sparkle. His lips tug up at the corners.
“Jojo,” he says breathlessly, taking a step inside.
“No one’s home,” I assure him, taking him by the hand and pulling him over the threshold. My family isn’t expected back until tonight.
He’s shivering. “C-Close that door so I can get my lips on you,” he says, his voice horse. Boston is experiencing an abnormally cold winter and Griff doesn’t own a car.
“You’re ice.” I wince.
“So warm me up.” He sticks his hands under my shirt, resting them on my hips. They are so cold, I squirm out of his reach.
“Hey, get back here.” He laughs. “I want to kiss you so bad.”
I can’t resist snaking my arms around his neck. Our lips touch and a familiar heat sparks inside me, spreading like wildfire through my body. His cool hands run up and down my back but I no longer care. I want to kiss him into tomorrow. Kissing Griff is the best drug. It’s been so long.
He breaks the kiss and gazes around with anxious eyes. “Where’s your dad?” He is always paranoid when we hook up at my house, but we don’t have many options for privacy.
“Out of town, I told you, and Logan is out with some friends. Said he wouldn’t be back until much later.”
“Yeah, he texted me earlier. Some of the guys from the team were getting together,” he explains.
“Didn’t you want to go see them?” I ask, knowing better. I just want to hear him say the words.
Dirty Swedish Player: A Big Stick Novel Page 20