minutes later, he was in the kitchen, making coffee and toast while gnawing on an apple, the early-morning sun shimmering through the windows.
Cannon cracked a couple of eggs in the pan, letting them sizzle and fry along with some bacon while he prepared the coffee, waiting for Kimberley to make another appearance. There was no practice that day to give the guys some time to rest up, because their next game was in a couple of days against the Timberwolves.
As much as they’d wiped the floor with the Grizzlies, mostly thanks to their rather unique home court advantage, Cannon knew that the Timberwolves would hear about their antics and come prepared. He was sort of wishing he could see the way the Seattle team was training right now, because he was damn sure their coach was dragging them on some godforsaken lake just like Coach Wiley had.
But his musings were cut short quickly as Kimmy pattered into the room, still barefoot and a little bit tousled from their long night and the “unfortunate” news she’d received. He couldn’t be surprised about her reluctance to stay. He hadn’t done anything aside from fuck her brains out to show her that he was any better than he used to be, and the sex had never been the problem.
He pushed one of the cups of coffee her way, black just the way she drank it, and took a sip of his own. She accepted it gratefully and sunk down behind the counter, long legs dangling around the bar stool. As usual, he had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her and it still amazed him that she was there at all, that she’d come. And that she’d stayed.
“Your eggs are burning, lover boy,” Kimberley finally said with a smirk, making Cannon snap out of his self-imposed daydreaming.
“Shit,” he hissed, taking the pan off the heat and scooping the eggs and bacon onto two plates.
It wasn’t too bad, just a little crispy. But that’s how he preferred his bacon anyway. He took his plate and went to sit at the other side of the counter as well, hopping up on a seat next to her and grabbing her chair with one hand, yanking it closer to him.
“Wouldn’t want you to get lost in my big house. Better keep you close,” he remarked lightly, avoiding her gaze as he speared some eggs and bacon on his fork and dug in.
She snorted next to him, but he could feel the smile on her lips as she started eating as well. The air was a bit tense, true, because now they didn’t have hurried kisses to fill the silences or the excuse of groping one another when talking was too hard. And it was still far too fucking difficult.
Cannon gave Kimberley a sideways glance, feeling inexplicably silly around her. He was a grown-ass man, one of the best playmakers in the league, lauded and desired for a hell of a lot more than just the way he looked. And yet this sharp, beautiful woman could reduce him to a stuttering mess with the tiniest look. He knew exactly why that was.
A bear always melted in front of his mate, after all. And that was what she was, even if she didn’t believe it anymore.
You fucked up big time, he reminded himself, his mood souring slightly.
The events that had taken place between them all those years ago still hung over his head like an axe. As far as the tabloids knew, he’d had plenty of women since that, but that wasn’t the whole truth. Cannon had been doing anything to fill the void that Kimberley had left. One that seemed to be growing bigger with every day, until winning, succeeding, and being the best at everything else in his life wasn’t enough anymore.
He’d promised her he’d keep away, so he wouldn’t hurt her again. But here he was, practically wrestling her into giving him another chance. Or, well, stumbling through an attempt at getting her to consider it. But just getting her there wouldn’t be good enough, this much he knew. He’d actually have to be able to talk about it.
Every time he looked at her though, his words seemed to shrivel up in his throat and clutch at
Cannon cracked a couple of eggs in the pan, letting them sizzle and fry along with some bacon while he prepared the coffee, waiting for Kimberley to make another appearance. There was no practice that day to give the guys some time to rest up, because their next game was in a couple of days against the Timberwolves.
As much as they’d wiped the floor with the Grizzlies, mostly thanks to their rather unique home court advantage, Cannon knew that the Timberwolves would hear about their antics and come prepared. He was sort of wishing he could see the way the Seattle team was training right now, because he was damn sure their coach was dragging them on some godforsaken lake just like Coach Wiley had.
But his musings were cut short quickly as Kimmy pattered into the room, still barefoot and a little bit tousled from their long night and the “unfortunate” news she’d received. He couldn’t be surprised about her reluctance to stay. He hadn’t done anything aside from fuck her brains out to show her that he was any better than he used to be, and the sex had never been the problem.
He pushed one of the cups of coffee her way, black just the way she drank it, and took a sip of his own. She accepted it gratefully and sunk down behind the counter, long legs dangling around the bar stool. As usual, he had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her and it still amazed him that she was there at all, that she’d come. And that she’d stayed.
“Your eggs are burning, lover boy,” Kimberley finally said with a smirk, making Cannon snap out of his self-imposed daydreaming.
“Shit,” he hissed, taking the pan off the heat and scooping the eggs and bacon onto two plates.
It wasn’t too bad, just a little crispy. But that’s how he preferred his bacon anyway. He took his plate and went to sit at the other side of the counter as well, hopping up on a seat next to her and grabbing her chair with one hand, yanking it closer to him.
“Wouldn’t want you to get lost in my big house. Better keep you close,” he remarked lightly, avoiding her gaze as he speared some eggs and bacon on his fork and dug in.
She snorted next to him, but he could feel the smile on her lips as she started eating as well. The air was a bit tense, true, because now they didn’t have hurried kisses to fill the silences or the excuse of groping one another when talking was too hard. And it was still far too fucking difficult.
Cannon gave Kimberley a sideways glance, feeling inexplicably silly around her. He was a grown-ass man, one of the best playmakers in the league, lauded and desired for a hell of a lot more than just the way he looked. And yet this sharp, beautiful woman could reduce him to a stuttering mess with the tiniest look. He knew exactly why that was.
A bear always melted in front of his mate, after all. And that was what she was, even if she didn’t believe it anymore.
You fucked up big time, he reminded himself, his mood souring slightly.
The events that had taken place between them all those years ago still hung over his head like an axe. As far as the tabloids knew, he’d had plenty of women since that, but that wasn’t the whole truth. Cannon had been doing anything to fill the void that Kimberley had left. One that seemed to be growing bigger with every day, until winning, succeeding, and being the best at everything else in his life wasn’t enough anymore.
He’d promised her he’d keep away, so he wouldn’t hurt her again. But here he was, practically wrestling her into giving him another chance. Or, well, stumbling through an attempt at getting her to consider it. But just getting her there wouldn’t be good enough, this much he knew. He’d actually have to be able to talk about it.
Every time he looked at her though, his words seemed to shrivel up in his throat and clutch at