The Billionaire Jock's Game of Love (Taylor and Aiden) novel Chapter 126

Taylor POV

Sunlight doesn’t creep into the room. It arrives. A slow, golden tide that spills across the floorboards, climbs the edge of the bed, and finally lands warm and heavy on my closed eyelids.

For the first few seconds, I don’t open them. I just breathe.

In. Out.

The air was different. Not just sheets and dust. It was him. Cedar, clean sweat, something warm and essential that had seeped into the very fabric of the morning.

Aiden’s arm was a solid weight around my waist, his chest a steady wall against my back. I could feel the deep, rhythmic tide of his breathing. For the first time in memory, my mind was silent. The usual static of worries- Ruby, money, the next shift–was buried under the warmth of his skin and the memory of his hands, his voice, the world shattering between us.

We crossed the line.

The thought was a fact. Solid. Real.

I shifted. His face in sleep was softened, the guarded lines of his jaw relaxed. He looked younger. Softer. A swell of something too tender rose in my chest.

This was happiness. This terrifying, quiet thing.

Then, the shadow.

Ruby.

The memory of her face in the doorway–the hurt, the malice–cut through the warmth. She’d set a trap. Where was she now? How did I face her?

And the kids… did they hear? My cheeks heated.

The warmth of his body became both an anchor and a weight.

Aiden stirred. A low, sleep–rough sound vibrated against my back. His arm tightened, pulling me closer. His nose brushed my neck. “Morning,” he murmured, gravel in his voice.

“Morning,” I whispered. It shook.

He pressed a soft kiss to my shoulder. “You’re thinking too loud.”

A surprised laugh escaped me. “Can’t help it.“.

“I know.” Aiden sighed, warm against my skin. “Me too.”

We lay there, tangled in silence and sunlight. The peace was fragile now, threaded with sharp wires.

Eventually, we untangled. The cool air hit my skin where his warmth had been–a shock. We moved around the room, collecting clothes with averted eyes and soft, self–conscious smiles. This quiet aftermath felt more intimate than anything before.

Downstairs, the house held its breath. We moved into the kitchen on tiptoes.

We both stopped. Smiled—small, shaky things.

“Good,” Aiden finished, voice softer. “It was… really good, Taylor.”

Heat flooded my face. “It was.”

Aiden cleared his throat, the business–like tone creeping back, layered over something tentative. “We need to talk about today. About what’s out there.”

The bubble popped. Reality, cold and sharp.

“The livestream helped,” Aiden continued, gaze steady. “A lot. But Dylan’s not done. He’s desperate.”

“I know.” I thought of Ruby’s face, the lingerie on the floor.

Aiden’s jaw tightened. “I don’t want you going into the training facility today.”

The statement landed like a stone. I blinked. “What?”

“Just for a few days. Until we see his next move. Let things cool down.” Aiden’s tone was calm. Reasonable. A risk assessment.

A cold trickle started in my stomach. “Aiden, I have appointments. I have work.”