I can’t think about that right now, though. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen Serena. Only being on the phone with her is so damn hard. I can’t touch her or wrap her in my arms. I can’t make her scream my name, or feel her nails down my back. It’s just not the same. Surely it has to be bugging her as much as it is me. The next group of passengers are called and they enter the short hallway between the building and the plane. Only a few more sections until they call mine.
I make it a point to be one of the last to board. It gives me a few moments with her before I have to take my seat. It’s funny. Before her, I was always in a rush to get whoever I took home with me out of the door. The sooner they were gone…the better. That’s how I know it’s different with Serena. I want to prolong the time I have with her. I cherish the small moments and drag them out as long as possible.
Finally, I enter the air bridge, mere moments away from seeing her. Dragging my carryon luggage behind me, my steps are slow and measured. The passengers ahead of me pick up their pace, anxious to get decent seats, even though all the “good” ones are most likely taken. I’ve gotten used to taking whatever I can get as long as it means talking to Jo for a little bit longer.
She’s in my sights. Dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail and a warm smile to greet the passengers. I could never do her job. She has to be nice to people or she could get fired. All I have to do is play a good game. Before she has a chance to even say hello, I drop the handle of my suitcase and rush toward her. Pulling her into my arms, I swing her around, and smash my lips against hers. It’s overkill, but I give exactly two shits about that. It’s been too long since I’ve felt her skin against mine.
Catcalls and whistles echo throughout the cabin. She pulls away and hides her face against my chest. “I’m at work, Bentley.” She lifts her head up a bit and her cheeks are bright red. Damn, I didn’t mean to embarrass her. At the same time, I’m staking my claim to her and none of these single assholes better hit on her.
“Sorry,” I whisper against her hair. “Actually, I take that back. I’m not sorry. It’s been too long since I’ve held you in my arms.”
“You’re ridiculous,” she laughs. “Go find a seat before you delay the flight.”
“I’d be okay with that possibility,” I pull her closer to me.
“Yeah,” she snorts. “Until they take your ass off the flight. Then you wouldn’t get to see me at all.”
“You have a point.” I grab my suitcase and start down the aisle. “But be prepared to head straight to the hotel when we land.” An older lady sitting close to us gasps in shock. Please, like she didn’t also act like this with the person she loved.
Serena doesn’t respond. She stares at me and points toward one of the empty seats. I wonder if this means she won’t give me a drink and snack once we take off. That kiss was totally worth getting put on the naughty list.
So much for heading straight to the hotel room. Coach called a meeting and we’ve been sitting here for over an hour. I’m not sure how many more times he thinks we can go over the plays. It’s all going to come down to executing them, and even that depends on how good the other team is. It could honestly go either way.
“Hey,” Ross leans toward me. “What are you doing after this? Want to go grab a drink?”
“Nah, I’m taking Rena to dinner. She’s waiting for me in the room.” I try to tune out Coach, but he keeps talking louder and louder. As if that’s going to do anything. We’re as ready for this game as we’re going to be.
“Yeah, dinner,” he winks at me. “I guess that’s what you’re calling it these days.”
“Jackass,” I mutter under my breath. “We’re actually going to dinner.”
“Guys,” Coach’s voice booms between us. Shit, I didn’t even realize he moved. “Are y’all done gossiping?”
“Sure. Are we done with this meeting?” Ross fires back. That’s something I would never in my wildest dreams do. Coach is an authority figure and deserves our respect. Not to mention I’m still the new guy. If I did that shit, I’d be benched for a week.
Coach shakes his head, exasperated, and points to the door. “Y’all get out of here. Go have fun,” he pauses and stares at a few of the players. “But not too much fun. We still have a game to win tomorrow.”
The entire team races toward the door. Ross is hot on my heels. “Have fun on your date.” He does air quotes on the last word. And while I know there will be other activities going on tonight, I am going to take her out. She’s not just a piece of ass to me. She’s so much more, and I hope she understands that.
“Whatever, man,” I wave him away. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
All the other guys are clamoring to leave the hotel and I’m trying to make it to the elevators. Once we were checked in, I sent Serena to the room so she could relax. It’s the least I could do after she’s been on her feet for who knows how long. And even though she seemed to act like everything was fine between us, I can’t help feeling like something’s different. I just hope she isn’t still upset about the photos on that magazine. My past no longer matters. Not now that she’s in my life.
The elevator takes ridiculously long to ascend. If I didn’t know the hotel was on the newer side, I’d wonder if this thing has ever had any work done to it. Finally, the doors slide open and I hurry out of the rickety box.
I knock on the door before I wave the keycard in front of the door. I don’t want to freak her out by just barging in. “Hey, Rena,” I call into the almost dark room. She hasn’t said anything about the nickname, or me saying it. Fingers crossed it means I have her approval.
She’s not in the sitting area. I walk through the short hallway and see her lying on the bed, a book in one hand and her phone in the other. Her eyebrows are drawn down, and she’s staring at the phone. Not the book. What could have gone down while I was in the meeting? Hopefully that reporter isn’t doing anything else to cause problems. “Serena.”
She jumps at the sound of my voice. “Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.” She swipes the screen of her phone, and then locks it. That’s odd. “How did the meeting go?”
“Boring,” I shrug. “It’s nothing we didn’t already know. He’s just being making sure we’re studying the other team. As if we all aren’t watching old games to familiarize ourselves with them.”
“That sounds like a waste of time.” She sets the book down and comes to stand next to me. A small grin on her face, even though it seems strained to me. She’s just tired. That’s all. “Is there anything in particular I need to wear for dinner?”
“Nope,” I pull her into me. “I didn’t want to go somewhere fancy. You’ve got to be exhausted and I’ll need to get back early.”
“What time is the game tomorrow?”
