She paused for all of three seconds before she walked over and pulled out the bright-pink flyer I’d stuffed into her backpack earlier. She smacked it against his chest. “This.”
Atlas grabbed the paper, quickly scanning the details. Then, without hesitation, he nodded. “If your mom says you can go on the trip, done.”
I couldn’t stop the surprise from showing at his immediate agreement, despite the fact that the deal on rent and this trip for Laurel were going to cost more than my firstfourcars. At least.
I had a feeling this was going to be a very,verybad idea. I was already intimately aware of just how charged things were between Atlas and me—and I wasn’t even talking about when we were naked. It hummed in the space between us even now.
The last thing I needed was to suddenly be his girlfriend and have to spend more time in his presence.
But I could handle myself. I couldcontrolmyself. Especially when, on the other side of this, my daughter would get something she desperately wanted.
“Can you give us a minute, Lolo? We have some things to discuss.”
“Fine. I don’t need to know your sex schedule anyway.”
“Laurel.” My mouth dropped open in shock, though I really shouldn’t have been surprised. She came by her lack of filter naturally.
With a shrug, she walked past us and headed out the front door. “I’m going down to the beach to make sure I don’t hear any part of it.”
Once the door shut behind her, Atlas turned his attention back to me. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes, with stipulations. Rule number one, no kissing in private.”
His eyes heated as his gaze dropped to my mouth, and I felt the brand of his stare against my skin. It didn’t take a genius to guess he was recalling what we’d done in the bar a couple nights ago. How he’d kissed me like I was his to claim… Taken me like he couldn’t help himself.
Worse, I was recalling how much I’d loved every minute of it.
“We’ll need to in public,” he said, his voice just a low rumble.
And we both knew exactly how heated those public kisses could get. But he was right. We’d already participated in some PDA, so it would look strange if we suddenly stopped once officially becoming a couple.
“Fine,” I said. “If we go out, you’re paying.”
He pinned me with a look that said he was offended I had even suggested otherwise. “Obviously.”
“What about events?”
Blowing out a sigh, he ran a hand over his beard. “My mom’s going to expect us at weekly dinners. Probably need to make an appearance at the Harvest Festival. And homecoming. There are some…traditions before the game.”
“What kinds of traditions?”
“A kiss.”
Ignoring the low flare of jealousy that had sparked in my belly, I raised my brows. “And who do you usually do that with?”
“No one.”
“Never?”
“Never,” he said without hesitation, and I absolutely was not going to examine why that settled me so much. “It’s just for people on the team who have partners. It’ll be suspicious if we don’t join.”
“Fine.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah. When this all ends, you have to promise that whatever happens between us won’t affect my work with the team. I like being their nurse.”
His gaze softened the slightest bit, and he dipped his chin in a nod. “It won’t. They’d stage a revolt if you left.”
