“You don’t need makeup, Grace. And there is nothing wrong with looking young.” His blue eyes warmed at me slightly, before he dropped the bomb. “Plus, you could probably sneak into prom.”
“Asshole.” I gave him the meanest face I could. “Women don’t like to hear how young they look until they are in their thirties. Come on Casanova, surely you knew that? You were a hot shot back in the day before you lost your game, right?”
He rolled his eyes, slowly licking the fudge from his spoon. “I still have game.”
“Sure. Sure. Whatever you say.”
“I do,” he said, looking around the yard. He tapped his pointer finger on his chin a few times before pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes. “Okay, next time I’ll prove it.”
“I don’t think you can provehavinggame. You either have it or don’t.” I shrugged, annoying him becoming one of my favorite things to do. “If you have to prove it, you don’t.”
“Please.” He scoffed before continuing. “I’ll add your name to the list of volunteers.”
“You’re relentless. I’ll think about it. How about that?”
“Fine. But, I know you’ll accept it.”
I stood, collecting my bowl and half full bottle. I arched a brow. “Overconfident much?”
“I mean, you get to hang out with me on your free nights. I don’t see the problem.”
“Then you, sir, are delusional.” I laughed, following him into the kitchen. The power wasn’t on, but it was time to head out. He turned to look at me after setting the dishes on the counter, and his eyes smoldered. Like, pure fiery attraction smolder. My stomach danced in circles and circles. Wow, I got hot again, and the need to take off the sweatshirt increased.
“I’ll uh, drive you back now. It’s getting late.” He cleared his throat, avoiding my gaze. “You ready?”
“Yup,” I said a little too cheery. “Thank you again for letting me stay here.”
“Of course.” He shook his head, putting his hand on my shoulder as we walked out to his car. “As I said, it worries the hell out of me to think you could’ve been walking home alone when that hit. Hey, promise me something.”
He turned around, putting both hands on my shoulders. Gone was the heat, and now some unknown emotion swirled in his eyes. “If you ever need anything or find yourself in a shitty situation, call me.”
“Okay?” I said, just above a whisper.
“No, promise me. Say it.” He tightened his grip on my shoulders and a slow understanding took over. His insane need to help people, his helplessness because of his sister, a slow warmth crept down my spine.
“I promise I’ll call you,” I said, holding his eye contact.
“You better.” He released my shoulders like they’d electrified him, and we continued the walk to the car. “No matter how big or small, I’ll be there.”
Chapter Seventeen
After agreeingto help volunteer with Brock in my free time, the thought of seven hours on a bus with him should’ve scared me. He infiltrated every part of my life, and while each moment was great, when the internship ended, a small part of me would remain with him.
Fritz dropped me off, so my car didn’t have to sit outside for the weekend, and the difference between this away trip and the last was that I didn’t feel out of place.
The familiar routine of loading the busses and checking off lists felt normal—almost like a second home with the sounds of engines running and players shuffling their heavy feet. I had my bag over my shoulder and scanned the crowd for a familiar face.
“Morning, Grace.”
I smiled as Logan approached me with a large cup of coffee in his hands. “Hey, you ready for this seven-hour trip?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He ran a hand down his face and gave me a small hug. “Still got to sit with Anderson?”
“Pretty sure I do. Ain’t that right, Anderson?” I said, spotting him carrying a cooler a couple of yards away.
He looked up, searching for the voice, and when his intelligent eyes found mine, they softened. After setting down the cooler and clipboard, he strode over, looking all sorts of delicious in a pullover and jeans. He pursed his lips, hand on one of his hips as he eyed me up and down. To anyone else, it would look normal, but to me, I felt that stare in every cell of my skin. “What did you say, Grace?”
“You heard me, big guy. Do I have to sit with you on the bus ride?”
