“Tighten this up.” Dean spoke with our offensive line specialist, jaw tight. He glared at me like we weren’t on the same damn team, and I winked.
He mouthedfucker.
Today had been a good ass day. Thanks to dear old dad for the motivation.
I was on fire, and my body felt amazing. It wasn’t every day that everything clicked, where I made my plays and pushed myself just right. I loved leaving a practice where you left nothing on the field. You poured your soul onto it and walked with your head high. The thought of walking away from it gave me pause, but I got the same feeling from helping others or pushing someone to be the best version of themselves. Football wasn’t the only place that happened, yet the thought of leaving still caused a pang in my chest.
“Jameson piss you off or something?” Ivy’s voice came from behind me.
The whoosh of my blood rushed to my ears as I faced her. My lips already curved into a smile before I could answer because she smirked at me with that devilishly cute grin.
“Nah, his line needs to step it up.”
“You’re such a disruptive force on the field. It’s incredible watching you start chaos.” The apples of her cheeks pinkened, and she pushed hair behind her ears. “Seriously, you create so much pressure and mess with the quarterback’s rhythm. I forgot how versatile you are when you’re focused.”
My damn face flushed. A rush of gratitude flowed through me, the urge to yank her to me so strong I had to clench my fist. “Ivy, that was unexpected. Thank you.”
“I missed watching you play,” she said softly. Her moss-colored green eyes softened as she chewed the side of her very plump lip. She swiped the spot with her tongue, and fuck, thatsliver of tongue caused an uncomfortably hot sensation in my gut.
It’d hadn’t even been a day since she was pressed against me in that ice bath, and my attraction to her hadn’t lessened for a second. If anything, it increased. Seeing her now in the polo with our team logo, her professional joggers, and her hair up in the ponytail…I cleared my throat and forced myself to not think about her like that. This was my best friend, not a hookup.
Yet you thought about kissing her. You want to know what her lips feel like.
Yeah, and feel her ass. And her hair.
Yes, I could think she was hot and fantasize about my oldest friend. Key word: fantasize. It’d remain in my head, safe from her. Hell, she about jumped out of her skin when I accidentally said I wanted to kiss her. It slipped out in a weak moment, and I’d do my best to make sure she was comfortable.
Ivy and I had always fit together, so acting on this attraction wouldn’t help my mission to keep her in my life forever. Even if this new zap with her intrigued me.
“Well,” I said, ignoring the blush creeping up my neck. “I’ve missed having you in the stands cheering me on.”
She glanced at the ground, but I caught the curve of her lips. It was almost bashful, and I liked this side of her. This wasn’t a part I’d witnessed before, and it made me want to push more. “Hey.” I checked to make sure no one was around us. “Will you grab dinner with me Thursday night? There’s this place that reminds me of you, and I’d love to take you.”
“Thursday?”
“Yeah. Or Sunday. I’m tutoring tonight, and we do team shit Friday before the game.” I gripped the back of my neck as nerves danced down my spine. I wanted time alone with her, to see her quiet smirks where I wasn’t worried about her internship. I alsohad never asked a girl out to dinner before. Ivy and I had food all the time, but asking her with the notion she could say no? Shit.
This was terrifying in an unfamiliar, super unpleasant way.
She hesitated.
Shit. Why? What was she nervous?
Because she hasn’t forgiven you yet. Because you said you wanted to kiss her, and it freaked her out.
Because she has better things to do.
I panicked and blurted, “The season is gonna pick up, and call me selfish, but I want my Ivy time. You’re swamped, and our schedules won’t line up. I still have so many questions and an update from my sister too.”
Yeah, bribe her with information.
That is cruel. You know she needs to know details of things.
Might as well mention your dear dad if you really want to get her hooked.
“Oh, what is it?”
“Dinner,” I teased. Bingo. I got her. “Come to dinner with me, and I’ll tell you everything.”
