“Ugh, fine. I’ll be waiting in my office.” Nick stomps off.
“All right, boys, keep your mouths shut and get your asses on the field before Coach has us crying in the weight room.” Mateo says, ushering the men off.
“We’ll wait for you in Luisa’s office. Take your time. No rush at all,” Isabella all but sings as the last footsteps fade.
And then it’s just us again.
Me in Luke’s arms, his lips doing wonders in helping me forget everything I need to deal with today. And as the kiss deepens, I have to force myself to escape this man’s clutches. Otherwise I’ll be putting on a whole other show in front of our coworkers.
Luke protests. “Why did we come back here again? I think if we leave now, we can make it back to our cabin before midnight.”
I try not to lose myself in his use of “our cabin.” Although it certainly feels like ours after the week we had.
Sitting out back sipping beers by the firepit. Watching endless movies on the couch. Cooking meals while dancing in the kitchen. Making love surrounded by daisies under the big oak tree.
But we have a game tonight, and I need a debrief with my girls and set my past in its place before I can focus on my future with Luke. So I take a step back.
Luke watches me with the intensity of a hunter.
I point at his chest. “You have a job to do.”
He nods. “Hands, mouth, or cock? Your office or mine?” My body flushes with heat, but my eyes narrow in his direction as I take another step back.
“Oh, no you don’t. You get your ass on that field,Coach. We need to make it through tonight’s game in one piece. And then…” I trail off.
“And then I’m coming over to my girlfriend’s place and testing out that new mattress.” I quirk a brow at his boldness, but he simply shrugs. “Let me taste you now, and I might consider letting you actually get a full night’s rest tonight.”
I continue to back up in the direction of my office as I shake my head. “No deal. Besides, I’m well acquainted with your midnight wakeup calls, and in case you haven’t been paying attention, I’m a big fan of them.”
“Oh, I pay attention plenty, Daze.” He takes one step my way, but I lift my hand, halting his movements.
“Field, now. Play later.”
“I want you in my office as soon as the game is over, Daisy. Don’t make me have to chase you around this stadium.” A slow smirk unfurls across his face. “Although now that I think about it…”
“Not at work.” I fight to keep the sternness in my voice as I near the corner hallway that will lead to my office. “Have a good game. Love you.” I smile and he instantly softens at my words.
“Dammit, woman. I love you too.” A smile overtakes his face in a way that’s becoming more common for Luke, and the thought alone almost has me running back into his arms. But then we’d have to start this whole song and dance again, and I really need to debrief with my friends.
But first I need to make a pit stop at my office to drop off my things and quickly check my email for pressing matters I may have forgotten.
Finally, I wave and turn, and a few moments later, I hear his boots walking farther away from me. I smile like a goof, imagining him standing there, waiting to see if I’d change my mind and run off into his office with him down by the clubhouse.
But that smile and any sense of levity drop like stones in the ocean the second I push open my office door.
Because there, sitting in my chair with a smug expression on his face, is my dear old dad.
“Ah, there she is. The prodigal daughter returns after all.”
thirty-three
This is ridiculous, butI’ll play along.
Nick sits behind his executive desk with his elbows on his armrests and his fingers steepled, playing the world’s most boring version of a staring contest.
Which is comical, because before this week, I could do this all day.
But knowing that Daisy is somewhere on this floor has me itching to get out of my seat and pull her into my arms one more time before I actually have to haul ass to the dugout.
