“I gotta go.” She flapped her hand in a wave goodbye and jogged back to hergroup.
London waved at all of them and then hurried around to the driver’s side. He shut the door and slumped against the steering wheel. “That wasclose!”
Maia laughed. “We’ll have to get you a wig next time.” She scratched at her temple. “I’m warning you, ititches.”
He fingered the plastic-feeling strands and shook his head. “I can’t believe you remembered mycheer.”
She laughed, her deep, sexy tone filling the inside of the car with energy and charging his body with attraction. “I can’t believeyouremember it. Ego much?” She shoved hisarm.
“Says the woman who sells shirts with her face on them,” he fired back. She shoved his arm again—just like he’d wanted. The more contact between them, the better. He started the car and pulled onto thestreet.
“You know I’m supposed to be in bed, right? We can’t go biking or do some impossible obstacle course.” Her brow puckered. “I’m pretty much the world’s most boringdate.”
London took her hand in his and threaded their fingers together. His pulse thrummed. “I’m not bored. Areyou?”
Her cheeks darkened. “No.”
He winked before accelerating onto the freeway, and they were off on their first official date in tenyears.
Chapter Sixteen
“You can’t see, can you?”
Maia shook her head. “Nope. It’s dark as a curtain drop.” A light breeze brushed her face, which she determined must be London’s hand waving in front of hereyes.
She laughed and swatted at the air, not making contact with anything. Riding in the car with London was fun. He asked about her leg, and she told him what the doctors had said. The hospital staff had signed confidentiality statements, but somehow the information leaked out. It could have been anyone: another patient, someone who saw her in the hallway … the possibilities were endless. There was no point stressing over it too much, so she pushed it aside. All she could deal with was what happened next. Thankfully, what happened next was a date withLondon.
He’d pulled off the freeway and asked if he could surprise her. She let him tie a handkerchief loosely over her eyes. They’d driven a little longer, and then he’d parked and picked her up again. Now, she was sitting on something soft with the sun beating down on her wig, making her scalpsweat.
“Okay. I think I’m ready.” London put his arms around her to untie the knot. Maia held still, taking deep breaths of his ruggedly handsome scent. She could fall asleep curled up next to that scent every night, it was equal parts soothing andintoxicating.
The blindfold fell away and she blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. They were on a blanket on the fifty-yard line in the middle of the deserted Titans stadium. “What …?” she laughed. “Only you would think a football field is date-worthy.”
London’s mouth fell open. “I’ll have you know this is top-notchromance.”
She smiled as she shook herhead.
He reached behind her and brought out a picnicbasket.
She lifted an eyebrow in appreciation, but didn’t give in quite yet. “A picnic? That’ssweet.”
He held up a finger. “Not any picnic.” With a flourish, he opened the basket, revealing takeout bags from LosTios.
Her hands flew to her cheeks. “Youremembered.”
He chuckled. “How could I forget? I loved taking you to that restaurant. You made all those yummy noises when you ate.” His eyes grew mischievous and butterflies made their way around herstomach.
“I forgot. Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed.” She covered her eyes with herhand.
He laughed. “It gets better.” He sent a quick text on his phone and the speakers came alive with Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.”
She closed her eyes and let Ed’s honeyed voice melt over her. “Okay, that was prettygreat.”
“And …” He settled next to her so she could rest against his chest. “This is not just anywhere in the stadium. This is the fifty-yardline.”
“Okay.”
“I know I talked about us starting a second half, but the more I thought about it, the more I decided a second half wasn’t what Iwanted.”
