I giggled, wriggling from his hold on me. “Stop! Ten minutes is not enough.” I rubbed my lips together. They were already numb from his assault on them.
Cage sighed. “Suit yourself, then. I’m meeting up with two of my wide receivers to practice some routes.”
I righted my bra that he’d tugged down, exposing my breasts. “Basically you’re going to a park to play catch with your friends.”
He captured both of my wrists behind my back in his right hand and bit my neck. Cage was a biter, and oh my God I loved what it did to me.
“Yes, basically,” he whispered in my ear before leaving me puddled on my kitchen floor while he walked toward my door. “Later.”
After the door already shut, I whispered, “Later.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CATCH AND RELEASE
It happened.I found my village in Minneapolis. I found my life again in Minneapolis. Land of 10,000 Lakes. Duh, it was right there all along.
Jamie survived the one-week trial. In spite of Everson’s intentions to be the decision maker, we took a vote. It was two to one. Jamie stayed.
Penny became my new BFF, which I didn’t share with Lindsay for feeling-sparing reasons. I needed someone more messed-up than myself to truly accept me. Penny bridged the gap between my girlfriend and my mother. She listened to me like Lindsay, only less judgmental, yet gave motherly advice, only less ethical. Yeah, I loved Penny Weiss.
Shayna and Everson became my new siblings, although I felt much more like a mother to Shayna than a sister, and Everson was just… Everson. I still hadn’t broken through his tough outer layer to find what I knew had to be an ooey-gooey middle.
Another theory of mine.
Cage was the upside to every day, no matter what. The fact that we were just weeks from him leaving for training camp was bittersweet. My early morning peep-holing revealed a gathering of Everson and some other guys from the team in the hall, another upside to my life in Minneapolis. One of the otherguys was my guy. I bent down and finished tying my shoe then opened the door. The boisterous laughter and chatter silenced as all eyes fell on me.
I smiled. “Boys.”
“Damn, Monaghan!” One of the guys whistled. “You’re choosing fishing over that today?” His eyes roved my body, clad in tight running shorts and a sports bra.
“Keep your fucking eyes off her.” Cage playfully shoved the guy before moving toward me. He grabbed my head and kissed me, eliciting a few cat calls from the peanut gallery. “I missed you last night,” he whispered in my ear.
I left him naked and sated in his bed to get home so I could video chat with Jerry about the fit of my newest leg. Clearing my throat, I took a step back before I started to sweat from his touch. “Fishing? So you were serious?”
“Your boy’s got the sweetest fishing boat ever, Stick. Man, how have you not taken her fishing yet?” Everson asked.
I vaguely remembered Cage mentioning something about fishing once, but I didn’t think much of it. “You have a boat? An actual fishing boat?”
The guys snickered.
“We go for the beer and banter, but Monaghan actually takes it seriously, giving us the stink eye if we get too loud.”
I cocked my head to the side. Cage grinned as he shrugged.
“Catch and release, or do you eat the fish?”
“Depends.” He shoved his hands into his back cargo shorts pockets.
I nodded, still a little surprised.
Cage gestured to my running leg. “Testing a new leg?”
I shook my head. “Underwear.”
His brow wrinkled and the guys behind him inched a bitcloser, ears perked.
“What?” Cage asked.
