“I don’t mind waiting if you don’t.”
Carson smiled, making my stomach flutter. “We can take in the view while I hold your hand.”
I smiled as we leaned against the building, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand.
We were almost under the Brooklyn Bridge, looking at Manhattan lit up in the night sky. Carson pointed out the iconic landmark skyscrapers that made up the New York City skyline.
I couldn’t take my eyes off his face, as his cheeks pinked from the cold wind off the East River. He was so much lighter now than the man I’d met five months ago at the airport. His smile lit up his handsome face, making his hazel eyes sparkle. I ached to keep him.
I leaned closer to him, wishing I could make time stand still.
Glancing around, I marveled at the people waiting in line and walking the streets. Couples of all sorts were out and about, and no one paid any attention to the two men who were huddled together out on a date on Friday night.
Tightening my hand around his, I leaned closer. “I just realized something.”
Carson looked at me with love-drunk eyes. “What’s that, babe?”
My stomach quivered when he called me that. “This is the first date I’ve ever been on that wasn’t scheduled on an app.”
I watched as his facial expression dimmed. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that last part. But unfortunately, it was true.
“Terrible, huh?”
I looked down at the sidewalk, then to where our hands were laced together.
“Hey,” he called, squeezing my hand. “There’s no shame in any of that. I’m just disappointed that I haven’t taken you out sooner.”
“It’s okay. Really, it is.”
Carson’s smile returned. “I think it’s safe to say we both know this thing between us is more than just attraction. There are feelings and emotions involved now. I consider myself the luckiest man in New York, and tonight is yet another opportunity to be your first again. And I’ll happily take all of them.”
He leaned in to kiss my cheek as I smiled faintly. Releasing my hand, Carson his put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer until I could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath.
“If I forget to say it later, this is the best real date I’ve ever had,” I murmured into his ear.
He smiled and lit my heart up brighter than New York. “Me too, babe. Me too.”
We got back to the hotel right before our 11 pm curfew. Staring at each other in the mirrored elevator doors, I took in his handsome face and the way he looked like he wanted to devour me.
Teasing him would be so easy, but that’s not how I wanted this night to end.
When we got to the room, Carson removed all our layers and pressed my back to the window overlooking the city. My skin was so heated from being close to him, I didn’t register the cold. With only the ambient lighting, he dropped to his knees and ran his hands all over my body. And when he took me to the back of his throat, I closed my eyes and dreamed of a life with him.
After dismantling the Knights, 49-to-21, in west Siberia, I wasn’t sure I’d ever warm up. The one thing I was sure of was my balls would have recessed into my body had there not been a heated bench to keep us warm.
Not to mention, Lennox ran the offense up and down the field, eating up as much clock as possible. Every win put us closer to the playoffs and shortened my time here. One look at Carson said he felt it, too, and I wished time would slow down.
On the flight home Sunday night, Carson and I were thirty minutes into a movie that took us forever to settle on when Coach came and found me.
“Sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you a moment?”
“Sure,” I said, getting up from my seat. I handed Carson the earbud I was wearing. My eyes found his as he winked, then patted the back of my leg.
I followed Coach back to where he was seated with Coach O’Neil. Sliding into the seat across from him, my leg bounced.
“Am I in trouble?” I joked nervously.
Coach Henderson smiled. “Of course not. I wanted to talk to you about next season.”
