He shrugs, pushing me gently towards the car where, left with no reason not to, I slide into the passenger seat. “You’ve sure got one.” He winks at me again, and I think my body actually levitates. “Saw you naked, remember?”
I groan, tossing my head back against the seat and acting affronted when what I actually am is thrilled by thegorgeous asscomment. “Forget you saw that. Forget everything.”
With my eyes closed, I feel, rather than see, Tyler get closer. “I wouldn’t even if I could,” he murmurs, hot breath fanning over my ear, and he might as well have pressed his tongue directly to my clit with the way my body behaves. “I’ll remember the first time I saw you naked as long as I live. There’s a cold Dr Pepper in the cupholder for you.” He presses a kiss to my cheek and reaches up to grab the seatbelt, looping it over me and clicking it into place, and by the time he closes the door and strolls around to the driver’s side, I am a puddle.
Tyler slides into his seat and starts the car, looking over at me with the cutest fucking grin I’ve ever seen as he clicks his own seatbelt into place. And I have no idea what’s happening right now, but I like it, and I can’t wait for whatever this night has in store.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TYLER
RenegadeRush
So what are you up to tonight?
Leaning up against the bar as I wait for our drinks, I hit send and glance over at Sophie, seated at the high-top table we grabbed in the crowded bar area of the South Side club I brought her to. I see her reach into her bag and pull out her phone. She glances down at the screen, and I feel a little shot of jealousy at the way she smiles for a message from someone who isn’t me until I remember the messageisfrom me.
She just doesn’t know it yet.
Am I the asshole for deciding to wait to tell her I’mRenegadeRushand that we’ve been unknowingly messaging each other for weeks? Maybe, but it’s for a good cause, so I’m allowing it. If I came right out and told her it was me, there’s a risk she would laugh it off like one hilarious coincidence and move on, never seeing me the way I want her to see me, which ismore. Everything. The center of her damn universe the way she is mine.
I have to make her see me that way first, and then we canlaugh about it together. And kiss. A lot. I really want to kiss her a lot.
And if I happen to use my knowledge a tiny bit to my advantage, no one in the world would blame me. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I’m not lying to her, exactly. I’m waiting to tell her the truth, and that’s different.
Probably.
Sophie glances up from her phone and locks eyes with me. I toss her a wink, and the flush that stains her cheeks has a little thrill rocketing through me that only gets stronger when she slides her phone back into her bag, leaving RenegadeRush’s message unanswered. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I think it means everything is coming up Tyler.
“Here you go, Mr. Hansley, on the house.”
I glance up at the bartender who looks like he just turned twenty-one yesterday. He’s taking me in with the most earnest expression I’ve ever seen from a fan, and even after four seasons in the league and growing up with a famous football player dad, being recognized still delights me. I flash him a smile. “That’s so unnecessary.”
He shakes his head. “Seriously, you won the Renegades the Super Bowl for the first time in thirteen years. You’re not paying for drinks when I’m working behind the bar.”
“Well then I appreciate it.” Flipping open my wallet, I grab a hundred-dollar bill and slip it into the tip jar, nodding in thanks and taking the drinks he sets on the bar, sauntering over to Sophie.
“Your margarita, my beautiful bestie.”
With a flourish, I slide the drink across to Sophie and take the seat across from her. Taking a sip of my own cocktail, I watch the way she looks at me over the rim of her glass, like she has no idea what to make of me.
She’s been a little off balance since she came out of her office and saw me standing there. And while I think some of it is because of the interview she still hasn’t told me about, a lot of itis because of me. For the last hour, I’ve been making it a point to touch her as much as I can. A kiss on her cheek when she got into the car. Her hand in mine when I helped her out. My hand low on her back when we were walking into the club. And now, when I reach over and link my finger with hers. It’s our thing, but this time she glances down at our joined fingers and back up at me, her eyes full of questions.
Questions I can’t wait to answer.
But not quite yet.
“I see your love of pink drinks is back in full force,” she says, looking at my drink with amusement.
Taking another sip, I grin because that’s fucking delicious. “I mean, they called it a Pink Elephant, Soph. How do you resist a drink with that kind of name? Also, it has cherry, pineapple,andlime, and that’s a winning combo if I ever heard one.”
Sophie takes a sip of her own drink, licking her bottom lip to catch an errant drop. My eyes track the movement, a bolt of lust arrowing through me as I imagine all the different places I want that tongue. Those lips.
My face must give my thoughts away at least a little because Sophie exhales audibly, her fingers tightening around her glass as I raise my eyes to hers, seeing the quick flash. Jesus, I knew this was going to be great, but it turns out winding up Sophie Sullivan is more fun than winning the Super Bowl, with a much better prize at the end.
Her.
Respectfully, fuck the Lombardi Trophy. I just want Sophie.
