“Relax,” she laughed. “Nobody cares. Honestly, I think it’s cute. And between you and me? He’s way sharper. Definitely more focused. Like his head’s finally screwed on right. People have noticed that, too.”
My stomach flipped. So it wasn’t just in my head, he really was different. And people could see it.
“I just…” My throat tightened. “I don’t want anyone thinking I took this job to chase him. Because I didn’t. I’ve worked too hard for that. I’ve nevereverdone this before.”
Emma’s smile softened. “Orla, no one thinks that. You’ve been nothing but professional. And you’re bloody brilliant at what you do. Everyone knows it. You don’t have to hide this, especially not with the way he looks at you.”
I let out a helpless laugh. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
She grinned wickedly. “Oh, he’s gone. Absolutely done for. And honestly, I don’t think he’ll ever recover.”
We both cracked up, laughter spilling into the quiet room. It felt good to laugh and the sense of relief that maybe we didn’t have to hide this anymore.
“Alright,” I said, snapping on my gloves with a definitive snap. “Enough gossip. Let’s get that shoulder taped before I lose my job and my reputation.” I motioned for her to hop up. “How’s it holding up?”
“Still pinchy when I serve,” she said with a grimace. “Coach thinks it’s in my head. I think he’s an idiot.”
“Let’s prove you right.” I pressed along the line of her deltoid, feeling the knot bunch under my thumb like a warning. “That spot?”
She hissed. “Yep. That’s the fucker.”
“You’ve got inflammation again,” I said, reaching for the zinc tape. “We’ll strap it and get some ice on after your warm-up.”
“See, this is why I need you forever,” she muttered. “You actually listen.”
“I’m paid to,” I said lightly, but her words warmed me more than I expected.
As I worked, my mind drifted back to the sight of Tyler sleeping—the broad, golden expanse of his shoulders, those soft, pouted lips, and the way he’d looked so utterly, temptingly smitten. He was trouble, alright, but for the first time in my life, I didn't think I ever wanted saving.
Chapter 33
Tyler
“I don’t remember givingyou permission to leave my bed,” I called across the suite as the keycard beeped at the door.
The door swung open and in she walked, my favourite little contradiction. Her hair was twisted into a chaotic, beautiful knot with a few rebellious strands falling loose against her neck, and she smelled of the sharp, clinical disinfectant of the physio suite.
“Yeah, well,” she said, that sly little smirk making itself at home on her lips. “Some of us have actual jobs to do, Reed. We can’t all just sit around looking pretty and hitting a few balls once in a while.”
God, she was dangerous when she was cute. I crossed the room in three strides, catching her at the door and wrapping my arms around her waist before she could even drop her bag. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, then her cheek, then the sensitive curve of her neck where the pulse was already starting to quicken. “You’re awfully mouthy for someone who got thoroughly ruined on a balcony last night.”
She melted into me the way she always did.
“So… about that. Turns out we haven’t been exactly subtle about this whole thing.” She winced, the light in her eyes dimming just a fraction.
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone knows,” she said, scrunching her nose in that way that usually made me laugh, but her voice was tight. “Emma saw you practically drag me into your room yesterday.”
I went still, my hands tightening slightly on her waist. “You okay with that?” I asked, keeping my voice tentative, searching her eyes for any sign of regret.
“I mean… I have to be now, right?” She started fiddling with the hem of my shirt, a tiny, nervous tell she didn't even know she had. “I just… Tyler, I’ve worked so hard for this. I don’t want to be written off as some tour bimbo who only got the job because she spread her legs for the star player.”
The words sliced right through me.
“Orla,” I said softly, brushing my knuckles along her cheek. “Nobody in their right mind is going to think that. You prove yourself every day. You’re the best out here, everyone who’s anyone knows that.”
Her eyes softened, the tension in her shoulders unwinding by a couple of notches.
