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“Me either.” Something loosens in my chest, and for the first time, I live in the moment instead of thinking ahead. “The thing is, I’m only interested in bad ideas right now.”
It’s about time I did something for me, even if I regret it in the morning.
Chapter Seventeen
BECKETT
A deep orange paints the sky as Lily comes to a stop in front of a bungalow-style home on the outskirts of town, and I find myself staring at her brake lights, like a deer trapped by the glow, until they disappear and she steps out.
She turns around, a nervous smile playing on her lips, and my breath catches in my throat.
What is it about Lily Callahan that has me tossing my playbook away and going in blind?
I’ve never had a woman intrigue me like she does. Hell, I’ve never even taken the time to let a woman intrigue me.
Even in high school and college, when I wasn’t so guarded, women were never my priority. I had more than a few random hookups and I attended prom with a date, but there were no sparks, no lingering thoughts.
All it took was a night of conversation and a brief kiss with the beautiful woman in front of me, and my entire world has shifted.
Lily brushes her hair behind her ears, and the pink hue I’ve come to love spreads across her cheeks. She lowers her gaze as I get out, a complete contrast to the woman telling me she only wants bad ideas, barely fifteen minutes earlier.
I’m quiet as I approach her, several bad ideas running through my mind, and when our eyes lock, her lips curl into a mischievous grin.
“What’s that look for?” she asks, and my brows furrow.
“What look?”
“The one that just dropped from your face. It’s new. A mix between a smirk and boyish wonder.”
“That’s a thing?”
“Apparently so.” A giggle escapes her and if honey had a sound… “It’s similar to the way someone looks at ice cream,” Lily continues. “When they’re giving themself a day off their diet.”
A booming chuckle rumbles out of me because never has an analogy been more perfect. Lily is my ice cream. Or maybe candy cane would be more fitting. Either way… “You’re not far off base. Something about this feels like I’m cheating.”
“On your diet?”
“On life.”
The most adorable, puzzled expression twists her features, and I cup her face to brush it away with my thumb. “It’s been years since anything other than football has occupied my mind. I’ve never let it. But I can’t get you out of my head.”
Lily drops her chin, shying away from my gaze, but I’m quick to lift her face again, forcing her to look at me.
“Are you still only listening to bad ideas?” I ask, and she huffs out a laugh as she nods. “Good. Because I have so many bad ideas for you. Starting with getting you naked.”
And ending with me quitting football and never leaving her bed.
Fortunately, for me, the bad ideas have an expiration date. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to my dedicated self, the memory of today a welcome shadow following me around.
“Uh-oh. Your mind went where it shouldn’t.”
“What?” How the fuck does she know me so well?
“For a man they call enigmatic, you’re displaying some obvious emotions right now. No more thinking. We can process all of this when reality comes knocking and you have to fly home. Right now, there’s just us. No outside world. No responsibility.”
No responsibility.
Why does that tug at my heartstrings more than it should?
