by Ryan, Kaylee
Needing this day to be over, I rush through washing my face and brushing my teeth. I don’t tell him I’m done. Instead, I turn and start to walk, well, hop out the bathroom door. He slides up to my side, places his arm around me, and lets me lean on him as we make our way to my bedroom.
“Which one is yours?”
“This one.” I point to the door on the right side of the hallway. The door is open, and thankfully, my bed is made, and there is nothing in plain sight that shouldn’t be, at least from a quick glance. We make it to the bed, and I sit down.
“Where are your pajamas?”
“I can get it, Landon,” I say, exasperated.
“So can I. You can change while I go get the meds and bottle of water. Then I’ll go. Promise.”
“Top drawer.” I point to my dresser. Just as he opens the drawer, I remember that’s where I put the card from the flowers. Silently, I cross my fingers, hoping it’s slid to the bottom and he doesn’t notice it.
I’m not that lucky.
“Aw, you kept it.” He holds up the little white envelope between his fingers, and of course, those damn dimples appear.
“I don’t know how that got in there.” Lies.
He smirks. “You should use it, you know. My number.”
“No, thanks. I’m trying to get rid of you, remember?”
“I’m not going to go away that easily. In fact, you should give me your number so I can check on you.”
“You’re still here.” My voice is raised. I’m not yelling, but the irritation he’s causing is definitely showing through.
“I’ll leave, but I want your number. I want to be able to check on you. You live alone, and I feel bad leaving you like this.”
Something about the look in his eyes tells me it’s more than that. But I find myself relenting just to get rid of him. I need him out of my space. “Fine. It’s in your phone. I didn’t delete the call. Don’t be blowing me up.” I huff and he grins. I hate that I like that he’s concerned.
He pulls out some pajamas and makes a show of shoving the little white envelope back in the drawer. He tosses the clothes to me where I sit on the bed and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I glare at the handle, wishing there was a lock. I’ve never needed one before now. Hell, knowing his cocky ass, he’ll just take the door off the damn hinges. Not wanting to be caught with my panties down, literally, I quickly slip out of my bra, and slide the pajama shirt over my head. I leave my leggings on. I can slip those off after he leaves. I’m sliding under the covers when he knocks on the door.
“Ready or not, here I come,” he sings-songs and slowly pushes the door open.
“Gimme, and go.” I hold my hands out for the bottle of Advil and the water.
“So testy,” he taunts.
“Landon,” I growl. I actually growl. That’s what this man has brought me to. Growling at him like some wild animal, and not from pleasure, I might add.
“Here.” He shakes out two tablets, screws the lid off the water, and hands them to me. I toss them back and watch him as he plugs my cell phone into the charger and places it on the nightstand. “You need anything else?”
“No. Just go home.”
“All right. I’ll see you in the morning. You get to the shelter at nine, right?”
“How do you know that?”
He shrugs. “Aubrey.”
“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth. She’s on his side, so I know her coming to pick me up in the morning is a long shot. One more encounter with him and then I’m done. He’s testing my patience and has me horny as hell all at the same time. My body and my mind are at war with one another.
“I have to be at the field at nine, so I’ll have to drop you off at eight thirty. That all right with you?”
“Fine.”
“Need anything?” he asks. This time his voice is softer, and it reminds me of how he was treating me when I first fell today.
Kind.
Gentle.
“No. Goodnight, Landon.”
My breath stalls in my chest when he leans over and kisses the top of my head. “Night, Em. I’ll lock up.”
And just like that, he’s gone. I listen as his heavy footfalls carry him to the front door, and hear the door close. The handle jiggles as he tests the lock. Finally, I fall back onto my pillows just as my phone pings with a message.
Unknown: Night, Em. Door’s locked.
I save his number. I have a feeling I’ll need to know who’s calling or texting me in the future and reply.
Me: Thanks.
I don’t want to give him the idea that we’re going to be texting back and forth all the time. I’ve thanked him several times today and this evening. He knows I appreciate it. It’s done. Time to let it go. Placing my phone back on the nightstand, I turn off the bedside lamp, and surprisingly, I fall right to sleep.
Chapter 6
Landon
I’m staring at the alarm clock when it rolls over to six twenty-nine. One more minute and it will blare at me to wake up. Reaching over, I turn it off to prevent the annoying buzzer from sounding. I slept like shit last night. I kept replaying my day with Emma over in my mind. This thing between us started because she turned me down. And there is still part of me that wants that satisfaction of knowing I changed her mind. However, she’s unlike any woman I’ve ever met.
I love the banter, but more than that, I love that I’m just Landon when I’m with her. She doesn’t seem to care about my career, or my bank account. Is she just putting on a show? I really don’t think that she is, but I don’t really know her well enough to form that kind of opinion. That’s why I want to get to know her. Yes, I want her to agree to go out with me, one date, but at the same time, is she really who she presents herself to be? This beautiful woman, who is unapologetically who she is? A woman who loves animals and isn’t afraid to eat a juicy burger no matter who’s watching?
I want her to be real.
I want her to be that person.
My gut tells me she is. I’m usually not wrong on these things, but there’s a first time for everything. If this isn’t the real Emma, she’s one hell of an actress. From what I know about her so far, she’s legit.
Climbing out of bed, I strip out of my boxer briefs and head to the shower. Normally, I would go for a run, but my ass is dragging from lack of sleep, and with a long practice ahead of me in the hot Californian sun, I know better than to push it. Maybe I’ll grab a nap when I get home, then go for a run this evening after the sun goes down. I could also hop on the treadmill, but I prefer being outside. Running on the beach is my favorite.
After my shower, I catch up on a few emails and watch ESPN until it’s time to leave. I hit the local bagel shop and grab us a couple of bagels with cream cheese, and two large coffees. I don’t know how she takes hers and for some unexplained reason, that irks me. So I have them add cream and sugar to the bag just in case.
I pull up to her house at ten minutes before eight. I see the curtain move, and that small gesture inflates my chest. She’s watching… waiting for me. I don’t try to contain my smile as I grab the bag of bagels and the carrier that holds our two cups of coffee. Miss Emma is about to share her second meal with me. Juggling it all to one hand, I knock on the door. I know she’s close because she was just at the window, but it takes a long damn time to open.
The breath leaves my lungs as soon as the door opens. Emma stands before me in a polo shirt that fits her nicely, showing off her slender frame and those incredible breasts, with the shelter’s logo on the chest. She’s in a pair of khaki shorts that in no way are sexy, but on her, they are. I can imagine those toned tan legs of hers wrapped around me. Her hair is bunched up on top of her head, her curls wild yet on her, they’re perfect. Her face is void of any makeup, and just like last night, the soft dusting of freckles on her cheeks are on display. It was a war I waged with myself to not pull her into my arms last night and trace them with my tongue. That urge is still there today, stro
nger than ever.
“Landon?” she prompts, and I shake myself out of my mental fog.
“Morning, freckles,” I say, the nickname slipping past my lips before I can stop it. A frown appears as her forehead scrunches up. I fight the urge to reach out and smooth the lines with my thumb. “I brought breakfast,” I say instead.
“Come on in.” She steps back.
“How’s the ankle?”
“Sore, but I can put weight on it today.”
“Can you keep it propped up at your desk today?”
“For the most part. After cleaning cages, feeding, baths, things like that.”
“How about I come by after practice and help with those things?”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll be fine. I can’t baby it.”
“You need to rest it. Give it time to heal.”
“Oh, really, tell me, Mr. QB, how many times have you played injured? How many times have you been out on that field when you wanted to be at home propped up in bed? Or on the couch with a cold beer nursing your wounds?”
“That’s different. That’s my job. I get paid a lot of money to be on that field.”
“This is my job, Landon. I might not make millions, but it’s my job. I love what I do, and I love those animals that depend on me.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, hearing the hurt in her voice. “I didn’t mean to offend you.” She turns to walk away. “Em.” I reach out and gently grip her elbow. She stops and turns to look at me. “I’m sorry.”
She nods. “I need to finish getting ready.” She pulls away and I let her.
“Can you eat first?” She stops but doesn’t turn around. “Please?” Her shoulders deflate and I know that I have her. Who knew one simple word could have her agreeing so easily?
“Nothing fancy,” I say, following her into the kitchen. “Just bagels and coffee. I didn’t know how you took yours, so I had them add cream and sugar to the bag.”
“Thank you.” Her reply is polite and formal. I want the teasing Emma back.
“So, how do you take it?” I ask when she doesn’t volunteer the information.
“Black, two sugars.”
I nod. “Good to know.” I hand her a bagel and unwrap my own. We eat in silence, and it’s not as uncomfortable as I would have thought. I find that I just like being near her. Crumbling my wrapper and tossing it in the bag, I finish off my coffee.
“There’s more in the pot if you need it,” she says before taking another bite of her bagel. She wraps up the remaining half and stands.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to make you late for practice. Besides, I ate a piece of toast when I took Advil this morning.”
“Well, take it with you. You can eat it later.”
“Okay.”
Just like that, she stands and hobbles down the hall to finish getting ready. I fight the urge to follow her. Instead, I call out to her. “Hey, Emma.”
“Yeah?”
“You need help?”
“I’m good.”
Damn, is that disappointment that she doesn’t need my help? I take care of my trash, and although another cup would be nice to make up for my lack of sleep, I forgo another and instead grab a bottle of water from the fridge.
“Ready,” she says.
She’s got makeup on now, covering her freckles, and I hate that she’s covering them up. “Why’d you cover them?” I ask, pointing to her face.
“What are you talking about?” She pretends like she doesn’t understand the question, but by the set of her shoulders, I know she does.
My feet carry me to stand in front of her. My hand rises as if it has a mind of its own, and my thumb lightly skims across her cheek. “Your freckles, why did you cover them?”
“I’d prefer to not look like sixteen-year-old me.” Her green eyes stare up at me.
“Sixteen-year-old you must have been gorgeous because, you now… with freckles exposed… you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” I didn’t mean to lay that out there, but I’ll be damned if she thinks of herself as anything but a knockout.
A blush coats her cheeks. Even under the makeup I can see it. “We should go.” She steps back, and the connection, the moment, is lost.
“Right. Where are your bags? I’ll carry them out to the car.”
“I can get it.”
“I’m sure you can, but I’m doing it anyway.”
She sighs. “On the couch.”
I hold my elbow out for her, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she links arms with me. We stop by the couch and I grab her bags, then guide her outside. I wait while she locks up and then help her to the passenger side of my SUV.
Once we’re on the road, the quiet starts to get to me. Time to break the ice. “So, did you think of me last night?” I glance over to catch her rolling her eyes. Perfect. I want a reaction out of her.
“How did you know? Did you hear me call out your name?” she gasps and places her hand to her chest as if she’s offended or embarrassed.
The problem with that is, she may be teasing me, but the thought of her touching herself while thinking about me is making things very tight down below. My cock twitches and I have to shift in my seat. That makes her giggle.
“You okay, Number Eighteen?”
“Minx.” Her laughter fills the car and I don’t hate it.
“How long is practice today?” she asks.
“Five hours. Three on the field and two watching tapes, going over plays, special teams that kind of thing.”
“Have you always loved football?”
“Yeah. I guess from the time I was little, I would sit on my dad’s lap and we’d watch it for hours. The only time I ever sat still to hear my parents tell it.” I glance over at her and she has a soft smile playing on her lips. “Anyway, the school district we lived in didn’t offer football, so my parents went with the open enrollment when it was time for me to start kindergarten in the town next to ours. I started full-contact football at the age of five and never looked back.”
“That’s kind of amazing, to think that’s how your love for the game started that early, and look at you now.”
“My parents, they’re the best. I owe them my success. All the nights they took me to practice, five nights a week and games on the weekends until I turned sixteen and got my license. They always made sure I had the best gear, going as far as buying my helmet each year to make sure that it was safe.”
“They sound pretty great.”
“They are.” I nod. “What about you? Why the animal shelter?”
“I love animals.” I can hear the truth in her words. “I came to Hermosa Beach for vet school, but I didn’t love it. School that is or the thought of being in school for so many more years, so I changed my major to veterinary technician. Two years later, I was done. I applied to the shelter and was hired on the spot. Aubrey had just taken over, and we hit it off. We’ve been best friends ever since.”
“It makes a difference when you can do what you love. Makes it feel like less of a job.”
“Exactly. Not once in the time that I’ve worked at South Bay have I dreaded coming to work.”
“I get to play a sport for a living.” I chuckle. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
“I don’t know, you saw the puppies, right?” she asks.
“You clearly win. I get to spend my day with smelly, sweaty men, while you get adorable puppies and horses that just like to eat.”
“Hmmm, when you put it that way, you might be getting the better deal, minus the smelly part.”
“Hey now.” I reach over and tap her thigh. “I’ve already called dibs, those other Neanderthals need to find their own Emma,” I say, pulling into the lot of the shelter. A small smile tilts her lips but she’s quick to hide it.
“Thanks for the ride, and for your help last night.” She grabs her bags from the floorboard between her feet and opens her door.
“I’ll walk you in.”
“No. You don’t have to do that. Have a great practice.” She slides out of the car and shuts the door with her hip.
I scramble to exit the car as well; she’s not too far ahead of me with that limp of hers. I rush ahead of her and pull open the door. She shakes her head but doesn’t comment as she walks inside, with me following along behind.
“Morning, sunshine. How was last night? Or… and this morning,” Aubrey says, appearing from around the corner. “Oh, hi, Landon.” Her grin is blinding. “Looks like I got my answer.”
“Aubrey,” I greet. “It’s nice to see you again.” I then turn my attention to Emma. “You got everything?”
She holds up her lunch bag and her purse. “Thanks for the ride.”
Why do I have the sudden urge to pull her into a hug and press my lips to hers? Instead, I lean in close and whisper, but still keep my voice loud enough that Aubrey can hear what I’m saying, “Thanks for the second date.”
“W-What?” she sputters. “No. No dates.”
“Come on, freckles. We had dinner and watched not one but two movies last night before I took you to bed, and this morning, we had breakfast together. That was our second date.”
“You did not take me to bed,” she manages to say through gritted teeth.
“No? I didn’t help you into your room and make sure you were settled before I headed home?” I ask with a smirk.
“Go.” She pushes on my chest. “You’re going to be late for practice.”
I look over at Aubrey. “I’ll be here after practice to do whatever needs to be done today. Keep her off that ankle. She needs to elevate it and ice it.”
“Yes, sir.” Aubrey salutes me, tossing out a wink.
Glad to know she’s team Landon. “I’ll be here after practice. Take it easy today.” With one step, I’m standing close to her again, invading her space. For some reason, this moment feels monumental with Aubrey here watching us. Hell, even if she weren’t here, it would feel that way. It’s Emma. There’s just something about her. Leaning in, my lips connect with her temple. “Have a good day.” The words are softly whispered just for her. This isn’t a part of the show. This is me not wanting to leave her here.
