Page 96 of Unstoppable Love

I celebrated with our team in the locker room. Showered and then joined Coach Callahan in the media room. Barely the size of a standard bedroom, dozens of reporters were already seated, men and women with cameras at the back of the room, waiting and clapping politely at our first win of the regular season as we entered.

Lights flashed, and I fought against wincing from the brightness.

Coach gave his quick rundown first, his opinion of the game. Where we excelled and where he could see we needed work. Even with a win as large as it was, there was always room for improvement. Vegas wasn’t predicted to be a playoff contender anyway.

I nodded along with Coach’s perspective, and then the first reporter to direct a question my way, asked the one I’d been dreading.

“How’d that feel to sit out today? Taking your team to that win and then not completing it.”

Shitty. It felt absolutely shitty even if Potter looked good. Which was exactly how I replied. “We want every member of this team to be as strong and working at their highest potential capability. Giving Potter that shot today will only increase his confidence in the future, should he be needed.”

“Any health concerns we should be aware of? Any reason why it was necessary to send him in?”

The little shit. He wasn’t from ESPN or the local news. Probably closer to being a gossip blogger than a sports reporter. This one damn question would be picked apart for weeks to come, and if we weren’t in front of the media, I’d glare at the coach for putting me in this position in the first place.

I leaned closer to the microphone and stayed relaxed. “There was absolutely no medical reason for Potter to be in on our part. Like I already said, Coach made the decision purely for the full benefit of the team and the season to come, and I fully support that. We have a lot of weeks to go and need to be certain Potter will perform if needed, which I absolutely don’t plan to allow.” I smirked, gave a little chuckle to lighten the mood. A few reporters flowed in. “But today he proved he can do it, and the next time he takes the field, I have no doubt he’ll be even better.”

Lights flashed. The shitty reporter was silenced by another question, and by the time Coach and I left the media room, I was more than ready to get the better part of my Sunday started.

Something I never thought I’d say. But that was what Ava did to me.

Her presence made everything better.

Since Coach and I had to stay later for the media room, the majority of the team was gone by the time I was back in the locker room, grabbing my overnight bag from the stay at the hotel earlier.

I’d made sure to leave passes for Isaiah and Ava so they could make it down to the player’s lounge, and it was Isaiah I saw first as I pushed open the door that would take me to the hall.

“Nice toss,” he said, referring to one of the many incredible passes I’d made all game.

He came to me, and once the door shut, Ava was there, her smile as bright as always, maybe brighter in the dimly lit hallway.

“Thanks, man.” Since Isaiah was already heading my way, I gave him a hug and a couple back slaps for good measure. “Thanks for coming.”

“Wouldn’t have missed it. And before I see you two get all lovey-dovey and gooey gross and whatnot, I’m headed out. You take care of her.”

“Don’t be dumb,” Ava said, grinning at her brother. “Thanks for bringing me out today.”

“No problem, little sis.” He kissed the top of her head and stepped back. “You two take care. Drinks on me at Kelley Brews when you can manage to head out in public.”

“You’re on.” We shook hands again, and he ambled off back toward the hall that would take him to the stadium and public parking area. We parked in a private lot under the stadium for both privacy and security reasons.

As soon as he was gone, I dropped my bag. “It’s good to see you.”

She was gorgeous. Always had been, always would be the most beautiful woman I ever met, and I was pretty sure I could be ninety and still fight against going hard the first time I saw her every day.

But now? Wearing my team’s colors stamped across her chest, her hair loose and curled, and her cheeks showing the color she’d gotten from the afternoon sun, she was more stunning than usual.

“It was good to see you play.”

“You going to kiss me yet or stand there looking beautiful?”

Her lips kicked up at one corner. “Can’t I do both?”

“Ava…” I growled, but I didn’t have to reach for her.

She flung herself against my body, hands clasping my cheeks, and yanked me down to her mouth. “I missed you,” she whispered, right before I closed the gap and pressed my lips to hers, showing her exactly how much I missed her, too.

The kiss was hot from the first touch, and I lost all sense of where I was, where we were, and who could see us, but I didn’t care. No one inside the stadium would leak anything, and most workers were used to seeing it. Her body pressed against mine, and she let out the cutest whimper as I dove deeper into her mouth and shoved my hand to the back of her head to adjust the angle. Her hair fell through my fingers like silk, and the taste of her had me getting hard.

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