Page 67 of Against the Clock

“Have you read any of the things they’re writing about us?”

The question takes me by surprise. “Who’s writing things about us?”

“Everyone. You heard what they said. Social media is shipping us.”

“Shipping us?” I repeat, the words not computing.

The valet pulls up with my truck and I stare at her, totally confused.

“What does shipping us mean? Shipping something to us?”

A small laugh comes from her lips, and the look she gives me is incredulous.

I have no idea what she’s talking about, and it’s the first time I’ve felt older when I’m with her.

CHAPTER 27

KELSEY

I climb into Daniel’s huge truck while he holds the door open, a consummate gentleman. An out of touch gentleman, but a gentleman nonetheless.

When he gets in, his door closes softly and shuts out the noisy city.

Leaving me with the sound of his breathing and my thoughts.

“Shipping us is slang. It means people want us in a relationship. They ship us. They want us together.”

“What’s wrong with that?” he asks, that megawatt grin in full force. “I would like to be in a relationship with you, too. I ship you.”

I bite back a laugh because damn it, he’s cute, but this isn’t funny. “No, like, do you not know what they’ve been saying about us? Some woman told me in a bar bathroom that I needed to keep giving you my magic beav.”

His dark eyebrows rocket towards his hairline. “Your magic beav,” he repeats. “And they want us to be together because—oh. I see it now. I get it.”

“Yeah.”

“They think you have a magical pussy.” He nods, a serious expression on his face. “They’re right.”

Amusement wars with exasperation, and I give a reluctant laugh before settling against the leather seat and sighing.

“Listen, Kelsey,” he says, his tone suddenly serious. “I know that this—that dating me—is a lot. I come with baggage. The Hot Dams…they can be a lot to deal with. I have an ex-wife, and a famous ex-girlfriend.”

A nasty, thorny feeling unfurls inside me, bristling and tense. Jealousy. I blink, surprised at the force of it. I’m jealous of his exes? Since when?

“The thing is,” he continues, watching me with his intelligent, lively blue eyes, “you’re not in this alone. We’re in this together. You don’t have to navigate the pressure by yourself.”

I nod, an unnamed and new emotion choking out the jealousy until the poison barbs recede completely, leaving me tired. I want to know where I stand with him. I want to know if he’s as invested as I’m feeling, against all my best laid plans to never be with a football player, to never set myself up to get hurt again the way my dad’s injuries hurt me.

“Kelsey,” he says. His voice breaks, and my gaze darts from my hands wringing in my lap to his serious expression. “I want… I want you. I want to be with you. But I don’t want to pressure you, I don’t want you to feel like you don’t have a choice. If it’s too much, if all the bullshit that comes along with me is too much, just tell me and I’ll drop you back at your apartment and let you go on with your life. But if there’s a chance, a chance that you want me, too, that you want this… then I want to know that, too.”

My jaw drops.

A soft smile plays across his lips and he brushes a lock of hair off my temple.

His touch feels so good. So right. So does every conversation I have with him, every silly little joke.

“Are you asking me to… be…” I trail off, not wanting to put words in his mouth. I mean, I knew he was a pretty serious relationship guy, but this is fast. Fast fast.

“My girlfriend? Yeah, Kelsey Cole, I am. I guess I am.” He seems somewhat surprised too, his thumb still stroking back and forth on my cheekbone.

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