Page 22 of Interception

“I didn’t want to assume anything, so I came prepared this time. The thought of getting to fuck you again without any barriers has me hard already.”

“Okay, then.” Suddenly, I’m shy under the heat of his blazing stare. “Let’s eat. What movies did you bring?”

“Every Marvel movie I own, which is all of them. And your girl crush, with her lasso of truth. Take your pick.”

“Start at the beginning. Ironman.”

“Oh, you mean business. This is going to be a full-on marathon.”

“You got the stamina for it, Danford?”

“Stamina is my middle name.”

Chapter Six

Coop

Life has taken an unexpected turn lately. I’ve been slammed with training and games, but most nights, I’ve ended up in Zee’s bed. From the girl who didn’t want to give me the time of day after our initial hook-up, she has softened around the edges. She’ll still reiterate to me daily that she’s not my girlfriend, but I think that’s more for her benefit than mine.

We’ve moved past this being a few quick and dirty fucks, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. We eat together, we talk, and hang out. There’s always sex involved, but it’s not the only reason I want to be around her. She’s funny and smart as a whip, and those fleeting moments when she shows a softer side—God, she’s adorable. My next move is convincing her to let me take her on a date in public. I know that’s not always an easy step with someone who lives their life in the public eye. Me being seen out with the same girl more than once will spark all kinds of questions.

I can understand that it could be off-putting. Fame is the price I pay to do what I love. The crowd cheering in the stadium is awe-inspiring, but once you get outside and want to get dinner or see a movie, it would be nice to shrug off the public persona and enjoy some anonymity. It’s one of the reasons I love traveling outside of the states. No one in Europe gives a shit about the NFL.

Zee is on a different level. She’s already jumpy when it comes to how much time we’re spending together. Anyone putting a label on it would scare her off completely, but I’m encouraged by the fact that she hasn’t sent me packing already. Deep down, she knows that casual sex isn’t spending every night with each other. We’ve both had experience with one-night stands and fuck buddies. Whatever is going on between us is something else.

After a long day of training, I find myself at Zee’s place again, and when she opens the door, there’s a comfort I find in seeing her smile and having her throw her arms around my neck.

“You look beat. Hard day?”

“Yeah. Coach was on a rampage. Every muscle in my body aches.” I drop my overnight bag at the door. I’ve been living out of it for weeks now, stopping at my house for an hour here and there to grab some underwear.

“So I need to do all the heavy lifting tonight?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me, leading me by the hand down the hallway to her bedroom. I sit down on the edge of the bed, exhausted.

“How was your day?”

“Work was boring. I met Faith for a nice dinner which. She’s been attached at the hip with your bestie, so it was fun getting her to myself for a few hours.”

“Did she manage not to draw attention?” Faith is a magnet for mayhem. The few occasions that Zee and I have been at events with them, chaos has inevitably ensued. I’ve never met a girl more prone to accidents in my life.

“She choked on a nacho, and I just about had to give her the Heimlich maneuver. So, just an average evening. I’m sure it will be on social media somewhere by now.”

“How do you feel about being paparazzi bait by proxy? You can’t really avoid it now that your best friend is in the media. As long as she’s with Hunter, people are going to be interested in her, and let’s face it, she’s incapable of keeping a low profile.” I may as well take this opportunity to test the water with her.

“It is what it is. She is happy, she’s clumsy as fuck, and I love the crap out of her.”

I pull my t-shirt over my head and drop it on the floor before losing the rest of my clothes and getting into bed. Zee quickly follows suit and crawls in next to me, her hands roaming the length of me.

“Zee… can I take you out on a date?”

“What?”

“You know, two adults going out in public, maybe for a meal or drinks. We’ve been to numerous events with Hunter and Faith, but we weren’t exactly ‘together’ or on a date. I’m your date to their wedding, for God’s sake, and yet you still won’t admit I’m your boyfriend. I get it’s complicated if we’re seen somewhere without them. We can’t explain it away as being in the same place at the same time because of our friends, but I like you. We’ve been having a good time, and I want to take you out on a proper date. We’ve been fucking for months now, but we haven’t gone on a bonafide date.”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s the worst that could happen? Let me wine and dine you, then I’ll take you back to my place and fuck you in every room of the house. We won’t be disturbed now that Hunter and Faith don’t need to hide out, so I’d like to have you over.” She’s quiet for a few minutes, her fingers rubbing up and down my chest in slow, measured strokes.

“Going out on a date doesn’t mean we’re dating.”

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