Page 14 of Chasing Football Dreams

There was a time I wished to have met Mr. Darcy and had him look at me the way he looked at Elizabeth but watching Duncan cross the room with his confident strides and that dark, honeycomb look only focused on me, put Darcy to shame.

“Hey,” He greeted, resting his arms on the counter and leaning forward without breaking eye contact.

“Hi,” Why did I sound so breathless? Goddammit. I’ve seen this man naked. Kissed him until my blush blushed. And here I was standing grasping straws.

“I am going to install alarms in my bedroom,”

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. “You gotta stop treating me like a princess,” I was aware he wanted to drive me around like Miss Daisy but that’s just it. I don’t want to be Miss Daisy. I am used to taking care of myself and doing things on my own terms. Asking for help wasn’t something I was comfortable with.

Duncan’s smile was soft—almost understanding. “You’re asking me to stop loving you,”

“No, I’m not,” I frowned.

His grin widened. “I want to be there for you because of my love for you. I can’t watch you walk over 5 miles to work when I can drive you. I can’t eat without offering you food first. I can not stop spoiling you when all I want to do is buy you the best thingsand not because I feel sorry for you. I want to do all the above because that’s what love is all about,”

I felt like a jerk for wanting to do things for myself because I’m used to taking care of myself. I know Duncan means well and everything he does for me, doesn’t have a double meaning behind it. I don’t know why I even comprehend that he treats me like a princess when all this time, he has been treating me like an equal. He pushed me into a spot on the team when he could have blocked my path and called me out for being a girl with an insane dream but he didn’t.

He accepted me for who I am.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, picking my lip with my teeth.

“You don’t have to apologize, Zoey. I am still learning what to do and not to do,”

I wound my way around the counter to get closer to him. He was standing now, facing me with his arm resting on the counter. I didn’t blink to wrap my arms around his strong waist. I hummed when he enfolded his other arm around me, shielding me away from the crowd in the diner. “I am sorry I am making things difficult. It’s just I was forced to take care of myself. I haven’t let anyone in besides Eliza and I am really trying,”

He dropped a kiss on my cheek. “Once again, love. You don’t have to feel the need to apologize. I am not blaming you or is mad at you,”

I tilted my head back to look at him. “What did I do to deserve you?”

He beamed. “I am the one who got lucky to date such a strong and amazing woman,”

I pushed onto my toes and planted a kiss on his lips and tightened my arms around his waist. I got lucky to find someone as amazing as him to see my potential and it felt right to entrust him with my heart.

“Can I get you something to eat?” I asked, pulling back.

He nodded. “Two of those chicken wraps you love so much and two strawberry milkshakes,”

“It’s my treat,” I said when he reached for his wallet.

“Zoey,” He was ready to protest.

“Nope, I am not listening,” I walked away to place his order and pay for it. I grabbed my tray to clear my tables when Duncan decided to pick a booth for us.

Brenda chased me out from behind the counter after handing Duncan’s order over to me and ordering me to take my lunch.

“You’ve got Brenda under your thumb,” I remarked, trying not to think about how he picked a booth next to the jerk who has more than one girlfriend.

Duncan smiled at me, inviting me to sit next to him. “She understands that I just want the best for you,”

I rolled my eyes and bumped his shoulder with mine. He chuckled and draped his arm over my shoulder pulling me flush against his side, planting a kiss on my lips. He brushed my ear with his lips and I almost pushed him away not wanting people to look at us when I heard him asking me something.

“Why is he looking at you like that?”

I frowned at his question, raising my gaze to see jerk-guy looking at us. I returned my attention to Duncan. “I honestly have no idea,” It was odd to have jerk-guy’s eyes lingering on me.

“He is a regular who dates more than one girl and brings them here for lunch,”

Duncan arched an eyebrow, reminding me of his dark demeanor. “It seems he wants to have you for lunch,”

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