Page 27 of Play On

Want.

My breath catches in my throat as that word has now replacedunderstood. I can see it in his eyes. Noah’s expressive eyes are telling me everything I need to know.

I’m about to speak when he clears his throat. “If you don’t want me at your table, I understand,” he says slowly. “I can get Kieran to move.”

I don’t even wince when he says the wordunderstand. I move forward with my own agenda tonight.

“That’s the last thing I want.”

Noah’s eyes search mine in confusion. “What?”

I glance over my shoulder, and I see Aimee is sitting with Camden and Kieran in the booth, and Kieran is already engaged in conversation with her. I can’t have the conversation I need with Noah now. He deserves more than a fumbled apology and a confession of why I did what I did in the middle of a crowded bar.

“I have no right to ask you this, but I am. I would love more than anything for you and your friends to join us tonight.”

The want in Noah’s eyes gives way to confusion.

“I can’t give you the explanation you deserve right now, Noah. But I would love to spend time with you. And speak to you privately before you leave tonight to explain my behaviour in those text messages we exchanged.”

My heart races when I see his expressive eyes shift once again, but this time with another emotion I’m desperate to see.

Hope.

“All I can say now is thatunderstoodis all wrong now,” I say meaningfully. “So very wrong. And I’ll explain it all later, if you care to hear it. But that is up to you.”

I stop speaking. His eyes are locked on mine, and I swear, my heart is squeezing so tight inside my chest, I can’t breathe.

Noah doesn’t say a word.

Please give me this chance, I plead with my eyes.Please trust me. Just one more chance to tell you what a mistake I made.

“All right.”

I exhale in relief. I have a chance. There’s no guarantee what the outcome will be, but Noah is kind enough to give me the opportunity to explain exactly what happened when I sent him that text message.

He gestures for me to walk first, and I step in front of him. Then I feel it.

His fingertips press against the small of my back.

My heart stops beating. It takes all my concentration to walk. Noah’s touching me. Not just touching me, but placing his hand on my lower back in an intimate, guiding gesture.

There’s hope.

Real hope.

And I’m going to do everything I can to prove to him I’m worth the risk I’m going to ask him to take.

We reach the table, and I slide into the seat next to Camden. I wait for Noah to take the seat next to Kieran, but instead, hegestures to his teammate. “I would like to sit next to Violet, can you all move a bit?”

Aimee shoots me a look, which I promptly ignore.

Kieran shifts over, which leads to everyone moving around until Noah has taken a seat next to me, his muscled thigh brushing against mine and sending heat rushing through me.

“Hello,” Aimee says to Noah, smiling at him. “I’m Aimee. I’m a friend of Vi’s since uni.”

The waitress reappears at our table. “May I get you gentlemen some drinks?” she asks, putting cocktail napkins down on the table.

Noah and Kieran order beers. Camden asks for soda water and orange.

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