“That’s not what it looked like when you walked into the bar.”

I smile, thinking back to that moment, proud that I could finally stake an actual claim on Bella, instead of just warning guys off her. When we walked in, the room went quiet, whispersstarted, and I was worried that Bella would hate the attention and run. She gets enough of it being the Coach’s daughter, but dating the newest starting quarterback means she can’t be a shrinking violet. I fully expected her to shake off my hand that was resting on her hip. At the very least, I thought she’d want to unlatch my thumb from her belt loop, but she did neither. Instead, she nuzzled into my chest and gave me a small peck on the cheek. She was owning us together, and I was digging it.

Jacob slaps me on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you, man. I know how long you’ve been pining over her. You’re a good guy. You deserve to be happy.” His smile is somewhat stilted, and although he’s happy for me, I know he’s got some other shit going on with his ex that he can’t get off his mind. Just as I’m about to ask him about her, he interrupts. “Maybe now that you’re an official couple, you’ll stop having those secret morning sex sessions in our gym.”

I swing my head in Jacob’s direction, and that fake smile is gone, replaced by a large, mocking grin. “What?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. The other guys are just too polite to say something, but you aren’t exactly quiet. Yesterday, I counted how many times Bella said, “Oh, Drew,” in an hour. It was twenty-seven times, and not to burst your bubble, but I think she was overreacting. No one isthatgood in bed.”

I raise a brow, holding back a smile because I know he’s wrong on that front. The thing about sleeping with your ex enemy is that you know everything that makes them tick, good or bad. I know exactly how to get her attention now. I know every single spot that makes her hot, and when she’s on the brink of an orgasm. Those moans were well and truly earned.

“The guys and I had a bet going on how long those little morning visits would last before you came out as a couple.” Jacob elbows me. “I won, by the way. I knew your little Labradorheart would last less than a month. Or at least, I hoped since I was tired of disinfecting the gym every morning.”

“I made sure the place was clean after every time.”

Jacob laughs. “Doesn’t mean that’s enough for Reese. You know the guy is a clean freak and hasn’t stepped foot in that gym since.”

“Ah, that’s why he’s been more than willing to escort me to the college gym?” I chuckle, looking over at my friend, who’s somehow convinced Bella to play pool with him and Jonah. My chest puffs out when she bends over because he better not be checking out her ass.

“How did Coach react when you told him you’re dating his daughter?”

I sigh, leaning back on my chair. Coach Summers is a problem. One that I’ve been ignoring for the last month because it’s been hard enough convincing Bella to hang out with me on campus. Convincing her to tell her dad leads to a whole new set of problems, but ones we will have to own up to soon.

When Bella laughs, I can’t help but gaze at her, tracking her every facial expression and looking for any sign that she might be uncomfortable. But I know her smile is genuine from the crinkle in her nose. She’s hardly vulnerable, if ever, but it feels good knowing she’s letting herself go in front of my friends.

“I haven’t told him yet.” I take a swig of my beer and ignore Jacob’s sharp intake of breath. “Bella was so adamant on keeping it a secret that I didn’t know how to broach the subject without her kicking me in the balls for the suggestion.”

He whistles slowly and pauses for a beat before responding. “You know Coach Summers isn’t going to be happy about it. His face will go purple, and that vein will pop out of his forehead again. I still remember that chat he had with the team when she joined the college as a freshman.”

“Yeah.” I knew the talk he was referring to all too well. He’d had it with the team every year in high school and since she’s been here at St. Michael’s college. Coach is only protective about two things in his life: his daughters and his scorecard. I’m almost certain Bella wasn’t aware of those talks, and I wasn’t about to be the one to tell her about them. She’s always looked up to her dad to the point that he can do no wrong in her eyes, so I don’t think she’d appreciate knowing that Daddy Dearest blacklisted her from all guys in high school and in college. “I tried to bypass those talks before,” I explain, taking a swig of my beer. “In high school, I was ready to put everything on the line, even got Coach’s reluctant permission to ask her to prom once.” I laugh at how naive I was back then. Bella wasn’t a girl you could win over by sitting on the sidelines. You had to play her game, or you had no chance.

“He said yes?”

“Like I said, reluctantly. He had all these rules laid out, which would have essentially led to me sitting next to her the whole night but not touching her, or looking at her.”

“So you didn’t go through with it?”

“Hell yes, I would have gone through with it. Any time that I could get with Bella was better than nothing. My best friend found out my plan and asked her out first. He’s pretty much the main reason we get those long, drawn-out lectures. Guessing Coach doesn’t want to see his little girl upset over a guy, especially if he can influence it.”

“Does she know about that?”

“Most of it. I left out getting Coach’s permission because I didn’t want her freaking out that Coach knew I liked her.”

“Makes sense. But now you’re trying your luck again? Only this time, you’re bypassing his permission. The year before you intend to enter the draft?” He has a point. Coach Summers threatens suspension over the smallest of misdemeanors, and Iknow dating his daughter could potentially put a wedge in our relationship, but Bella has always had the ability to make me want to risk it all.

“I’m not bypassing him. She wants this just as much as me, and once she’s comfortable, we’ll tell him together.”

“Better sooner rather than later,” he warns. “Don’t want one of the guys bringing it up in the locker room and Coach hearing it through them.”

“I know, I know.” I slap Jacob on the shoulder and push myself off the stool. “Bella and I will figure it out.” Looking at Bella again, she’s still talking with Reese, acting like he hung the moon. That’s my cue. “Anyway, I better head back to Bella before Reese forgets who brought her here tonight.”

“Sure thing,” Jacob says, playing with the coaster on the bar before watching the hockey game again.

“You good?” I ask, and he chuckles sadly.

“I’ll be fine. Thinking of asking Caroline on a date.”

“Caroline?” I raise my brows in surprise when he nods. Caroline’s been chasing him for years, even when he was with his ex. She’s been trying to flirt with me over the last year to make Jacob jealous, and I guess it finally worked. “Girl’s hot. Might as well.” It’s half-hearted, and we both know it. He doesn’t want Caroline, but the girl he does want is out of the question. “I’m here if you want to talk.”