Page 77 of The Playbook

She bit her bottom lip before finally speaking. “Are we moving too fast?”

“Are we?” I took her hand and twined my fingers around hers. “If I’m going too fast with anything, just tell me. I don’t want to push you.”

“I-I want to be with you,” she said hoarsely. “Like, asmore.”

“OK?” I wasn’t following her train of thought.

Her next words surprised me. “I’m scared though. I’ve never…youknow, with anyone…and I know you have. Plus, everyone just kind of does it nowadays—”

“Oh,” I said, blinking rapidly.

Sure, I’d thought about it.A lot, if I were being honest, but I also knew Grace. She wasn’t like the other girls I knew, so it was a surprise to hear her say it.

“Sex,” I whispered.

She nodded wordlessly.

Fuck. I breathed in. “Gracie, we don’t need to have sex. I enjoy your company. I love being around you. Sex is great and amazing, but I don’t want to do it unlessyou’recomfortable doing it. We’ll go at your pace. If you think I’m coming on too strong, just say so, and I’ll back the fuck off.”

“You aren’t,” she said quickly, her cheeks staining red. “I-I liked what we did before. I just don’t want to hold you back—”

I let out a groan and dragged her back into my arms and held her tightly. “Trust me. You aren’t holding me back. I want to have sex with you more than anything. Someday. When you’re ready. Until then, I’ll settle for your kisses, your touches, and your sarcasm. OK?” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she let out a soft laugh, her fingers twisted in my t-shirt.

As out of character as it was for me, I truly was content to take things slowly with her. She mattered. I didn’t want to do anything to risk losing her.

“Come on. Let’s take some drinks up to my room and get you settled in. I have something you can wear to bed.” I released her, opened the fridge, and grabbed a couple bottles of water and soda before nodding for her to follow me.

Upstairs, I placed everything on my nightstand. I sauntered to my closet and brought out one of my jerseys. Happily, I handed it to her along with a pair of sweatpants. “This should be comfortable.”

She stared down at it and shook her head before taking it from me and going to my attached bathroom.

The doorbell rang as she closed the door, so I huffed it downstairs and pulled the front door open to find a delivery guy on my front step. I paid him and took the boxes to the kitchen where I grabbed paper plates and napkins before rushing back upstairs to my room, my nerves making my heart race. Any time I was alone with Grace, my body went on high alert.

I’d just settled the pizza on my bed when Grace walked out of my bathroom in nothing but my jersey, her bare legs on display and her black hair a wild mess around her.

Shit. I swore my heart stopped as I stared at her.

Then it jolted to life again when she approached me and rested her warm hand on my chest. “You’re right. This is comfortable.” Her other hand fidgeted with the hem of the jersey.

Wordlessly, I watched as her hand drifted away from me. She sashayed to the bed and settled down after pulling out a cheesy slice of pizza.

I was right. Grace Matthews was beautiful perfection.

And she was all mine.

CHAPTER37

Grace

“WhichStar Warsmovie is your favorite?” Logan looked at me with wide eyes as we lounged on his bed after watching a couple movies.

We hadn’t even watchedStar Wars, but he’d asked at random.

“New Hope.”

“What?” He snorted at me like I’d just peed on his carpet.

“What?” I laughed. “It’s the first movie. It’s what introduced an epic adventure. How can younotlike it?”

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