Page 50 of Trapped and Tackled

I fight my eye roll and move to the trunk, stowing her bag with mine.

“You ready?” I ask.

“Yep,” she says, widening her stance as if we’re about to face off.

Hell, are we?

I fight my grin.

Leni slides into my passenger seat and I slip back behind the steering wheel. We pull out of her driveway in silence, and I point my ride toward a decent burger joint Gage introduced me to.

The tension pulls between us, taut and ready to snap, like a rubber band.

At the first red light, I decide to be the bigger person.

“I’m sorry—” I start.

“I wanted to kiss you,” she admits at the same time.

“What?” I stare at her.

Leni sighs and pushes her head back into the headrest. Her fingers twist in her lap. Before I can stop myself, I reach over to clasp both of her hands in one of mine.

“Why are you sorry?” she asks.

Shit. The light turns green, and I ease the SUV forward.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. And I don’t want to cross any lines.”

“Because of my dad.”

“Football is my entire life,” I admit, half apology, half stating a fact.

“Yeah, I get that.”

“No.” I shake my head, sliding my palm over the top of the steering wheel. “It’s really like the only thing I have going for me. I’m not like you, Len. I didn’t grow up with parents and options and security.” I blow out a breath.

She turns toward me and pushes those sunglasses up onto the top of her head. Her blue eyes hold mine and fuck if I don’t want to drown in them.

“I’m not saying this to upset you. I’m saying it so you understand where I’m coming from. I don’t know how to do this.” I squeeze her fingers. “I don’t know how to do anything, cultivate any type of relationship, that isn’t connected to my team. It’s all I’ve ever known.”

“You’ve never…dated?” she asks, confusion in her tone.

“Not for real. I’ve taken women out on dates, yes. Wined and dined them? Sure. Saw a few more than two or three times.” I squint, trying to recall the women I had brief flings with. “Twice,” I confirm. “But a real relationship? With talks about the future and going to meet a woman’s parents and being included in conversations about their lives or careers?” I shake my head. “Never.”

Her mouth drops open, and I note the shock in her irises.

“Kissing you, hell, being with you, it’s confusing for me. I like hanging with you, Leni. I like talking and saying shit that’s real and substantial for once. But…” I sigh and pause as I pull into the parking lot of the burger place. “But you’re my coach’s daughter. Your dad pulled me through a really dark time and showed up for me when my mom passed.”

Leni sucks in a deep breath, horrified. I squeeze her fingers again.

Parking the SUV, I turn it off and look at Leni.

“I don’t want to disappoint a man I admire so much, Leni.”

“Why would you disappoint him?” she wonders.

I snort. She’s so naïve. Sweet and good and big-hearted. “Babe, I’m not good enough for you.”

---