Page 95 of Their Greatest Strength

“Oh, I know. I remember that quite well.”

When I take a step past him, he’s dropping his hand and ghosting the back of it across my ass.

I whip my head to stare at him, and he grins before leaning down to steal a kiss for the reporters right here in the doorway. It’s the first one since our wedding, and I’m just as sucked into it this time as I was then.

His lips are so soft and patient despite the sharp hunger that passes between us. Without pushing, he encourages my lips to part and guides us backward. His tongue glides along my bottom lip at the same time my back hits the door.

It’s so easy to tune out the world with Jamie. His energy is captivating, and with the bleeding heart in his chest, it’s impossible not to carve a special place in your soul just for him.

I’ve never experienced such a draw to someone before. Such an overwhelming desire to simply give in and let him take care of me. My heart screams that I wouldn’t regret it, but my mind and plain old-fashioned inability to give my heart to someone are always quick to slap me with reality.

Still, I can’t physically pull myself away from him, and he’s too aware of that. He knows the moment he touches me, I’m putty in his arms, yet he hasn’t once used that to take advantage.

Jamie Bateman is a good man.

The reminder melts me until I’m clinging onto his arms and brushing my chest against the strong expanse of his. His ability to affect me so intensely should be studied. But the question is, if I was offered a cure, would I even take it?

The answer is glaringly obvious when I curl my fingers in the hair at his nape and tug him closer, intensifying the kiss all on my own.

His answering groan shoots right between my legs to where I’m wet and aching. I trap a noise of my own and gently dig my teeth into his bottom lip, trying like hell to gain some sort of power back here.

Before I can gain even an inch of it, we’re being interrupted by a low clearing of a throat. I’m only half in my head because instead of jumping back, I relax in the arms that automatically find a place around my waist.

“Would you mind answering a few questions before practice, Jamie?”

Jamie’s arms tighten around me, the air around us sharpening with his annoyance. I lean back to stare up at him when I register his emotions, so unused to seeing him bluntly showing this one.

The tick in his tight jaw is obvious without a beard to hide it. With his swollen lips parted and downturned, it’s like he’s making a conscious effort not to snap at whoever his guy is.

Slowly, he shelves his frustration and warms his expression. I notice every single twitch of his brow and feature that’s been lifted a bit too high or pulled too tight that gives away his façade.

Meeting the antsy gaze of the singular reporter, he tips his chin. “Yeah, Bobby. What do you have for me?”

We move out of the doorway, letting the door shut with a gust of air against our backs. I interlock our fingers, and he immediately starts twirling my rings.

Ready with his recorder in his hand, the Bobby guy grins at Jamie and spares me half a glance. “I hear congratulations are in order for you two.”

“Yeah, man. Blakely did us all a favour and married me before I got caught making a fool of myself begging her to agree. I’ve never been happier,” Jamie declares, continuing to twirl my ring.

“I’m sure many people are happy to hear that. The better you play out there, the better it is for all the Pythons fans. Which,speaking of the fans, should they be nervous that you might not be completely focused on the game now that you’re so freshly married? I assume you’ve been very busy as newlyweds.”

I bristle, and Jamie’s palm grows cold in my hold. His grin has a serrated edge, but he keeps it classy while I’m struggling to keep my tongue between my teeth.

“I’d say that it’s actually the opposite. Blakely loves the game nearly as much as I do. Her passion is one of the first things that drew me to her when we met. For guys in this sort of career, it’s almost second nature to write off ordinary fans of the sport as potential romantic partners out of fear of something unauthentic, but that’s not the case at all. At least it wasn’t for me. My wife is the first to lay it out straight for me when it comes to both my gameplay and any stupid thing I do or say off the field. To be honest, I think players should be less hesitant to make a move on the beautiful woman they notice in the stands during a game.” He drops his chin and catches my waiting gaze. “You never know if she could be the one, and you’re risking losing your one chance to have her.”

My belly flutters, the reporter disappearing. A dimple in Jamie’s cheek pops as he tips the corner of his mouth up high. Somehow, when he’s smiling like that, he becomes even better-looking than normal.

“What do you think, Blakely? As far as I know, you haven’t spoken much to the media. Is there a reason for that?” Bobby asks.

It annoys me that I have to look away from Jamie. What the fuck is that about? I seriously need to get a grip.

“I haven’t felt the need to. I’m not here to prove myself to anyone,” I say.

“You don’t think so? What about to those who think you’ve chosen a great moment to hook yourself to a player whose value has skyrocketed over the past season?”

Due to my lack of time on social media, I actually didn’t know that was being said about me. It doesn’t surprise me, but Iwould think that Jamie would have told me that by now. Or Sadie, at least. Maybe they don’t think it’s a concern.

“Jamie could be worth nothing in this league and I would still be here beside him. So, I don’t really care what anyone is saying. And I think it’s pretty damaging and discouraging to other women out there to spew a narrative like that. Just because a woman likes football, or any sport for that matter, doesn’t mean that she should be pushed aside because she’s believed to be a gold digger or a fake,” I rant, skin prickling with words I’m not allowing myself to say.

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