Page 54 of Catching Feelings

Holy crap. Miles Buckingham just kissed me.

?CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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MILES

I’m not sure if last night was ballsy smart or a stupid-ass way to fuck up my relationship with Rowan. Which has been strictly friendship. I was cool with the friendship gig until...I wasn’t.

There’s no way to pin-point when my feelings started to change toward her. Maybe it’s when Banksy and Potato—fucking love that nickname—fell hard and fast and got hitched, and seeing so many teammates my age married with kids.

Maybe it was turning thirty-two earlier this year and watching the years I have left in the NFL tick away.

Maybe it’s the way Rowan’s laughter lights up a room.

Or the way she’s so genuinely sweet and kind and makes you feel like you’re the center of the universe. Or at least her center when you’re with her. She listens without judgment, talks without bragging or looking for attention.

Or maybe it’s the way she smells. Vanilla and sweet and earthy like carrot cake. I snort as I turn toward her street. She’d love being compared to cake. Actually, I think she really would like that comparison.

She’s just inside the entry door to her building, which either means she’s as excited about this date as I am, or she has a lot of nervous energy and is hoping to get this over with as soon as possible.

I shake the second option out of my head. No way. I’m a fun guy to be with, and I’m a good kisser, from what I’ve been told. No way in Hell she isn’t excited about spending the evening with me.

“Hey, gorgeous.” I greet her with a kiss to her cheek as soon as she walks out of the door. “I hope you weren’t waiting long. I would have come up and greeted you at your apartment like a gentleman.”

I may have a juvenile sense of humor and struggle maintaining serious conversations—thank you, ADHD diagnosis in middle school—and I love to play hard on the football field and in the bedroom, but I can be a gentleman. No one would call me an asshole.

Well, Potato does from time to time, but I know in my heart it’s because he loves me so.

“No need.” Rowan waves her hand in front of her. “Parking can be difficult around here. I almost texted you telling you to pull up wherever and I’d find you.”

“Hell no.” I take her hand and walk us to my car. “I don’t want you standing alone on the sidewalk looking so pretty. No doubt someone else would swoop you up and there goes my dinner date.”

“So you’re more concerned about dining solo than my safety?” she teases.

“Damn straight. What would that do to my reputation?” I open the passenger door for her and wait for her to slide in.

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