Page 83 of Sneak Attack

“Oh.”

He kissed me, smirking as he moved in and tugged my bottom lip in between his with finesse and intention until I gasped, opened for him. One of his hands settled at my hip while he braced himself with his hand on the wall behind me.

With one single, teasing swipe of his tongue against mine, I once again forgot about everything. Marley’s sickness, the way she’d stumbled earlier and almost missed catching the back of the couch. There was my mom, whose phone calls had gone silent since I returned but now knew was checking up with Kate. I stopped worrying if Jasper liked me or how badly Selma hated me.

Everything except peace and freedom and excitement melted away as Cole moved closer, pressed his chest against mine, tilted his head and took the kiss deeper.

His kiss was swift and firm and delicious enough to make me forget all but one thing.

“Wait,” I rasped. “Slow down.”

His forehead pressed against mine. “Okay. I know. Too much.”

“It’s not that. I’m scared Marley’s going to come out waving Darryl’s old shotgun and demand to know your intentions for me.”

Cole chuckled and ran his nose along the side of mine as he stood back.

“I doubt Marley would like to know then, that my intentions with you are very, very wicked.”

“Shut up.” I slapped him. He was so confident. So open, and I admired those qualities almost as much as his work ethic on the field. “You should go. I need to help Marley get to bed.”

His humor wiped away to a clean slate. “She okay? Any more falls?”

“A stumble earlier, but she was okay. It’s just scary to watch. And sad.”

“I know.” He cupped my cheek. “I’m glad you came back, you know. Even if it was just for her, I’m glad she has you helping her.”

“Ididcome back just for her.”

“Okay.”

The arrogance. If I was younger, more naive, I’d kick him in the shin.

“Go home, Cole. Get your son.”

“I will, but I wanted you to know, our game is away this weekend.”

“You play Saturday this weekend, right?”

He nodded. “Saturday night, but we’re heading up to New England and it’s a night game so we’re flying out first thing Friday and returning Sunday.” His black, thick brows tugged together.

“Okay. So…?”

“I’ve never done this.”

When he stopped, was I supposed to translate the rest of his thought? “What? Kissed a girl against Marley’s house?”

“No. Dated someone. I’ve never had to date someone and maneuver around my travel and Jasper and everything else.”

“Jasper comes first, Cole. Always. Then your job.”

“I know…but maybe I want you to be right up there with him and I don’t know how to divide my time.”

“Hey.” Odd how the positions flipped and now he was worried. There were still a lot of things I was terrified about, top of the list—what were we doing? What were we—but this? Not a concern.

“Your focus is on you, your son, and how you provide for that. I can wait, Cole, for when there’s time.”

“I just, I don’t think I’ll be able to see you this week, and I’m not happy about it, but once the season starts and I’m on the road so much I have so little time with Jasper.”

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