Page 79 of Resisting the Running Back

But where’s the lie, really?

I guess it’s in the fact that we haven’texactlyadmitted our feelings for one another, and maybe it’s because I’m not even really sure where we stand. I know one thing for certain, though.

I can’t get enough of Miller Banks.

I just don’t know exactly how he feels about me, but we’ll be in tight quarters together for the next week. I can’t think of a better time for the truth to come out.

The only problem is that there are just a whole hell of a lot more truths that emerge over the next week than I ever thought possible.

CHAPTER 36: Miller Banks

Definitely Paradise

This really is the goddamn life.

I’m sitting on the balcony of our room as I stare out over the ocean. We just boarded and found our stateroom, a suite that’s luxurious for two, and for the record, the bathroom is big enough and far enough away from the bed that even if one of us does get food poisoning, the healthy person won’t have to listen to every detail of the sick person’s bathroom shenanigans.

Sophie wanted a piña colada, citing it as her officialcruise drink, so I got one for myself as well. The straws aren’t paper like we’ve become accustomed to in California, but instead happen to be made of some sort of edible substance. I take a bite, and I take a sip, the sunshine warm on my face as I sit back and relax.

In two weeks, all hell will break loose as training camp kicks off a new season, but right now, that’s the last thing on my mind.

At the forefront is definitely sex with Sophie, and somewhere just behind that is figuring out where to order my next drink from.

We thought about exploring the ship, but we have an entire week to make that happen. Right now, my only interest is sitting on this balcony with my girl and our piña coladas.

Everyone else in the family is boarding, too. It’s too big a group for us to have planned boarding the ship together, but we have a standing dinner reservation for thirty-two, and I assume we’ll have an entire section of the restaurant where we can meet and sit with various groups within our party. I called the guest service desk and asked if they could do something to spoil the newlyweds, too, and it sounds like Tanner and Cassie ended up with a pretty kickass suite.

Not that we have anything to complain about. We’re up toward the top of the boat, and the views are incredible from up here. Endless ocean in front of us, and I hear my girl let out a soft sigh as she slips into the chair beside me.

“This is amazing,” she says, and she leans her head back as she sucks down some of her piña colada.

“A whole week of this? It’s paradise.”

“A whole week with Miller Banks? Definitely paradise.”

My lips lift into a smile. “Now that’s something I thought I’d never hear.”

“Should we test out the bed?”

I laugh. “Fuck yes, we should.” We abandon our piña coladas, and it sounds like whoever is next to us is breaking in their own bed, too.

As we find out about an hour later when we exit our suite to start exploring, it’s Grayson and Ava, who are exiting their suite at the same time.

They tell us Grace and Spencer are on our floor, too. Tanner and Cassie have the presidential suite two floors up from us, Lincoln and Jolene have a family suite with their three kids near the kids’ club a few decks below us, and parents are scatteredeverywhere on the ship—including mine, Sophie’s, Cassie’s, and most of the clan of Nashes and Nash-in-laws.

At least Sophie’s parents didn’t end up in Grayson’s room. That would’ve been awkward.

We’re up on the top deck playing a game of mini golf with our stateroom neighbors when the ship’s horn blasts a few feet away from us. Sophie jumps at the sound, and I can’t help but laugh...until it blows again, and this time I’m the one who jumps.

I guess that’s the signal that the ship is about to start sailing, so we head over with everyone else toward the railing to watch as we start to move away from the dock.

My arm is around Sophie, who’s leaning into my side, and I breathe in the slightly humid, warm, sea-salty air as I memorize everything about this moment. The scent of her summer garden shampoo wraps around me, mixing with the sea air as the wind starts to lightly kiss our faces.

I lean down and press a soft kiss to her temple, and she glances up at me with a smile playing at her lips. I can’t see her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses, but I can still read her like a book. I lean down and find her lips with mine. It’s just a quick, tender kiss, but it’s the kind of kiss that tells me she’s as content as I feel.

Maybe this really will work out for us.

A moment later, Grayson is recognized, and then me. Word is already out that the Nash and Banks families are on board, and it’s fine. Let’s get this over with because once people have their pictures, they’ll leave us alone. I guess that’s the advantage of being on a cruise ship—eventually everyone will get a turn since there’s a limit to the number of people on board.

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