Page 93 of My Secret Bandit

“Let go of me!” she hissed as she fought against my grip. “Matt! Tell your bodyguard to get her hands off me!”

I faked a giggle and threw the door open. “That’s cute. Bye now.”

I shoved her out just enough to slam the door and have it hit her as it closed.

Her voice traveled through the barrier. “He’ll be on my doorstep in no time. Just watch.”

“The fuck he will,” I scoffed.

When I turned, Mateo’s expression turned a complete one-eighty. A grin made of satisfaction and admiration replaced every ounce of irritation.

“That’s my girl.” He kissed the top of my head and sighed a soft breath of air. With his arm draped over my shoulders, he guided us back to the party.

“Did you have a good time?” I asked Mateo while we cleaned up the aftermath of a night well spent.

“Of course. I can’t believe Mari’s home! Or that I got to watch you throw Stephanie’s crazy ass outta the house! That shit’s priceless.” He chuckled. “I love Jealous Jameson, but I gotta say Protective Jameson is hot as hell. I thoroughly enjoyed watching that side of you tonight.”

“So glad I could do that for you,” I said with a small shake of my head. “I just hope your parents didn’t see.”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “Even if they did, who cares? You’re a badass and everyone should know it. Oh! We’re going to have breakfast before practice tomorrow, by the way.”

“Where are y’all going?”

“You mean where arewegoing? Official or not, you’re a part of this family, Jameson. That means you have to go to family breakfast too. Even if it is super fucking early.“ He smiled, collecting the last bit of trash from the kitchen.

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

I loved this, loved Mateo and his family and the way they happily accepted me into their lives without a second thought. I never felt like some stranger Mateo brought home. They all treated me like a lifelong friend.

I yawned and stretched my hands over my head.

“Tired?” When I nodded, he leaned over and kissed me. “Go upstairs, I’m gonna take this out then I’ll be up.”

He hauled full trash bags outside and I ran upstairs. In the bathroom, I freshened up my lipstick and added a dab of perfume. I threw my pants and socks into the hamper in the closet. Still in my black lace bodysuit and now tied lavender robe, I kneeled in the center of the bed, a bow tied gift box in front of me.

“Hey, baby. I’ve been thinking.” He stopped, losing all train of thought as he took in the display in front of him with a heavenly smile. “What’s this?”

“Open it.”

Silently, with his index finger and thumb, he pulled on the bow end until the knot unraveled for him. He lifted the lid, slowly revealing the leather-bound book. His long lashes lifted to me, then back down to the book.

A bolt of electricity shot through me when his fingers ran over the cover before picking it up. I moved the box aside for him to sit with me.

With the turn of the first page, his face popped up to mine. By the look on his face, he knew just how much courage it took for me to do this, and I hoped he knew it was because of him that I had the strength to push myself out of my comfort zone. “You did this for me?” he asked.

“I did.”

We looked over the pictures together and with every turn of the page, he had a new favorite picked out. “I can’t believe you did this. I love it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I said shyly as he got to the last page.

A picture of me in his jersey, arms up against the headboard, ankles crossed, booty popped and a bundled mess of hair off to the side to show his name and number. Digging into the front pocket of his jeans, he took out his phone and held it over the picture.

“Uh… what are you doing?”

“What? You thought you could take this bomb ass picture and have me not want it with me at all times?” He smiled, setting the photo to not just his home screen but his lock screen too.

A double dose of my ass cheeks ready for whoever borrowed his phone.

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