Page 79 of Play Maker

I threaded my hands through his hair, shorter now that the season had started, and tugged until I could see his face. “The TU social media harpies haven’t picked up on our relationship yet. I don’t care, but Chloe thinks if you took your hottie girlfriend out more often they’d stop speculating about you and every ball bunny within fifty feet.”

Adam turned his head to kiss my wrist. “We’re fixing that problem today, Sunshine. You’re coming to the game.”

Today was their first real game of the season after what he called a “cupcake” game in week one. I was slowly learning the terminology, but much of it didn’t make sense to me. We only had about an hour before he had to head out to the stadium.

“You know what might help?” he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m not going to the game topless.”

He laughed and pulled a jersey out from under his pillow. “How about in this then?”

I twisted my lips and spread it out to trace the letters of his last name. “You want me to go to a game with your name branded across my back?”

Adam sat up, propping himself on his fist. “Yes, but with less feudal undertones. You’ll match Chloe.”

“Chloe won’t be wearing your name.”

“No, but I want you to. I want everyone to know you’re mine—and I want you to keep wearing my name when we graduate and you come with me wherever I get drafted.”

My eyes cut to him. “What are you asking me?”

He picked up my left hand, playing with my fingers. “I thought I was pretty clear. You’re my future. I know you need your space, and you want to build your own career, but I was hoping you could do that with me.”

“You want me to move in with you,” I clarified. “After graduation?”

“Unless you’re finally ready to marry me,” he quipped.

I leaned closer to brush my mouth over his. “Yes.”

He stilled, pulling back to meet my eyes. “What?”

“Yes,” I repeated. “I’ll marry you, but we should probably wait until we find out what team you’re going to in the draft.”

For the first time, I’d struck Adam speechless. He framed my face and kissed me, slow and sweet. I could spend all day, every day kissing him.

“Say the words, Blue,” he whispered.

“I love you, Adam.”

“And you’re going to marry me.” He punctuated the sentence with kisses along my jaw.

I laughed low. “And I’m going to marry you. One day, far in the future.”

“And you’ll wear my jersey to the game today.”

“And I’llthink aboutwearing your jersey to the game today.”

“Good enough,” he murmured, his weight settling between my legs.

* * *

I wore the jersey.After the guys and RJ left early, I caught a ride with Chloe and Eva, who gave me a disgusted look when I climbed into her car with Mackenzie across my back.

Adam had been right. I matched Chloe, happy and vibrant in Noah’s jersey. Eva wore her cheer uniform and spent the entire drive complaining about her new living arrangements. She’d stayed with me for a few days, but a tiny house was no place for two women and a duck.

We met up with my mom and Archer—there for a friendly, non-date according to them—and split off. Eva hopped down to the field to join her squad warming up, and I had the weird sensation of being watched again.

For a split second, my lizard brain tried to insist Shad was there, a nasty side effect from the night of the party, but Shad was nowhere near the TU stadium. After he’d tried to get Adam benched, several TAs from the ABC came forward and accused him of sexual harassment.

---