Page 75 of Only in Your Dreams

Our heads swivel toward the field. Noah is off in the distance, waving his arms frantically in our direction. I manage to cut to the left just in time to catch an errant ball before it bashes Melody on the head. She squeaks as I jostle her to make the catch, and I quickly reach around her, pressing her to me before she falls over.

A chorus of howls go off on the field, players tipping their heads back as though baying at the moon. The Huskies Howl. That cheer used to thrill me while I played here. You’d hear it whenever we scored or pulled off an impressive play. Not that it happens much these days.

I wave them all quiet. “You okay?”

She grips the front of my shirt, disoriented by the sudden shift in our positions. And maybe that’s why she stays plastered to me a few seconds longer than necessary. Why she blinks up at me with her lips a little parted, but I’ve never been one to take my blessings for granted. She’s going to have to pry herself away from me.

“I’m…” Her grip tightens, and it pulls her body into mine like there’d even been the room for it. “I could have caught that, you know.”

I know. I’ve seen her reflexes in action. She used to throw around a ball with me and Parker back then, and I’d put money down on her making that catch every day.

I brush a strand of hair off her cheek. “It’s all yours next time.”

Her mouth pinches into a reluctant smile. I want to kiss this woman so bad. Every night I tell hergoodnightwithout touching her, kissing her, and it feels like carving a chunk out of my own soul.

With a lingering tug of the front of my shirt, Melody steps away, putting a respectful couple feet of distance between us. I whip around, finding Noah.

“Keep your passes under control or your ass is on the bench,” I bark at him.

The entire field collectively freezes. Even the quiet guy in the stands raises a curious gaze from his textbook.

That was probably a bit much.

Melody watches, amused, as Noah sheds his helmet to reveal a shit-eating grin as he approaches. “Wow, Zac. You really set him straight.”

“Everyone knows his bark is bigger than his bite,” Noah tells her when he reaches us. “And experiencing said bark is totally worth it if it gets me some answers. I didn’t realize you were seeing someone, Coach. Let me tell you, it’s about fucking time—”

I cough loudly. Melody takes in the traitorous color in my face and presses her lips together in an amused semi-smile.

“Oh, we’re not together,” she tells Noah. “He begged me for a date, but I politely declined.”

Little brat.

“She like to play hard to get,” I clarify innocently. “Only a matter of time, though.”

She’s the one blushing now. “He’s just an old friend of my brother’s. We all went to high school together.”

“She sleeps over every night.”

“The key word there issleep.”

“In my bed. Every night. She can’t stay away.”

“It’s completely platonic.”

“Only because Ipolitely declinedher advances. Did I mention there’s spooning?”

Noah glances between us, now amused as hell. He puts a hand out toward Mel. “Melody Woods, right? I haven’t seen you around town in years. You look amazing.”

Excuse me?

The punk ass kid actually allows his eyes to drop the length of Mel’s body. They hover several milliseconds too long on her thighs.

Oh, hell fucking no.

“Why do you look so familiar?” Mel asks, taking Noah’s hand.

“If you went to school with Coach, then you were in the same grade as my sister Georgia. I’m Noah Irving.”

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