Page 20 of Match Point

“The advice didn’t help. He still loses to Apollo Creed.”

“Wow, spoilers,” I said.

“I think the statute of limitations has ended on a movie that came out in the seventies.”

“Regardless. I think I’ve sapped too much of your energy tonight. The last thing I want you doing is blaming me if you somehow lose tomorrow.”

“You think I’ll lose tomorrow?”

“I think you’ll dominate tomorrow,” I replied. “But stranger things have happened. I lost in the first round at Roland Garros four years ago because I wasn’t focused enough.”

“So you think I’ll be too distracted by tonight’s events to focus?”

“Stop twisting my words,” I murmured into his chest.

We cuddled in happy silence for a while.

“Miranda?” he asked softly.

“Hmm?”

“I wish this had happened sooner.”

I sat up onto an elbow so I could look into his beautiful face. “Me too. You should have bought me a lemon vodka spritzyearsago.”

He snorted. “I was too intimidated.”

“Intimidated?” I almost choked laughing. “Of me? I was intimidated by you!”

“Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious. You were the popular guy at the Academy. Everyone liked you. All the girls had crushes on you. There’szeroreason for you to be intimidated by me.”

Dominic sat up in bed. “By the time I played in my first major, you were ranked number one in the world. You were already halfway to a career grand slam, with wins at Wimbledon and the US Open. I was a nobody.”

I shook my head. “No. You weren’t.”

“I was, Miranda.”

“You weren’t a nobody to me. You were…” I trailed off.

“What?” he asked, eyes boring intently into mine. “What was I?”

“You were one of the first boys I ever kissed,” I replied. “You were the guy I thought about for years later, long after the Academy was a distant memory. And when you finally made the pro tour, and were coming to all the same major tournaments as me, you acted like I didn’t exist.”

“To me, I felt like the noob who didn’t belong,” he replied gently. “I knew you existed, Miranda. How could I not? I watched every one of your matches. All the ones I could, anyway. If I had known…”

I chuckled softly. “I can see your point. And I’m glad to know how you felt. But it’s in the past.”

Dominic cupped my cheek. “The past sucks. I like the present. And at present, I know exactly what I want to do.” He crawled toward me until I was falling back on the bed.

“What about women weakening legs?” I asked.

He grinned. “Fuck my legs.”

As he kissed me, I forgot all about my protests.

9

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