Her gaze held mine, searching, steady. “And you want it here.”
“I saw an opportunity,” I said confidently, then smiled. “It does mean you’ll be stuck sharing a stadium with me for a while, though.”
The side of her mouth lifted, her eyes sparkling. “So you’re telling me this whole grand plan ends with me stuck seeing your face every day?”
I winked. “Lucky you.”
Her teeth captured that plump bottom lip, slowly releasing it. Then she hummed, the sound going straight to my dick. “I guess I could get used to the view.”
I leaned in, pulling her toward me too. I wished there wasn’t a table separating us. “I want to be clear about something too,” I said quietly. “I want more with you. I want you in my life—my bed, in my phone as my girl, my future. I wantyou.”
Her eyebrow lifted, a spark of challenge there that I’d always crave from her. “Is that so?”
I smiled, big and wide, unable to hide it. “And I want you involved in the program, as much or as little as you want to be.”
Her gaze smoothed, but she didn’t look away. “You’re asking for a lot,” she said, voice light but steady.
“I am,” I admitted, my stomach fluttering out of nowhere.
“Good. I don’t do small asks.” Her gaze dipped to our hands, then back to me. “And for the record? If I’m involved, I’m all in.”
Relief burst throughout my body, giving me goosebumps. I wanted to haul myself over this table and kiss her, claim her for everyone to see. “Yeah?”
She nodded. “I want to be yours as much as I want you to be mine, for real, no secrets.”
Elation filled my body, but I didn’t have time to react because a chair scraped loudly beside us. I had no concept of the world around us, but it was back as soon as Jake’s voice cut through it.
“Well,” Jake announced, dropping into the seat like he owned it, “this feels intimate.” He looked down at our joined hands, and I thought Teddy might pull away, but she didn’t. My heart emboldened behind my ribs.
Evie appeared at Teddy’s shoulder. “You guys!” she squealed.
Micah, Bobby, and Nate followed in after them too. “The group chat is going wild, dude.”
Micah crossed her arms, eyeing us both with that sharp, assessing look of hers. “You realize you’ve emotionally destabilized half the league today, right?”
“I got a bone to pick with you,” Teddy said to Micah, and she held her hands up in surrender.
“I cried. Jake cried,” Evie said cheerfully.
“I didnotcry,” Jake protested. “I have allergies.”
Evie patted his cheek, murmuring that it was okay to cry, when Nate chimed in, “You planning on telling us what the hell is going on?”
I looked at Micah and Bobby, sharing a grateful look that they hadn’t told anyone anything yet about us.
Jake leaned forward eagerly. “My current understanding is: you’re staying, you’re building a girls’ rugby empire, and you’ve somehow locked this down.” He gestured between Teddy and me. “Which is awesome. Power fucking couple incoming.”
Teddy snorted a laugh. “Are we officially outed?” she asked, looking at me. There was no fear on her face, just pure happiness.
“I had a feeling by the way Connor always had heart eyes during your games,” Jake said. “Dude couldn’t keep his eyes off you.”
“Thanks, lad.” I coughed, rubbing my neck. “I love looking pathetic.”
Rounds of condolences and reassurances echoed through the group at my expense, but I only had eyes for the girl opposite, who was smiling directly at me.
I laughed. “Think you’re ready for all this, sunshine?”
Teddy nodded. “You and me against the world, right?”
