“That shirt looks good on you,” he says, eyes raking over me hungrily.
“Coffee?” I pivot the conversation and hand him a mug.
“Thanks.”
I set my mug down on the table and sink into a chair, taking a deep breath to steel myself. “Oliver, we need to talk about this.”
He nods and sits down across from me. “Okay.” He smiles at me like he didn’t kiss the life out of me last night and shatter all my rules. He leans back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head like he’s still waking up, but I think he’s doing it on purpose. I can’t focus when his abs are on display like that.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I mutter, flustered.
“Like what?”
“Like you’ve seen me naked.”
“But I have seen you naked,” he says, voice laced with amusement. “And I liked seeing you naked.”
I glance up at him, my voice finally locked in and serious. “I broke a rule last night, Oliver.”
“Wedid,” he corrects me, unbothered.
“Fine.Wedid.”
His smirk fades. “Are you saying you regret it?”
“No, no,” I say quickly, waving my hands. “That’s the thing. Ilikedit.”
His eyes meet mine and he smiles softly. “Me too.”
“I don’t know what to do here,” I say with a shrug. “This is complicated, Oliver.”
“I know,” he says quietly, like he thinks I’m about to end whateverthisis.
I don’t say anything for a moment. I just let the thought sit on the tip of my tongue while I decide if I like the taste of it. “You’re the captain, Oliver. I’m the PR.”
“I’m well aware.”
“Would you let me finish?” I say, smiling playfully.
Oliver falls silent, though I can see the questions behind his eyes.
I draw in a breath. “What I’m saying is… we both have our roles. We’re already walking a tightrope with the team and the film crew around. If we keep doing this, we need to be careful.”
His eyes lift with a glimmer of hope. “You want to keep doing this?”
I laugh once, mostly at myself.
“I think we've both established that pretending there isn't something here isn't working.”
He nods slowly. “What do you suggest?”
“No one can know. Not the coaches. Not the team. Not Matt. We have to keep this quiet.”
“And what isthis?”
“I’m here until the end of the season, Oliver. That was always the plan.”
“I know.”
