Page 59 of Out of Bounds

“There’s probably no chance that your roommate’s going to be willing to sit up all night with your ass, huh?” Gunnar asked, his stomach dropping at the thought. Liam’s roommate was Dash, who had been plenty vocal about his plans for a night out after the game. If it were any other night he’d volunteer, but he’d promised Felicity a real date. And to be quite honest, he was looking forward to it himself.

“I can stay with him,” the trainer volunteered. Liam perked up at the statement, giving Gunnar a look that told him to take her up on the offer.

“Thank you…” he trailed off, realizing he still didn’t know this girl’s name.

“Avery Houghton.”

“Thank you, Avery. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a hot date.”

“Your right hand doesn’t count as a date, Coach,” Liam hollered as Gunnar walked out of the locker room.

If you only knew, kid…if you only knew…

Chapter Twenty-One

The San Antonio River Walk was abuzz with all sorts of sights and sounds as Gunnar and Felicity climbed out of the Lyft they had taken downtown. When Gunnar had asked the guy at the front desk of their hotel where the best place in town to go for dinner was, the young man hadn’t hesitated to tell him that this was the part of town they needed to head to. The bigger question, apparently, was just what kind of food Gunnar had been looking for. Armed with a list of recommendations, the hotel clerk had sent Gunnar on his way, attempting to figure out just that.

The choice between Tex-Mex, Italian, and Barbeque—all three of which had come highly recommended from both the kid at the hotel and the Internet—had stumped him for a bit, since two of those food genres weren’t ones he was used to. However, after asking Cowboy what he should make sure to try while he was in Texas, he was pointed in the direction of a little place called Fiery Caballero.

“If we were home in Austin, or even over in Houston, this would be a much harder choice between Tex-Mex and Barbeque, but we’re in San Antone! Here, you go for Tex-Mex!” Cowboy said.

Gunnar took a moment to drink Felicity in as she stood on the sidewalk, looking absolutely breathtaking in her fitted jeans, flowy bright pink cotton top, and a pair of black knee-high boots that almost made her look like she was ready for an old-fashioned English hunt. Almost. But more than anything, she looked relaxed and comfortable in her own skin, and Gunnar couldn’t ask for anything more.

She turned and looked at him, her eyes lighting up as a smile took over her face. Damn, did that smile make him feel special. That was a look that very few people had probably ever seen, and one that he was not going to take for granted. A look that lit him up inside, and he intended to make sure she knew exactly how much.

Closing the gap between them in just a few strides, he snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her into him hard. She gasped a little as her body collided with his, but he didn’t wait for her to exhale before capturing her mouth in his. Her lips were soft, sweet, and just a little bit sticky from her lip gloss. She kissed him back, slowly at first, then with a little more umph as their tongues met. Her hands were on his chest, fingernails grazing along his pecs, driving him wild. They had spent plenty of time kissing during their nights together, but there was something about this one that was different. Maybe it was because they were out in public, but this kiss went deeper than the others. It meant something.

Gunnar felt her body relax into him, so he tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her impossibly closer and deepening the kiss. She felt so fucking good in his arms. This whole thing just felt right. It was a feeling he’d thought he’d never experience again, but here he was, on a sidewalk in Texas of all places, feeling it once more.

Felicity pulled back from the kiss, her eyes still half-closed, like she was still lost in the magic of the moment. He kept her body flush against his, not wanting to let go just yet. He’d told her that he wanted to show her how amazing she was, and he was only getting started.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he asked, placing a light kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“Yes, a couple of times. I get it, you like this outfit,” she responded. She shook her head slightly, a laugh escaping as she did, making her luscious blonde hair shift over her shoulders, glowing from the bright lights of everything around them.

“It’s not the outfit, it’s you. And it’s not just tonight, it’s all the time,” he told her, meaning every word. The smile that was on her face dissolved, her mouth falling open. He could see her trying to process his words, trying to come up with some kind of comeback, before stopping herself. She was fighting her kneejerk reaction to put those walls right back up and fight off the compliment, but he wasn’t going to let her. “I mean it, Effie. You are beautiful, inside and out, even if you don’t let the world see it. Thank you for letting me in on the secret.”

Felicity let out a soft sound, a mix between a scoff and a laugh, her head falling forward for a moment, before she looked back up at him, her eyes glassy and her cheeks slightly flushed. “Thank you for being a good secret keeper.”

He gave her a wink, letting her go and stepping back. The cool evening air surrounded him, and he missed the feel of her body against him instantly, but he knew if he kept this up, they’d never make it to dinner. So he grabbed her hand and led her toward Fiery Caballero.

They greeted the hostess, who led them to a table for two right along the river's edge. The small table sat under a large, bright yellow umbrella and was one of many that lined the patio area in front of the bustling restaurant. Each table had a different color umbrella, adding to the festive feel of the River Walk. Gunnar peered over his shoulder and straight down into the river. A waiter appeared, taking their drink orders as he gave the three-foot railing that separated them from the dark water a firm shake to test out its stability. He did not want either of them to end up wet on their perfect date—unless it was Felicity, all hot and bothered from his efforts, and that was a very different kind of wet.

“This place is beautiful,” Felicity said after the waiter dropped off their drinks. “I love all the vibrant colors and lights. It just feels…fun.”

“Best Tex-Mex in San Antonio,” he commented, repeating Cowboy’s words.

“Do you even know what Tex-Mex is?”

“Uh, no,” he laughed. “I’m just repeating what I’m told. But I sounded cool, yes?”

“Very,” she giggled. The sound sent a rush through him, making him reach across the table and take her hand.

“Tell me, did you ever want to do anything other than work for Southland Holdings?”

Felicity quirked her head to the side, her lips pursed, making a face like she was trying to recall the name of a person she hadn’t seen in many years. He hadn’t thought that it was a hard question, but based on her expression, he was rethinking his assumption.

“I wouldn’t say always. But, for a long time, yeah. There was always the assumption that Tripp would take over for my father, but I don’t think I was on anyone’s radar. At least not in that way. And I guess I can’t really blame them too much, since as a teenager I wasn’t really focused on anything productive. I was too busy acting out in hopes that it would make my father notice me.”