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Brock chuckles. “Let me get rid of this condom and grab a washcloth,” he says, placing a kiss on my forehead before extracting himself from the bed.
I miss him instantly, but I’m so tired, I don’t even have the energy to open my eyes and enjoy the view of him walking away.
A few moments later, Brock returns from the bathroom with a warm wet cloth and moves it between my legs. “I can do that.”
“I know, but I want to.” He’s gentle as he wipes away the evidence of our lovemaking. The moment he throws the cloth on the bathroom floor, he climbs back into bed, pulling me into his arms, my back pressed to his front.
I’ve fallen asleep in his arms before, but this feels different. More intimate. After what we just shared, it feels deeper and more meaningful.
“I’m going to have to leave before you wake up in the morning,” he mumbles, holding me tightly against him and kissing my shoulder. “We have a team breakfast early and then we head to the field for some walk-throughs and warm-ups. I’ll be there all day, until kickoff.”
“I understand,” I whisper, hating that he has to leave so early, but mostly because he has to go before everyone wakes up and starts moving about. There’s too much at risk if we’re caught.
“We’re still telling your brother later this week, right?”
I nod, feeling more settled about the idea of talking to Caleb. “I’m ready to tell him.”
“Good,” he murmurs, gliding his lips across my bare skin. “I don’t want to hide us anymore.”
We stay in complete silence and contentment for a while, the only sound in the room the rumble of the air conditioning unit and the steady beat of his heart. “Brock?”
“Yes, love?”
“Tell me a story,” I whisper through another yawn.
“Once upon a time, there was a man. He fell so hard, so fast for the most beautiful woman in the world, he was completely blindsided by it. But now he has felt it, now that he knows what true love feels like, he can’t imagine his life any other way. He wants nothing more than to fall asleep beside her every night. But the man is also scared.”
I open my eyes, my heart clenching with worry, and can’t help but ask, “Why was he scared?”
He sighs and nuzzles my hair with his nose. “Because his job won’t make it easy on them. He’s gone a lot and is often the focus of paparazzi and tabloid bullshit.”
It makes me think back to the story I read weeks ago about him on the beach with Gisele Sorenson and the conversation we had in the pool about it. The photo, however, was taken out of context, something I’m probably going to have to get used to dealing with.
Again.
My life seems to always be front and center when it comes to selling dirt. The drama of my parents has consistently been something to help sell magazines. However, even though I know I could potentially deal with more crap, it’s not enough to keep me away from him.
He runs his finger up my arm. “I don’t ever want to hurt you, Sunshine. Promise me we’ll talk before you ever believe anything you read or hear, okay?”
Gosh, is this amazing man for real?
Turning in his arms, I press my naked chest against his. “I promise.”
Brock flashes me a quick grin. “Good. Now, tell me a story.”
I press my cheek to his chest and yawn. “Once upon a time, there was this ordinary lady—” I start but am interrupted.
“You’re anything but ordinary.”
“Hey, this is my story,” I tease, taking a playful swat at his shoulder.
“Sorry, sorry. Please continue. But… if you could refer to the lady as extraordinary, I’d appreciate it.”
Sighing, I shake my head and smile. “Fine. There was anextraordinarylady who was very excited to go to a football game the next night.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely. Especially since she’s going to be wearing a special jersey to the game. One for the man she loves.”
