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“Isn’t there a light?” I said.
Bella fiddled with her phone and turned on the flashlight to illuminate the dark hall. “It’s broken.”
I mumbled half the way up the creaky stairs. When we got to the landing at the top of two flights, Bella stopped and motioned to the only door. “This is me.”
I put my hands on my hips and shook my head. “I’m so freaked out about your lack of security that I can’t even appreciate that I have you alone in a dark hall.”
“It’s not that bad…”
“Your security is a frail, eighty-year-old man who’s watching soap operas, and some guy just jumped out of your bushes.”
She dug keys out of her purse, then had to shine her phone on the doorknob to know where the lock was. When the door opened, she reached inside and flicked on a light, which made it slightly easier to see.
“Thank you for dessert.”
I nodded and took her hand. “Are you sorry I crashed your date?”
She was quiet for a moment before shaking her head. “Not really. I like spending time with you.”
“Then you should do it more often.”
Bella laughed. “Smooth.”
I swung our joined hands. “Go out with me, Bella?”
“I think technically I already did. We sat next to each other at dinner, and you paid the bill and drove me home.”
“I want a real date. One that’s just me and you.”
She looked down and was silent again for a long time before meeting my eyes. “Your contract is up this year. What if it’s not renewed?”
“Because we started dating?”
“No, not because we started dating, but the meeting to decide on all the contracts is only a few weeks away. What if the GM recommends not renewing because of your injury or for whatever reason, and we’re already dating?”
I grinned. “That’s not going to happen.”
“But it could…”
“It won’t. But if I got cut because I couldn’t perform at the same level anymore, that would be on me, not you.”
She shook her head and sighed. “What do you want from me, Christian? Is it only sex or something more? Because I’ll be honest, I could deal with a physical relationship, but I’m not sure more is such a good idea. Between my position at the team and me being confused about things with Julian…”
The woman had just told me a sex-only relationship was on the table, and instead of jumping on it, I felt a little offended. “I don’t want to just fuck you, Bella.”
She sighed. “That would be so much easier for both of us. You’re always on the road, and my life is chaotic right now.”
In my gut I knew her hesitancy had nothing to do with relationships being hard or even my being on the team she owned. Bella was nervous. Maybe it was because so many people in her life had disappeared on her, or that she was used to her independence. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I saw fear in her eyes. “I’m not looking for easy anymore, Bella. I’m looking for real.”
She mulled that around for a long time before finally nodding and taking a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Okay? Meaning you’ll let me take you out?”
She smiled. “Okay usually means yes.”
My head fell back, and I looked up at the ceiling. “Fuck, yeah.”
She giggled, and I felt the sound in my chest. Using the hand already joined with hers, I yanked her against me. She practically stumbled as I wrapped both arms around her waist.
“Saturday. It’s our only bye week this season.”
“Okay.”
I lifted one hand and stroked her hair. “Thank you.”
She nodded. “Let’s just take things slow, alright?”
“Not that I’m complaining, but let me see if I have this straight. My choices were, we could be fuck buddies, which is the opposite of slow, but if I want more than that, we take baby steps?”
“I know it doesn’t seem to make sense. I guess I compartmentalize things in my life, and sex when it’s only sex is simple, but sex when it’s more isn’t.”
I wasn’t sure I understood it, but that didn’t matter. “I can do slow.”
Bella smiled. “I’m not sure that’s true. But I’m willing to try.”
I kissed the top of her head and forced myself to release her from my arms. “You got it. Though you better get inside.”
“Why?”
“Because while my brain understands slow…” I motioned to the hard-on already growing in my pants, after only ten seconds of holding her. “My body doesn’t.”
She covered her mouth. “Oh my.”
“You probably should lock the door, too.”
Bella pushed up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “Goodnight, Christian.”
“’Night, boss lady. I’ll see you Saturday.”
CHAPTER 14
* * *
BELLA
“Is your birthday today?”
Josh carried in a second arrangement of flowers and set them on my desk. This one was three times the size of the one delivered an hour ago and had the most vibrant colors I’d ever seen in flowers.
