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She gave me a look. “Uh, you know, I feel like you’re trying to tell me something. But we use words for that, so you couldn’t be.”
I smirked and walked over, locking my hands around her waist. “Bella, would you please wear my T-shirt, preferably with no bra and panties?”
She laid her hands flat on my chest. “I can do that. But…no hanky panky. Wyatt’s right in the other room.”
“He’s at the other end of the hall. I intentionally gave him the farthest room from ours.”
“Still, I don’t want him to hear us.”
I grinned. “You are kind of loud.”
She smacked my chest. “Not unless you’re making me be loud, which you won’t be.”
I pouted. “But I’m leaving for California tomorrow. I’m not going to see you for at least a few days.”
She laughed. “I’m going to go brush my teeth.”
After she finished, I took a turn using the bathroom. When I came out, she was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing my T-shirt. I walked over and lifted her legs up onto the mattress and guided her to lean back. Then I climbed on top of her and kissed her neck. “I figured out a solution.”
“Let me guess, you’re going to quickly soundproof the room?”
“No, but that’s a thought for the future, in case anyone else ever stays over.”
She chuckled. “I’m almost afraid to ask. What’s your solution?”
I shrugged. “Long arms.”
“Long arms?”
“Yeah, I have them.”
“Okay…”
I kissed her lips before climbing down her body ’till my face hovered between her legs. Then I reached up and clamped my hand over her mouth.
Bella’s eyes widened, and she started to say something I couldn’t make out because the sound was muffled. I lifted my pointer to my lips in the universal shhh sign, then lifted the hem of the T-shirt she wore and dove in without warning, licking and sucking every inch of her. When I was done and unclamped my hand, she looked drugged. Her eyes were hazy and hooded as she smiled drowsily.
“Thank God for long arms,” she breathed.
I moved in next to her and flipped us so I was on my back, and she was on top with her head against my chest. “Get some sleep,” I said. “It’s been a long twenty-four hours.”
“What about you?”
I nuzzled her closer. “I’m good. I have everything I need right here.”
CHAPTER 21
* * *
BELLA
The day I’d been anxiously awaiting—yet at the same time dreading—arrived two weeks later.
Things were going great. Talia was home from the hospital and recovering well, Wyatt now had three schools actively pursuing him with talks of football scholarships for college, and Christian and I had settled into a routine of staying at each other’s places a few nights a week without it terrifying me. I’d even called a real estate agent to begin looking at new apartments.
But today was the team’s contract-planning meeting—the day when coaches presented their plans for player renewals and cuts to corporate. Once approved, offers went out to the players’ agents within a few weeks.
When I arrived, at least twenty people were seated around the conference table in two rows, including the CFO, the GM, his offensive, defensive, and special teams coaches, the head of scouting, the director of personnel, the senior team doctor, our CEO and acting co-president, my sisters, our lead counsel, and a bunch of VPs and senior-level directors. The head of the table had been left open for me, but I thought it was important to show people I hadn’t been kidding when I’d said I planned to watch and learn this year. So I stood behind the chair and pulled it out for our CEO and my co-president. “Tom, why don’t you sit here so everyone can see you?”
Tom had been seated to my left. He smiled and stood with a nod. “Thanks, Bella.”
I sat listening and taking notes for the first few hours, none of which contained any surprises. The GM had recommended renewing three contracts that were up, putting one player on the trade list, and extending an option to another they wanted to keep, but he was considering retiring. Then we came to the one I’d been waiting for, the one most people had been waiting for—Christian’s contract extension.
As we’d done for the other players, the team doc first gave a health overview, followed by the CEO reviewing the current salary and bonus structure. After, the coaches would normally talk about other teams who’d expressed an interest in the player, as well as where the player himself might’ve voiced that he wanted to be in the future. This round was a little different.
“When it comes to Christian Knox,” the GM said, “I think we could save time by talking about the teams that aren’t interested in him. Now that he’s healthy again, I have no doubt he’s got another five years left, if not more. So I’d like to lock him down for that long.” He pointed to the binder. “If you look on page thirty-four, I’m proposing a number that will make him the second-highest-paid quarterback in the league, but he’d have the biggest guarantee number, which we know is important to the more senior players. His last contract had him as the eighth-highest paid, and I think he’ll be happy with the offer.”
