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“I’m sure that’s not going to happen.”
“Maybe. But the sooner I prove I’m completely over this injury, the better.”
“And you’re going to be. We’re going to keep working, and I have no doubt you’ll be back on that field soon.”
I hope she’s right.
God, she looks so beautiful right now. I’m about to tell her that when she stands from the chair. “Can you give me a minute? I need to wash this off my face. It’s so tight now I can barely move my lips to talk.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course.”
She gives me a small smile and heads down the hallway. A few seconds later, I hear the water running in the bathroom.
While I wait for Shayna to return, I realize that I feel better about everything just from venting. From the moment I met her in college, I always felt comfortable with her. When I held so much in, unable to trust people, I was instantly at ease with her. The fact is, I like being around her—in whatever way she’ll let me.
“That’s better.” She comes from down the hall and sits back down, smiling.
She’s fresh faced and god, so fucking gorgeous it’s a crime. And she’s such a good listener and she’s super smart and holds herself and others to a high standard.
Before I can stop myself, the words are out of my mouth. “There’s another reason I want to stay with the Kingsmen…”
“Oh?” A small line forms between her eyebrows.
I swallow hard. “You.”
“Lee…” She turns her head to look away.
I stand, fisting my hair. “I know I shouldn’t say that, but it’s true. Jesus, I’ve tried to keep my thoughts from going there, I really have. But I love being around you. And it’s hard when I already know how good we are together. Are you really telling me that you never think about what it would be like if we were a couple again?”
She stands from the couch. “Of course I’ve thought about it. We always had chemistry—that hasn’t changed.”
I don’t even know what my purpose in admitting my feelings to her was. So she’d say she feels the same? Then what? There’s nowhere we can go.
I step up to her, and something like satisfaction courses through me when she doesn’t pull away. I rest one hand on her bare shoulder, the other on her cheek. “I want you so bad, Shayna. Tell me to leave before we do something stupid.”
She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it and draws in a deep breath.
My lips tingle with the need to feel hers on mine. “Tell me to go and we can toe the line, remain cordial and nothing more than colleagues and maybe even friends. I’m begging you, Shayna, because if you don’t, I’m going to kiss you.”
She licks her bottom lip and I stifle a groan.
“We…” Her hand presses against my chest, but she doesn’t put any pressure into pushing me back. Her fingers pluck at the soft fabric of my T-shirt.
“I know.” My voice is ragged, my willpower free-falling.
“Bad idea,” she says, and I nod, completely agreeing. “For a lot of reasons.”
“Tell me to leave.” I hold my breath, waiting for her to respond. The elastic pull between us stretches so tautly it’s fraying.
Her lips move, and it takes a moment for my brain to make sense of her words. “I can’t.”
Snap.
All the air leaves my lungs in a rush and I tug her to me. Her hand fists my shirt, and when our lips press together, it’s like returning home. I’ll never fuck this up again.
Twenty-Two
Shayna
