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James pours us each a glass. We clink them together and toast,but I only take a sip before I get distracted by the perfect kitchen once more. I’m peering into the pristine refrigerator, thinking about the old one at the diner that was always on the fritz, when James pulls me into his arms.
I look up at him. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself. Is it like you remembered?”
“Even better.”
“Good.” He drops a kiss to my hair, then walks me back to the island. He presses me against the edge as he kisses me, his knee spreading my legs as his tongue teases the seam of my lips.
“James,” I gasp when we break apart.
He plays with the ends of my hair. “We need to christen it, you know. Our home.”
I press my lips together to keep from smiling, shaking my head slightly. “Here in the kitchen?”
“I’m improvising.”
“Clearly,” I tease. I wind my arms around him, squeezing, and indulge him with another kiss, tasting the champagne on his tongue. “It’s a good thing you have me. We have a rooftop patio, and I packed a blanket.”
Chapter 13
James
I drag myself from the car to the front steps, bag drooping over my shoulder. Prior to training camp, I heard a lot of things about how much more intense the NFL is, but I didn’t truly believe it until today. I’m sore all over, and my mind is still reeling from the amount of information I was expected to absorb. I’m going to have my work cut out for me if I’m going to be successful in the league. Trust me, I loved every moment—but I’m dying to be horizontal. Preferably next to my fiancée.
I find her in the kitchen, sitting at the island as she peers at her laptop. The whole room smells amazing, like some kind of casserole, but beyond that, I’m too tired to try to identify it. I drop my bag and hobble over to her, hooking my chin over her shoulder.
“Hey,” she says. “You’re later than I expected.”
“It was... such a long day.”
She looks at me, her brown eyes filled with concern. “In a good way?”
“Mostly. But it was intense. I’m going to be busy all season, but especially the next couple of weeks.”
She strokes my face with her left hand—the one with her engagement ring. That never fails to make me smile. “We’ll make it work. Are you hungry? It’s ready, I was just keeping it hot in the warmer.”
“What is it?”
“Meat lasagna,” she says, kissing me before she slides off the stool and walks around the island. “I figured you could use something hearty after your first day.”
“Holy shit, I love you.”
She laughs as she pulls the dish out of the oven. “I love you too, babe. Do you want a plate or just a fork?”
My stomach grumbles. The lunch I had at the facility feels like it happened in another lifetime. “Eh, let’s just eat from the pan.”
I fill her in on all that went down during my day while we eat the lasagna, standing at the island, dueling with our forks for the best bits of cheese. She has this cute, serious expression on her face as she listens; I know she’s determined to get to know all my new teammates and coaching staff. For our preseason game next week, she’s planning on sitting with the girlfriends and wives of some of my teammates, and she’s already made plans with my family to go to the home opener in September.
When I feel a little revived and stop rambling, I gesture to her computer. “What were you working on when I came in?”
“Remember how K’Andre’s girlfriend is a graphic designer?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, we’re chatting about me hiring her to make a logo. For... me. If I open this business.”
I let my fork drop. “No way! I thought you were still considering the offer from Temple.”
