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The interior of his SUV suddenly felt hot as the sun, so I leaned forward to adjust the temperature on the air conditioner. Ignoring his deep chuckle and the male satisfaction in his green orbs, I told him more about my brothers.
The drive to my apartment took a lot longer than using the subway, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Being with Gage and talking to him in person instead of through a gaming headset was the highlight of my day, which was saying a lot since being up in the press box during the game had been fantastic.
Then we pulled up in front of my apartment building, and things got even better.
4
GAGE
The neighborhood Rory lived in was very popular among NYU students, so it certainly wasn’t as dangerous as other parts of the city. However, I still didn’t like that she lived there alone. There were a lot of asshole college boys who thought they were God’s gift to women and didn’t believe in the word no.
“I’m surprised you were able to convince your brothers to let you live alone in the city,” I mused as I found an empty spot half a block from her building.
“Let?” she huffed. “I’m a grown woman.”
I reached over the console and grabbed her hand, then brought it to my lips. “I’m very much aware of that, baby.”
Her cheeks turned adorably pink, and I wanted so much to kiss her but worried that it might be too fast for her. Instead, I brushed my mouth over the back of her hand again, before releasing it and exiting the car. I rounded the hood and opened the passenger side, then grabbed her waist and lifted her out onto the sidewalk. I was a big guy, so I naturally drove a large vehicle, which made it a little more difficult for Rory to get in and out. Not that I would change anything because it gave me an excuse to touch her.
“Thank you,” she whispered with a sweet smile.
“You’re welcome,” I murmured, losing myself in her gorgeous hazel eyes for a few moments.
She cleared her throat and took a step back, but she didn’t pull her hands away when I laced our fingers together or protest when I moved her so that I walked next to the street. “To answer your question. I actually wasn’t able to convince my brothers and my dad. My mom, Russell’s wife, and Ridley’s fiancée had to get involved. My building has an excellent security system, I carry pepper spray, and I have an orange and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.”
“Damn…that’s…” I was going to say impressive, but what came out was “sexy as hell.”
Rory giggled and glanced up at me. “Um…thanks?”
I laughed and pulled her a little closer to my side. “I don’t know how you haven’t realized how fucking awesome and gorgeous you are, nerd. But trust me, you are the whole package.”
Her skin flooded with crimson, but her hazel pools sparkled with happiness. “You’re not so bad yourself, geek.”
“As long as you think so, that’s all that matters.”
Rory ducked her head, but not before I saw the pleased grin on her pretty face.
“Well, um, this is my building,” she said, her tone reluctant as she gestured to a red brick structure.
I felt the same dread, not ready to say goodbye. With a tug on her hand, I brought her up against my front and placed my other hand on her curvy hip. “I know it’s a little late but…would you have dinner with me?”
A bright smile stretched across her mouth, and she nodded. “I’d love to.”
“I’m not sure where…” It was hard to go anywhere in New York City without being recognized, but college kids were often the most obnoxious fans.
Rory’s hand squeezed mine, and she cocked her head toward her building. “Why don’t we go up to my place and order in?”
“Perfect.”
“I’m not in the mood to see any sorority chicks throwing their shirts and or underwear at you,” she teased with an incredibly adorable, lopsided smile.
I chuckled but mentally cringed because it had happened before.
Keeping things light, I remarked, “There’s an opening for a very dirty comment here, but I’m trying not to come on too strong.”
Rory burst into laughter as she ascended the four steps up to the front door. “You know, I could always tell when your brain went there while we were gaming.”
My eyebrows rose when she glanced back at me after punching a code into the keypad. “You could?”
