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Surprised by my hunger since I’d put away a few slices of pizza, I glanced at the clock. “Oh shit, it’s almost seven.”
“Yeah, you were out for a while, Sleeping Beauty,” she teased.
With a chuckle, I pushed to my feet and headed for the kitchen. I wanted to figure out dinner before the game came on, so I pulled open the fridge and surveyed the meals Jeanie had left.
“Is this okay for dinner?” I asked, setting what looked to be a chicken and broccoli pasta on the marble countertop.
She stepped up next to me at the island. “I thought you didn’t cook.”
“I don’t.” I shrugged. “I have someone who drops off food and cleans.”
“Every day?”
“Not when I’m away.” I turned and preheated the oven.
At first, I had tried to do it all myself. My family didn’t have a ton of money when I was growing up, and I felt more comfortable cleaning and cooking—or ordering takeout—myself. But during my first season with the Revs, I learned that paying someone to do things here and there made my life infinitely less complicated. I wasn’t wasteful. I respected that my time was just as valuable to me as money.
“But I’m at the stadium most days until eight or nine o’clock, so I don’t have time to do this stuff.”
“I guess that makes sense.” She shrugged.
“She cooks and cleans, even does my laundry. It means when I come home, I have time to relax. And I need that.”
“Because every minute you’re outside these walls, you have to be on.”
I shrugged. I was a different person here than I was out there, yes, and very few people saw the real me. They wanted the larger-than-life, fun athlete, so that’s what I gave them. But I wasn’t interested in talking about that with Aurora. “We need to put the game on,” I said, making my way for the remote on the coffee table, thankful to escape her line of questioning.
“You can’t watch TV.” She yanked the remote away from me.
I sighed. “Fine. I won’t watch it. I’ll just sit here and listen to it.” I closed my eyes. “I need to know how Potter does. That kid’s bat isn’t where it should be, and we’re making a playoff run this year.”
“If I see you watching it or getting worked up, we’re shutting it off.”
“As long as they win, I won’t get the least bit worked up,” I promised. Cracking my eyes open again, I took her in. She was still dressed in the Revs polo and black pants she’d worn to work. “We’re not going anywhere. Go get comfy.”
“This is pretty much all I brought.” She shrugged.
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “You didn’t bring anything to change into?” She was staying for five days, and she’d only packed work clothes?
“Only pajamas, but I’m not putting those on.” She averted her gaze and shifted on her feet.
“Give me a break.” Sighing, I stomped to my bedroom in search of sweats and a T-shirt.
When I held them out to her, she looked from them to me and back again, a frown marring her pretty face.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen you in sweatpants and T-shirts before.” I cocked a brow. I wasn’t going to pretend we were strangers.
She huffed, but finally accepted the clothes. “Thanks.”
I shook my head as she made her way to the guest room to change. When she stepped back into the living room, I froze. At the sight of her, my heart skipped off beat in my chest and my blood surged south. In sweatpants, I was at risk of very easily embarrassing myself, but with one quick shift, I hid the issue. What was it about her wearing my T-shirt that made my chest puff out? That, along with the dick problem and the sudden caveman urge to throw her over my shoulder and drag her to my room, was ridiculous. If she’d walked out in lingerie? Sure, I’d get the way my body had taken over. But she was standing before me in an oversized shirt that hid her body, with her purple toenail polish peeking out beneath the hem of my white sweats. As I took in the glasses and off-center messed bun, it hit me. The casual Aurora that stood in front of me now was more than just reminiscent of the girl I’d been obsessed with.
I swallowed hard. I understood the line in the sand. If I made a move, she could lose a job she’d wanted her entire life. And I couldn’t do that to her. So my focus needed to be on anything but the girl of my dreams who was currently tucking herself into the far side of the couch.
So I focused on the announcers, the play calling, the game. I leaned back so my head rested on the cushion behind me and closed my eyes. Oddly, I was hyped up and relaxed all at the same time. Honestly, if Aurora shifted over two cushions and curled into the crook of my arm, I might call tonight the best night I’d had in years.
It was ridiculous, since I had a concussion and couldn’t play the game I loved, but it was true.
I tapped on the door lightly, but Mason made no sound. We’d talked about this, that I’d have to check on him a few times during the night, but still, I felt weird walking into his room. It was my job, so I took a deep breath, put on my big girl panties, and slowly pushed the door open.
