l had a lot to discuss. I wanted her with me in San Antonio this week. One week of long-distance phone calls and a drive to see her wasn’t going to be enough.
I hated that Maddie called. I hated that she had my number. That she tried to throw me off my game for my night with Natalia. The moment I was finally happy again, she blindsided me with a desperate plea for help. Damn it.
I didn’t give a shit if she needed anything. I wasn’t her ATM, and I wasn’t her friend. It was enough to scare the hell out of me about getting involved with Natalia. But they were nothing alike. Nothing.
Natalia could never treat me the way Maddie did.
I had to fight the fear creeping under my ribs. I had to fight the thoughts to run and get out before she annihilated me. I was a different man now.
I turned off the lamp next to the bed and stretched my legs out beside her. She sighed softly and I pulled her against my chest. She fit there perfectly. This graceful, beautiful woman fit. Only I had to convince her of that tomorrow before I left. After that phone call, it seemed more important than ever. I needed her commitment. I needed her loyalty. I needed to know she was mine.
Natalia had been gone for two hours. I was working on making breakfast in the kitchen when my phone rang. It was Cavan.
“Hey, what’s up, man?”
“Sam, I was wondering if I could stop by and pick up one of the playbooks for tomorrow’s game. I never got one and the coordinators said you have those things memorized.”
“Yeah, but I’m out right now. It’ll have to be later.”
“Out? It’s nine o’clock in the morning.”
“Working out, man. Have to get ready for the game.” I was staring at the playbook on Natalia’s kitchen table.
“Just tell me where your spare key is and I’ll stop by.”
“Can’t. It’s in my car. I’ll call you when I’m back and you can run over.”
“This is serious. I haven’t seen any of the plays.”
I flipped the bacon over in the frying pan. “Sorry, man. Call one of the other guys or wait until I’m home.”
I was about to hang up on him.
“Fine. Just call me.”
“You got it.”
I shoved the phone into my pocket and continued to work on breakfast. I had muffins in the oven and was ready to whip eggs into omelets, but I wasn’t sure when she’d be home. I didn’t want them to be cold.
I heard her key in the door and smiled when she walked through.
“Hey.” She grinned.
“How was practice?” I asked.
“Dreadful as usual.” She hung her bag next to the door and looped her keys on a hook. “It smells wonderful in here.”
“Bacon always smells good. I was getting ready to make an omelet for you.”
She laughed. “So if I took pictures of you right now making breakfast for me I couldn’t use these as blackmail.” She leaned up to kiss me on the cheek.
“First of all, you wouldn’t do that. And second, yes, the guys don’t know about my culinary skills. So don’t blow my badass cover.”
“Oh, that’s what you call yourself?” She sat at the table to watch me with the whisk.
“You’re looking at the tight end with the most yards, most catches, most touchdowns, and most blocks in his rookie season and I’m on schedule to beat that this year.”
“Wow. I had no idea.”