He rolls off me, taking me with him, so we’re lying on our sides, facing each other. His legs are trapping my own, and his arms are around me. And even though we’re no longer kissing, I somehow feel as though our bodies are just as connected.
“Tell me something about you,” he says.
“Like what?”
“Anything. I don’t care. I want to know everything.”
My stomach tightens at his admission, remembering it’s late, and our time is limited. “I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was seven,” I blurt out, unsure why I chose that piece of information. “I would get leftover worksheets from my teacher to bring home and make my sister and brother do them so I could grade them. It drove them nuts, but I was the youngest, the oops baby born years after them, so they spoiled me and would do them.”
“And now you’re a teacher.” He tucks a wayward hair behind my ear, and a shiver rushes through my body.
“I am.” A proud smile spreads across my face. “Well, at least I will be in August when school officially starts.”
“You’re going to kill it,” he says with such conviction, I have no choice but to believe him.
“Okay, your turn. Tell me something about you.” His mouth twists up in thought, and I remember something from earlier. “Wait. How does my brother-in-law know you? Or know your name? And what the heck is a QB?”
“Three questions? You only gave me one thing,” he says with a chuckle, but something about it is different than the carefree laughter he’s been giving me, and it makes me nervous.
When he doesn’t answer me, I start to pull back, needing to distance myself from him. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to…”
Before I can slip away, he grips my hips and tugs me toward him. “It’s not that…” He takes a deep breath, and I wait for him to finish his sentence, but when he doesn’t, I’ve had enough.
“Look, it’s been fun, and you don’t owe me anything, but I don’t do secrets.” I peel his hands off me and scramble off the lounger, but Hudson grabs me again, pulling me back down and into his arms.
“It’s not a secret,” he rushes out before I can push him away. “Honestly, I was shocked you didn’t know who I was.”
“A bit full of yourself?” I scoff. “How would I know who you are?”
He chuckles softly, shaking his head. “I take it you don’t watch football?”
“Umm, no. What does that have to do with…?” And then it hits me. QB. I might not watch football, but I’ve been around my dad, brother, and brother-in-law enough during football season to know what it stands for. I just wasn’t thinking about it at the time. “You’re a quarterback.”
“That I am. For the New York Bluebirds.”
“Can you throw good?”
“I’m all right.” He shrugs, but the sexy smirk on his face tells me he’s more than good.
“Have you ever won a Super Bowl?”
He laughs. “Yeah, a few times.”
“How many?”
“I have five rings.”
I have no clue if that’s considered a lot or not, but I decide to mess with him anyway. “That’s it?” I scoff playfully, which makes his smile widen. “This other football player I once dated had six.”
“I call bullshit,” he growls, rolling me onto my back and hovering over me. “Only one other player has more than me.”
“Maybe I dated him.” I shrug, holding back my laughter.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
“He’s twice your age. Didn’t happen.”
“I’m out with you, and you’re twice my age,” I goad.
“I’m only thirty-six.” He glares playfully.
“Practically an old man.”
“I’ll show you an old man.” Sitting up, he straddles my thighs, and his fingers go straight to my sides, tickling the hell out of me and making me snort out the most unladylike laugh.
“Oh my God! Stop it!” I wheeze out, trying to no avail to push him away.
“Take it back,” he demands, continuing to tickle me.
“Fine! You’re not an old man. Now stop!” I beg through my laughter.
Thankfully, he listens. “Damn right.” He rolls back over and takes me with him, encircling his arms around me. “But seriously, I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret. I was just shocked you didn’t know who I was.”
“So, what, you assumed because you’re like this decent football player who can throw a ball, everyone must know who you are? Sounds kind of egotistical to me.” I roll my eyes dramatically, making him laugh.
“When you’re on hundreds of commercials and billboards for various endorsements like Nike and Gatorade, it tends to happen. Once I realized you didn’t know who I was, I kind of enjoyed the fact that I was just a guy sitting at a bar flirting with a woman.”
“That was your flirting?” I joke, scrunching up my nose in mock confusion.