Say You Swear

“Yeah, we doubled on film this morning, weight room right after, so it was more a run day today.” He grabs the towel tucked into the back of his pads and wipes it along his brows. “Worked up an appetite though.”

I grin. “Is that right?”

“It is.” He cocks his head. “Feel like helping me cook again tonight?”

I drop my feet, lowering my book to my lap. “And what help was I to you last time?”

“You helped me eat it.” His lips curve up on one side.

A laugh slips from me, a little too loud apparently, because I catch the attention of several of his teammates as they head into the tunnel, and of course, Brady and Chase are among them. They both stop, their eyes darting up and over to where we’re standing. Subconsciously, I sink into my chair.

Noah catches my movement and glances over his shoulder, nodding his head as he turns back to me.

I want to shrink into myself, embarrassed by my childish reaction, but as I look to Noah, not a hint of judgment slips over him, quite the opposite really.

Noah’s soft smile has me releasing a breath, the understanding glint in his gaze leading me to admit, “I hate it.”

Noah’s lips twitch. “I know you do.”

“Practice is over, Arianna!” Chase yells still standing in the same spot, but my eyes are on Noah, who turns his head to hide it, but not before I spot the frown that’s slipped over his face.

Forcing myself to look toward the tunnel, I spot Mason a few feet back. He’s following behind his team, pulling his shoulder pads from his body as he walks, and when he looks up, he spots Chase’s standing there. Mason’s eyes follow his line of sight to Noah and me. He frowns, hesitates for a split second, but then nudges Chase’s shoulder from behind to get him to move.

They disappear from sight with their next steps taken.

A sign escapes me, and I push to my feet, unable to bring myself to look at Noah.

“I don’t think I’ll be good company tonight. Rain check?”

“Rain check.” Noah speaks without a hint of displeasure. So why does a heavy sense of disappointment weigh me down?

It’s not until later that night when I’m rummaging through the freezer that I realize the disappointment I felt earlier… was my own.

“God, damn,” Cam drawls slowly. “That man is flawless.”

We sigh, look to each other, and bust up laughing.

“Seriously, Ari. You need to jump all over that.”

I smile, watching as Noah does the same, but his is directed toward a beautiful blonde girl who is walking toward him with what looks like a plate of cookies.

Something in my stomach stirs, bringing a small frown to my face.

“Who is that?” Cam wonders.

I shrug, noting the graceful way in which she moves, like a floating prima ballerina. “The Sleeping Beauty to his handsome prince.”

“Mm-mm, no. You got it all wrong.”

Quirking a playful brow, I turn to her. “Do tell?”

“Sure, the man may look like a prince, and by the way, it’s Cinderella’s man who has dark hair, not the prudy SB chick.” I laugh, and she continues, “Anyway, yes, he’s all pretty and shit, but under all the gorgeous is an animal. Has to be. He’s far too fine to be tame.”

Cameron sits back on her elbows, smirking my way. “Bet he comes alive in the bedroom.”

“Shut up.” I laugh.

“I am so not playing. I bet he morphs into another man, giving that best of both worlds’ vibe.” She thinks on it a minute. “Yeah. He doesn’t have sex; he love fucks.”

I gape at her, and simultaneously, we laugh again.

“Okay, enough before he hears you.”

“I’m telling you, he’s a beast, and you’re the closest thing to Belle I’ve ever seen.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Let’s ask.” She quickly jumps to her feet and my eyes shoot wide, my hand snapping out to wrap around her wrist, but she opens her mouth before I can jerk her back.

“Yo, Noah!” she shouts, and my face turns into a tomato as he—and the ballerina—turn their smiles on us. “Quick question, but no questions, only an answer, yeah?!”

Noah shifts his eyes to me quickly then back to Cam. “Let’s hear it!”

Cameron throws a wink at me over her shoulder, turning back to Noah just as fast. “Sleeping Beauty or Beauty and the Beast?”

He looks my way, my skin igniting as his gaze burns across my face, attempting to decipher Cam’s nonsense. Quickly, almost unnoticeably fast, Noah’s eyes cut to the girl beside him, and then they return to me. Now I might be reading into nothing, but I also might swear he follows the length of my long brown hair until it disappears over my left shoulder.

I pull in an involuntary breath as he turns his grin to Cam.

“Come on now. Don’t make me say it.”