Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“I don’t doubt it.” Luca winces. “If I’ve learned anything about you through this, it’s that you’d rather die than lose. Seriously, Chelsea, you’re the female version of Roman.”
I grimace. “What did I just say about saying something hurtful to me again?”
Luca chuckles. “Sorry, but it’s true.”
I run my hand through his hair again. “I’ll have mercy on you this one time, but only because I’m so excited about your amazing news. Raul told me. Congratulations. I knew you’d do it.” I kiss him tenderly, and we hold each other for a long moment.
When I pull back from our embrace and happy whispers, I smooth a lock of hair out of Luca’s eyes and ask, “Have you been with anyone else since you heartlessly broke up with me?”
Luca scowls like that’s a ridiculous question. “Of course not. And I didn’t break up with you. Not really. I merely set you free. Tried to, anyway.”
Well, there it is. An implied admission that Luca loves me. Otherwise, he’d never use those specific words: I merely set you free. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
“Yeah, well, don’t do that again. I’m always going to be in charge of my own life choices, the same as you.”
“Lesson learned.”
I touch his cheek. “Aren’t you going to ask me if I’ve been with anyone else?”
Luca goes pale again. “H-have you?”
“Nope. I just don’t want you to assume I haven’t, since you’re the one who savagely broke up with me and I was therefore free to do whatever and whomever I pleased.”
He frowns. “Please, have mercy on me and never say anything like that to me again.”
“If you don’t like it, then don’t break up with me again.”
“I didn’t break up with you! I truly thought I was freeing the birdie to fly high.” With a sigh, he pulls me close and kisses me. “I fucked up, okay? But I swear my heart was in the right place. I knew you were staying here because of me, and also that I had to make the roster to be worthy of you.”
“That’s insulting. I’d want you if you were a hydration assistant.”
“Bullshit.”
“Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. I admit my willpower shattered the second I found out you made the roster. That’s my kryptonite, it turns out.” Laughing, I press my forehead into Luca’s. “Promise me, when a decision needs to be made, we’ll talk about whatever it is, like adults.”
“Deal.”
“And then, I’ll do whatever the hell I want anyway.”
Luca laughs. “Are you ever going to call the guy at the Knights? I don’t think it’s too late.”
“This season? Definitely not. But never say never.”
“Why not this season? We’re not even at the halfway point yet.”
“For now, I’m where I want to be. If ever I don’t feel that way, I promise I’ll do something about it.”
Luca nods and slides his palm to my cheek. “God, I wish I could be with you out in the open now. I get why we can’t, but I want that so badly. He rubs my cheekbone with his thumb. “I want to hold your hand and kiss you in public. And if I get a sack in a game—”
“When you get a sack.”
“I want to be able to rush over to you on the sideline, rip off my helmet, and kiss my woman in front of the whole world. And if someone says, ‘Whoa, Maguire, you look extra happy today,’ I want to be able to say, ‘It’s Chelsea Parker, man. That girl rocks my world.’”
My heart is thrumming. “You know why none of that is possible, right?”
He nods. “Any idea when it will be, though? Can you at least give me a rough estimate?”
I twist my mouth. “Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out.”
Luca exhales. “Okay, I guess it’s enough for now for you to know I desperately want that stuff with you someday. But don’t worry, I get why that can’t be now. In the meantime, I’ll take you any way I can get you, even if it means I have to continue being your secret boy toy.”
I chuckle. “My boy toy?”
He winks. “Thinking about things that way will help me have fun in an otherwise sucky situation. And you know what I always say—”
“Please don’t say it.”
“Just this once, since today is a special occasion.”
I sigh and nod.
“Fun is fuel.”
Giggling, I kiss his cheek. “Okay, boy toy it is.”
Luca bites his lip. “Can we agree to revisit the secrecy thing when the season’s over? I can’t eat you out in equipment rooms forever.”
“No?”
“Correction. I can’t eat you out only in equipment rooms forever. Sometimes, I want to do it in public, too.”
We both crack up at his joke.
“Okay, once we get to the end of the season,” I concede, “we’ll figure out where we are and what we feel and what should reasonably come next. Fair?”