Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
But I do give him a hard time that weekend as I’m getting ready to meet Aubrey. “It’s your fault,” I say on the phone as I trim my beard in the mirror.
“I did not intend to set you and Ledger up with her,” Garrett grumbles.
“And yet you did. Admit it. This was your grand plan.”
“Yes, Dev. You figured me out. On my sister’s wedding day, I was really hoping to hook her up with you two clowns,” he says.
“The evidence says so,” I say as I set down the trimmer, then run a hand over my stubble.
“I never planned to be a matchmaker.”
“It could be a new calling,” I say, since this is too fun. Hell, everything is too fun. Life is fucking good. I have a date with Aubrey tonight.
TEN MONTHS EARLY.
And there’s no way I’m going to let her slip through my fingers. I’m keeping her, dammit.
“Why do I put up with you?” Garrett groans.
I could keep hassling him, but that time has passed. I turn serious, like I was when I called him last night. “Seriously, I appreciate you being cool about this.”
“Was I supposed to be an asshole?”
“No. But you weren’t, and I’m grateful,” I say, meaning it from the bottom of my heart.
He’s quiet for a few seconds. “I’m grateful she’s dating…a good guy. A couple good guys,” he says, like those words don’t quite fit.
But they don’t not fit either.
“I’ll treat her right.”
“I know,” he says.
“We both will.”
“I know that too.”
I say goodbye, then head to the garage and hop into my car. I head to Ledger’s place to pick him up because we have business to take care of.
Once he gets in the car, I turn to him. “You know what this is?”
He’s as stoic as he’s ever been as he says dryly, “A date?”
“Yes. But it’s also the start of a future with her. We’re not going to lose her. We’re going to do everything we can to keep her.”
He rolls his eyes. “Obviously.”
55
YES, BABY
Dev
But I’m a little concerned after what I just learned about Aubrey during the first half of the game.
Maybe this drive will clear things up though. The quarterback drops back into the pocket, scans downfield, finds no one open. He scrambles for two, three, four tense seconds until he launches a missile that sails fast and beautifully into the arms of the open receiver, who hauls it in and escorts that baby into the end zone.
Aubrey bursts my eardrums with her cheers of “yes, baby” and “that’s how we do it.”
Yup. It’s clear. She’s a feral football fan. I root for the Renegades too. But still, I need her to say yes, baby for me. For us.
When the cheers in the suite settle down, I nudge Aubrey. “Do we need to talk?”
She’s still exuberant from the touchdown. Her cheeks are pink, her eyes bright. “About what?”
Even though I’m in a suite full of other VIP fans of the city’s most decorated football team, I narrow my brow and ask pointedly, “About that yes, baby. Are you a bigger football fan than hockey fan?”
Aubrey rolls her eyes. “Seriously?”
Quickly, Ledger gets on board. “It’s a legit question, come to think of it.”
“I didn’t see you cheering this hard at the hockey game you came to,” I say.
She parks her hands on her hips, looking too sassy, too sexy, too just fucking perfect for me as she says, “I didn’t realize you were the jealous types.”
“I didn’t realize you were loyal to the gridiron,” I counter.
“Just seems you’d have double the reasons to like hockey,” Ledger deadpans.
“But football is sooo fun,” she says.
I cough to cover up my shocked laugh. “But it’s not hockey.”
“I thought you had good taste, honey,” Ledger says, waggling his eyebrows so his double meaning is clear.
“Aww, is it hard for you, handsome?” she asks him before setting a hand on my chest. “Does it bother you too, babe?”
Ah, hell.
We’re handsome and babe. I’m so far gone for her. But I try valiantly to give her hell about this. “No, I’m just thinking we need to get you season tickets to the better sport,” I say. “Right, Ledger?”
His nod is decisive. “We sure do.”
“But what if you’re both playing the same night?” Aubrey asks, all flirty and playful.
I lean in close, sweep some of those auburn locks off her ear. “We can share you.”
She shudders under my touch, then nibbles on the corner of her lips, turning her gaze to him. “That work for you?”
“Yes, yes it does,” he says.
She sits down in the tall, leather chair, then lets out a shaky breath. Looking at him, then looking at me. Just as it should be. I sit, too, put a hand on her thigh. Ledger drops down, wraps an arm around her shoulder. Yes, this is us, dating our girl.