“You were great!” I said, waiting as others agreed with me. “It’s safe to say you’re fully recovered.” I held up my hand for a high-five and Ryan smacked it. His fingers intertwined in mine.
I instinctually pulled my hand back, tucking my hair behind my ear to avoid drawing any more attention to the situation.
Ryan smiled. “Thanks. I’ll see you in a couple of hours, okay? You want me to swing by?”
“I’ll meet you there. I have a few things to do, first.” I said.
Ryan stared at me as if he was debating something, and then he leaned over to kiss my cheek, his lips soft against my skin. I gave him an awkward, polite smile and then he walked away. The excited chatter around us died down dramatically, and I felt everyone’s eyes on me.
Jared glared at Ryan as he walked away. I met him in the middle of the dispersing crowd and took the blanket from his hands.
“Ready?” I asked, trying to sound unconcerned.
Jared’s eyes hadn’t left Ryan’s back; he looked as if he wanted to punch a hole through it. “Yeah,” he said through his teeth.
Jared took my hand and led me through the stragglers that still meandered around us. He stopped at the door of Andrews as he opened it for me. “Claire is close. I’m going to run home…get a shower. I’ll catch up with you later.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “You’re sure you’re going home?”
Jared smoothed his features and chuckled. “Yeah, why?”
“You’re not going to go find Ryan or anything, are you?”
His jaw tensed. “No. But if Claire wasn’t his…he gets under my skin.”
I leaned in to kiss him. “I’ll talk to him.”
Jared nodded and gave me an anxious look. “You’re staying at Andrews tonight?”
I fidgeted, trying to decide if my unwanted independence was really more important than Jared spending the night in his vehicle to watch me.
Jared’s eyes were suddenly bright and hopeful. “Second thoughts?”
“No. I mean…I don’t know,” I said, unable to focus with the encouraged look on his face.
I couldn’t deny that I would rather stay with him, and he was more than willing for me to change my mind. When I slept at Andrews, Jared was stuck outside in his SUV listening for trouble. I cringed at the thought. On the other hand, it was what he was used to, and by his own words he didn’t mind.
Beth expected me home. When I stayed with Jared, she stayed with Chad, which is where everyone knew that was where she would rather be.
When my mind drifted to Ryan, I winced. I had already told him that staying with Jared was temporary. The thought of his reaction to my new living arrangements made my stomach twist with a sick feeling. I wasn’t sure why I worried about Ryan’s opinion so much. Something about hurting him just didn’t feel right.
“Wow, you’re all over the place,” Jared said, visibly confused.
“Call me later?” I asked. It wasn’t exactly a subtle evasive tactic, but it would serve its purpose.
Jared was resigned. “Of course.”
“I’m looking forward to more games. I’m sure Josh will want a rematch.” I smiled and leaned toward him, staring at his lips.
Jared wrapped his arms around me, smiling at the thought. “It was fun. I’m not sure about more games, though. I didn’t mean to cause a scene.”
“When you play like a professional football player, Jared, you’re going to draw a crowd.”
Jared shrugged. “I couldn’t help myself. Every time I heard you cheering, I stepped it up a little more.”
I raised a dubious eyebrow. “You could hear me over your groupies?”
Jared smiled, pecking me on the lips. “Besides the fact that I could feel how proud you were,”—he kissed me again—“I could hear your voice from the stands in a stadium…at the Super Bowl.”
He kissed me again, but this time his lips parted and he caressed my tongue with his. I tasted the combination of sweet and salty on his mouth, and when he pulled back, I licked my lips before pressing them together.
“Please don’t do that,” he pleaded, staring at my lips.
“How do you expect us to live together if you can’t handle me licking my lips?” I teased, watching him scan my face with the same hunger in his eyes from before.
“I’ll find a way. I’ll sleep on the floor if I have to.”
“If you sleep on the floor, I’m sleeping on the floor with you. I want to wake up where you are.”
Jared smiled. “I wish that were true.”
My mouth fell open. “It is true! You think me staying here during the week means I don’t want to stay with you at all?”
Jared grimaced, shaking his head. “No, I don’t think that. I shouldn’t have said that, that’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?” I said, bracing myself for what he might say.
“It’s going to be hard getting used to the way things used to be, that’s all.”
“You meant more than that.”
Jared looked straight into my eyes. “Let me move your things, then. I’ll have you moved in by the time you finish up at the Rock.”