“Just let me hold you for a minute. Is that going to kill you? Don’t you remember how much you loved for me to hold you, simply hold you, when one of us came home after a crappy day at work?”
Oh, how she remembered. She had grown to crave his strong arms around her. They always provided whatever she needed—comfort, security, strength. And she’d provided that same simple comfort for him after each devastating loss, on and off the field. At times it had terrified her how much she needed him.
But even the comfort of his arms hadn’t taken away the pain of Kim being diagnosed with cancer, and so she’d avoided his touch, anyone’s touch, fearing she’d shatter into a million pieces and go mad.
“God, you still smell the same,” he whispered. “I could never forget that smell.”
His warm breath against her ear made the hairs on the back of her neck raise. Being this close, she could feel his heart pounding like he’d run a sprint—the rapid beat matching her own. Something liquid rolled through her belly, cradled against his hips as she was.
It had been so long.
Her body’s longing for him shot across her pores, so strong she wanted to soak him up like parched earth to rainwater.
When he pressed a soft kiss to her head, an alarm chimed inside her head. Everything inside her was weakening, wanting to lean into him, wanting to open herself once more. She shoved again, fighting him in earnest now.
He reluctantly released her and walked to the back door. “I’m sorry I pushed you. I’m trying to be patient, Nat.”
His words stole any response from her, and she stood there, rubbing her arms to ward off the lingering scent and feel of him on her skin. The temptation of him.
“The guys are coming this weekend. I don’t suppose I can talk you into making your cheese dip for us.”
The abrupt change in subject jarred her. He didn’t need to tell her who was coming. His football buddies were always there for him, and for that, she was glad. “You expect me to make you guys food? You have to be kidding.”
“Then can I have the recipe? I’ll need to cram something in Jordan’s mouth to stop him from freaking out about me retiring.”
His friends had always been so much fun to be around. None of them were married except for Blake, but they’d always made her feel welcome, and she’d enjoyed making them drool over her cooking. They’d reached out to her after the divorce, but she hadn’t replied. Now it was all coming back to her very doorstep.
“I can give you the recipe,” she said, “but I can’t imagine you being able to make a white sauce.”
“Well, if I can’t pull it off, I can call you.”
His strategy was becoming all too clear. “Blake, this whole thing is crazy,” she said, throwing out her hands in frustration. “You simply cannot stay here forever and live next door to me.”
“No, I’m hoping this two-house arrangement will be short-lived, and you’ll let me sweep you off your feet again.”
God, could her heart hammer any harder in her chest? “You never swept me off my feet.”
“Sure I did, babe, and you delivered the greatest sack of my life, the moment I saw you.”
Her fingers itched to touch the sandy blond hair at his temples, so she clenched her hands into fists. “What are you going to do here, anyway?”
He gave a lop-sided smile. “Oh, I didn’t tell you earlier, did I?”
And as he laid out his plan for her, she felt her heart squeeze in her chest—an almost painful sensation. So, he wasn’t taking some cushy job as a sports commentator. God knew there were standing offers. But this…it was all so dear. How many times had she watched him throw the football around with Adam in the backyard and “pretend” tackle him?
Adam had been a shining light—a wonderful soul who saw the world differently from everyone else. Her last conversation with him had been an ugly argument. He’d come by her place to talk with her after her breakup with Blake. He’d been so angry with her—an unusual emotion for him—and deeply hurt. He’d begged her to talk to Blake, going on and on about how much Blake loved her. How destroyed he was by the way she’d up and left.
She’d never spoken to him after that day. And now he was gone too. She had to breathe through the wild emotions coursing through her veins like quicksilver.
“I mean it when I say that I am sorry about Adam. I am.” She stomped her foot to punctuate her statement. “But you make me feel like I’m kicking a puppy when you come over here and talk about us getting back together. You’re putting…too much pressure on me. I don’t want to hurt you…more than you’re already hurting.” She could see the evidence of sleepless nights in the shadows under his eyes.
“I know you’re sorry about Adam, babe, and I know you’re upset about me moving here. So, why don’t we just try and be friends again? That’s how we started our relationship, and I think it would be good for us. Will you be my friend again, Natalie Hale?”