Leaving my suitcase, I swing my arms over her shoulders as she runs her palms over the column of my spine. “Good game.”
“Thank you.” I almost want to remind her I didn’t play, but she knows. Instead, I take the compliment.
Pulling back, I brush her hair away from her face and press my lips to hers. She smiles into me, instantly reassured of how much I want her here.
I lean back slightly to check her out again. “You look good wearing my last name, Blue.”
That megawatt smile blooms as Indy pulls me into her and deepens our kiss, her back hitting the waiting room wall, and I couldn’t be more thankful that Ethan’s kids are gone for the night.
Nothing about this moment is feeling very PG, but I couldn’t care less. No one is around to see it and I have to get on a plane and leave her for the week.
“Shay,” I hear from across the hall. Pulling away from Indy, I look over my shoulder to find Ron Morgan.
Clearing my throat and wiping my lips, I straighten. “Sir.”
“Nice work tonight. Carson did a hell of a job thanks to you. That’s the kind of leader I was looking for.” He nods towards my girl. “Indy, good to see you.”
She cowers, trying to hide her flushed cheeks from being caught mid-make-out by my boss. “You too, Mr. Morgan.”
“All right, you two.” He waves us off, turning his back and heading down the hall. “Don’t let me keep you from going at it. I hope to see you in Phoenix, Indy!”
We chuckle into each other, her forehead falling into my chest. Ironically, for the first time, none of that was planned for Ron to see.
It was for us.
She sighs a happy little sigh, arms slinging around my neck. “What’s in Phoenix?”
“You. Me. Our trips overlap there for the day. He and Caroline were hoping to get together if it works for your schedule.”
“Do you want to?”
If she asked me this a couple of months ago, I would’ve said yes instantly. I wanted to impress my boss, try to show him I’m not as much of a loner as he made me out to be. Now, I still want to say yes, but only because it means more time spent with her.
“I want to only if you’re up for it. I know you’ll be working, but if you’re free, then yes, I’d love to see you.”
“And the Morgans.”
I roll my eyes. “And the Morgans.”
Looking down, I catch Indy wearing her embroidered Converse tonight. I love her in heels and a dress, but equally love her dressed down.
Slipping my foot between hers, I nudge her feet apart to find a new addition to her shoes. Right there, inside of the left ankle is an embroidered basketball with my number and a heart stitched into the center of it.
“When did that get there?” I ask, loving the way my name and number look all over her.
“This afternoon. I thought it was about time.”
My stare breaks from her feet to find her smiling proudly, wearing my favorite emotion of hers—joy.
“It was about damn time.”
Leaning down, I take her mouth again. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to having the privilege of kissing this girl. I hadn’t kissed a woman for so long that being touched by her, wanted by her is almost too much. What in the world did I do to deserve her wanting me?
“Walk me to the team bus?” I take my suitcase in one hand and hers in the other.
We’re barely out of the back entrance of the arena, and I hear him long before I see him. He tugs at Indy’s arm before I can register what’s happening.
“Indy.”
Her hand tightens in mine at the sound of her name. “Alex,” she breathes out. “What are you doing here?”
He’s still holding on to her elbow, gently. Longingly.
I brush his hand off her, keeping my voice calm and even. “Don’t fucking touch her.”
Instinctively, I shift my body, putting myself between them.
Metaphorically and physically, I want to be between them. He will have to get through me to get to her and that won’t ever fucking happen.
“Okay.” He puts his hands up in surrender before redirecting his attention to the blonde beauty behind me. “Indy, we need to talk.”
“No, you don’t,” I speak for her, like a deranged caveman. She can speak for herself, but she shouldn’t have to when it comes to him. There’s nothing that needs to be said.
“Ryan, it’s okay,” she soothes, her hand rubbing at my side. “Alex, I don’t think we need to talk. Now or ever.”
“We’ve never spoken about that night. I need to explain myself.”
She laughs, but I can hear how much it hurts her as it comes out. “Explain what? Why you slept with someone else?”
Alex looks down towards the ground, hands in his pockets. “Well, yeah, exactly. But I’d like to speak to you alone.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” I interject.
“Indy. Twenty-two years. You owe it to yourself to hear me out.”
Manipulative piece of trash, using history as a chess piece with the most loyal woman I know.
Indy inhales a deep breath and I know he’s got her. I hate it.
“Fine. Five minutes.”
“Blue,” I protest over my shoulder.
“It’s okay, Ryan.” Her focus is back on Alex. “It means nothing.”
I refuse to move, to allow any open space between them, but it doesn’t matter because Indy rounds my body, facing me.
“It’s okay. I’ll call you when I can. Have a safe flight.”
The daggers shooting from my eyes fall to the prick behind her. Touch her and I’ll kill you. Say something that makes her upset and I’ll ruin your life. Look at her inappropriately and I will beat the living shit out of you.
I don’t know that he was able to gather that all from my stare, but here’s hoping he understood.
My hands cup Indy’s face as I silently beg her to just go home instead, but she holds her ground, determined to have this conversation.
I’m a possessive man when it comes to her, there’s no denying that, and even though I’m controlling in my own life, I’d never control her or her decisions.
Relenting, I press my lips to her temple and linger there as long as I can.
“Ryan!” Ethan calls out from the team bus behind me. “We’ve gotta go!”
There are so many things I want to say to her right now, but mostly I want to know if what she feels towards me is enough for me not to worry. I also want to know if she’s really okay to do this. It wasn’t all that long ago she was crying in our living room before throwing a shoe at my door after being stranded without a place to live because of him.
But I don’t have time to ask a single question with a bus waiting for me and a plane sitting on a tarmac, ready for our road trip.
“Call me when you can?” I ask, walking backwards towards the bus.
She nods, and I keep my eyes on her until I have to climb the steps on the bus, where I practically sprint to my seat and look out the window, finding the two of them taking a seat on the curb outside the arena.
Why are they sitting? They don’t need that much time. In fact, they don’t need any time at all.