Page 71 of Caught Looking

I told her how the opportunity fell into my lap.

“So we get a trial run?” She scrunched up her nose.

I laughed. “Something like that, yeah. Jackson cleared it. We can take a peek before we head to the stadium.” I wasn’t leaving her side until I had to fly back to Chicago.

She shrugged. “Can’t hurt to look. Besides I’d rather spend your break somewhere private and not somewhere that reminds me of my cousin.” She looked around the guest room.

It was a nice room. And even though Rhett wouldn’t be home, I didn’t want to stay here anymore than she did.

No more guest rooms. I was more adamant about that than ever after last night.

We were real. Time to act like it.

“Breakfast?”

She sighed. “I’m starving. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. Food in the fridge? I’ll whip you up a pregame meal.”

She nodded, dropping a kiss on my lips. “Thanks, babe.”

I hopped in the shower first, then threw on some clothes. When I opened the bedroom door there was a German Shepard asleep across the threshold. Roscoe perked up. “Good guard dog.” I reached down and gave him a thorough petting before finding my way to Rhett’s kitchen. Roscoe trotted in after me. “I really appreciate you not cock-blocking me last night.”

He gave me a huff that I swear meant something along the lines ofWe both take care of our girl.

I gave him a scratch behind his ear. “Thanks for watching her until I got here.”

Another huff, then a nuzzle of approval. Yeah, Roscoe and I were finding our way around each other. So I refreshed his water and found a bowl marked Roscoe, dishing out his breakfast. Then I got busy. Our diner dinners were great, but she had a big day ahead. Instead of hash browns and pancakes, I whipped up a vegetable omelet covered in cheese with turkey sausage on the side and a generous helping of grits.

Annalise paused at the counter when she saw the spread. “Whoa. This is perfect!”

“The advantages of dating a fellow professional athlete. We might have shit scheduling but I can keep you fed, babe.”

She came around the counter, straight into my arms, and kissed me soundly. “Thank you.”

“No problem. I like cooking for you.”

She took my face in her hands. “For all of it. For dropping everything last night. For distracting me. And for the food.” She pressed a soft kiss to my lips that made me forget my own name. There was something about those delicate kisses that was more intense than the hard ones. I felt them in my damnsoul.

I wrapped her up because I liked her pressed against me. It reminded me how perfectly we fit together. It made it all feel even more right. “You are welcome, but you don’t need to thank me. It’s my job. You need me, I’m here. You’re hungry, I feed you. I’m your man. I take care of you.”

Her eyes twinkled.

“How are you?” I hated to ruin the mood but I needed to know where her head was at.

“I’m actually really good. It threw me for a loop. I wasn’t myself last night. But…I don’t know. You reminded me who I was. I feel like me again.”

I mentally fist-pumped. “Good. That’s real good.” I moved her hair, giving me something to touch without manhandling her the way I wanted. “Nobody is strong all the time. Thank you for trusting me.”

She gave me a soft smile. “So this house?”

“Eat up. I haven’t seen it in years. I’m not sure my memories are accurate.”

The ride took us all of two minutes. If that. Marcus’s house sat at the end of the same road, right on the waters of Tampa Bay. I tensed because it was big. A lot bigger than Rhett’s. And while I might think it was a pretty sweet house, Annalise might freak.

“That’s not a house, Seth.”

“I mean, it’s large, but I don’t think it qualifies for mansion status.” The gleaming white two-story home stretched out in two wings from the main part of the house.