Page 29 of Run the Play (Nashville Rampage #2)

Chapter Sixteen

R owan

My eyes flutter open to the feeling of being watched. I blink hard and take in my surroundings, which is when I see him.

“Morning,” he says, bending and kissing my cheek.

I place my hand over my mouth, covering my morning breath. “Morning.”

“Sleep well?” he asks.

“I did. You?” I ask.

“You were here in my arms. Of course I did.”

His declaration has my belly doing flips. “Why are you watching me?” What does he see in me in the light of day? Does he have regrets?

“Because I can’t seem to get enough of you, whether you’re asleep or awake,” he says with absolute sincerity in his tone.

“Creeper,” I tease.

“Maybe.” He shrugs. “But I’m your creeper.”

“I think that makes it better.” I laugh.

It does make it better. My time with Landry is easy and fun.

Even in the moments that are deep and personal, when we bare our emotions, I know he’s the only one I’d want to be baring myself to—physically and emotionally.

Last night, we crossed the line into something more.

I wasn’t sure what to expect in the light of day, but that’s my old insecurities.

I should have known this is how it would be: with Landry giving me his honesty and looking at me as if I’m his entire world.

“Come on, I’ll make you some breakfast.” Just as he speaks, my phone rings. He reaches over on the nightstand, where I don’t remember putting it, unplugs it, and hands it to me. “It’s my sister,” he says, glancing at the screen.

“Hello,” I answer.

“Where are you right now?”

“Um, why?”

Corie laughs. “You’re with my brother, aren’t you?”

“I might be. Would that be okay?” I bite down on my bottom lip, worried about what she’s going to say. However, there’s no going back now. I’m here, and I’ll never lie about that.

“Are you kidding me?” She shrieks. “I’m thrilled. So, are you dating? Is this real? Tell me all the things,” she says.

My eyes glance over at Landry, and he asks for the phone by holding out his hand. “Landry wants to talk to you,” I tell her, avoiding her questions. I hand him the phone.

“Thank you, baby,” he says sweetly and definitely loud enough for Corie to hear if her yelling means anything.

“Hey, little sister,” he says into the phone.

He listens, and as she talks, his grin grows wider.

“Yes, we’re dating. No, this isn’t fake.

I’m not sure it ever was,” he confesses, making my heart trip over in my chest. He listens some more and then looks over at me. “You want to go on a lunch date?”

“I need clothes,” I say before slapping my hand over my mouth. Landry tosses his head back in laughter.

“Yeah, we’ll meet you there. Sounds good.” He ends the call and tosses it on the bed. “They want to meet at the pizza place just down from the stadium.”

“Is that okay? We could stay in if you and Knox don’t feel like being followed by fans and media.”

“You’re not getting out of this double date, baby. Besides, for the most part, people leave us alone. They take a few pictures and ask for an autograph or two, but that’s it. Although, I don’t want them interrupting my day with you.”

“It’s your job. Think of it as a privilege for people who want your autograph.”

“Yeah, so they can sell it.” He chuckles.

“Maybe, but my guess is that most of them, in fact, the majority of them want it for themselves. You’re a football hero, Landry Reynolds.”

“Well, this football hero is going to make breakfast for his girl.” He leans in for a kiss, but I turn my head to give him my cheek. “Kiss me.”

“I need to brush my teeth.”

“I don’t care about that. Kiss me.”

I turn to face him, and he leans in and kisses me softly. His tongue traces my lips, but I refuse to open for him.

“Fine,” he grumbles. “There are spare toothbrushes in the drawer in the bathroom. Hurry up,” he says, climbing off the bed.

“Why do I have to hurry up if you’re the one making breakfast?” I call after him.

He stops at the doorway and turns to face me.

He grips the frame above him, his abs flexing.

He’s in nothing but light blue boxer briefs, and my mouth waters.

“Because I’ll miss you, and, baby, if you keep looking at me like that, you’ll be my breakfast.” He winks before dropping his arms, turning, and walking away.

It takes a few moments for my brain to work again after staring at him.

Tossing off the covers, I shiver at the chill of the air conditioning.

I grab my clothes from yesterday and lock myself in the bathroom.

I find the toothbrushes, just as he said, and thankfully, I had clothes that I changed into after the game, so my clothes were only worn here last night.

I’ll still need to go to my place and shower.

When I open the bathroom door with his folded T-shirt in my hands, I can smell bacon cooking. My stomach grumbles. Quickly, I make the bed, then place the shirt on top before heading to the kitchen to find him.

“Something smells good.”

“Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. You’ll have to tell me if there’s something you usually have for breakfast, and I can make sure I have it here for you for when you stay over.”

“Is that going to happen a lot? Me staying over?” I ask without fear of pissing him off. I didn’t realize how freeing that would be. To be able to communicate and not stress over every word before it’s spoken.

“Well, since it’s too early for you to say yes to moving in, the answer is yes.”

“Don’t you mean it’s too early to ask me to move in?” I ask, amusement in my tone.

“Nope. I’m all in, Rowan. It’s fast, considering we just became official outside of our fake dating, but that’s where I’m at.”

“You sound so sure of yourself.” Landry Reynolds is a man of action, and I have no doubt he means what he says. It’s encouraging. I’ve never been able to express my concerns and feelings freely without fear.

“That’s because I am.” He plates up our eggs and comes to stand next to me. His index finger dips under my chin, and he raises my eyes to his. “Morning, girlfriend.” He grins before pressing his lips to mine.

“You better check your bacon,” I mumble against his lips.

Nobody likes burnt bacon, and honestly, having his full attention like this, it’s new to me, and I’m a little overwhelmed but in a good way.

I know in time, it’s something I’ll get used to.

It’s already something I’m starting to crave where Landry is concerned.

“Later,” he tells me before pulling away and going back to the bacon.

“How did Corie find out?”

“I texted Knox and the guys last night. I told Knox to let me tell Corie, but he’s a sucker where my sister is concerned.”

“You told the guys? Told them what?”

He nods to his phone on the counter. “You can read for yourself.”

“What? You want me to read your messages? On your phone?” There’s no hiding the disbelief in my tone.

“Yeah, if you want to know what I told them.” He rattles off his passcode, and I sit here frozen.

“Roe, I have nothing to hide from you. If you need my phone, it’s there, and you know the code.

Anytime you need to go through it to make yourself understand that you’re it for me, you can do it. I won’t be mad or upset.”

“Are you real?” I ask him. This man is opening his heart and his entire life to me without reservation. It’s staggering in the best way.

He chuckles. “I know how he treated you. I know he cheated on you, and I want to give you back everything he took and then some. I want to give you the world. I want to give you me, and if having access to my phone helps you see that we’re the real deal, you have it.

” He adds bacon to our plates, grabs toast out of the toaster, slathers butter on it, and pushes my plate toward me.

“Coffee, milk, water, something else? I’m out of orange juice. ”

“Water is fine,” I tell him. My head is spinning as I process what he’s giving me without a second thought. It means more to me than he will ever know.

He grabs a glass of water and a glass of milk before sitting next to me.

With his long arms, he reaches across the island and drags his plate forward.

Before he picks up his fork, he grabs his phone and hands it to me, rattling off his passcode for a second time.

When I make no move to take it, he unlocks the phone and pulls up his messages before handing it to me.

They say curiosity killed the cat, and I want to know what he said, so I allow myself to scan through his message with the guys from last night.

I choke on a sob when I get to the part where he says he might be falling in love with me.

Then he says he’s pretty sure he is, and it feels as though my heart might tumble right out of my chest and into his.

“Landry,” I breathe his name with reverence.

“What? It’s not bad, right?” He takes the phone from me and skims the messages. His face goes pale. “Yeah, forgot about that part,” he says, placing his phone back on the counter and turning to face me. “Please don’t freak out. Don’t run.”

I can’t help it. I laugh. My entire body shakes with my laughter.

He looks confused, his brow scrunched as he watches me.

“You think I’m going to run? From a man who has shown me what it’s like to be wanted.

Not my body, but me. From a man who has shown me what it feels like to be valued? I’m not running, Landry.”

He exhales loudly. “Good.”

“It’s scary, though, right? To feel this strongly so soon?”