Page 45 of The Endgame Is You (Rixon Raiders 4)

“No can do, I’m meeting Faith for a run.” I dipped my head and kissed him. It was supposed to be a chaste gentle peck, but when I tried to pull away, Asher buried his hand in my thick curls and captured my lips with his.

“Good morning,” he breathed, finally letting me up for air.

“Morning.” I smiled. I couldn’t help it. I was one of those annoying girls now, sickeningly in love with her boyfriend. A football player no less.

“Are you going to the gym with the guys?”

“Yeah, l think Aiden wants us there.”

I kissed him again. “Well, don’t work too hard.”

“What do you want to do later? I was thinking we could get dinner at Dukes or we could stay home and Netflix and Chill.” His brows waggled.

“Or... we could go to The Hideout for open mic night.”

“Yeah?” He frowned. “You enjoyed that?”

“What?” I batted his chest. “Faith is on the roster tonight and I want to support her.”

“But what about supporting me and my very, very,” he grabbed my hand and cupped it over his morning wood, “real problem?”

“You’re insufferable,” I chuckled.

“No, I’m just a guy in love with a girl.” Asher nuzzled my neck, sucking and licking.

“I know what you’re doing.” I tried to push him away.

“I have no idea what you mean.” He sucked harder, making blood rush to the surface, bruising me.

“Ash, you’ll make me look like—”

“You're mine. I’ll make you look like you're mine.”

With a heavy eye roll, I untangled myself from him and climbed out of bed before he could grab me again.

“Tell Faith we’ll be there,” he called, just as I disappeared into the bathroom.

Every time. I smiled to myself.

Every damn time.

“So you’re coming tonight, right?” Faith pressed her hands to her knees, breathing deeply.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I smiled.

Faith and I had been friends since our first day of freshman year. We’d met in orientation and never looked back. Like me, she wanted to make a difference: to work with those less fortunate, and help kids flourish, despite their often dire circumstances.

Felicity and Hailee aside, she was my best friend. So of course, I was going to be at the poetry slam night at The Hideout later.

“Asher’s coming too.”

“You know, it’s cute that he wants to support you supporting me, but it wouldn’t hurt him to relax the reins now and again.”

My brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just saying, he’s like your shadow. It’s... a lot.”

We stretched our calves before breaking into a gentle jog through Fairmount Park.