Page 29

29

JAMIE

The shock rippling across Blakely’s face is everything I hoped it would be. She shoves at my chest, surprise turning to frustration in the blink of an eye.

“Don’t joke about shit like this, Jamie!”

“I’m not joking. The job is pretty much yours if you want it. Clyde is just a bit of a stickler and insisted that he meet you first before making any decisions. Plus, I figured you wouldn’t want anything handed to you.”

She physically reacts to the explanation, lurching backward with a hand to her throat as her bottom lip wiggles slightly. “Do you promise that you’re being honest? That this isn’t some elaborate hazing?”

“I’ll spit shake you to prove myself, unless that’s only for you and Nate.”

She flies at me, and it’s so much better than a spit-slicked handshake. If my reflexes weren’t as sharp as they are, I’d have been too slow to catch and hold her off the ground. Her legs snap around my hips and hang on for dear life as she takes my face in her palms and kisses me smack on the mouth.

It’s only a peck, but when it’s followed by three more, I’m grinning so fucking wide and deciding that this is by far the best way to be thanked.

“Thank you, Jamie. I wasn’t . . .” She trails off, cheeks pinkening. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this. And an interview? You got me an interview?”

“You deserve the job, Bandit. But you can prove that to Clyde the way you have me.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispers, gliding her thumbs over the skin beneath my eyes.

“Nothing. You don’t have to say anything. Not to me.”

“Yes, I do. Thank you just doesn’t feel like enough.”

I smirk, bumping our noses. “Well, you could always just keep kissing me. Surely that will help.”

She steals another, shutting me up. My chest expands, like it’s trying to make room for me to shove her inside of it.

When she pulls back, she wiggles in my hold and drops her legs. I immediately want her back in my arms, but it would only embarrass her in front of her potential boss when he decides to join us.

Reaching out, I tuck a chunk of wavy hair behind her ear. “You deserve this.”

“I want it,” she declares before wincing, worrying her lip. “But I dropped out of school. I’m not a trained chef. I have some line cook experience, but that was years ago and in a small café. I’m not skilled enough for this?—”

I pinch her chin between my thumb and forefinger and shake my head, leaning in close. “If anything, you’re too skilled, baby. The fridge back home is overflowing with containers of your food and recipes stuck to the door. This job is yours.”

Her doubt shakes. Some of the beaming light returns to her eyes, so I keep going.

“You’re going to get this job because of who you are and your love of cooking alone. I’ve never met someone who gets the same joy you do from cooking. It’s like you save your special smiles for when you get to watch someone take their first bite and moan at the taste. That’s why you don’t have to worry. If you need some extra confidence in yourself, take some from the overflowing cup I have with your name on it.”

She lowers her hand to my chest and keeps it there, gazing up at me. “Are you sure it’s my name on it and not yours? We all know you can be a bit too confident sometimes.”

It’s the perfect Blakely thank you.

“You’re welcome,” I murmur.

She softens, lips curling at one side. “If I get this job, does that mean I’ll come here with you every day?”

“Mmhmm. You won’t be able to hide from me for days after nights in the kitchen anymore.”

“I wasn’t hiding.”

“You weren’t not-hiding either.”

“Don’t make me take back my appreciation,” she warns.

I dip my head to tease a kiss over her mouth. “I haven’t forgotten about what happened, wife. And I’d bet you haven’t either. We don’t need to talk about it, though. It’ll happen again on its own.”

“And what makes you so sure of that, Pretty Boy?”

Throwing caution to the wind, I test how stretchy the boundaries are that she’s set between us. “Because I haven’t stopped thinking about the feeling of you coming around my fingers since. Revisited the moment several times in the shower and late at night in my bed.”

She parts her lips on a long inhale, lashes fluttering. Her fingers curl into my shirt. “Not right now, Jamie.”

“You’re right.”

I’d prefer not to stop, but with impeccable timing, Clyde saunters into the lounge. The short, balding man smiles at us, and slowly, I release my wife.

“Jamie and Blakely! Oh, my favourite wide receiver has arrived, and he brought his wife,” he exclaims, clapping twice.

I rest a hand on Blakely’s back. “Don’t lie, Clyde. You and I both know you don’t choose favourites. ”

“If I did, it would be you two,” he argues.

“In that case, I’d like to introduce you to Blakely. Blakely, this is Clyde.”

The bubbly man rushes toward us and takes Blakely’s arms in his hands. He inspects her from head to toe with a smile that may as well be a declaration of acceptance.

“You’re just as beautiful as Jamie said you were.”

She lifts a brow at me. “Is that so?”

“As if you didn’t already know I’ve been telling everyone I know about you. Clyde is downplaying it, to be honest.”

He laughs and releases her. “I’m just happy to have a chance to meet you before I’m finished here. And to witness with my own eyes if Jamie was right about your passion and love of cooking.”

Blakely straightens her shoulders, preparing for her test. “Cooking was my dream once upon a time.”

“And now?”

“I’ve never felt more excited to get my hands dirty again.”

Clyde beams. “Let’s get to work, then, shall we?”

“Now?” Blakely asks, disguising her nerves with bluntness.

“Yes. While Jamie heads off for practice, we are going to prepare lunch for the team and staff. What better way to see what you’re made of?”

“I’d be honoured to get such a fair shot at this. Truly,” Blakely says.

Clyde claps again and then turns to me. “Off you go now, Jamie. I’ll take good care of your wife, I promise.”

“Yeah, you will. Or I’ll make sure that you’re on the menu today,” I threaten.

Blakely reaches for me again before I make the first move. Excitement sparks as she kisses me on the cheek and hovers, whispering, “Thank you, husband.”

My lungs fail, and I’m left waiting when she leaves with Clyde and disappears into the kitchen.

Fuck, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Water flies into the air when I give my hair a shake and adjust the band of my shorts. Chase scowls when some splatters his cheeks.

“Do you have to dry yourself like a dog, Jamie?” he asks, wiping his face with the bottom of his shirt.

“I was just double drying. You should try it sometime.”

“I use a towel like a normal person.”

“Your loss,” I sing.

“Do you whip your wife with your hair splatter too, or is that just for us?”

I smirk, abandoning my stuff in my cubby for now. I’ve got lunch plans that don’t involve my foul-smelling cleats.

“Nah. She’s got me house-trained already.”

“So, you’re only like this here? Lucky woman.”

“Oh, Chasey, are you jealous? You know that you’re welcome to come join us for dinner whenever you want to,” I coo.

“Only if you’re not the one cooking.”

“Blakely would kick me out of the kitchen before I got my hands on anything. She’s the chef in our house, and I guarantee if she made a meal for you, you’d be trying to come over every night,” I boast.

“Is that how you fell for her so quickly? Her food? Because I’ve got to say, Jamie, I’m still shocked you got married in the first place,” he says with a grunt, slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder.

The showers are busy behind us, and Jax took off before I’d managed to rinse the soap out of my hair. I haven’t bothered to keep track of anyone else. Not with Blakely on my mind.

“Shocked but proud, right?” I tease.

“Sure.”

I frown and yank open the door. “My wife had a meeting with Clyde today to be his replacement. Don’t beat me up in front of her.”

“She’s here right now?”

“Yes, and as long as everything goes well today, she’ll be at every practice day.”

“You’re clingy, Jamie,” he deadpans.

I nearly shove him back into the locker room when we start toward the lounge. “Excuse me? That’s rude.”

“Zach was almost positive that you got married because you knocked Blakely up. But after seeing you at the wedding, I had a feeling that wasn’t the case. It was still fucking weird that Graham was there, so something is going on, but maybe you do actually like this girl.”

“She’s my wife. There was no knocking up happening.”

“You can marry someone without loving them,” he declares.

“Don’t tell that to Zach, or he’ll give you a whole speech on how you’re wrong.”

“You’re not going to do the same thing?”

“No. I don’t have to convince anyone of anything,” I say, playing it cool.

“For what it’s worth, even if you’re not trying, you’ve started winning over the fans. I was stopped twice on my way here this morning, and both occurrences were focused around you.”

I wince. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I don’t remember the last time I was stalked outside of the stadium. Let’s take it as a good sign. Maybe the stands will stop looking so goddamn empty soon.”

“We could go four and oh after Saturday. That will help.”

Chase opens the lounge door for me and shrugs when I pass him. “Yeah, maybe. Don’t get your hopes up, Bateman. Odds are the team will lose it first.”

“Now that you shat all over my hopes and dreams, I’ll be surprised if we do win,” I scold.

“Sorry, man.”

I ignore him the moment we step into the lounge and Blakely appears at the buffet table. The white chef’s coat she’s wearing looks incredible on her. A perfect fit.

Chase drags a chair out from beneath one of the round tables as loudly as possible, and Blakely snaps her head our way. Curiosity blooms across her face before she finds my eyes and smiles.

It’s such a delicate quirk of her mouth. Something special, just for me.

“Nice coat,” I drawl, letting my legs draw me to her.

She glides a serving spoon into the pan of roasted potatoes and steals a look at her white coat. “Clyde gave it to me after I got the job.”

“You got it?”

“I got it,” she breathes out, pushing her way into my chest. “Today counts as my first day.”

I hold her against me and squeeze her tight, kissing all over the top of her head. “I never doubted you, Bandit.”

“Thank you, Jamie. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Yes, you could have. Cooking is your calling. I just helped find an opening for a chef as amazing as you.”

She rubs her cheek against my chest and inhales deeply. I’m not in any hurry to end our hug, so I keep my mouth shut and keep her close.

I’m fully aware that this isn’t helping me accomplish the whole “don’t mess with a good thing” act. It was pointless to begin with. All practice, I was thinking about her and how she was doing in here. I’ve become addicted to her, and the worst part of it is I don’t think she’s aware of how interested I am in her.

She thinks this is all a big game when that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality of the situation is that I want Blakely in a very unfriendly way.

I want her, and I’ve yet to find the bottom of the list of things that I’m willing to do to win her over .

“Hi, Blakely. We didn’t have much of a chance to chat at the wedding, but in case you forgot, I’m Chase.”

Forcing myself away from Blakely, I eye my buddy with an obvious warning. He doesn’t pay it any attention and waits until she’s extracted herself from my hold before offering her a grin.

“I remember. Chase Hudson, right?”

“The one and only.”

“He’s the second-best wide receiver on the team,” I jab.

Blakely leans a hand against the buffet table, giving my teammate her full attention. I’m tempted to toss Chase over my shoulder and drop his ass outside.

“Well, I hope you’re hungry, Chase,” she says.

The asshole attempts to lay it on thick. “I’m assuming you cooked this? Everything looks phenomenal.”

I scoff, and Blakely glances at me with her lips rolling to hide a smile. Chase winks, purposefully stretching his arms above his head.

Maybe he has bigger biceps than me, but if he thinks that’s going to win Blakely over, he’s got another thing coming.

My wife doesn’t fall for his bait, keeping her eyes fixed on his face and not the bulging muscles. “Clyde was showing me the ropes. We cooked together, but it’s a pretty simple meal. I suppose all of them must be that way.”

Chase nods. “High protein is always simple unless you have the time to make something pretty out of it.”

“If anyone could make boring meals more interesting, it would be you, baby,” I say, snaking an arm around her back to palm her hip.

Chase fails to hide his entertainment, watching me act like a fool. Blakely moves a hand to rub my stomach in round, soothing motions.

Tilting her head back to look at me, she says, “You should eat before everyone else gets here. I have to go talk to Clyde some more. When you’re finished, you’ll come get me, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll get you. ”

She hesitates to move, darting her eyes between my eyes and my mouth. It’s enough of a signal as I need.

Slanting my mouth over hers, I kiss her deeply, not giving a shit about Chase. The first taste of her has my cock stiffening and straining in my not-so-loose shorts.

“I’ll see you soon,” she murmurs.

I nod, chasing her mouth. “I have a gift for you in the car.”

“You better not say it’s your dick.”

“No, it’s something almost as great, though.”

Her laugh is a soft, breathless sound. “Alright. I’ll be back.”

“Have fun.”

When she escapes my arms, there’s almost a skip in her step. Rays of sunshine glimmer in the air around her, and shit, it’s a sight to see her so at peace. So happy.

Having even the smallest part in that makes me feel more accomplished than anything I’ve ever done.