Chapter Twenty-One

Between the massage and what came after, when they were alone, Addison wasn’t sure she could move. Snuggled into Sawyer’s side, she traced her hand up and down the center of his chest, through the light spattering of dark hair there. She felt his lips against her head and happiness coursed through her. She cautioned herself not to attach too much to the moment but the truth was, she was falling in love with him.

“You okay?” He used one hand to tip her chin up.

She arched her neck against his biceps, which made a very firm pillow—his body was a work of art and she definitely wanted a chance to explore it further. “I’m as close to perfect as I can get.”

Sawyer kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, her lips. “I agree.”

Cupping his cheek, feeling the barely there rasp of stubble, she moved closer, wanting more.

He pulled back and adjusted himself so he was on his side facing her. Addie did the same and he covered her hand between them. The way he looked at her—it was something she could get used to. One step at a time.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Heat rushed to her cheeks. “Do you usually thank the women you sleep with?”

Sawyer chuckled. “Not for that. Though that gets more incredible every time. What I meant was, thank you for making tonight special. For the massage, the cookies, the food—which I’m hoping we can heat up soon because I’m starved—but mostly, thank you for being who you are. For planning something to help me celebrate a victory or commiserate a loss. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

She stared at his chin, saw the faint scar just along the jaw. “I like you, Sawyer. A lot. I didn’t want to get this far in. My life wasn’t empty before you. I love my job, my family, my friends. But somehow, even though I didn’t feel like I was missing anything, I feel…more complete with you.”

There. If that wasn’t taking a risk and putting it all out there, she didn’t know what was. She went after what she wanted in her charity work—whether she was successful or not—and in her job. Why not with her heart? Maybe because it was about to overbeat in her chest after she said the words.

“Look at me, Addie,” he whispered.

She lifted her gaze, bit her lip, her heart all but vibrating.

“I feel it, too. I’m not great at laying it on the line like you are, but you matter to me. You’re knocking down the walls I built up and I’m trying to let you in.”

They held each other’s gaze, his fingers moving back and forth over her hand. Sawyer’s lips firmed, and she sensed the tension that drifted into him, between them.

She reached out again, smiling. “What? What are you thinking?”

“If we had to label this, would you call me your boyfriend?”

Swallowing down a laugh because of his serious expression, she nodded. “Yeah. I guess I would. If I’m talking to Isla or Talia, I’ll probably refer to you as my hot, sexy boyfriend.”

Sawyer laughed and sat up, leaning against the headboard. Addie pulled the sheet with her and did the same, angling her body so she could look at him.

“We’re in a unique position with your job and us being together. Not that there’s a rule against it but…well, with you specifically monitoring player wellness.”

She knew where this was going, and they needed to discuss it. He needed to know that when they were together like this, she wasn’t a Slammers’ exec. Or Isla’s best friend. Even knowing the conversation needed to happen, her stomach still twisted in knots. “You’re worried about the lines blurring?”

He nodded. “A bit. I want to talk to you as my girlfriend, but I know how important your job is. Plus, you have the extra layer with Isla being your best friend.” Like he’d read her mind.

She knew he was right, but part of her hated that he had to question her… Your what? Loyalty? That’s not what this is. He’s right. You have divided loyalties. But if she wanted him to be all in, she had to prove she was as well.

Addie took his hand, pressed their palms together, liking the contrasts of size and feel. She met his gaze, her stomach jumping at the intensity that burned in Sawyer’s.

“I know where the lines are, Sawyer. You can trust me. What happens between us, what’s said between us, as a couple, will not bleed over. When we’re together, you’re not a ball player and I’m not an executive for the team. We’re just us and that’s all I want. A chance at us.”

“It might not always be easy.”

She grinned. “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who takes the easy route.”

Leaning in, he caught her lips, his hand moving up to thread through her hair. “No. Easy would have been taking an Uber the day you picked me up.”

Laughter bubbled up. “Where’s the fun in that?”

They lost the thread of conversation between kisses that went deeper and pulled Addie further under. She was reaching toward him, eager to show him how she felt, when he pulled back and kissed her forehead.

“Throw something on so I don’t get distracted talking to you.” He climbed from the bed, and Addie’s mouth dropped open. He was seriously chiseled. And sexy. Glancing over his shoulder, his dark hair mussed perfectly, he grinned when he caught her staring. Picking up his shirt, he threw it at her, covering her head and making her laugh. “I need food, woman. You can stare at me like that again after we eat.”

With a smile on her face, she pulled his shirt over her head, adjusted her very messy hair into a ponytail, and climbed from the bed. As he slipped his boxers up, she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He hugged her, just holding her a minute.

When she tipped her head back, she hoped she wasn’t imagining the look of unguarded happiness in his expression. “Your Grams said you like Thai, so I picked up food from the Smiling Elephant.”

He shook his head. “Excellent choice. You know, I’m going to have to plan a pretty extraordinary date to make us even.”

Looping her arms around his neck, she laughed when he picked her up and walked them out of the bedroom with her hanging against him. “It’s not like that. It isn’t quid pro quo.”

“What are you, a lawyer?” His arms tightened around her waist and he kept walking.

“Ha. Hardly. But you don’t owe me a payback for tonight. Trust me when I say it was my pleasure as well.”

Sawyer stopped in the kitchen, boosting her onto the counter and stepping between her legs. He nuzzled her neck in a way that made her forget about food or anything outside of the two of them.

He, however, was a man on a mission because he pulled back, his palms resting on her bare thighs. “Maybe not, but I’m going to enjoy showing you you’re not the only one who can plan a perfect date. Now that the season is over, I have more time to do that.”

Like he was completely at home, which Addie loved, Sawyer went to the fridge and started pulling open the takeout containers from the restaurant. She hadn’t eaten there yet, but Isla and Liam were big fans. She jumped off the counter to grab plates.

“I’m not going to stop you from planning something, but just so you know? We could do nothing at all and I’d be happy with that.”

He pulled a beer from the fridge. “You got all my favorites.”

She nodded. His Grams really was a fount of information on all things Sawyer. Not to mention hilarious to talk to on the phone. She’d learned his favorite beer, color, music as a kid, what hairstyles he’d tried—frosted tips—and who he’d taken to homecoming. Sawyer kept looking back and forth between the beer and the contents of her fridge. Did he want something else? Maybe Grams didn’t know as much as Addie hoped. Sawyer turned with the beer, his expression still puzzled.

“Is it the wrong one?”

Sawyer looked up, shook his head with a strange expression in his gaze. “The beer? No. It’s right. It’s perfect. You’re perfect. For the first time in my long history of decision making,” he said, walking closer to her with a look in his eyes that made her breath hitch, “I think I finally got it right.”