When the bus begins to move, I feel her shift beside me. I open my eyes in time to see her rest her head against my shoulder. She’s snuggled up underneath a Blaze blanket, and she looks peaceful. I want nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and hold her against my chest. A throat clearing pulls my attention.
I turn to see Coach Drummond watching me intently. “Sir?”
“I’ve got my eye on you, Taylor,” he whispers.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” And I mean it. I’m glad he’s looking out for her, but what he doesn’t understand is that I’m the last person he needs to protect her from. I’m sure Drew has talked to him, and hell, from what I’ve heard about Easton Monroe, I wouldn’t put it past him to have called to talk to the coach either. I just want the chance to get to know her. Maybe hold her in my arms while she sleeps. Is that too much to ask?
Paisley moves, causing her blanket to fall over into my lap. Underneath the cover, my hand seeks out hers as I lace our fingers together. With my head back against the headrest and her head on my shoulder, I let the lull of the tires against the pavement put me to sleep.
“Shit.” I hear a soft mumble.
Slowly, I blink open my eyes to find Paisley staring at me wide-eyed. “Hey, beautiful,” I whisper into the quiet of the bus.
“Hi,” she says shyly. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep on you.”
I give her hand that I’m still holding under the blanket a soft squeeze. “It’s okay. We still have a good hour and a half to go,” I say, looking at the time on my phone. “Go back to sleep.”
“We can’t just…” Her voice trails off.
“We can,” I assure her. She chews on her bottom lip. Her unease is evident. “Hey.” I turn to face her, keeping my voice soft. “No one is paying a bit of attention to us.”
“They might.”
“I don’t care if they do.”
“I’m the trainer for this team.”
“And I’m a player on this team.”
“Cam.” She sighs.
“You said we’re friends, right?” I’m desperate for this time, for this connection with her. “Friends take naps.”
“Holding hands?” she whispers, her eyes wide.
“We do.” I give her a slow smile that has her shaking her head and fighting one of her own.
“Come here, Paisley.” I motion with my head for her to come closer. She does as I ask and rests her head against my shoulder. “There’s my girl,” I say, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. “Rest.”
It takes her a few minutes, but eventually, her body relaxes into mine as she drifts back to sleep. I close my eyes and try like hell to do the same, but I can’t. My mind won’t shut off. There’s so much happening all at once, I don’t know what to give my attention to first. I know I need to be in the right headspace for the game tomorrow night, and I’m certain I’m there. Then there’s Paisley. Sure, getting involved with a trainer isn’t the smartest idea I’ve ever had, but in our defense, there was a connection before either of us knew who the other was. That’s what I need to remember. She’s more than just the sexy trainer. She’s Paisley, a woman who loves the game as much as I do. She’s the woman who charmed me one Sunday afternoon at a Blaze game.
She’s the only woman who could ever make me think about her over the game. Unable to help myself, I press a kiss to her temple.
“What are people going to say about that?” she asks softly, her eyes still closed. She doesn’t need to clarify that she’s referring to this kiss.
“I don’t care what they say, Paisley.”
She tilts her head back to look at me. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“With everything I am.” I can’t explain it. But when she looks at me with those big brown eyes, something happens to me. My chest feels tight yet lighter at the same time.
“I barely know you.”
“Then get to know me.”
“This has complicated written all over it.”
“Only if we let it become complicated.”
“I thought you wanted to be friends.”
“I do want to be your friend. But, Paisley, it’s more than that. I want to be your everything.”
She sucks in a breath. “That’s a bold statement, Taylor.”
“I’m well aware.”
“It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell you not to play me, but I can see the look in your eyes. You’re being real, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“It’s so soon.”
“When you know, you know.”
She rolls those bright brown eyes. “Come on now.” She grins.
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“It’s not that. I mean, I’ve heard stories of knowing when you know, but it’s never been in association with me.”
“We’ll take our time and get to know each other. You can say we’re friends if that makes you feel better, but we’re more than friends. I’m not going to be seeing anyone else, and I’d prefer that you didn’t either. I’ve never been much on sharing.”
“You’re saying you won’t share me.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“What if I want to be shared?” she asks. She’s trying to get a rise out of me, and it’s working.
“Paisley,” I growl, and she slaps her hand over my mouth. I kiss her palm, and her eyes glass over with heat. With want. For me. Slowly, she takes her hand from my mouth. “You’re playing with fire,” I warn her.
“I do work for the Blaze,” she teases.
I don’t think about where we are or who may see us. I don’t think about the fact that our boss is sitting in the seat across from us and has a direct line to her dad. All I can think about is kissing her, so that’s what I do. It takes very little effort for me to lean in just a fraction of an inch and press my lips to hers. It’s chaste as far as kisses go, but it’s her lips against mine, and that’s the important part.
“You’re beautiful,” I blurt, resting my forehead against hers.
“You don’t need to waste your flattery on me,” she breathes.
“It’s not flattery; it’s facts. And nothing, no part of me would ever be wasted on you.” I kiss the tip of her nose and pull away, settling back against my seat.
“This is crazy, Cameron,” she says after a few minutes of silence.
“Tell me, Paisley. Do you think about that day? The game? The kiss? The connection?”
“All the time.”
“Then this isn’t crazy. I don’t care what the world thinks. I don’t care what your uncle Drew thinks, or hell, even your dad. All I care about is what we think, and all I can think about is you. We owe it to ourselves to see where this goes. We left it to fate, and beautiful, I believe fate has spoken.”
“Can we talk about this later?”
“Sure, baby.” I slide my hand underneath the cover and rest my hand on her thigh. “We will be talking about it, though.”