He opens his mouth to argue, but I give him a pleading look, so he just nods. “Fine.”
“You’re all set,” I say, moving to stand by Travis. I can feel his stare as I talk to Travis about any potential issues before we begin stretches. I pretend Cameron isn’t standing vigil behind me and focus on doing my job.
“So good,” Travis moans as I push a little harder on his leg.
I hear Cameron grumble behind me, but I ignore him and continue to focus on my player. “How’s that?” I ask Travis.
“Great. Thanks for the workout, Paisley.” He winks as he stands and jiggles his body to show that he’s now loose. He winks at someone behind me, and I know it’s Cameron before jogging off.
Slowly, I turn to find Cameron’s eyes locked on mine. “He didn’t need to be stretched.”
“That’s my job, Cameron.”
“I know, but he was fucking with me.”
“Then don’t let him.”
“Do you have any idea how it feels to have your girl stretching out your new teammates? To know what they’re thinking as your hands are all over them? It’s fucking torture, P.”
“I’m not your girl, Cameron,” I remind him. We both know I’m lying. The fact he slept in my bed last night pretty much debunks that theory.
“You are mine.” His voice is steady. Solid. “I want to kiss you so fucking bad,” he says, stepping even closer. Barely a few inches remain between his chest and mine.
“What’s stopping you? It’s not like us kissing hasn’t been blasted all over the television networks and social media.” It’s a challenge, and we both know it.
“That’s easy, baby,” he says, his voice softening. “That kiss was theirs. It was for the kiss cam. Sure, it ended up being more than that, but that’s how it started. We were giving them a show. The next time I kiss you like that, it will be just you and me. I want to be able to hold you close and run my hands over every inch of you. So I’m not going to kiss you today. Not here in front of the fans and the cameras. At least not the way I want to.”
“Okay.” I nod. There’s not much I can say to that. Cameron Taylor has a way with words that makes me feel like I could melt into a puddle of goo at his feet.
“When I do kiss you like that, for the world to see, there will be no question between us that you’re mine. We both know that you are, but you’re struggling with it.”
“What makes you think I’ll ever be ready for that again?”
He smirks. “I can feel it here.” He taps his hand over his chest, right over his heart. “It’s deep, Paisley. Real fucking deep.”
“All right, let’s hit the field for the team warm-ups!” Coach Drummond announces. This is something that he’s known for. He has the entire team on the field, and they go through a routine of stretches. It’s meant to show teamwork and unity. Right now, the Blaze is the only team in the league that does it, and it started with Coach Drummond two years ago.
“You better go.”
“Wait for me after the game.” He reaches up as if he’s going to touch me but thinks better of it and drops his hand.
“I’ll wait.”
His shoulders drop, and he exhales. “Thanks, beautiful. Wish me luck?”
“You don’t need luck.” He doesn’t. From what I’ve seen, he’s a great player.
“You’re right. I have you.” He winks and jogs off onto the field.
I watch him for far longer than I should before turning and going back to the drinks. I check my bag to ensure I have whatever I may need here in the dugout for the game and busy myself rearranging cups to keep from staring at Cameron out on the field.
It’s going to be a long night.
“Hell yeah!” Corey Miller cheers. He rushes toward me and lifts me in the air, spinning me around in circles before placing me back on my feet. “The Blaze is on fire!” he bellows as he makes his way to the locker room.
All I can do is shake my head and grin as I clean up the dugout. The rest of the training team will take care of the players. I’ll help with whatever is needed as soon as this is cleaned up.
“What I wouldn’t give to make you grin like that.” I hear Cameron say from behind me.
“Good game, Taylor.” I smile at him.
“Thank you. You still waiting for me?”
“Yes. I have to clean up here and then help out with anything the rest of the training staff may need, but my plan is to wait for you.”
“Good.” His eyes scan around us, and no one seems to be paying a bit of attention to us as they’re wrapped up in their own celebration from the win. Moving in close, he crowds me, lowering his head and kissing the corner of my mouth. His lips are gone as soon as they press against mine, and he’s walking away toward the locker rooms.
“Princess?” I hear, and I freeze.
I know that voice, and he’s the only person on the planet who calls me princess. My dad. I know it’s too much to ask that he didn’t witness the kiss that Cameron just gave me. Knowing I have no choice but to face the music, I turn to look at him. “Hey, Dad.”
He opens his arms for me, and I don’t hesitate to walk into them and take the hug he’s offering. “Your team did good, princess,” he says, releasing me.
“Last I checked, they were your team too,” I remind him.
He nods. “Blaze is in our blood,” he says with a grin. “So, that was Cameron?”
I want to crawl under the bleachers. It’s bad enough our kiss was all over the world, but for Dad to catch us, when the kiss was for us, and not for the world, it feels intimate, and I don’t know how to handle that. I’ve always been a daddy’s little girl, and I hate these awkward conversations. My little sisters owe me big time for breaking him in before they get to the dating-and-kissing-boys stage.
“That was Cameron.”
“He’s good.”
“He is,” I agree.
“You two together now?”
“We’re—complicated,” I tell him honestly.
“Is he good to you?”
I think back to last night. He held me all night long, and not once did he try anything. Not that I would have been opposed to it, but he gave me his word, and he kept it. Then this morning, he insisted on making me breakfast, and he just wanted to hang out with me. “He’s good to me,” I assure my father.
“No one will ever be good enough for you and your sisters. You know that, right?” He chuckles.
“Don’t worry, Daddy, you set the bar high,” I remind him, wrapping my arms around him again in a hug. “We know what true love looks like after watching you and Mom. We’re not going to settle for anything less.”
“Is that what this Cameron guy is to you? True love?” His brows furrow.
“We’re talking? Dating? I guess you could say. It’s still new and way too soon for declarations of love.”
“He seems pretty intense. I watched him watching you throughout the game.”
I blush, hearing that Dad witnessed Cameron and his intensity. “He’s not pushing you, is he?”