Read Online End Zone: Texas Titans 2 by Cheryl Douglas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cheryl Douglas
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jeans. “And you think I’m worth fighting for?”
“I do.”
“I’m afraid you’re setting yourself up for
disappointment. I’m a terrible girlfriend. I work crazy hours, including nights
and weekends. I rarely cook. Hell, even my house plants die from neglect.”
“Hmm….” He slipped a hand into her hair,
loving the way it felt gliding through his fingers. “You’re right. Maybe it
would be best if we just forgot the whole thing.” Her face fell, making him
smile. “What’s wrong? You don’t agree?”
She tried to wrestle out of his arms, but
he wouldn’t let her go. “You think this is funny?”
“No, I think it’s kind of sad if you wanna
know the truth.” No way would he let her sabotage what might turn out to be the
best thing that had ever happened to either of them. “I get that you’re scared.
You have reason to be, but that’s no excuse for checking out on life, Kris.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
He felt her whole body tensing, but he
wasn’t about to back down. “Isn’t it? You hide out in your office, hide behind
your work, refuse to date—”
“Who said I refuse to date?” She glared at
him.
Apparently he’d hit a nerve, which only
confirmed his suspicions. She was running scared, and he wouldn’t let her.
“Okay, when was the last time you went out with someone who really intrigued
you, someone you thought you could see a future with?”
“None of your business.”
“I rest my case.” In a perfect world, she
would have said today, but he didn’t need her to affirm their connection.
“You get off on being right, don’t you?”
He knew it may seem that way, but he had so
much more at stake than his ego. “This has nothing to do with being right or
wrong. This is about convincing someone I care about to step out of her comfort
zone and take a stab at real and lasting happiness.”
“You’re getting way ahead of yourself,
Hudson.” She stepped back, holding up her hand.
“Maybe once or twice in a lifetime you meet
someone you can’t get out of your head. Am I right?” Matt was prepared to lay
it all on the line. That may be his one and only shot to convince her they
could have something special.
“I suppose,” she said, looking skeptical.
“I think you might be my once in a
lifetime, Kris.” He reached for her, and she let him take her hands. “I don’t
say that lightly. In fact, I’ve never said it before.” They should have that
conversation months from now, when they had more history behind them, but she
clearly wasn’t willing to give him that kind of time.
“How can you say that?”
He looked into her eyes and searched for
some hint that she wanted to believe him. “You have no idea how much time I
spent thinking about you. I imagined what it would be like if things were
different.”
“Different how?”
“If I was the kind of guy you dated. If I’d
had the courage to ask you out, or even tell you that I liked you.” He’d
rehearsed that conversation with Kristen a hundred times. In his daydream,
she’d smiled sweetly and told him she liked him too, but of course, that was
just a fantasy. He finally had a chance at the real deal.
“How do you know this isn’t about your need
to right some wrong?”
“What are you talking about?” He knew he
wouldn’t like where she was going.
“I know kids who were bullied in school
often bear emotional scars,” she said, running her hands over his biceps.
“Maybe you just want a shot with me because it’ll help you get over what
happened back then.”
Matt couldn’t help but throw his head back
and laugh. “Honey, you couldn’t be more wrong. I’m happy with the ways things
turned out. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life, not even those years.
Overcoming those challenges made me a better man.” It may be tough for someone
who hadn’t walked in his shoes to believe, but it was true. Had it not been for
the bullies, he may never have found the intestinal
“I do.”
“I’m afraid you’re setting yourself up for
disappointment. I’m a terrible girlfriend. I work crazy hours, including nights
and weekends. I rarely cook. Hell, even my house plants die from neglect.”
“Hmm….” He slipped a hand into her hair,
loving the way it felt gliding through his fingers. “You’re right. Maybe it
would be best if we just forgot the whole thing.” Her face fell, making him
smile. “What’s wrong? You don’t agree?”
She tried to wrestle out of his arms, but
he wouldn’t let her go. “You think this is funny?”
“No, I think it’s kind of sad if you wanna
know the truth.” No way would he let her sabotage what might turn out to be the
best thing that had ever happened to either of them. “I get that you’re scared.
You have reason to be, but that’s no excuse for checking out on life, Kris.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
He felt her whole body tensing, but he
wasn’t about to back down. “Isn’t it? You hide out in your office, hide behind
your work, refuse to date—”
“Who said I refuse to date?” She glared at
him.
Apparently he’d hit a nerve, which only
confirmed his suspicions. She was running scared, and he wouldn’t let her.
“Okay, when was the last time you went out with someone who really intrigued
you, someone you thought you could see a future with?”
“None of your business.”
“I rest my case.” In a perfect world, she
would have said today, but he didn’t need her to affirm their connection.
“You get off on being right, don’t you?”
He knew it may seem that way, but he had so
much more at stake than his ego. “This has nothing to do with being right or
wrong. This is about convincing someone I care about to step out of her comfort
zone and take a stab at real and lasting happiness.”
“You’re getting way ahead of yourself,
Hudson.” She stepped back, holding up her hand.
“Maybe once or twice in a lifetime you meet
someone you can’t get out of your head. Am I right?” Matt was prepared to lay
it all on the line. That may be his one and only shot to convince her they
could have something special.
“I suppose,” she said, looking skeptical.
“I think you might be my once in a
lifetime, Kris.” He reached for her, and she let him take her hands. “I don’t
say that lightly. In fact, I’ve never said it before.” They should have that
conversation months from now, when they had more history behind them, but she
clearly wasn’t willing to give him that kind of time.
“How can you say that?”
He looked into her eyes and searched for
some hint that she wanted to believe him. “You have no idea how much time I
spent thinking about you. I imagined what it would be like if things were
different.”
“Different how?”
“If I was the kind of guy you dated. If I’d
had the courage to ask you out, or even tell you that I liked you.” He’d
rehearsed that conversation with Kristen a hundred times. In his daydream,
she’d smiled sweetly and told him she liked him too, but of course, that was
just a fantasy. He finally had a chance at the real deal.
“How do you know this isn’t about your need
to right some wrong?”
“What are you talking about?” He knew he
wouldn’t like where she was going.
“I know kids who were bullied in school
often bear emotional scars,” she said, running her hands over his biceps.
“Maybe you just want a shot with me because it’ll help you get over what
happened back then.”
Matt couldn’t help but throw his head back
and laugh. “Honey, you couldn’t be more wrong. I’m happy with the ways things
turned out. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life, not even those years.
Overcoming those challenges made me a better man.” It may be tough for someone
who hadn’t walked in his shoes to believe, but it was true. Had it not been for
the bullies, he may never have found the intestinal
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