Read Online Pinned Down: A Triple Threat Sports Romance by Lexi Cross - Free Book Online
Authors: Lexi Cross
Ads: Link
never realized just how important it is for you guys to keep up appearances. That’s astonishing, if you ask me. It just seems too counterintuitive,” I told him, knowing I sounded a little more sympathetic than I should have. I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea, but I did appreciate finally being let in a little more.
I let him talk a little more about his transition from one team to the other while I finished cooking and preparing dinner. He also drank a couple of beers while we talked. He didn’t move from the couch, though, and I was glad for that. I didn’t want him getting up and potentially hurting himself even worse.
Once dinner was served, we sat on either side of the coffee table in my living room. I didn’t have a dining room. It was a very small apartment. He sat on the couch, and I sat in one of my chairs.
I cooked the steak the way I liked it, medium. I watched him cut into his first bite. I watched as he tried the meat, stabbing it with his fork and putting it slowly into his mouth to taste it. He moaned in gratitude and appreciation. It was such a deeply satisfying sound, to know that I had cooked something that brought him pleasure.
“I take it you like it,” I said.
“Damn right, I do. That’s some good steak.” He barely took a breath before his next bite.
We ate mostly in silence. It was always my opinion that a quiet meal meant the food was really good. Either that or there were things that needed to be said that no one was ready to say out loud. I hoped our meal was quiet because we were both too busy enjoying it to talk.
“I know you didn’t sign up for all of this, but I want to thank you for helping me out today,” he said.
I could tell he was feeling vulnerable, and it was probably a new feeling for him. He’d blown into town after being traded to avoid a scandal. He’d acted like it was nothing more than just a change of scenery. He’d taken on our fake relationship almost immediately to prevent any additional problems with his new team. He’d started practice with them almost right away. He put on a tough exterior for the world, and he found himself in a position with me where he couldn’t do that. He was being forced to show me parts of himself that he probably didn’t even show the guys back home.
“I don’t mind, Lucky. We may not be together , but we’re still a team, right? We still have to work together, and it’s always good to know what you’re working with, isn’t it?”
“It is. And you know, you’re the only person here who has consistently called me Lucky instead of Cade. That helps a lot. You have no idea,” he said. He looked at me with something deep and powerful in those brown eyes. He was feeling pretty emotional, I could tell, but I didn’t know what to do to help him out of it.
“Well, you told me that was your name, so I’ve stuck to it. Besides, you’ve been pretty lucky for me, and you seem pretty damn lucky yourself.” I winked.
“How have I been lucky for you? There was that night at the club, when you freaked out. You don’t like all the attention, and you’ve been in the paper every day since we met. How is that lucky?” he asked.
“Easy. You’ve drawn a lot of attention to me and to my organization. People see that even the new guy on the team is involved, and it’s generating interest. We’re getting more funding. We’ve got more people interested in becoming members. You’ve done a lot of good for us, believe it or not,” I explained.
“Good, I’m glad I could help.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and sat back against the couch.
“Want me to take your plate?” I asked him as I got up from my chair to take mine.
“Sure, if you’re offering,” he said.
I leaned over to grab his empty plate, and he reached up to take my face in both of his hands. Before I realized what was happening, his lips were on mine. I almost dropped our
I let him talk a little more about his transition from one team to the other while I finished cooking and preparing dinner. He also drank a couple of beers while we talked. He didn’t move from the couch, though, and I was glad for that. I didn’t want him getting up and potentially hurting himself even worse.
Once dinner was served, we sat on either side of the coffee table in my living room. I didn’t have a dining room. It was a very small apartment. He sat on the couch, and I sat in one of my chairs.
I cooked the steak the way I liked it, medium. I watched him cut into his first bite. I watched as he tried the meat, stabbing it with his fork and putting it slowly into his mouth to taste it. He moaned in gratitude and appreciation. It was such a deeply satisfying sound, to know that I had cooked something that brought him pleasure.
“I take it you like it,” I said.
“Damn right, I do. That’s some good steak.” He barely took a breath before his next bite.
We ate mostly in silence. It was always my opinion that a quiet meal meant the food was really good. Either that or there were things that needed to be said that no one was ready to say out loud. I hoped our meal was quiet because we were both too busy enjoying it to talk.
“I know you didn’t sign up for all of this, but I want to thank you for helping me out today,” he said.
I could tell he was feeling vulnerable, and it was probably a new feeling for him. He’d blown into town after being traded to avoid a scandal. He’d acted like it was nothing more than just a change of scenery. He’d taken on our fake relationship almost immediately to prevent any additional problems with his new team. He’d started practice with them almost right away. He put on a tough exterior for the world, and he found himself in a position with me where he couldn’t do that. He was being forced to show me parts of himself that he probably didn’t even show the guys back home.
“I don’t mind, Lucky. We may not be together , but we’re still a team, right? We still have to work together, and it’s always good to know what you’re working with, isn’t it?”
“It is. And you know, you’re the only person here who has consistently called me Lucky instead of Cade. That helps a lot. You have no idea,” he said. He looked at me with something deep and powerful in those brown eyes. He was feeling pretty emotional, I could tell, but I didn’t know what to do to help him out of it.
“Well, you told me that was your name, so I’ve stuck to it. Besides, you’ve been pretty lucky for me, and you seem pretty damn lucky yourself.” I winked.
“How have I been lucky for you? There was that night at the club, when you freaked out. You don’t like all the attention, and you’ve been in the paper every day since we met. How is that lucky?” he asked.
“Easy. You’ve drawn a lot of attention to me and to my organization. People see that even the new guy on the team is involved, and it’s generating interest. We’re getting more funding. We’ve got more people interested in becoming members. You’ve done a lot of good for us, believe it or not,” I explained.
“Good, I’m glad I could help.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and sat back against the couch.
“Want me to take your plate?” I asked him as I got up from my chair to take mine.
“Sure, if you’re offering,” he said.
I leaned over to grab his empty plate, and he reached up to take my face in both of his hands. Before I realized what was happening, his lips were on mine. I almost dropped our
Similar Books
