Page 267 of Just for the Cameras
And I think if they continue to tweak and work at it, they might have a fighting chance this season—coming from a girl who knows nothing about football.
“Ahhh, I’m so glad they won. God, Hutton is going to be all over me tonight.”
“Really?” I ask with a chuckle.
“Oh yeah, get ready for the postgame adrenaline. You will start looking forward to every Sunday.” She winks and then nods toward the field. “Your man is on his way. You nervous?”
I shake my head. “Not even a little.”
“Good.” She leans in and hugs me. “I’ll give you some space, not that you’ll really have it with everyone in the stadium watching you, but one less person is better, at least.”
She takes off with a wave, and I turn all my attention to the man walking toward me, his helmet in one hand, his sweaty hair not styled in his fauxhawk but more falling over the top of his forehead. His jersey clings to every inch of his torso, and his football pants truly leave nothing to the imagination.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything hotter.
Behind me, I can hear people scream, whisper, and talk about how I’m the girl from the zoo, but I block them all out as Graydon walks up to the wall separating the fans from the field.
He looks up at me and says, “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hey.” I smile, unable to help myself. “Great game.”
“Thanks, I had someone watching who I wanted to impress.” My cheeks blush, and he nods. “Get over here.”
“You want me to climb over this railing?” I ask.
“Yeah, I got you.”
And those three words undo me. I know there has never been a truer statement. So I climb over the railing, sit on the side of the wall, and fall into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he pushes me up against the wall. His smile is so freaking big that it almost brings tears to my eyes.
He caresses the side of my cheek and then presses his forehead to mine.
“I love you, Maple.”
I cup his cheeks and whisper, “I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t,” I say, my thumbs stroking his cheeks. “Not here…not ever. I understand. I understand everything.”
He lets out a sigh as his eyes squeeze shut, and he leans into me even more. “How did I get so lucky?”
“Not lucky, Graydon, just meant to be.” Then I tilt his head back and wet my lips before gently kissing him, letting our mouths mold together as the stadium erupts into cheers.
I pull away while Graydon chuckles, his eyes staying on me the entire time.
“I think we gave them a show.”
“I think we gave them more than a show. I think we fed them storylines, drama, and everything in between.”
He kisses my lips again. “As long as I have you, I don’t care what the hell they do.”
And then he starts walking toward the tunnel.
“Uh, Graydon, you can put me down.”
“Fuck no, you’re mine now.”
I laugh as he carries me all the way to the tunnel and slightly out of sight of the crowd, then pins me against the wall again and says, “Let me apologize.”
