Page 94 of Just for the Plot

“Yes, but my favorite player is still in the locker room, so I can focus on my friend right now.” Turning back toward me…again, she says, “It does seem like you might be broken. Maybe it’s all the romance you’ve been reading. It’s desensitized you.”

I shake my head. “If anything, it’s made me hornier. I just don’t know if I’m into this guy.”

“Which is odd, because he’s hot, tall, muscular—”

“Sitting right here, babe.”

Gabby turns to Ryland and kisses him on the lips, like full-on open-mouthed kiss that makes him clear his throat when she pulls away. “And I love you so much.”

Happy with that, he goes back to drinking his beer but keeps his arm draped over her chair, never letting her forget who she belongs to.

And that, right there, is what I want.

I want that all-consuming love where there’s a healthy possessiveness between two people, where you stake a claim, letting everyone else know that the person you’re with is off-limits.

I want to feel the passion they feel, I want to be able to freely kiss, with open-mouth kisses and tongue and get lost in the moment in public without any repercussions.

I want to feel loved.

Held.

Cherished.

And when I’m with Cougar, I’m just not there. Yet.

“Maybe he’s not the guy for you,” Gabby says.

I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m going to go out with him again, as he texted asking when I’m free.”

“Really?”

I nod. “Yeah, he started chatting during our last date and maybe he sees me differently, like…I don’t know, like I’m not like the other women he’s dated who probably go out with him for one thing.”

“The sex.”

My lips thin. “You don’t have to put ‘the’ in front of sex.”

“Feels more official that way.”

“Yeah, perhaps. Either way, yes, maybe he’s used to women like that and I’m just not her, so he finds me fascinating.”

“Probably. And that’s something to hold on to. It’s nice to be fascinating.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” I sigh and look out toward the field. “Just wish being fascinating came with dick tickles.”

“Don’t call it that,” Ryland says.

“Sir.” I lean forward, looking him dead in the eyes. “May I remind you, once again, this conversation does not involve you. So keep that trap shut or I’m going to swap seats with your girl and you’ll then have the utter joy of cradling me for the next three hours.”

He turns away and goes back to observing the field.

“That’s what I thought.” I sigh and say, “Now, where was I?”

“Dick tickles,” Gabby says.

“Right.” The crowd cheers as the Bombers take the field to do some warm-ups, my eyes finding Bennett immediately as he jogs out to the outfield grass, where he tosses the ball with Nolan Hart. I can tell it’s Nolan from his tattoos.

A group of women huddled against the netting catcall out to them, waving signs and making complete asses of themselves. If I know anything about Bennett, it’s that he won’t pay attention to such blatant behavior.