Page 34 of The Linebacker

He closed his hand around the keys. “Thanks, Diana. I owe you. Big-time.”

“You do. And you had better not renege on that promise of breakfast every day.”

“Absolutely not,” he said with a solemn nod. “Are you fully stocked with breakfast foods, or do I need to run to the grocery store?”

“You should definitely not run to the grocery store. You will be mauled by fans.” She plucked her phone from the counter, waving it. “I’ll place an order for delivery. Go get your stuff.”

He very nearly hugged her but managed to hold himself back. Instead, he slipped out of the condo, hurried downstairs, out onto the street where his truck was parked. He had to drive around for a few minutes until he found a parking structure that allowed long-term parking.

By the time he returned to the condo, Diana had placed a pile of sheets and blankets and pillows on one end of the couch and was in the process of unpacking Patches’s supplies. He had no doubt that she’d also placed a grocery order.

Diana was amazingly efficient.

Which was hot as hell, but that was a thought he needed to pack away.

She’d also swapped her mixed drink for a glass of wine, which he decided to take as a sign that she was no longer distressed about the idea of the two of them cohabitating.

He stepped into the kitchen, and she waved at her glass. “Rosé. Do you want some?”

“Sure.”

He carried his duffle into the living room and tucked it behind the chair. Her place was nice and orderly, which he appreciated, and he didn’t want to make it feel cluttered. Which was probably going to be impossible—it really was a small space—but he’d do his damndest to try.

He didn’t want to upset Diana, and he sure as hell didn’t want her to kick him out.

She handed him a glass of wine. “I’ll show you the bathroom.”

He followed her into her bedroom. It had hardwood floors like the rest of the condo. The queen-sized bed sat in the middle of a fluffy dark blue rug. The comforter on the bed was white with blue stripes. There were a couple of artsy prints hanging on the walls, carrying on the blue theme. A framed photo of her and Allison and Emma perched on the nightstand.

The huge windows were bare except for honeycomb blinds.

A computer desk pressed against one wall looked like it doubled as a makeup vanity. Two sets of accordion doors flanked the entry to the bathroom.

She tugged open the door on the left to reveal a washer and dryer. “The other one is my closet. I can make room if you have stuff that needs to be hung up.”

“I’m good right now.” Their coach didn’t have any dress code requirements for game days, and Amil had no plans in the immediate future that would involve a suit.

She led him into the bathroom. There was a vanity with ample counter space and plenty of drawers underneath. A toilet next to it. And parked under yet another large window, with a screen blocking the view but still allowing in sunlight, was an old-fashioned copper soaker tub.

His gaze scoured the rest of the space. “There’s no shower.”

Diana flapped her hand at the oversized tub, narrowly missing the light fixture hanging over it. “There’s a handheld showerhead.”

Amil arched his brows.

Her cheeks flushed, and she took a hurried sip of wine. “The previous owner did this. I didn’t read the description well enough before putting in my offer. I told you I bought it sight unseen.”

“I’m not judging you.”

She huffed. “Good. Because now that I’ve gotten used to it, I kind of like it. Seriously. There’s nothing like a long soak at the end of a rough day.”

“I’ll bet.”

Her cheeks went even more dusky. It was a good look on her.

So was the image of her in this tub, absolutely, blessedly naked, water droplets clinging to her smooth, dark skin, and?—

He shook his head. “Let’s go see what the cats are up to.”