Page 24 of Offside Possession

“Remotely, right?”

“Right.”

“So, why don’t you stay here, go to the game tonight, and tomorrow, we can go together to your place, get what you need to work, and bring it here.”

“Bring it here, huh?” Her pretty lips twitched and that perfectly plucked brow rose with a smattering of sassiness I liked. A lot.

“Why not?”

“Scott…” Stella might have said my name, but there was no real fight in her voice. “Let’s say I do that. Stay for what? Three more nights before you have to fly off to?”

“New York,” I shared, my voice lower than it had been as something inside my chest started to tighten.

“New York,” she repeated and lifted the sheet higher. “Right, and then?” I ran my hands through my hair.

“Toronto,” I replied, feeling an inkling of panic race up my spine as reality really hit. I would be gone for a while. I knew we could FaceTime and text.

But would that be enough? For her? For me? For us?

I was retiring.

I was almost done.

I only had one more season to go and I would be done. All my time could be hers. We could build anything for our future together. But was our timing off? Had we met too soon?

“And after Toronto?” she asked, her face not giving an inkling of a hint of what she was thinking.

“We come home for three games, six days, before we head to Miami, and then Vegas.” I hated that I couldn’t read the emotions on her face, but I saw the way her gaze dropped to her hands on her lap. Does that mean this is too much?

Fuck that! No way, no how was I going to lose my chance with the woman of my dreams. I was thirty-seven years old, a grown-ass man who’d never felt this, never came close to knowing without a whisper of a doubt that someone belonged to me like she did.

“That’s a lot of traveling,” she noted, scooting to the edge of the bed.

Words died on my tongue as she stood, fully confident in her nudeness. It was a turn-on as she picked up the clothes I all but torn off her body after we got back to my place. My phone buzzed again, and she looked over her shoulder as she put her bra on.

“You should probably get that. Sounds important.”

“I’m late to practice. They just want to make sure I’m okay.” She nodded and tossed on the halter dress she’d worn to brunch. The polka dots showed off her fun side, and the halter back exposed so much skin my mouth watered to kiss and taste.

“Come with me.” I should have worded it like a question versus a demand, but the onslaught of panic and anxiety swirled with the fear of not seeing her again.

“To your game? Tonight?” To begin with. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I shut my mouth.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “To the game.”

It felt like a lie.

A lie of omission yet still a lie, but anything to make sure I could see her at the end of the night to have her cute ass back in my bed.

“I’ll have a car pick you up and take you to the arena.” She moved towards me easily, slipping her feminine body between my legs. Her hands stroked my shoulders as those spell-binding green eyes stared at me for a moment.

“You know I can get my own Uber there.”

“I know, but let me take care of you.”

“Take care of me, huh?” She giggled softly.

“Yes. I told you last night what I want with you.” My Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. “I want you to give us a chance.”