My heart flipped over, and a huff of air escaped my lungs with my soft laugh. “I think it’s too late for that.”
He quirked his brow, and I brushed my thumb over his cheek.
“And there’s no chance I want to take any of this back.”
Seeming satisfied, he snuggled up impossibly, perfectly close, and dotted a kiss against my mouth before mumbling, “Sleep now. I’ve got that thing tomorrow, then we need to prepare to head home.” His eyes were already closed, the exhaustion of the season I imagined finally catching up with him.
Home.
For four whole weeks Ryan would be mine. Sure, Gran and Amber had dibs too, but I was determined to spend as much time with my Ryan as possible. I refused to think about what would happen after. Instead, I latched on to his words and smiled as I closed my eyes.
I couldn’t ever imagine wanting to take back a single moment I spent with this man.
CHAPTER14
RYAN
Micky wasn’t as annoyedas I expected when I’d blown him off. Between waking up spooning Nate and the man in my arms being uncomfortable joining me for the meeting and the appearance my agent had organized today, canceling was a no-brainer.
I didn’t want Nate hating his last full day in the US, and honestly, the appearance was more for Micky parading his pro basketball player. It wasn’t a sponsorship or anything, which I still avoided like the plague.
Micky was a good agent, especially how he left me alone and allowed me to fly under the radar. And at the club, I knew he’d been making a point, reminding me we needed to talk about the end of next season and my plans.
I just wasn’t ready to think that far ahead.
“You sure you won’t get into shit?”
Nate was tucked into my side, his one leg resting on my thighs, as he stroked the skin on my chest. With every sweep of his hand, goose bumps popped up. I angled over and pressed a kiss against his head, sure this level of comfort should feel strange. That was so far from the familiarity I felt at being so close to Nate, though.
His scent mixed with my shower gel, reaching my nose, and I took a deep inhale before answering him. “Don’t sweat it, honest. Micky expected me to cancel. He knows I’m heading back to Brisbane, so I have shit to organize.”
Admittedly, all that was really needed was to pack my case and touch base with Joan, a local woman who kept up with housekeeping and stuff for me.
Nate peered up at me, his gaze assessing. After a beat, he nodded, his smile flirty. “In that case, what’s the plan for the day?” I shifted a little, making Nate grumble as I dislodged him. He soon stopped when he realized I was scooting down to get face-to-face with him. “Breakfast. Then I thought we could take a drive. There are a couple more places I want you to see while you’re here.”
I refused to think about what came after my visit back home, choosing to focus on the present and the man who I still couldn’t quite believe was in my arms.
That smile of his morphed before he asked, “You’re going to feed me?”
My brows clipped low. “Isn’t that what I just said?”
That same smile remained, and my heart flipped over when I got an inkling of what his smile meant. How he managed to tease and flirt and capture unspoken promises in a single smile was beyond me. There wasn’t a chance I’d question it, though.
“You want me to feed you something other than breakfast?” I barely recognized my voice. It was low and gravelly with awakening need.
“I wouldn’t say no to an extra hit of protein this morning.” His lips twitched, amusement brightening him.
My laughter was abrupt and felt so incredible that we could do this. Be together this way.
“Protein, huh?” I managed around a huge smirk. “As long as I get a shot of the good stuff, I’m more than up for this plan.”
My whole body vibrated, so fucking happy and horny. I shifted slowly, stopping abruptly when Nate snagged hold of my arm. “What?”
Wide-eyed, he sat quickly, almost head-butting me with his urgency. Confusion had me frowning. And then he was at my side, shifting further still, so he was behind me. Silently, a tentative finger touched my shoulder blade, and I closed my eyes, realizing what he’d discovered.
“Is this—?” His question cut off with a hitch of his breath.
Angling my head so I could see him, I let my gaze roam his face, searching for his reaction. “A griffin,” I said quietly, his fingers still tracing the colored ink I’d had in memory of the man who I’d never been able to forget.
