Even Connor is smiling. Or smirking. They are so similar. “Now walk.”
Dang it. I gingerly rest my foot on the floor then put only a minimal amount of weight on my toes. The pain rears up, and I bite my lip. I’ve hurt my ankles a hundred times before; it’s a surprise I can wear strappy sandals. But it’s been a couple of years since I twisted it this bad, and my age is sneaking up on me. Age and competition are enemies. And we are all losers.
I can do this. I can pretend until I’m safely hidden in my car. I hold my breath and put more weight on my foot, but it’s too much. My ankle screams in and my leg gives out. My body collapses.
Before I can hit the floor, two strong arms wrap around my waist and haul me back up.
“I can do it,” I grumble.
“Maddie.” His voice is rough, and his earnestness claws at me. “Please, let me help you.”
I really have no other choice. I lift my arm and wrap it around his shoulder. “Don’t make me regret this.”
I expect him to step to the side so he can help me walk, but he scoops me into his arms.
“Regretting,” I mutter, but my desire to fight him is outweighed by my need to get home and ice my ankle.
And his arms are…nice. Really nice. I can’t even think of a retort with the pressure in my ankle and my body pressed against his like this. His right hand covers nearly half of my ribcage, and all my blood seems to rush to that spot.
We are much too close for comfort, yet somehow, I’ve never been more comfortable. He smells good, like Old Spice ran off to the woods, killed a bear, and came back even stronger.
Clearly, I’ve never been carried by a man before because this is messing with my brain.
“Do you want me to put you down, then?” Connor’s eyes dart across my face as if he can see exactly what he’s doing to me.
“No.” My answer comes too quickly, and I hurry to cover it up. “You’d probably hurt me even worse.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks. “No. I won’t. Not again.”
I swallow. I don’t think he’s talking about my ankle anymore.
“Here’s your stuff, coach,” Diedre, thankfully, interrupts and places my keys and bag on my stomach.
“Thanks, Diedre.” I turn my attention to her. “I want a rematch next week.”
“Rematch?” She chuckles. “Coach, I won. You have to go to prom.”
Connor throws his head back and laughs, the annoying movement jostling where I sit in his arms. “You’re going to prom? Who asked you? You know that’s probably not legal.”
I cover his mouth with my hand to shut him up. His beard is prickly against my palm, but his cheeks are warm and soft.
“Fine,” I say to Diedre. “A deal’s a deal.” But I haven’t forgotten about what else I could have won, and I’m hit with disappointment. I don’t need their approval to be their coach, but I sure would like it.
The girls follow us to the doors, and I drop my hand from Connor’s mouth to give him the key to lock up.
“Hey, ladies.” Connor stops them before they can all walk away. “Let this be a lesson to you. You don’t need a man. Ever.”
I cover his mouth again, but it does nothing to prevent him from laughing beneath my palm. His warm breath tickles my skin, sending tingles up my arm.
My heart rattles and shakes like it’s trying to break free. I’m going to have to find a more permanent solution for shutting him up.
Chapter 21
Connor
“You can put me down now. The girls are gone,” Maddie says once we’ve rounded the side of the building.
I keep walking, pretending I can’t hear her even though her lips are less than ten inches from mine. I’m really trying not to focus onthat. Or on how well she fits in my arms. Or the softness of her waist against me. And what is she doing with her fingers at the base of my hair? She iskillingme.
