I run my finger over his scarred knuckles. “I like that you’re never scared of anything. You’re the only man who ever goes toe to toe with my father. It’s kinda hot.”
He laughs. “We all have our kinks.”
When we get to the Yellow Rose, he pulls up to the front and lets me out.
“I’ll get us a table,” I tell him before I shut the passenger door. Even though the parking lot is full, it only takes a fewminutes for him to grab a spot and make it inside. “That was fast.”
“Something no man ever wants to hear.”
I snort and cover my mouth. When I stop laughing, I whisper, “I have a feeling that’s not a problem for you.”
“We’ll have to test your theory, huh?” The look he gives me sets my ovaries on fire. But then he has to go and ruin it. “When you’re feeling better, of course, and the doctor gives you the go-ahead.”
“You’re such a buzzkill.”
He tosses his arm over my shoulder and hugs me. “What kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I didn’t look out for my biscuit?”
I wrap my arms around his slender waist. That’s when I notice all the looks we’re getting. It gives me an idea. I tug him down to me. “How real do you want to make thisrelationship?”
His gorgeous blue eyes stare into mine as he considers. “Are we talking about public displays of affection?”
“Yeah, I was wondering if you wantedto—”
But I don’t get a chance to finish before he cuts me off with a kiss. Just like the time we made out in his truck, my whole body comes alive with his touch. I reach up and run my fingers through his hair. I’ve almost forgotten my name when he pulls away slightly.
“I’m sorry, Rox. What were you going to say?” He smirks.
I nip his bottom lip. “You’re a beast.”
He laughs and kisses me again. “That I am. And you’re my Beauty.”
“You’re such a charmer.”
“I know.” The handsome bastard winks.
The waitress calls my name, and Billy grabs my hand as we follow her to the table. She seats us next to the dance floor. We order some po’ boys and iced tea.
As we wait for our food, we talk about the upcoming season.
“Tell me more about your position on the team. I’ve looked up your stats, obviously, and I know you’re a defensive back, but what’s your focus as a safety?”
“I’m basically the last line of defense and cover the eligible pass receivers.”
I think about that a minute. “For a guy who just switched to defense, you had a great season last year. Five interceptions is nothing to sneeze at. You were an all-conference player with the second highest number of interceptions. I know you miss offense, but you might be really well suited to play safety.” I hold up my fingers as I count off all the reasons he could kick ass next year. “You excelled at QB, so you know what you’re up against. You played wide receiver, so you know those routes inside and out. And if you could bump your interceptions up to, say, seven or eight, I don’t think your personal life would matter all that much to prospective NFL teams as long as you keep the partying to a minimum.”
He gives me a smile where his eyes twinkle. “You’re right, Coach. I’ll try to have a good attitude about defense and shoot for eight interceptions.”
That gives me an idea. “We could even do a reward system. Like for every interception you make, Icould—”
“Give me a gold star?”
I chuckle. “I like the star idea, but I was going to say a back massage.”
His eyes roll back in his head as he clutches his chest dramatically. “Jesus, yes. I’ll take all the back massages you want to dole out.”
The way he groans sends shivers through me, as though we’re talking about a sexy massage with lots of body oil and very little clothing. A slow, needy ache pulses between my thighs at the thought.
When dinner arrives, we scarf down the food. The whole time I watch couples two-step around the dance floor.
