“Shut up. You’re going to love him—wide receiver for the team, funny, nice, and just…” I pause, caught up in thoughts of him. I sigh.
“You in love, sis?”
“Not telling you shit. You’ll just repeat it.”
He laughs. “You got that right. She knows how to beat it out of me. Don’t worry, I can’t wait to meet him. Great team. I’m going to look him up online, get some questions ready for when he gets his ass up here to meet us.”
Yeah…
I want to do that—I do—but I’m nervous. Blaze doesn’t talk about the future for us, plus the Combine is right before spring break and he’ll be out of town. We should discuss it soon, but not now.
I get off the phone with Mattie and walk into class.
Dr. Cartwright is already lecturing, and I hurry over.
Blaze is grinning at me as I slide in next to him, and my heart skips a beat when he rests his hand on my desk. His pinkie brushes mine. “Bout time you got here. Was about to get worried.”
DING!
What are we doing tonight? I write and show it to Blaze.
Your place? I can cook this time.
You can cook? Nice.
Lasagna?
Really? That’s awesome. Is this because my last name is Rossi? What do you put in yours?
I just take it out of the box and put it in the oven. Presto.
I put my head down to hide my grin. Ma is going to die.
He’s still writing.
First you tie me to the bed and have your way with me. Haven’t checked that off the list yet. Then we eat. Then TV. Or do you want to go somewhere?
My shoulders shake. I picture him in my room, tied to my bedpost with scarves, then I’m picturing me in a black dominatrix suit with tall, black, high-heeled boots, and it kind of works. I’m about to write that down and tell him when—
“Mr. Townsend, can you tell us your last entry please? There seems to be a lull today with the spring weather, and I always enjoy your comments.”
I glance over at Blaze, my eyes wide.
He throws me a look then gapes at Dr. Cartwright. “Uh, well, sir, it’s rather private, this one. I don’t mind if you read it for your study since that’s anonymous, but…”
“I see.” The professor arches his eyebrow and looks from Blaze to me. The man has to know we’re writing notes to each other half the time. We’re on the front freaking row.
Dillon glances at us, probably sees my wide eyes, and clears his throat. “Uh, I have a good one.”
“Indeed, Mr. McQueen? Please do share.”
“I wrote I’m hot.” He grins. “I don’t mean the temperature in the room,” he adds. “It’s just me. I’m sexy like that.” He raises his hands for support. “Am I right?”
Whistles come from throughout the class.
“How insightful,” Dr. Cartwright murmurs, a smile on his face. “Thank you.” He comes back to Blaze. “I’d still love to hear yours. You looked so…absorbed in thought when you wrote it.”
The man is messing with us.
Blaze taps his pen on his desk, gives me a look, and takes a breath.
“I said, Tie me to the bed.”
He kept as close to the truth as he could, and it feels like every single student turns to stare at him. I tuck my head in.
Dr. Cartwright’s eyes gleam. “How surprising that a strapping football player might enjoy a little rope play and being a submissive. Fascinating. Good for you for admitting your proclivities, Mr. Townsend.”
“Yes, sir. Proclivities are on my mind constantly.”
Good Lord. He’s too much.
Too far, rein it in, my gaze tells him.
He gives me a grin.
Later that night, we’re lying on the couch at the house as we watch Downton Abbey, my pick. He’s lying behind me, one arm around me, a hand playing with my hair. Penelope and Ryker are at the library studying. The credits roll on the show and I turn to face him. There’s a little pucker on his forehead, and I smooth it with my hand.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.” I touch his cheek, reading him. “Those NFL scouts and agents will be pissing in their fancy suits when they see you run at the Combine.”
“Yeah?” He gets a hesitant look on his face.
“Of course.”
He stares down at me, thinking. “No matter what happens, I want you to know that I’m in this thing we have.”
In this thing.
I ease away and clean up our dishes from dinner on the coffee table. We ended up