a yes to me.”
“I think it feels right.”
He smiled and leaned down, and his lips brushed her forehead before he straightened.
Her eyes had fluttered closed, but they opened, and she was sure they showed her disappointment. “That’s it?”
“You don’t think that would win a kissing contest?”
“Maybe in the city. Here in the country, we do things a little different.”
“Oh? You want to show me?”
She grinned. “Something tells me I’m not going to be able to show you anything.”
“Why not?”
“You’re the one with all the dating experience?”
“So that makes me an expert? I’m not sure I can take the pressure.”
“That’s okay. Maybe we can figure out something new together. Something that works for both of us.” She smiled, but there were definitely questions in her eyes.
His smile answered those as he leaned down. “I said earlier I was falling for you, and I kind of meant it as a joke. But it came out exactly the way I felt about it. There’s something about you that pulls me, that makes me feel like I would do anything just to see you smile.”
“You don’t have to do anything big or special. All I want is you.”
His breath wobbled, and a shudder went through him. “Simple words. But nobody ever wanted me. Outside of football.”
“You know what? I think in order for it to mean something, I have to want you with football. Because that’s such a huge part of who you are.”
Tension seemed to drain from his body. “You need to come first. I get that too.” He brushed his lips over her forehead again. “I’m afraid I’m not going to be perfect to begin with. Will you be patient with my mistakes?”
“I’ll try,” she said, as sincere about it as she had ever been. “I guess you might need to be a little bit patient with me too. I might have some baggage with the whole you need to be able to do your job to the best of your ability so you have to spend a lot of time on it kind of thing.”
“Did we just admit that neither one of us will be perfect and we’re going to try to make this work anyway?”
“Yes. I think so.”
He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, then threaded them through her hair. “You have a beautiful heart.”
She smiled, her heart pounding as his head bent and his lips slanted across hers. She reached up, pressing against him, sliding her arms around his shoulders and down the ridges of his back.
It was a beautiful kiss yet bittersweet, because he was leaving, and although she knew he meant every word he said, she wasn’t sure that either one of them had what it took to make what they had, which was special and amazing, work.
Chapter 21
The next day Journee got up with a smile on her face.
She and Dante might have lost the Not such an Ironman Ironman Contest, and they might have gotten pies in their faces, but yesterday had been an amazing day.
It had been an even more amazing evening.
Time and never gotten away from her as it had last night as she and Dante sat on the back porch, feeling the warm summer air, listening to the crickets, and talking about anything and everything.
Later, there was kissing too.
Talking had been nice.
Kissing was even better.
She felt like she knew him. Had known him. Definitely longer than a few days.
She didn’t want to let him go.
Regardless, he’d promised to write, and, he’d also promised to come over and see her this morning before he left for the airport.
So, she was ready when his car pulled up, and she definitely wasn’t playing hard to get as she flew out the door and ran down the walk, making it to the side of his car before he even had the door shut.
He was quick though, and he caught her as she threw herself into his arms.
“Wow. If this is the reception I get after one night, I wonder what it’s gonna be like after more?” There was a tease in his voice that made her smile, but she didn’t bother to answer since he leaned down and kissed her, she kissed him back with maybe a little bit of desperation, since she knew he was leaving, and they hadn’t even talked about when they’d see each other again.
Today after lunch she was headed into work. He’d be at training camp soon.
Hopefully, letters would be enough.
After a long time he pulled back, and