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  She sighed again.

  "No, not like before. This isn't a stupid celebrity crush. He has been open and honest with me, and I love him even more."

  "Sweetie, you have to tell him."

  "Why? Why do I have to tell him?"

  "I know you. You are going to stress about him finding out anyway, so you might as well get it over with."

  "And if he leaves me?" My insides turned. "Wait, don't say it. I already know."

  Noah and I spent the rest of the week doing more of the same. We watched movies, ate spaghetti, and waited for the snow to melt; the conversation with my sister never far from my mind.

  The only time my obsessive mind stopped ... obsessing ... occurred when Noah kissed me.

  Noah took care of Nip and me.

  Every night, he put me to bed and went to his own.

  I want him and he wanted me, but as long as I held on to this secret, I didn't deserve to have him.

  A week later, I got a text message.

  Noah: Have some stuff to take care of. I'll be over around 3 pm. I'll bring dinner.

  Callie: Ok.

  Weird.

  We didn't text much. If we had something to say to each other, well, we were always together.

  I took a nap and woke up to the sound of Nip's yapping coming up the stairs. I heard Noah's voice and my heart raced. I moved around pretty good with the boot now. I checked on my face and ran a brush through my wavy red hair.

  I stood at to the top of the stairs and watched as Noah decorated my coffee table with Super Bowl decorations: plates, cups, and football-shaped confetti sprinkled the surface. He held a sexy smirk on his face, and he kept talking to Nip.

  "Hey buddy, you ready for some football?"

  I giggled at that one.

  "Hey," he said. "You’re spying on me."

  "You're in my house?" I walked down a few steps. "What are you doing?"

  "I thought we should have a Super Bowl party."

  His brown eyes opened wide waiting for my reaction.

  "Happy Super Bowl Sunday," I said.

  "Happy Super Bowl Sunday."

  I made it to the third step from the bottom. Noah set down the rest of the decorations and met me on the stairs. He placed his hands on my neck, pulled me to him, and kissed me. I sighed as his hands moved down my back and around my waist.

  I giggled when he lifted me up.

  "Why are you always carrying me around?" I asked as he nuzzled my neck. It sent a wave of heat through my body.

  "You should really stay off your foot as much as possible." He ran his nose down my jaw.

  "Oh, so it’s purely for my benefit?" I nuzzled closer.

  "Yeah." He chuckled as he leaned back and studied my face. "I get nothing out of it."

  I pulled him closer, and we both glanced down. "Nothing, huh."

  Noah blushed and set me down. We both laughed.

  I checked out the rest of the decor.

  "What smells so good?" I asked.

  "I made chili," he said from the kitchen. "You want a beer?"

  "Yeah. Can I help with anything?" I asked.

  "No, I got it covered." I heard the back door open as he let Nip out.

  "You're spoiling me," I said as I sat down on the couch in my usual spot.

  A few minutes later, I heard the back door open and Nip's little feet tapping on the hardwood floor as he made a beeline for me. Noah followed him with beers in his hand and a bowl of chips.

  "I'll make a deal with you. I'll spoil you for the rest of this week, and you can spoil me next." He leaned down and kissed me. "We'll trade off like that for a while."

  "Deal." I beamed and took a sip of my beer.

  Noah sat next to me,

  I curled up next to him and laid my head on his chest.

  He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to his side. A chill ran up my spine when Noah mentioned our relationship had a future. It excited me and scared me at the same time.

  We watched the pregame and a report came on talking about the notable free agents for the off-season.

  "Despite his issues off the field, Noah Patrick, based on talent and production alone is the most interesting free agent this off-season," said one reporter.

  "Unfortunately, the league might make an example of him. The league can't afford to look the other way on these issues. Even if it turned out to be false."

  "That's unfortunate because Noah Patrick is a great player, a great teammate," the reporter shook his head, "his drama off the field taints all of that."

  Noah sat up and rested his elbows on his knees.

  The reporter went on to another subject.

  "Wow, that's crazy," I said.

  He grunted.

  "How can they talk about you like that?" I pointed. "They don't even know you."

  The irony wasn't lost on me. I did the same things. Took factual information and twisted it to make my story sound better. The guilt felt like a ten-pound weight on my chest.

  "It's their job." He sat back and sighed.

  I turned to him. "Why aren't you defending yourself?"

  "It's not how it works," Noah answered. "It does kind of suck, though. All I ever wanted to do was play football. Even though I made some bad decisions, I never thought about losing the opportunity to do what I love. Now that I get it, it might not matter."

  He rubbed the scruff on his chin.

  I saw it all over him. He was worried.

  "What would you do if you couldn't play anymore?" I asked. I scooted up, wrapped my arms around him, and rested my chin on his shoulder. I didn't want to know the answer. It broke my heart because, despite what Noah did, he was a good man.

  Noah turned and placed his hand on my cheek; he pulled my face to him.

  "I don't know." He brushed his lips over mine. "I guess I'll just hang out with you."

  Fifteen

  Noah

  I never thought about what I would do if I couldn't play football.

  It had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. I hit my prime last year at twenty-six years old. I only had a few more years left to play at a top level.

  I accomplished a lot on the football field, but I had things to do, goals to reach, Super Bowls to win. Getting to the NFL was only part of the dream. I had so much more to accomplish.

  For the first time, the idea of sharing it with someone didn't fill me with dread. A funny, gorgeous redhead with an amazing body and an infectious smile that made my heart rate increase came to mind.

  I leaned back and stared at Callie. I took in her face, her wild hair, and her beautiful lips. Taking care of her took my mind off my issues. It had been nice to pretend we were the only two people in the world while stuck in this house. I should have been going stir-crazy, but Callie proved a welcomed distraction.

  I leaned in and kissed her again, lingering on the shape of her lips as they melded to mine. She always tasted sweet. I kissed her again.

  She responded by wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me close.

  I loved the way her lips felt, the way her hands massaged the back of my neck, coaxing me to move further. I leaned back and stared into her eyes.

  She didn't want me to stop.

  I didn't want to stop either.

  I leaned in.

  "You mind if I carry you one more time?" I whispered in her ear.

  "Only if you're carrying me upstairs." She lowered her eyes.

  I stood up.

  "What about the game?" she asked as I reached for her.

  "We can tape it." I winked.

  Callie bit her lip as she grabbed the remote and hit record on the DVR.

  I scooped her in my arms and approached the stairs. I stopped when Noah followed close on my heels.

  "Nip, stay," Callie said.

  He scowled up at me as if I stole something from him. He barked once in protest but stayed.

  Callie rubbed the back of my neck as I ascended the steps.

  I la
id her down in the middle of the bed and crawled in next to her. Her red curls were all tousled and she looked so enticing, so sexy. I placed a hand underneath her shirt and rested it on her stomach.

  I paused and took her in.

  "What's wrong?" She pouted.

  "Nothing." I moved my hand up as I leaned in to kiss her. "You look so sweet and sexy." I whispered against her lips.

  She giggled between kisses.

  "I thought I was being seductive." She said.

  I placed kisses down her neck as I snaked my hand further up her shirt and palmed the side of her breast.

  She moaned.

  "You are that, too." I kissed her chest as I pushed her shirt up. "Everything about you is sexy." I leaned up to kiss her pouty lips, but she turned away and pushed her shirt down.

  "Hey." I cupped her cheek. "We don't have to do this. If we're moving too fast-"

  "No." She blinked back tears. "It's not that. I want to. I want you so bad."

  "What's wrong?" I propped my head up with my hand. I rested the other on her stomach, over the shirt this time.

  She didn't push me away.

  "You don't know me." She said.

  I nodded.

  "You don't know a thing about me really."

  "It's not for lack of trying."

  "I know." She looked away.

  I turned her face towards me.

  "I know you haven't been as open with me as I have been with you." I traced her jawline. "You have something to tell me."

  "I've tried to tell you." She licked her lips.

  "Nothing, you could say would make me not want you." I said and meant every word.

  Callie was different than any girl I had ever met. I'd never let a girl inside my heart before.

  The trouble I had with woman in the past wasn't that I let them in or that I told them too much. I had always held my feelings in and never opened up.

  I never gave a shit about those things because I knew one day I would meet that woman and it wouldn't be a question. I would know.

  With Callie, I know. She's the woman for me. I had to do what I could to convince her the same.

  "Noah." She rolled onto her side.

  I ran my hand over her hip and rested it on the top of her ass.

  She rested her hand on my chest.

  She laid her head down on the pillow and I did the same. Staring into her deep green eyes, I tried to get a glimpse into her mind. What was she hiding and what could I do to make her trust me?

  "The day I moved in. I was standing on the steps talking with my agent." I kissed her cheek. "Telling him I was done with women for a while."

  "We are nothing but trouble." Callie grinned.

  I licked my lips.

  "All kinds of trouble." I squeezed her ass. "Then two minutes later, you walked out of the house with your nose in a book, and Noel on your heels. You stared at me for two seconds and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since."

  "Noah." She blinked back tears.

  "It's true." I held her hand to my chest. "It was the red hair and the look in your eyes."

  "What look?" she asked.

  "Indifference." I chuckled.

  She slapped my chest.

  "I wasn't indifferent." She leaned into me. "Mainly I was curious who this man was letting himself into my house."

  She rubbed the top of my head.

  "I looked rough."

  "You needed a good nights sleep." She said.

  "I needed to meet you."

  "Noah."

  "What is it you think is going to scare me away?" I gripped her hand and held it to me.

  "I'm a spoiled little rich girl who lives in a fantasy world." She attempted to remove her hand from mine.

  I wouldn't let her hand go.

  "I'm a twenty four year old who lives off her parents. They had to bribe me to get me to go back to school. I have no ambition." She rolled on her back. "I'm a mess."

  A piece of hair fell across her face.

  I released her hand and pushed it away.

  "You've travelled." I said.

  "On my parents dime." She laid her arm over her eyes. "You know all those places I’ve been. I didn't really experience them. Not like I should have. I mostly went to places, found a quiet spot and wrote about them." A tear fell from her eyes. "You should be with someone ..."

  "Callie."

  She shook her head.

  "Callie." I pulled her arm away from her face. "I'm a football player. I'm not looking for a Rhode scholar."

  "I'm not much different than those other woman." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I wasn't looking for an athlete, but my world could easily be all about you and you don't want that. I don't want that either."

  She blinked.

  "You're right. That's not what I want." She didn't know how incredible she was. "Callie. You are amazing and smart and funny and you could do anything you want to do." I shrugged. "It's okay that you haven't quite figured out what that is at the moment."

  "I don't want to disappoint you." She whispered.

  "That's not going to happen. I like you. You have the coolest dog in the world. You acquired this wisdom that makes you even sexier." I flexed my fingers on her stomach.

  "You just trying to get in my pants." Callie sat up on her elbows.

  "Probably," I held up my hand. "But, I mean it, too. I thought this little escape from reality would be filled with finding not so positive ways to distract myself from my past. But, spending time with you, hanging out with you, was the kind of distraction I needed."

  She smiled, but I could see her brain working behind her eyes. She sat up, reached for the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it up over her head.

  "What are you doing?"

  She looked back at me over her shoulder.

  "Distracting you more,” she said with a sexy grin.

  I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled back down, tickling her.

  "Stop." She giggled.

  I stopped, but attacked her with kisses instead. My lips slid across her skin, over her chest. I nibbled on the swell of her breast. I reached under her and unhooked her bra.

  She pulled it off. She placed her hands on my face and pulled me toward her and kissed me.

  I snaked my hand into the waist of her skirt.

  She was in a state of bliss with her eyes all hazy and sexy. She tilted her head and watched as I slid my hand further down.

  The moment I touched her, her mouth curled up on the corners. She blinked.

  I slid further, feeling her wetness. She opened her mouth and a soft moan escaped her lips. I ran my fingers through her folds. She grinded against my hand.

  "I want to see you." I kissed her stomach.

  She nodded.

  I got up on my knees and peeled her skirt and panties down.

  Her panties got caught on the boot.

  I laughed.

  "This thing is ruining the mood." Callie said and kicked her panties the rest of the way off. She laid flat on her back, bare, with a sexy confidence.

  "Nope." I placed her hand on the bulge in my pants. "Mood very much not ruined."

  She licked her lips and grinned. She ran her hand down my length. I grew harder from her touch.

  I leaned over and captured her hardened nipple in my mouth and teased and tasted her. My other hand found its way between her legs.

  I pushed a finger in her slickness.

  She whimpered.

  I added another finger; her warmth and heat drew me in. I kissed up her chest.

  She moved her hips against my fingers. Drawing me in further. Each thrust punctuated by her throaty whimper that made my dick hard.

  "I want to see you, too," she said and kissed me as she pushed my pants off my hips.

  I pushed them the rest of the way off and knelt on the bed next to her.

  She looked up at me with more reverence and lust than I deserved.

  She wrapped her hand around my shaft and stroked me.r />
  "Noah." Her expression turned serious, her breath labored. "Please tell me you have condoms."

  I bit my lip and chuckled. I reached for my discarded pants and pulled out my wallet.

  "Not that I planned this, but ..."

  Callie leaned up and kissed me with urgency, her tongue darted in my mouth.

  I crawled onto her, between her legs.

  I kissed her as I spread her legs and settled between them

  "You okay." I ran my fingers over her nipples.

  "Oh yes." She arched her back.

  My cock rubbed against her sensitive flesh. I rotated my hips.

  She did the same.

  I placed myself at her entrance and slid inside of her.

  "Oh, Callie." I whispered over her lips. "So good."

  Callie moaned in agreement. She tilted her hips and pulled me into her. She didn't take the time to savor it. No, my Callie wanted to experience it. Experience us.

  She was so tight, and so good.

  I rocked my hips and Callie rocked hers to match. A push and pull, in and out, a rhythm had her clawing at my back and screaming my name in no time.

  I tried to hold out and maybe hear her scream in orgasm again.

  A euphoric giggle escaped her lips after she came. She looked up at me and I couldn’t hold out any longer.

  I came with a shudder.

  Callie held me close and I drifted off to some sweet dreams.

  Sixteen

  Noah

  We made love again a few hours after the first time. Where the first time was all a rush of pent up sexual tension and lust, the second time was slow and sensual. We kissed and touched, talked and tasted each other. She told me things, I told her things.

  If I would rather have sex with Callie than watch the biggest game of the year, it must be true love. I hadn't missed a Super Bowl since … I couldn't remember the last time I didn't watch the game.

  I snickered and reached out for her.

  She wasn't in bed.

  I rolled over, and the smell of bacon invaded my nose.

  An iPad sat on her pillow with a sticky note.

  I sat up on my elbows and tapped the screen. The FaceTime app appeared on the scene, I pressed call.

  Callie answered. Her bright eyes blinked as she smiled.

  The obvious after sex glow had me hard in an instant. I did that to her.