Her mouth formed an O as she figured out what she’d interrupted. “Sorry. I didn’t think… There’s not really a good ending to that sentence, so I’ll just stick with sorry. I’ll, um, be in my room.” She hurried past us and closed her door softly.

I adjusted my aching hard-on. “Guess that’s my cue to head home.”

Nadia dropped her head into her hands. “That would probably be best. The walls here are really thin.”

Despite her muffled voice, Abbey yelled from the other room. “I’m not listening.”

“She’s a good roommate, I swear. It’s not her fault our apartment was made with tissue paper.”

I dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head. “I’m sure she’s great. Remember, I live with Noah and Parker. Those assholes woke me up on the first day of school with a fully lit ‘Over the Hill’ cake.”

Her giggle ended with a groan of frustration, and she lifted her head. “I like your friends.”

“Good. Have lunch with us again. Eva pouted through the whole meal today because you weren’t there.”

“Just Eva?”

“I may have done a little pouting too.”

She shook her head, smiling. “Okay, fine. I’ll come to lunch if you give me three evenings a week of study time.” I couldn’t help the wicked grin that spread across my face, and she held up a hand. “Just studying.”

I captured her hand and kissed her palm. “Em, I can’t make that promise.”

She stood and pulled me to my feet. “Well, I can’t have you failing because of me. If this is the only way I can see you without destroying your football career, I’ll take it.”

I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t realize you cared.”

“I care,” she said softly, rising on her toes to give me a chaste kiss, as promised.

She stayed there, balanced against me for a breath, and I felt my future subtly shift. I’d told her I couldn’t promise to keep our time together limited to studying, but she was skittish. For the first time, I truly wanted something outside of football. I could bide my time if it meant I got to play and keep the girl.

9

NADIA

What the hell had I been thinking—revealing my sordid tutoring past then offering to help him study? I’d planned to keep things easy, casual, but Derrick changed the game on me.

He treated me like someone special. When he came over to study, we talked and joked, made dinner, sat tangled together on the couch. He told me about his family, how he missed them, especially his sister, Chloe, his dreams about playing professional football, and his fears that his career could be cut short for so many reasons.

I wanted more. More quiet moments, more memories, more time with him.