80

Ryan

First Thing I See When I Come Home

I put my head in my hands, breathing deep. My muscles ached. The adrenaline wore off thirty minutes ago and even if I was pleased we won the game, that was buried down deeper than anything else. I thought I had four hours left until I got to see Kassie again. That was gone.

The rest of the guys got to go back. I had to stay.

Talking with the coaches and the analysts and the directors was important. But I couldn't stop the heavy weight on my shoulders.

I'd been working with the football schedule for so long. Nothing had ever bothered me about it and when I took on the captain title, I'd accepted it without a second thought. That was all before her. Now, I was losing out on my time with Kassie.

"Ryan?" Kassie asked gently. "What time are you coming in?"

I took a deep breath. "Two in the morning."

"Guess what?"

This is how it's going to be.

Me, brooding over the shit schedule, and Kassie trying to make me feel better, when that wasn't her job. My job was to make her feel better.

"Art girl, I'm not—" I sighed. "I'm sorry."

"The pills are working."

I frowned, distracted. "What pills?"

" The pills."

Outside of my door, I could hear footsteps walk by but my entire focus was on the phone call. I straightened up. Was Kassie talking about those pills? Birth control. The only thing keeping a layer of latex between us when I had her in bed.

My balls tightened.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

There was a light laugh over the phone. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

My breathing slowed and I ran my hand through my hair, eyes flickering to the tile on the floor.

I'm talking to my future wife.

I was never more certain of anything else. I'd have her smirk in my life, I'd have the way she flipped me off when I had to get up from cuddling with her, I'd have the way her eyebrows furrowed when I asked about apps on her phone, forever .

Fuck, I love this woman .

"Are you jerking yourself off?" Kassie teased.

Another attempt to get me to feel better.

Now, it was my turn.

"Are you going to wait up for me?"

"You know I am."

"Good." I grinned. "You're going to go to Adam's party."

"Yeah, Zariah and I are going."

I dropped my voice. "I'll text you when I'm fifteen minutes away. I want you standing next to the bed, your hands on the blankets. Completely naked. The first thing I see when I come home needs to be your body."

A knock echoed against the door. I shot an irritated look at it.

"Cross?" one of Cleo's assistants asked.

"Hey?" Kassie whispered through the phone. "I'll be waiting for you, baby."

My breathing slowed. Pleasure washed over me. I couldn't get home to her yet but I had the next best thing. Looking forward to seeing her.