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Cole pushed my shoulders back against the sofa and carefully climbed into my lap. He straddled my thighs and gently ran his fingers through my hair.
When his blue gaze, full of fire, landed on mine, I almost wanted to cry; it was so intense.
“Yes, I love unfiltered Patrick. And I love sweet, supportive, and caring Patrick that brings me flowers and my favorite candy bar after a show. I love the Patrick that looks at me like there is no other person in the world for you than me. I love the Patrick that sits in the studio for hours on end when I’m working just to be near me. I love the Patrick that forgives me when I’ve been an ass, and is willing to work on our relationship, not for me or for you, but for us. And I love the Patrick that makes my body hum with an unending electrical current that goes straight to my heart. That’s the Patrick I love.”
Tears slipped down my face, but he wasn’t done.
“It’s not public Patrick, or the linebacker I love.” He put his palm over my heart. “It’s the man in here that shows me how much he loves me with a single look. The man who doesn’t even have to touch me for me to feel loved. And I was an idiot and selfish not to see it before.”
I couldn’t hold back any longer. Reaching up, I wrapped my right hand around his neck and pulled him to me for a kiss. It was the most passionate and loving kiss we’d ever shared. It wasn’t about lust or desire, it was about love. And we had it in spades.
After we had lunch, we got into the Range Rover and went to the stadium. I needed to see Greer Rowan and have a conversation with him. Training camp would be starting in a few weeks, and I wanted him to hear it from me.
Cole parked the car outside the main entrance. There was a black Tahoe parked along the curb in front of us. The EHM Shield logo was on the back, making me wonder who was here.
“Are you sure you want me to go in with you?”
I reached for his hand. “Of course. This is about you and me. But there’s something about Greer that makes me feel like I could be honest with him, and he wouldn’t just be looking at the bottom line.”
Cole leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’m by your side 100%, Griff. So let’s go do it.”
We got out and walked into the front entrance, all encased in glass. The floor was tiled with a mosaic of our logo, and all the walls sported photos from the Super Bowl in San Francisco.
The receptionist recognized me immediately. “Patrick! It’s really great to see you. You gave us a huge scare.”
“Thanks, Melanie. It scared me, too. Is Greer in?”
“Yes, he should be finishing up with his meeting any minute. Go on up.”
I thanked her, but she stopped us again. “Cole, could I get a selfie with you, and maybe an autograph? We’re all big fans around here.”
Grinning at him, I nudged him toward the sweet woman in her late forties.
“Sure. No problem.”
He took the phone from her and held it out.
“Want me to take the photo?” I asked, taking the phone from him. I’d gotten pretty adept at juggling things with my cast.
Cole raised one eyebrow at me as Melanie beamed up at him. I knew what he was thinking, and I also knew he’d tell me all about it later. I couldn’t wait.
After he’d signed her paper, we stepped into the elevator for the short ride to the fifth floor.
When the doors opened, we strode toward Greer’s office. Before we reached it, the door was jerked open from the inside.
“You’re insufferable, and there’s no way in hell I’m doing that with you.”
Greer’s laughter could be heard. “We’ll see. I’ll convince you.”
I looked at Cole, who looked back at me with wide eyes. We both recognized that voice. It was none other than Austin Wentworth, aka Daredevil.
When his eyes met ours, he stopped and ran his hand over his mouth; I would guess to get his composure after a heated conversation. “Fucking asshole,” he muttered under his breath before reaching out to shake my hand.
“Sorry about that. He just pushes all my fucking buttons at once.” He took a breath, then looked back at me. “It’s good to see you, Griff. I’m really happy you’re on the mend. I know Cole is, too.”
I smiled and shook his hand. “Thanks, and yeah, we both are. It’s been a difficult month.”
Daredevil was obviously uncomfortable, but added, “GQ doesn’t need to know about that in there. I’ll handle it with the asshole.” He motioned over his shoulder toward Greer’s office.
