Page 30 of Offsides

“I should probably get you home,” Cowboy said, after a long stretch of silence.

The darkness that had started to surround them earlier was now in full swing, with only a yellow-ish security lamp on the side of a building on the other end of the park providing any kind of light. Part of him wanted to continue to sit here like this—wrapped up in silence, enjoying the moment of just being. At some point their hands had found one another and were now intertwined, her soft skin against his feeling like a warm blanket on a cold day. His heart felt full and his soul at ease with this woman next to him, and it was something he couldn’t explain. Something he wasn’t sure he wanted to understand. Based on the steady ease of Theo’s breathing, she was enjoying it too, only adding to what Cowboy was feeling.

“Probably,” she answered with a sigh. She made no attempt to get up from their spot under the tree however, as if her body were betraying her logic.

Cowboy understood that betrayal all too well. It was the same one coursing through his body, telling him to pull her closer, to kiss her, despite all the reasons that kissing her was a really bad idea.

Slowly unlacing his fingers from hers, Cowboy pushed to his feet, giving his backside a dusting off. He turned around, looking down at Theo, smiling as their eyes locked on each other. There was something new in those soulful hazel irises that he hadn’t seen before. Was that actually new? Or had it always been there and he’d just never noticed? Whatever it was, it was doing something to his insides that he couldn’t name, only amping up that desire to kiss her even more. Not to mention the desire to do a lot more than just kissing.

He pushed all thoughts of extracurriculars with Theo out of his head. Even choosing to ignore the fact that she was a reporter—one who was doing a feature on his team no less—he'd just spilled his guts about Dulcie, her murder, and how it had ruined his family. That was not exactly a conversation that put anyone in the mood for getting frisky. Even him.

Theo reached a hand up to him and he took it, gently tugging her to her feet. The smile she gave him was full of light. That was definitely new. This was the beginning of the smile he knew was inside her. The one that could light up this whole park.

Right now, it was doing just that.

Theo mimicked his actions as she got to her feet, dusting off her jeans, drawing his attention to her beautiful backside.

Look away, look away…

“What’s that look for?” she asked when she was done.

“Nothing.”

“No, not nothing,” she said, calling him on his lie. Cowboy’s heart sped up as Theo stepped in closer to him. He needed to remember to behave. “I know that look. You’re up to something.”

“I’m not up to anything. Just excited to get the pretty girl back on my bike. I rather liked the feel of her wrapped around me.”

Theo pulled her lips inward, her eyes darting away and then back to him in a split second. “I don’t know—ahhhhhhh!”

The rustling of leaves and branches muffled the sound of Theo’s scream, a swarm of birds taking off simultaneously, following their leader. The sound would have startled Cowboy if not for Theo’s sudden reaction to them zooming past them. A split second after her scream, she launched herself at him in panic, leaping into his arms, hers around his neck, her legs flying around his waist. Catching her the best he could, Cowboy had to readjust, making sure his forearms were underneath that tight ass he’d just been staring at, supporting her all the way.

“What was that?” she asked, her voice filled with panic.

“Just birds,” he answered with a laugh.

"Right, birds. In a tree. Makes sense.”

He shifted again, making sure he had her secure. The feel of her body against his made his dick come alive. He just didn’t want her to know it. At least not quite yet. Certainly not from accidentally feeling it right now.

“When I said I enjoyed having you wrapped around me, I hadn’t meant it as an invitation.” He laughed again. Theo’s breath was rapid and heavy, her eyes wide with alarm. “Not that I’m complaining. Just didn’t think this would be how I had you in my arms for the first time.”

“This…this isn’t the first time,” she replied. Her voice was breathy, her chest heaving as she tried to calm her racing heart. Cowboy could almost feel it beating against her chest, pressed right up against his.

“Oh?”

“You…you held me earlier. During Zumba.”

Licking her lips, her face softened, her eyes seeming to search his. As if she was afraid he didn’t remember. Oh, did he remember. He was pretty sure he’d never forget the way his hands had found her hips all on their own, or the zap of electricity he’d felt when he’d touched her. His intent had been innocent, just to help her relax and move with the music. To have fun. Instead, he’d found himself pulled into her orbit, unable to break away as they moved together. Drawing her into his arms in that moment had felt like the most natural thing in the world. Much like holding her like this did.

“That doesn’t count, darlin’.”

“Why not?”

“Because I couldn’t do this.”

Moving his right hand out from under her, her ran it up her back, only stopping when he got to the nape of her neck. He let his fingers dance there for a moment, twirling the loose strands from her bun, before continuing up to the back of her head and pulling her in close to him. Pausing for another moment, he inhaled deeply—a light, clean scent that was so uniquely Theo.

His lips found hers a fraction of a second later, the soft feel of them welcoming him. Theo tightened her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer as she returned the kiss, softly at first, but growing in confidence the longer they continued. Cowboy was more than a little surprised that she didn’t pull away from him, that she continued to return his efforts, but he wasn’t going to question it. This was hands down the best kiss he’d ever experienced.