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He turned and walked away before I could question what the hell he’d meant.

“Langley, want to explain why you’re late?” Ariella asked, hands on her shapely hips, looking like my personal wet dream in her black shorts and Desperado’s T-shirt. But it was the scolding tone that had my dick stirring.

Roberts piped up before I could answer. The kid was the youngest on the team, and it was evident in his behavior, but he was good people. “Coach?” She turned toward where he was stretching on the black mats with the rest of the team, who were all locked into their own conversations as they warmed up. “Um, no one calls him Langley. It’s either Dalt or Cap.”

“She can call me whatever she wants,” I cut in, walking up to her, smiling at the way she arched a single brow my way. Of course, she was unwavering even as I practically stalked her down. I stopped when we were only inches apart. The only tell that our proximity was getting to her was the jumping pulse in her neck.

“Sorry, Coach. Monroe wanted to have a word. Is there a punishment for being late?” I brushed a strand of her hair off her shoulder, savoring her soft skin beneath my fingers.

“That what you want?” she asked, her voice too low for the others to hear, managing to stay the picture of professionalism, except for that damn tongue of hers. I would’ve been able to recover from the lust threatening to take over if it hadn’t darted out and swiped across her bottom lip, making it appear wet and glossy under the gym lights. So fucking kissable.

Fuck. Should’ve gone for baggier shorts.

She moved back, regaining space between us, but not before shooting me a heated look. And not the ‘I want to take your clothes off’ heated, but the ‘I’ll put you in your place’ heated.

Ironically, both turned me on just the same.

“Watch yourself, Dalton. Remember my last rule.”

“Yes, Coach,” I said, working hard to reign myself back in from whatever demon possession had taken over my body. I ran a hand over the back of my neck, feeling really out of my depths. Why was I suddenly so damn…affectionate?

I’d lied to her in the car.

PDA wasn’t my thing, or it hadn’t been until her.

With Emma, I’d never felt this way. She’d hated the “touchy-feely crap,” as she’d called it, and only leaned into public displays when cameras were nearby. Even then, it felt staged. Off-camera? We were borderline frigid, and every conversation ended in an argument about how I wasn’t doing “enough” for her. By the end, I’d felt more like an accessory than a partner.

But Ari? She was fire and independence, someone who didn’t look at me as a checkbook or a ladder to climb. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t shake this pull toward her.

“Why don’t you go by Langley?”

Her voice broke my thoughts, and I tensed when the question registered, turning over in my mind how to answer in a way that didn’t feel like a trauma dump of my childhood.

“Um.”

A hand landed on my shoulder, and her deep brown eyes held a look of understanding. “You know what? Don’t worry, it’s none of my business. Cap or Dalt it is.” Her smile was genuine, and it only made me want to tell her more, but I didn’t get a chance.

“Or asshole.”

The way she jumped nearly a foot away from me was impressive, and I would have laughed if she hadn’t looked like a deer in headlights as she stared down Monroe.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” she asked, flustered. She probably hadn’t seen him since the incident. I fought whether I should continue to stand there or move to the mats with the others. We’d never clarified when or how we’d tell everyone we were dating. Maybe she wouldn’t say anything at all and just let them assume. I was about to move when she straightened her back, lifting her chin.

“I’m glad you’re here, actually. Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room.” Her voice boomed through the gym, demanding the team’s attention. “I’m sure you’ve all seen the photo of Dalton and me by now. To answer your question, yes, we are dating.” She moved closer, gripping my hand as if we were shaking hands.

That’s not going to work, Sunshine.

I tugged her closer, tucking her under my arm and dropping a kiss on the top of her head. She froze, and I chuckled at how she felt like a stiff board against my side. My little bubble of amusement popped when Stephens let out a scoff, making my jaw tick.

“How come you didn’t admit it last time?”

The winger was asking to get his ass kicked. I opened my mouth to say as much but Ari beat me to it.

“Because, Stephens, I didn’t want to, and you’re not entitled to information about my personal life.” The look she gave him was so fierce it could make a grown man cry. “I can share as much or as little as I’d like. At the time, we were working out details with HR, and that’s all you need to know. Understand?” She looked around, making it clear she was speaking to everyone.

From where he stood against the door frame, Monroe gave a slight nod of approval and disappeared.

Ari’s shoulders dropped away from her ears where they’d been glued since he’d walked in, like she’d been braced for backlash. “For any of you concerned about how this might affect my professionalism, the answer is, it won’t. In here, I’m Dalton’s coach, not his girlfriend.” She shot me a menacing look. “He might regret dating me when he’s in the gym with me.”