Page 98 of The Chemistry Coach
Connor studied her.He should go, but he needed to hoard as much time with her as possible.Abandoning any sense of self-preservation, he shimmied out of his jeans.
“Ooo,” Daisy teased, making grabby hands toward him.
“Hey!”he said as her hands closed around his thigh.“No funny business!”
“You’re the one who took his pants off,” she told him.
“Yeah, sleeping in jeans sucks.Scootch over.”
She wiggled to the other side of the bed, and he climbed in next to her, pulling her flush against him.Her hands roamed over him, sneaking up the front of his shirt where he trapped them.
“Daisy,” he said, with a warning in his voice.“If you don’t stop, I can’t stay.You’re drunk, and still mad at me.”He tested her by freeing her hand, and it remained still.“Good.Now go to sleep.”
In the morning, they rolled out of bed together and had barely cleared the sleep from their eyes before Daisy’s stomach rumbled and she groaned.“Ugh,” she complained, rubbing her forehead and glaring at him through squinted eyes.“Why am I so hungover?I had three drinks.”
Connor gaped at her.“You had at least double that; what are you talking about?”
She frowned.“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.I watched you.”
“Oh, fuck.”Daisy wandered to the kitchen and pulled a single slice of Wonder bread from the bag, stuffing it directly into her mouth.She swallowed her bread and followed it up with two Advil.
“Let’s go get breakfast.”He wasn’t ready to leave her yet.As he’d lain in bed last night with Daisy in his arms, their impossible situation transformed in his mind.His initial reaction to being traded may have blinded him to the reality of their situation.He could see a path forward for them if Daisy was interested.He had to fight to keep her.
Connor let her get halfway through her greasy breakfast before he said, “What if you came to Nashville with me?”
Her attention, which had previously been focused solely on the task of eating her mammoth burrito, snapped to him, and with a comically full mouth she asked, “What?”
“You’re not working in the off-season, right?”
Daisy worked through her bite, shaking her head.
“Okay, so come with me.”
“I can’t move to Nashville on a whim, Connor.Even for you.”
“Don’t move to Nashville.Come watch the playoffs.You can stay with me at Casey’s house.Cora would love to meet you.Or we could get an apartment.We can spend the evenings together, and you can come to some games.Evan and Casey are dying to get to know you.You wouldn’t be on your own.”
He could see the gears working in her head.“You’re coming home for the summer?”
“I’ll be here the second we win the cup.”
Daisy’s laugh was a little insulting.“Nashville made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth.When you win a Cup, it damn well better be with Seattle.”
“I don’t think I’m going to get an offer from Seattle.Nashville offered me a lot of money to re-sign with them.”
“Oh God, you’re not going to do it, are you?”Daisy wore an expression of pure horror.“I can’t pull off yellow!”
Connor laughed, loving that he’d correctly assumed some of her objections would be based on team colors.“I have time to decide.Can’t do anything until after the playoffs, anyway.”
“Ugh.Fine.I will go with you to Nashville.On one condition.”
Connor would do anything she asked.“What’s the condition?”
“Go to free agency.See what other offers you get.”
Easiest yes of his life.
