Page 65 of Desire or Defense

Mitch got me a parking pass so I could park in a special lot saved for teammates and their families, which is a huge perk. D.C. traffic—and parking—is a nightmare. We walk outside in comfortable silence, I’m just soaking up the feeling of his hand enveloping mine. The night sky is dark, but it’s difficult to make out the stars with the city lights surrounding us. But it’s quiet and romantic all the same. The parking lot is peaceful now that the game is over, there aren’t many cars near my own. As we come close to my car, I reach for my door handle, but Mitch grabs onto my waist and swivels me around to face him in one smooth move. His hands move up so they’re resting on the hood of my car, one on each side of me, pinning me in. I’ve never felt so thrilled to be enclosed in a small space. He smells good too, back to his mountain waterfall scent. As much as I adore Captain Bubbles, I prefer the mountain scent when it comes to Mitch.

There’s a desperation in his eyes as he looks at me, a look so mesmerizing, I don’t miss the stars at all. Then he’s bending down to bring our faces closer. I close my eyes and wait for him to kiss me, but he takes it slow, like he’s savoring the moment… or maybe memorizing my face. Finally, his soft lips brush against mine, just barely. Just a tease. He kisses the corner of my mouth and I smile against the feel of it.

Keeping my eyes closed, I wait raptly in anticipation of what he’ll do next. My skin tingles when I feel his nose running along the side of my neck, and then his lips. I think he must enjoy the scent of my skin just as much as I enjoy his. His mouth moves higher and he places a sweet kiss on my jawline, and then another one right behind my ear.

I could keep my eyes shut tight and let him do this forever. I feel his breath on my lips again right before he kisses them. Bringing my hands up under his open suit jacket, I allow them to rest on his waist, relishing in the way his muscles move beneath my fingers. I really, desperately need to see him with his shirt off.

Nearby smooching sounds pull our attention back to the present, both of our heads snapping up to see what’s going on. Mitch growls when he sees Remy, Colby, Bruce, West and Melanie walking toward us.

Mel shrugs her shoulders and mouths the word Sorry, like she tried to get them to leave us alone and failed. I mouth back the words, It’s okay.

Bruce blows out a low whistle. “Well if it isn’t little miss I have to work early in the morning.”

Colby fans his face dramatically. “Goodness. Is it hot in this parking lot, or is it just me?”

West grins and pumps his eyebrows up and down. “It’s definitely not just you.”

I laugh at their teasing, it’s like being around a bunch of college guys. But Mitch is still growling as if he’s about to pounce on them. I place and hand on his thick chest and pat him gently a few times, calming the lion.

“I really do need to head home.” I stand on my toes and give Mitch a kiss on the cheek and turn to open my car door.

Mitch’s teammates and Mel say their goodbyes and walk toward their vehicles. Mitch leans inside my car, his voice low. “Thank you for being here. Just knowing you were out there tonight, somewhere in the crowd, made me want to play my best.” He groans. “Wow, that sounded stupid.”

I shake my head. “No, it didn’t. Thanks for sharing tonight with me, I’m sure it was nerve-racking being back after a month.”

He blows out a breath. “It really was. When can I see you again?”

“Well, you could come to Noah’s game Saturday.”

He smirks. “I can’t kiss you in front of Noah.”

“Well, you could. But he’d probably never speak to you again.”

Mitch huffs out a laugh. “When can I take you on a real date?”

My heart speeds up at the thought of a real date… in public… with Mitch. Not just because it’s Mitch, but it’s also the realization that our relationship will be in the public eye, and that it will likely be picked apart by gossip blogs. But Mitch is worth it.

“Well, Noah’s game is Saturday, but I’m off on Sunday too. Let me see if I can secure a sitter.”

“Okay,” he says evenly, looking into my eyes in a piercing gaze. “And if you can’t, the three of us can hang out.”

“Really?” I ask, but I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s serious. That he’d bring Noah along if that meant he got to spend time with me. The thought makes me feel warm on this cool night.

“Of course.” He leans in and kisses my forehead, then pulls back. “Have a good day at work tomorrow.”

CHAPTER 26

MITCH

The day after my game, I’m waiting for Noah to arrive for our last session together. There’s a large part of me that wants to continue working with him, and I wish my schedule would allow for it. But even squeezing one last practice in today was difficult, with Eagles practice this morning and working with my trainer this afternoon. But the kid has so much potential, I can’t help but want to be a part of helping him hone it in.

Ronda strides inside the rink, Noah is probably in the locker room getting his skates on. Her stare isn’t filled with mirth today; instead, she eyes me curiously like I’m a mystery to her. One she probably doesn’t want to solve. I know she’s important to Noah and Andie, so I force a smile and say hi.

She tilts her head dramatically, making her charcoal curls bob. It’s clearly a gesture for me to come talk to her, and since she’s terrifying, I quickly skate over. She peeks her head through the door in the glass and says in a low voice, “You make two of my favorite people happy… so I'm going to help you out.”

My eyes widen, surprised by her words, and also a little flattered. The fact that I could make someone happy? Especially people as amazing as Andie and Noah. The knowledge does something funny to my chest. “Okay, I’m all ears.”

“Nurses, specifically ICU and ER, rarely get lunch breaks. Our girl packs a pb and j every single day, and usually, she has about ten minutes to eat it.” Ronda shakes her head and huffs a laugh. “She has to be sick of them by now.”