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“Minih because of what I told you about me”

My cheeks burned “I’m not—”

He tilted his head and lifted an eyebrow

I pinched ?”

“No, but I see the way you alant to take care of the people around you, even if it’s at your expense”

“I don—”

He cut ain at the pass “Don’t ever let anyone elsehis jacket and settled it around ht of the daed the front of it closed Even for me it was rooe guy He handled other football players out on the field with no proble up into his eyes lit only by the streaking lightning across the sky, I felt small

The buttons fro the jacket closed I curled ainst the warm tile floor

Rain halass panes all around us like our own soundtrack to go along withnot only from the sprint but from the proximity to him

“Thank you for inviting me” His words were a low rumble accompanied by the thunder

My throat tightened and I licked ht known to ht his lips see closer

I’d been working on that Accepting a thank you without the need to minimize whatever it was Just say ‘you’re welcome’, Jules “You’re welcome”

“I’aze darted down the dark gap between my body and his jacket “In case I didn’t tell you already That dress looks killer on you”

“Thank you” Our lips were a hairsbreadth away My body tingled in anticipation of everything he was ready to serve up

All those nights I read and reread his words The way led when I slipped another note into his rabbed one of his But this wasn’t pen and paper any ritten about in our letters All the proured that here they’d always live, butin closer for a kiss He was here with me He wanted me