Chapter 17 #3
Then I definitely want to watch it. I want to share things that are important to him and the fact he picked it has me really excited. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“Remember, I was a famous football player,” he says with a smirk.
“How could I ever forget? You’re so famous that people haven’t even heard of you.”
He pinches me. “I’ll have you know I have been mentioned on television—twice.”
I clutch my hands against my chest. “Oh, dear me, how lucky I am to be in your presence.”
He never talks about his football career, but he has photos in his office that I see every day. He was superhot then too. Although, I think he’s aged like a fine wine that has only gotten better with time.
“Just…you know, keep that in mind when it starts up. There are a lot of similarities for me.”
He lifts his arm, draping it behind me, and I snuggle into him, resting my head on his chest as the movie cues up.
This is one of those moments that I know I’ll never forget.
The way he smells, like fresh air and cologne.
The sound of his heartbeat in perfect sync with mine.
How even against his hard chest, I feel comfortable and safe.
Every part of tonight is perfect.
The title stretches across the screen: Rudy.
Killian holds me to him as we watch the story of a college athlete whose only goal is to play football for his team. He works harder than anyone I’ve ever seen. In a lot of ways, I see myself in him. The inability to give up, no matter how many times you’re told no.
I often catch Killian repeating lines to the movie and I have to stop the silly grin on my face.
I watch it with him, but a part of me can’t help but be lost in my own movie. The one I’m currently the star in. Handsome man comes into a girl’s life, giving her things that she never dreamed of, and she prays she can hold on to him, knowing it can’t last.
The ending isn’t what I want, but the middle, the meat of the story, is pretty fucking perfect.
I drape my arm around his middle and sigh as the credits start, and I look up to see Killian turning his head, wiping at his eyes.
“Are you crying?” I ask, surprise ringing in my voice.
“No,” he says quickly and clears his throat.
“You are!” I say with a gasp.
“It’s the dirt. It got in my eye.”
I fight back a laugh, but I can’t stop it. “Awww, that’s so cute. You’re crying over a football movie. Are you a little in your feels?”
Killian sighs heavily. “No, but how are you not emotional at that ending?”
I purse my lips. “It was uplifting and really sweet. However, I’m not crying or…I mean, I didn’t get dirt in my eyes.”
He ignores the last part. “It’s more than that. The cinematic magic that happens when his dream comes true. All of that work, all the people telling him it would never happen, I’ve seen it firsthand, and so many just give up, but not him. He fought for what he wanted.”
Hearing Killian so passionate about it has made me like him even more. I push up and throw a leg over his lap, straddling him, my hands going behind his neck as he holds my hips. “I can see why you feel that way.”
“Can you?”
“You’re fighting now, and I promise, when you turn all of this around—overcome all the business drama—I’ll have your friends come carry you around and chant your name.”
Killian groans. “Anyway, I wasn’t crying.”
“Of course not, baby.”
I lift my hand, running my fingers through his hair. My emotions are bubbling to the top, but it has nothing to do with the movie and everything to do with Killian. “I will never forget this night.”
He adjusts a little, bringing me closer to him. “I won’t either.”
“You’ll never understand just how much this has meant to me. I’m pretty sure there’s not a man alive who can ever live up to this.”
“Maybe that was my plan.”
I lean in, pressing my lips to his, but to my surprise, Killian pulls back. “Not tonight.”
I blink. “What?”
“It’s our first date, and you should really make me work for it.”
“I think you’re now on overtime.”
He chuckles. “No, angel, tonight we’re going to do this right.”
I run my hands down to rest on his chest and sigh. “All right, what’s next?”
“Next, I take you home.”
That’s fine by me because he happens to sleep where I do.
Killian helps me out of the car and packs the basket up before putting the convertible top back up. We make the fifteen-minute drive back to his house holding hands the entire time.
Once again, he opens my door and then walks me upstairs to my bedroom door.
I lean against the wall. Shyness rushes over me because I really want to ask him to come inside, but I don’t want to be rejected again.
It’s dumb since I know he wouldn’t be doing it because he doesn’t want me, that much is clear, but because he wants me to know how it all feels for the first time.
I glance down at his feet before looking into his eyes. “I had the most amazing night.”
He rests his weight on one arm that is placed beside my head. “I did too.”
“Am I supposed to ask you to come in?”
He shakes his head. “You’re not.”
“Killian…”
“Tessa…”
I roll my eyes but smile. “All right then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
I press my hands to his solid chest and slowly bring them up to his shoulders. The moment is charged, full of a promise of what’s to come. He doesn’t move, allowing me to make the choice, and really, there is no choice.
I want to kiss him more than I want to breathe.
The anticipation builds, and I close my eyes, leaning into him.
Like the brush of a butterfly's wings, my lips touch his before his hands wrap around my waist, holding me tightly. The kiss moves to being just a little more before I open my mouth and Killian takes charge. He kisses me gently, as if I’m so precious, he doesn’t want to break me.
I love it.
And I want more of it.
As if he can sense that it’s going to get hot and heavy, he pulls back.
It wasn’t a long kiss, but it has my heart racing and desire swimming between us.
With a rough voice he says again. “Goodnight, Tessa. Lock the door.”
He forces himself to take a step back and then turns, but when he’s halfway down the stairs I rush toward him. “Killian?” He stops and glances at me. “The door won’t be locked, in case you’re roaming the halls tonight.”
My smile widens when I hear his groan, and then I head into my room, flopping on the bed. I kick my feet like a total dork, because this was the best night of my life.
I hear the ping of my phone, hoping it’s him, but the text is from Meredith.
Meredith
How are things?
I think I might be falling in love.
Meredith
That’s…wow, you? Are you okay?’
He took me on a date tonight. Dinner, a movie, then a kiss at my door. Mer, how do I stop myself from falling?
There’s a pause and I wait for some kind of words of wisdom from my best friend.
Meredith
You can’t. I tried with Jake and we saw how that turned out.
That’s what I was afraid of.
Meredith
Just know that even if the fall ends with pain, you’ll survive, and you can always cry on my shoulder.
Yeah, I just wish I could avoid the breaking.