24. Lennox
Chapter 24
Lennox
When the team jet touched down at one p.m. in San Diego, I couldn’t get off the plane fast enough.
“What are you doing tonight?” Carson asked as I grabbed my bags.
My smile was stupid. I knew it. “I’ve got a date. What about you?”
“Nothing,” he grunted. “I’m going home, gonna get in my hot tub, and forget about football.”
He looked around, then leaned in. “And forget about him . He’s driving me crazy.”
I looked at Carson, wondering what kind of crazy that was. If it was the kind of crazy Dane drove me, my advice would be to stop running.
“Well, enjoy your night of solitude without your new roommate.”
He grunted and tipped his head back. “Have a good one, Sanders.”
Grinning, I nodded. “I plan to.”
Before I left the airport, I needed Evan to answer one question that kept niggling in the back of my mind. And when I found him smiling like a lovesick fool at his phone screen, I knew who he was talking to.
Sidling up, I thrust my face between him and Hudson.
“Hey Governor, how ya doing? Can I borrow your boy for a minute?”
Hudson Gatlin smiled back into the camera.
“Hello, Lennox. Good to see you. I’ve got a meeting to get to.” He looked at Evan with all the feelings I now understood. “I’ll text you later, superstar. Glad you’re home.”
“Okay, babe. Talk soon.”
He disconnected the call, then huffed at me. “What else could you possibly need from me? You’ve picked my brain for two weeks. The only thing left is…”
I pointed at him. “There you go. That’s what I need.”
Evan tipped his head back and looked at the sky. I couldn’t see his expression because he was so fucking tall. So I patted him on the stomach with the back of my hand.
“I don’t want to mess this up, Evan. It’s too important. Tell me what I need to know, and I’ll be out of your hair.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face, then looked down at me with a softened expression. “Just show him how much you love him, Lennox. Make him feel special and loved. That’s all you gotta do.”
Even though I already knew all that, I just needed his reassurance. “I’m not good with the feelings part.”
Evan put his hand on my shoulder. “Lennox, you two know each other better than anyone ever could. And for some reason, he already loves your dumb ass. If almost getting him arrested for public indecency didn’t turn him off, nothing will.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
As we walked out to the parking lot to meet up with my rideshare, I pulled out my phone and sent him a text.
Me: Just landed. When can I see you?
I sat my duffle bags on the ground and scrolled through my email while I waited for his reply.
I clicked on an email from my agent informing me of an endorsement opportunity from a men’s intimate apparel manufacturer out of South America. The attached photos of the line were hot as fuck. I could see myself modeling them, so I replied with a ‘let’s get more details’.
My endorsements were mediocre for my popularity. Mark wasn’t the best agent out there. I really needed to see if I could meet with Aidan Hayes to set me up for when I retired.
Another email caught my attention. This one was from Laura Langdon, our team PR rep, with more details about the upcoming Bachelor Auction fundraiser the Storm was involved in. When Laura approached the team about it, I jumped on board immediately, hoping the others would follow. Now I wasn’t so sure.
While I was responding to her email, I glanced up as a silver convertible caught my attention. The car I was waiting for wasn’t a convertible, so I went back to my email.
As I typed on my phone, the driver of the car spoke.
“Need a ride, QB?”
My head popped up at the familiar timbre of his voice. Dane stole my breath now more than ever with his aviator sunglasses and shy smile.
I lurched forward to the open passenger window. “What are you doing here? And who’s car is this?”
He shrugged. “It’s mine. You mentioned you didn’t leave your car at the airport. And I might have been here waiting to see if you needed a ride.”
If I hadn’t loved him before, this would have done it.
“I ordered a rideshare, but I’ll cancel it for you. Sweet ride.”
Dane smiled as I turned to grab my bags. I placed them on the backseat, then climbed into the passenger side.
My hand went to his neck and squeezed. I wanted to kiss him, but we were in public and my teammates were all around us.
“Cancel your ride. Where to?” he asked, glancing over at me as he pulled out.
“My house,” I said, quickly canceling it, but leaving a generous tip.
I gave him the address, then looked him over. He was dressed casually, and his jaw had at least a day’s growth. I couldn’t wait to kiss him. But I needed to change the subject.
“Is this car new?” I asked, rubbing my hands over the light gray leather seats.
“No. I bought it a couple of years ago. You can’t live in Southern California without a convertible. I only drive it when I’m off duty.”
That made sense.
As he pulled out of the airport, I moved my hand to his thigh. He covered it with his, then laced our fingers together.
“What are our plans? Do we get to start our date now?”
Dane laughed, and it was music to my ears. “I was thinking we could make a day of it. And I was hoping to see your house since you’ve seen mine.”
There were so many things I wanted to show him, and I couldn’t wait to get him alone.
“You know I’m going to have to maul you when we get there, right?”
He glanced over at me with a knowing smile. “I was counting on it.”
God, I was a lucky asshole.
When he pulled into my gated neighborhood, I gave him the security code for the gate. “You should put that in your phone so you won’t forget it.”
He raised a brow, then tapped his temple. “I got it. Numbers person, remember?”
“I remember.”
Pointing him toward my home, Dane took in the area as we made turn after turn.
“Do you like the neighborhood?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s nice.”
“Do you like neighborhoods like this, or do you prefer the beach?”
I knew I was getting ahead of myself, but if he didn’t like my house, I’d sell it in a heartbeat and buy something we could share.
“Why are you worried about me liking it?”
“Because I’m serious about us.”
I pointed ahead to my house at the secluded end of the cul-de-sac. I’d purchased the lots on both sides of my property and had them landscaped to provide me with a sanctuary in the off-season.
Dane pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. He looked around before turning his attention to me. “Lennox, I’m serious about us too. But slow your roll, QB. I’m not going anywhere.”
His comment reminded me of something I needed to ask. “How long are you in San Diego? Can you be moved to another base? When is your next deployment?”
He reached over and took my head in his hands, then kissed me softly. He rested his forehead on mine as we breathed in the surrounding air.
“Relax, baby. I’m not going anywhere long-term for at least eighteen months unless the world blows up and we’re called back into action.”
My frazzled nerves began to settle. “Okay. That’s good to know.”
Dane smiled and kissed my cheek. “Show me your house, QB.”
I pulled back and kissed the tip of his nose. “Then get out of the car.”
While I pulled my bags from the back seat, Dane went to the trunk and pulled out two grocery bags.
I looked at him curiously. “What’s in the bags?”
“A late lunch,” he said as I typed in the code for the garage. “I picked up a few things for you when I went to the grocery store this morning. If you’re with me all night, you won’t have time to shop.”
I wasn’t used to being taken care of by someone I cared about, and he knew that. Like Evan had reminded me, Dane knew me better than anyone. So when he made it through the kitchen door, I dropped my bags and took the bags from him. I put them on the cabinet, then took his hand.
“This is my kitchen,” I said, then pressed him to the door.
Dane smiled. “Took you long enough.”
I leaned in and savored the feel of his mouth on mine for a moment. And when I was almost past the point of no return, I pulled back.
Dane nuzzled his face against my beard, sending tingles through my body.
“I want to strip you down and worship every inch of you,” I whispered. “But I also want to do this the right way. I want our date, I want the romance, and I want to sweep you off your feet.”
“I’m glad you think so because our date just turned into a weekend getaway.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. A friend recommended it, and we’ll be completely alone.”
I looked around at my bags on the floor. “Do I need to pack a bag?”
“Just grab a few things,” he said, “and a bathing suit.”
I picked up my duffles and walked toward my bedroom. “Come on, you can help me pack.”
Dane smiled and followed me down the hall.