Chapter 11
ELEVEN
CASEY
Ryker was freaking the fuck out. This evening might have been excessive, but I didn’t care.
I wanted him to know how special he was.
How deserving he was of this. It was only a steak dinner and some red wine…
okay, very expensive steak and wine, but I’d hardly spent any of my college savings and I could do this for him.
After ordering a Frog’s Leap Merlot and the wine steward making a show of the tasting, we waited for our food. “Do you like the wine?” It was one of Mom’s favorites.
He sipped his Merlot. “I do. I didn’t know wine could be this tasty.” The edge of his lips quirked. “It always tasted a little like vinegar to me.”
“That’s because it was cheap-ass wine.” I chuckled, my fingers wrapping around the stem of my wineglass. “Wait until you taste this with the steak.” How could I help him be comfortable here?
“Casey, what was it like growing up for you? Did your family go on vacations to Europe and shit?” He sucked his upper lip into his mouth and released it.
“Uh, we did. But because of football, I couldn’t stay for more than a week.” I scratched my forehead. “I had to train, and more than a week off would set me back too much.” Yeah, my life revolved around football, but my parents supported it.
“Oh. Where have you gone?” He sipped his wine.
I shrugged, thinking back on the trips. “Paris, and, uh, we did a trip in Tuscany once. Then another time we traveled to Rome, and I saw all the cool shit there.” It had been fun, but every time I’d returned, I had to train that much harder to get back to where I was.
“And I spent a week in Dublin. I think that was the most fun.”
“Paris…” He chuckled. “Did you visit the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower?”
“Of course, isn’t that what everyone does when they vacation in Paris?” How did we get onto this topic? I drank some wine, the oak and spice flavors floating across my tongue. “Wes is doing amazing. I don’t see how he won’t make varsity this year.” No more focusing on our differences.
“Yeah?” He leaned back in his chair as our server set our steaks in front of us.
“Enjoy your meal.” The server left.
Rubbing my palms together, I looked over the ribeye, the fat along the edges, and the juice pooling on the plate next to my fancy-ass mashed potatoes that were listed on the menu as smoked potato mousse.
Picking up his fork and steak knife, he cut into his steak. “We’re both grateful for your coaching sessions. He talks about you nonstop.” With a sharp laugh, he said, “In fact, I hear him boasting to his friends about you when he’s on his Xbox with them.” He ate a bit of steak.
“Yeah? Well, he’s been a pleasure to coach.
He’s a great kid.” My heart flickered with warmth.
Wait, I’d taken videos of Wes throwing passes this morning, so he could see his form.
“Hey, want to see his passes from this morning?” I plucked my phone from the table and opened the screen, pushing it toward him.
He leaned toward me, peering into my screen, and the muscle in his jaw bulged. Straightening, he wiped his mouth with his napkin.
My eyes popped open. Fuck, my hookup apps were right next to my fucking photo app. “Uh…” I shifted my phone to my face and tapped the video app open. Should I say something? He had to have seen them. Everyone knew what those apps were. Unless they didn’t use them? Fucking Eli. He’d cursed me.
“Here’s a video from this morning.” I pushed the phone under his face and started the video.
“Oh, wow, it looks like he’s throwing much further than he was.” He gave me a weak smile.
“Yeah, he was throwing into a basket and hit it most of the time.” Holding the phone in front of him, I closed the video and scrolled, searching for a new one, and then fat-fingered a photo.
A dick pic appeared on the screen. “Oh, shit, sorry.” I jerked the phone back and closed the app.
How could I be such a dumbass? I stared at my plate.
He hung his head and sighed.
I should say something, right? But all guys had dick pics on their phones. I peeked at him. Except guys who might not have dated recently. “Um, Ryker, I can explain.”
“You don’t have to. We just met, and it’s normal for a college football star to be on hookup apps and sending dick pics, right? Isn’t it part of your persona?” Pursing his lips, he sipped his wine.
“Yeah, guess so.” My chest twinged. I didn’t want him thinking of me as the stereotypical player jock, but wasn’t I? “I haven’t used the apps or sent any pictures since I met you.”
“Okay.” He scooped potatoes onto his fork. “Just so you know, I’m not on any hookup apps and I don’t send dick pics to anyone.” He ate his food.
Oh, the fucker one-upped me. That was it. “I’m deleting the apps and the photos. I don’t need that shit anymore.” Opening my screen, I held my finger on an app, and it danced. What was I doing? I’d only met him about two weeks ago.
He stared at me, slack-jawed. “You don’t have to remove them on my account. What you do in your free time is none of my business.”
Oh, fuck that. I didn’t want anyone else, and I should prove it to him.
Lifting a brow, my gaze swung to his. “Yes, I do. I don’t want you thinking I’m chatting up dudes behind your back.
Because I’m not, and I won’t.” As I held the screen to him, I tapped the app, and it disappeared.
“There, gone.” But shit, I still had an account, right?
“I’ll remove my accounts too.” I hurried to open the other two, removed my profiles and deleted the apps.
“Casey…” His forehead wrinkled. “What are you doing? What is this?”
“I’m, I’m uh, you’re worth it. I don’t want to see anyone else.” My chest grew tight. I’d never done this for anyone. I was in over my head. “So, I deleted everything. Why do I need a hookup app when I have you?” I forced a chuckle.
He set his knife and fork on his plate, a small smile curling his lips. “I’d never force you to do that, but the fact you did? It means a lot to me.” Wrapping an arm around my neck, he kissed my cheek. “Everything you’ve done means a lot to me. You’re special, Casey Carter.”
As emotion flooded my chest, I gazed deeply into his brown eyes and said, “Yeah? Well, I’ve met no one like you before.
I guess it’s making me do crazy things.” I pressed a soft kiss on his mouth and then glanced at my plate.
We were almost finished here. “Would you like to bring dessert back to the room?”
“Hell yes. I saw crème br?lée on the menu.” He took a bite of steak.
After dinner, our server packed two crème br?lée for us to take with us.
I strolled with him through the grounds to get to our room, one hand wrapped in his and the other holding our dessert bag.
A full moon glowed through the tree branches, speckling the ground with a grayish hue.
The creek bubbled and splashed in the near distance.
“Thank you again for the fine dining experience. I think that’s the most expensive restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in my entire life.” A grin graced his lips. “I’ll bet you’ve eaten in lots of places like that.”
Here we go again, with our different backgrounds.
“Yeah, maybe I never checked the bill. My parents paid it.” Lifting his hand, I kissed the back of it and then pulled him to a stop.
The moonlight lit his features and glimmered in his eyes.
My heart about stopped. “You are so fucking beautiful, Ryker.”
Dipping his head, he sniggered. “Come on, I’m a guy.”
“Guys can be beautiful, and you’re one of them.” Wrapping my hand around his nape, I pulled him to me and pressed our lips together, lingering for a moment before breaking away. “You’re doing things to me I’m not used to.”
“Yeah? Like what sort of things?” He tucked his lower lip between his teeth, his gaze darting between my eyes.
Was it too soon to admit this shit? I’d just dumped all my hookup apps and spent a good chunk of change at dinner. “Things I haven’t felt since maybe…football camp?” I’d fallen fast and hard then too. Maybe I was built this way—either all in or nothing.
His brows dipped. “What are you saying, Casey?”
“I’m saying I have, uh, maybe I’m falling for you?” Hell, maybe? I winced. “I am. Falling.” My pulse kicked in my chest. If he didn’t feel the same, I was fucked.
His lips quivered. He glanced away, then returned. “I’m falling for you too, Casey fucking Carter, golden boy football star.” Holding his free hand to his mouth, he chuckled.
Widening my eyes, I said, “What did you call me?” It was a mouthful, and I was uncertain if it was all good.
“I’m sorry, but that’s what kept running through my head when I first met you.” His grin went slack, and he brushed a lock of hair from my forehead. “From the outside, you seem untouchable, like someone with an easy life. Someone who wouldn’t be as caring as you are with me and Wes.”
“Well, I have to admit, I’ve had an easy life compared to you.” I glanced at the building, some windows with golden light spilling from them. No wonder he’d been standoffish when we met. “But our different pasts don’t mean we can’t understand each other. I think it could strengthen us, you know?”
“Yeah, I see that now.” He breathed in deeply. “I keep wondering what you’re doing with me, but—”
“What I’m doing with you is dating you. I’m trying to be a proper boyfriend here.” What the hell did I just say? Boyfriend? I swallowed hard and gauged his reaction.
His breath caught, and he said, “Yeah, okay. I um, I don’t mind being your boyfriend.” His gaze locked on mine. “Especially since you deleted your hookup profiles and apps.” A smirk swept his lips.
“Yeah, that was a big fucking step for me.” I pulled on his hand and strolled along the path to the hotel’s front door. “But like I said, you’re worth it.” I kissed his knuckles.