Chapter 11
brOOKE
Six o’clock couldn’t come fast enough. Unfortunately, at around three, my scheduled phone call was pushed back to six.
Brooke: Change of plans. I have a phone call at six, so I’m going to run my errand real quick now. Call will last about two hours. See you tomorrow?
Since I’d be spending the evening at the club, I wasn’t feeling guilty about taking a break now. Jace didn’t answer, but I wasn’t expecting him to. The team was having a practice.
I jogged to my car and checked that all the boxes with supplies were secured in the trunk and the back seat. When I was about to open my door, I heard Jace’s voice behind me.
“Brooke!”
I whirled around. “What are you doing here? Everything okay?”
“We agreed we’d go together.”
“I know. But you were in a training session, and my schedule changed. Wait a second, you’re still supposed to be in training.”
He came to a stop in front of me. “Took a break card.”
My eyes bulged. I knew Dad’s rule: each player had three break cards during each season, meaning they could skip practice. Family emergencies were covered outside of that.
“Dad says you never take one.”
“Until now. Get in.” He opened the car door, stepping so close to me that I had to tilt my head back to look up at him. His eyes were glinting dangerously. The mix of bossiness and protectiveness was intoxicating.
“Paige said she and Hailey often do this.”
“Did Paige also tell you that Will always goes with her? Or that I go with Hailey?”
“She might have mentioned it.”
“Don’t fight me on this, Brooke. I just want you to be safe.”
“We can go another time. You don’t have to give up practice.”
“Already took the break card, so let’s go.”
I relented, climbing into the car. I felt guilty that he’d blown practice for me but also oddly happy.
As soon as we reached our destination, I was beyond grateful Jace was with me, because the area did seem dangerous.
I dropped off the boxes with the contact person Paige had given me.
Jace shadowed me, and whenever he wasn’t carrying a box, he put an arm around my shoulders or my waist, tucking me into him. His protectiveness humbled me.
“Thanks for coming with me. You were right, coming here on my own wouldn’t have been smart,” I said once we were back in the car. He nodded. I liked that he wasn’t giving me an I-told-you-so speech. We spoke about the center during the ride.
“We have to talk,” Jace said as I pulled in the parking lot of the club.
“I know. It’s five. I still have an hour before my conference call starts.”
“Okay.”
I tried to imagine how the conversation would go, but after working myself into a frenzy, I decided to just take things as they came along. Jace was leaning casually against the chair, smiling at me.
“Brooke, stop fretting.”
“I’m not fretting.”
He pointed to my lap. I caught myself fiddling with my thumbs.
I blushed. “You’re right.”
“Why are you nervous?”
“Because… I don’t know, Jace. I was afraid—I still am afraid that our friendship will change. That we could lose it.”
Jace lifted one corner of his mouth, then the other. God, he was simply gorgeous. I allowed myself a moment to drink him in.
“We won’t lose anything. Look at us, going through our same old friendly routine. You’re ogling me like you want me to strip naked. I pretend I don’t notice.”
“Oh, Jesus,” I muttered.
“So, we got that out of the way. What else is on your mind?”
“It’s early days at the club for me. I feel like everyone is finally seeing me as an employee, not just Coach’s daughter. The management meeting today was incredible. I felt valued, and I’m afraid that if we… you know… I’m afraid they’ll stop taking me seriously.”
Jace said nothing. My chest tightened as the silence stretched, because this was so unlike him. Finally, he unhitched himself from the chair.
“Would you feel the same in a few months?”
Wow. Whatever I’d expected him to say, it wasn’t this.
“You… you’d wait?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” He could have his pick of women, from models to actresses and anything in between.
“I love being around you, Brooke.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I will of course do my best to shorten the waiting period....”
I groaned.
“Consider it. I don’t want to put you on the spot.”
“And yet you’re cornering me.”
“No, I’m not. If I were cornering you, I’d have you in my lap, kissing you until you said yes.”
“Yes to what?”
“Everything I ask for.” Jace leaned in, his shoulder slightly rolled, dominating the space in the car, dominating me.
I swallowed hard, hearing the blood rush in my ears. My entire body reacted to those words. My nipples tightened; the muscles in my lower belly clenched.
“I still haven’t ruled that out,” Jace went on, and I lowered my eyes to the radio display, trying to calm my erratic breathing. I needed to change the subject.
“We’re still on for watching Game of Thrones on Sunday?”
“Yes, Brooke. We’ll still have that. And I’ll still change your tire, fix whatever you need fixing. None of that changes.”
“Okay.”
I looked back up.
“But you won’t mind if I openly flirt, will you? Kiss you when you look at me like this?”
Before I could chastise him, someone knocked at my window. It was Veronica. I lowered it, and she glanced between me and Jace.
“Hey, you two. Brooke, can I ride with you today?”
“I’m actually going up to the office. I have that conference call.”
“I’m leaving now,” Jace told her. “I can drop you off wherever you need to go.”
“Thanks, you’re a life saver. Sorry for interrupting.”
“No problem. Just caught up with Brooke to ask her a few things.” He focused on me again. “About that thing I mentioned, you won’t mind, will you?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Clearly, I couldn’t call him out in front of Veronica. All I could say was, “Of course not.”