Chapter 14
Chapter 14
With my heart banging against my ribs, I melt into our kiss as the crowd around us lets out a cheer. They may have got the kiss that they wanted, but I got totally bowled off my feet.
Everything about him draws me in, and with all that we’ve shared, it feels so right to be in his arms. I know I never want this to end.
Trembling, I lift my gaze and see Nick’s soft eyes, his lips curved into a tentative smile, and I feel a rush of exhilaration, joy, and need so intense, my knees give way and I stumble.
He steadies me with his big hands before I end up toppling over and making a complete spectacle of myself. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” he murmurs in my ear.
Embarrassed, I reply, “Thank you.”
“It seems every time I touch you, Ernie, you end up almost falling over.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s these shoes. They’re super high, that’s all,” I jest with a small grin.
“Shoes, huh? So, it’s got nothing to do with kissing me?” His eyes are dancing because he knows it has everything to do with kissing him, just as I do, too.
“You got me,” I reply, and we share a smile.
“Nick! Over here!” someone yells, and our spell is broken.
He plants a light kiss on my forehead. “A couple more selfies and we’ll go in, okay?” he says.
“Sure,” I reply.
He gives me a quick squeeze before he poses with another group of fans, and I stand watching him, his kiss still on my lips, my mind whirring with what this could mean for us.
Although it was for the cameras, there was truth in the way he looked at me, in the way he touched me. I know with certainty he cares for me as more than just his girlfriend for the media. More than just a friend.
He returns to my side. “We should get inside, don’t you think?”
“Sure.” I slip my hand into his, and we share another smile.
This feels amazing!
“Can you walk now, or are you still swooning?” he says with a cheeky grin that has my belly doing flips.
I let out a giggle. “Definitely still swooning here, but I’m an expert in walking. I’ve been doing it for some time now, you know.”
“I’d noticed that,” he replies. He waves at the crowd, and we make our way down the red carpet and in through the double doors.
Once inside, a band is playing some gentle pop music, people are chatting and laughing, and the whole place is decorated with large swathes of white material that reach across the ceiling, meeting at a huge chandelier in the middle of the room.
We come to a stop at the edge of the crowd, and Nick turns to face me. “So.”
I bite my lip as our gazes lock. “So.”
“We kissed.”
“We did.”
He hesitates for a moment before he says, “Can I ask you something, Ernie?”
“What is it?”
“Just now, outside,” he begins.
“Yes?” My heart is banging like a carpenter’s hammer with a nail.
He bites his lip, his eyes on mine, and it suddenly hits me: he’s just as nervous as me. “I don’t quite know how to ask this.”
I egg him on, wanting to hear him say it, hoping I’m right that he feels it, too. “Just say it, Nick. Please.”
He swallows. “It wasn’t just for the cameras.”
My breathing shallow, I shake my head slowly. “No. It wasn’t.”
I watch as his face breaks into a smile, and I return it, as happiness creeps up from my toes, pushing my nerves away. In their place, I feel a newfound confidence—in him and in myself. I know he feels this too, and I want nothing more than to tell him. “I’ve…I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,” I say.
“Me too. All the time, actually.” He taps the side of his head. “You’re stuck in here, and I can’t seem to get you out.”
“Do you want to? Get me out, I mean.”
He shakes his head and steps closer to me.
“Me neither.”
He slips an arm around my waist, and a massive grin busts out across my face. Inside my tummy, the circus performers are back, doing their acrobatics.
“The fake becomes real, huh?”
“The fake becomes real,” I echo.
He leans so close to me I can see the speckles of gray in his brown eyes, and I inhale his delicious Nick scent.
Oh my.
My heart does double time as we lean into one another and our lips meet once more. His touch, his scent, the way his arms are holding me tight, all of it feels incredible.
“I did not see this happening,” I murmur.
“It wasn’t in my plan, that’s for sure. But I’m glad. You’re one in a million, Ernie.”
“Hey, you two! Get a room.”
I drag my gaze from Nick to see one of the Hawks players slap Nick on the back, a big grin on his face. “This is a family show, man.”
“Tito!” Nick replies as he does one of those manly handshake-slash-hug things with him. “Looking smooth. You know Erin, right?”
“Of course I know Erin,” Tito replies as he gives me a quick hug. “She’s my Sponsorship Manager for the Wickham account. We go way back.”
“Hey, Tito.” I smile at him. Tito is one of the only players I’ve always liked. Somehow, he dodged my blanket disdain for all sports pros, probably because he’s a committed husband and father of two cute kids, and always has a smile on his face. “How are you tonight?”
“Not as good as you two by the looks of things.” He waggles his eyebrows at us suggestively, and I blush.
Nick wraps his arm around my shoulder. “What can I say? I’m a lucky guy.”
I beam up at him.
“You are all over the media right now,” he replies. “What’s the crap nickname they gave you?”
“Nerick,” Nick replies.
Tito shakes his head. “Man, that sucks.”
“I know, right?” I say.
“Ah, well. You don’t get to pick these things. Remember the nickname Smithie and his wife got when they first met?”
Nick and I shake our heads.
“It was Smoochie. They mixed Smith and Michelle up and somehow got that.”
“I think Smoochie is better than Nerick,” I say. “Nerick sounds like a brand of chemical cleaners.”
Tito lets out a laugh. “Hey, catch up with you soon, ’kay? I think we’re at the same table, and I’m sure my darling wife will want to quiz you, Erin.”
“I’ll look forward to that,” I reply with a note of sarcasm.
“Ah, she means well. She’ll just want the inside scoop. Catch you soon.” Tito walks off and is quickly replaced by another team member and his wife.
I know this is our first big public appearance. I know we’re meant to be presenting a unified Nerick front. Right now, but I couldn’t care less about any of that. I’m so busy thinking about being with Nick. Him and me alone.
“Hey. I’m Angus, and this is Pia,” he says as he shakes my hand.
Pia greets me with a smile and tells me she likes my dress as Nick and Angus talk amongst themselves.
“Thanks,” I reply. “I designed it myself.”
“You’re a fashion designer?”
I resist the urge to tell her that I’m trying to break into the field and instead smile at her and reply, “I am. Erin Andrews Designs. You should drop by my website and check it out.”
“I’ll find you on social media, and you can send me the details,” she replies. She loops her arm through mine. “Us WAGs have got to stick together. You know, Wives And Girlfriends. One of the wives got a skincare line I use, and one of the other wives runs a hair salon downtown. She does highlights for half price for me, and I’m sure she could do the same for you.”
Feeling instantly part of an exclusive club—with perks, no less—I beam at her. “That sounds great. Thanks, Pia.”
“Babe?” she says, touching Angus on the arm. “Did you know Nick’s new girlfriend here is a fashion designer?”
Angus turns his attention to me. “Cool. Do you do guy’s stuff?”
“Not yet, but maybe someday.” I reply happily.
Nick winks at me, and I grin back at him. Although this thing between us is so very new, it feels incredible to be here with him, chatting with team members and their partners about my fashion designs.
Pia unhooks her arm from mine and looks around the room. “They’ve gone all out on the place this time.”
“It looks great, and it is surprisingly elegant for a rugby team party,” I reply with a laugh.
Nick quirks an eyebrow. “We’re not all he-men, you know,” he says as a group of guys count down from five to one in unison, and a large guy in a tux chugs his entire pint of beer before the group breaks into cheers. He gives my hand a squeeze. “Okay, there may be an element of he-man going on from time to time.”
“An element?” I tease.
“That’s just Bulldog and his cronies,” Angus says. “They’re the party boys. All single and big on the booze and partying hard, right, Nick? You’ve spent a few evenings with them lately.”
Nick’s jaw tightens. “Not for a while.”
“Yeah, but you have done, right?” Angus persists. “All that crap in the papers about you being the bad boy of rugby.”
“The Wild Boy of Rugby,” Pia corrects helpfully.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” Angus says with a chuckle.
Nick shifts his weight, looking visibly uncomfortable. “It’s all in the past, man. I’ve moved on.”
I move closer to Nick and take his hand in mine. “Shall we go find our table?”
“Sure,” Nick replies, his features relaxing.
“Great to meet you two,” I say to Pia and Angus.
“Come over and meet all the girls later,” Pia says. “They’ll want to know all about your designs.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” I lead Nick away.
“You’re good at this, did you know that?” he says.
“At what? Schmoozing?”
“Definitely the schmoozing, but I was meaning more being able to tell when I need to go talk to someone else.”
I stop and turn to face him. I place my hands on his chest and gaze up at him, enjoying our closeness. “It’s all part of the service. You’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours.”
“I like the sound of that.”
As our gazes lock, we share a smile. Any fears I may have had have evaporated around us. I’m dating Nick, and it feels nothing short of incredible.