Is he for real?
“Wow.” He opened his eyes and looked at Em. “These are really yummy.”
That was the word Frida had used to describe Grant in the school cafeteria. Even though Em had just admitted that she liked him, she was still embarrassed that he’d picked up on Frida’s not-so-subtle comments from that day. A blush crept up her throat, and she turned and took a bite of her taco in an attempt to hide it.
“Aw, don’t be embarrassed,” he teased. “You can’t help it if you have good taste.”
Em swallowed her bite. “You really are in love with yourself, aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I just like the way you look when I say things like that.”
Like a hormonal teenager who just discovered boys for the first time? Because that was certainly how she felt whenever he acted like this. Her cheeks always felt hot with a blush, she got oddly giggly, and her stomach did weird things.
“What about all your workout videos on Instagram? You seem to love posting hot and sweaty selfies.” She lifted her brows.
“Hot and sweaty? Is that the persona I’m putting off?” He laughed and turned in his seat so that he faced her head-on. “I just do that to help build my online personality. Silas is always going on about building your brand and trying to attract the attention of different companies to increase your revenue.”
“Seriously?”
“If it was up to me, I wouldn’t do all that.” He stopped and smiled to himself. “Actually, that’s a lie.”
Em knew it sounded way too good to be true.
“I would keep doing them because of the way it feels to see you like each post. It gives me a thrill to know you’re watching me so closely.”
“I don’t...” Her words trailed off when she realized she’d be lying if she said she didn’t watch his profile. And she loved that he did the same. She looked up at him with wide eyes.
Grant leaned forward and lifted his hands to her face. “It’s okay. I like you, Em. I’ve never made that a secret. You’re the one who wanted to pretend there wasn’t anything going on between us.”
He was right. She’d always been the one to push him away due to her stupid no-dating athletes rule. Grant was amazing, and he liked her. Why was she fighting it?
With their dinner forgotten and getting cold on the table, she wet her lips and closed the distance between them.
Grant
Em’s lips were soft and hesitant as they pressed against Grant’s.
He was so shocked that he didn’t move at first. He’d wanted this since the first time he’d spotted her in the arena, and now that Em was here, in his house, kissing him, he wasn’t doing anything.
What is wrong with you?
She pulled back, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry, I thought…”
She thought that he wasn’t kissing her because he didn’t want her? Nothing could be further from the truth.
True, Grant needed to stay focused on his goals, and dating someone would make it difficult to stay on track. Not only that, Finn had told him to stay away from her. The other teammates on the Storm had warned him that getting mixed up with Em was a bad idea. Even Em had repeatedly said that she didn’t date soccer players.
None of that had been enough to deter him.
Grant wanted Em more than he could stand.
His eyes went to her lips that were now turned down into a frown. If he didn’t do something he would lose his chance. He might not get another one.
His heart hammered in his chest as he put his hands on either side of her face. Her skin was soft beneath his fingertips. He closed his eyes and brought his lips down on hers. The kiss was gentle at first, but when she sighed into his mouth, his lips became more demanding.
Now this was a kiss.
His hands slid to the back of her head, and he ran his fingers through her hair. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her fingers curled into the muscles of his back. It was all the encouragement he needed to slide a hand down her back to pull her closer. She’d been so close yet so far for weeks; he needed her pressed as tightly to him as possible. Her fingers gripped his shirt.
This moment was the culmination of weeks of flirting and dancing around each other, and now they were finally coming together. Grant lost all sense of himself. There was only Em. Only her soft lips, her silky hair, the smell of her shampoo invading his senses. He never wanted to stop kissing her, and he was afraid if he didn’t pull away soon, he never would.
He leaned away, his breaths coming in sharp, jagged bursts. When he opened his eyes, he could see Em’s chest rising and falling just as quickly. Her lips were swollen, and she had a dazed look in her eyes.
She’d never looked more beautiful.
He took a shaky breath. “Wow.”
She wet her lips and nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“Tell me why we didn’t do that sooner?”
She closed her eyes. “Because I don’t date athletes.”
Grant was getting really tired of that line. She said it all the time without giving any good reason behind it. They’d just kissed, and she was still reciting it. “But why?”
She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “I’ve always found them to care too much about themselves to have room for anyone else.”
That’s why she mentioned my “workout” videos. She thinks I’m self-absorbed.
“I’m not like that. I only post so much about myself to get visibility. Once the camera is gone, I don’t care. I just told you that.”
Em put a hand to his chest, and he calmed. “I know. But it’s more than that. I’ve been hurt so many times.”
Grant already knew about the disaster with Damien. He also knew it was an awful set up coordinated by
