“I like that,” she admits softly. “I want to give you more firsts.”
My heart constricts. Damn, this woman. I can’t take it anymore.
I gotta say something.
Cannon’s looking at me strangely. His eyes are fixed, right on my face, and his hand is gently gripping my knee, his thumb stroking back and forth, lulling me. Luckily enough I have no injuries below the waist, so I am enjoying his wandering hands pain-free.
Wish he would touch me in more sensitive places, but I don’t think I’m going to get that lucky.
“Susanna.” His voice is scratchy, and he clears his throat, his serious expression making my nerves kick up a notch. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Oh God. This is it. He’s going to let me down easy. Tell me how much he’s enjoyed our time together, but our relationship has too many obstacles and it’s impossible for us to overcome them all. I brace myself, my ribs aching, the tears threatening as I focus on his mouth and the words that tumble forth.
“I’m in love with you.”
Wait.
What?
“What?” I say out loud.
He smiles. And that’s when I notice. He looks terribly nervous. His eyes are practically pleading with me to agree with him, and the hand still clutched around my knee is shaky.
“I’m in love with you. I know we haven’t known each other very long, and I’m probably moving way too fast for you, but I love you. I want to be with you, and I will do whatever it takes to convince you that we’re good together.” He sounds fierce, he sounds like a fighter, and I know just hearing him say those particular words, in that particular voice, that he would fight for me.
Always.
“We are good together,” I start, but he cuts me off.
“So good together. You’re all I think about. You asked me if I thought you were interesting? You’re the most interesting person I know. I can’t stand being apart from you, Sus. I know I’m real busy with football, and maybe I didn’t show it as much as you needed to see, but I missed you so damn much these last six weeks we’ve been apart. If we’d met during the off season, I could’ve devoted more time to you, but we didn’t.”
“We would’ve never met during the off season,” I remind him. “You came here to play football. So football brought you to me.”
“True.” He smiles, and it’s a beautiful sight. He’s a beautiful man. Big and burly and a little rough around the edges and all mine.
Mine, mine, mine.
“I’m in love with you too,” I say, my voice just a whisper. His eyes darken the second the words leave me, and then he’s coming closer, his mouth landing on mine, his hand falling away from my knee to reach up and cradle the side of my face.
“You don’t know how much of a relief it is to hear you say that,” he murmurs against my lips seconds later, both of us breathless.
“I thought you were going to break up with me,” I admit, and he chuckles.
“Never.” He kisses me again, then pulls away. “I want you to come back to California with me.”
I’m gaping at him. “What?”
“I’m serious. Move in with me. Live with me. After I have my knee surgery, when I’m better, we can travel around the country. I can show you the sights,” he says eagerly.
“But…what will I do in California? When you’re in good shape and playing football once again?” My mind is awhirl with all the possibilities.
“You can do whatever you want.” He’s grinning, his hand still on my face, and I lean into his palm, closing my eyes for a brief moment, overwhelmed by his love, his words, our future.
Together.
This move, this relationship with Cannon, could be the change I need. The catalyst to push me out of my rut, to allow me to be free and figure out who I really am.
I want to go. I want the adventure.