Page 76 of Resist

Falling asleep with her in his arms after they’d left Pat’s Pub had felt so right, it had been next to impossible to climb out of bed the next morning. But he’d had no choice, as he had an early flight. Ainsley had woken up with him, watching as he packed his bag. She’d started to get dressed so she could leave when he did, but he’d convinced her to crawl back under the covers and sleep in. Then he’d spent most of the flight imagining her in his space, eating breakfast in his kitchen, drinking the coffee he’d left in the pot for her, showering in his bathroom, using his bodywash and shampoo.

The idea of her wearing his scent when she went to work, making him way too happy…and hard.

So yeah. Leaving her yesterday had sucked, and the only consolation he could find was that at least this was a short trip. He’d be back in Baltimore tomorrow morning, and even though it was Thanksgiving and his parents would be there, he was bound and determined to see her at some point during the day. There was no way in hell he could wait until Friday.

He grinned to himself, perfectly aware he was acting like a teenage boy with his first crush.

Coulton and Evelyn followed the hostess across the restaurant as she led them to a table. Along the way, they passed several of his teammates, as well as McKenna, who traveled with them. Most of his buddies had met Evelyn before during their away games in Vancouver, but this time, he noticed the looks of surprise on both Blake’s and Victor’s faces when they saw him with his ex. They knew he was still friends with her, so their reactions reiterated what he already knew. Having breakfast with his ex was a bad idea.

“Why don’t we join my friends?” he suggested, prepared to use his teammates as a buffer.

Evelyn rejected the idea. “Nope. They get you all the time. It’s my turn.” Once they were seated, Evelyn leaned back, studying him for all of ten seconds before she said, “You’ve met someone.”

Coulton snorted. “How the hell can you tell that just by looking at my face?”

“You wear your heart on your sleeve, Moore. Plus, if that smile gets any brighter, I’m going to have to put my sunglasses on. Who is she? Tell me everything.”

Coulton rolled his eyes, but there was no denying Evelyn. When she wanted to know something, she was like a dog with a bone.

“Her name is Ainsley Hall. She’s a bartender. Well, actually, she runs her family’s tavern. And she’s amazing. Beautiful and smart, a talented artist,” he tacked on, recalling the drawings in her sketch pad.

Evelyn clapped her hands, delighted. “Oh my God. I’m so happy for you. How long have the two of you been going out?”

“I met her at the beginning of the month and…” He sighed. “I gotta be honest, I’m feeling a little guilty for sitting here with you.”

“Ah,” Evelyn said, the light finally going on. “Guess I see why you didn’t text me back. And why you wanted us to sit with the guys.”

“I’m falling for her, Evie. Hard. I know it’s fast, but…”

“There’s nothing wrong with fast, Coulton, especially if she’s the one.”

“I really feel like she is,” he admitted. The fact that he could talk to his ex-girlfriend about his new relationship like this drove home something he’d come to realize over the past two years since their breakup. He and Evelyn had always been better friends than lovers. Not that they didn’t love each other, but he’d never felt the same passion, the same heart-racing, cock-thumping need for Evelyn that he felt for Ainsley.

“You gotta invite me to the wedding,” she demanded.

“Jesus. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Neither one of us has even said the L word, and I’m not sure Ainsley is quite as sure about me as I am of her.”

“No woman could be with you and not love you,” Evelyn reassured him. “It’s just not possible.”

“You have to say that,” he pointed out. “You’re one of my best friends. She’s had some rough breakups, so she’s struggling to believe this could be real.”

“So you put in the work until she gets there.”

“Okay. I will.” He’d already decided to stay the course, wooing Ainsley until she had no choice but to fall head over heels with him. Then he intended to spend the rest of his life loving her right back.

“Let me know when it gets to the engagement ring stage, because I want to help you pick one out. I have impeccable taste.”

Coulton shook his head, but damn if he wasn’t sitting here imagining himself standing at the front of an aisle, watching Ainsley walk toward him in a long white dress.

“You’ll be the first to know,” he promised. “Now, what aboutyourlove life?”

“I’m seeing someone too. It’s been a few months, and he’s a great guy. I’m trying not to get too carried away, but I have high hopes. He’s a doctor at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.”

“Sounds awesome.”

“Now, let’s clean up the mess I just made.”

“What mess?” he asked, as Evelyn raised her arm to wave the waitress over.

---