Page 50 of Tight Spot

Instead, I teased him right back. “Yeah, but you play football. That’s not nearly the same thing.”

“Ohhhh,” Davis groaned. “Please, please Dawson, tell me you didn’t find a woman like I did who doesn’t know a thing about our favorite little hobby.”

“Hobby, my ass,” Dawson snorted. “And I did. You also don’t hear me complaining.”

As he said it, he pressed a gentle kiss to my shoulder and slid his arm over the back of my chair.

I forgot words. The company. I stared up at him, probably gawking.

It was such an affectionate speech gesture, something he was probably only doing to play his role.

But damn, I wished some of that was real.

I turned back to my food, and tried to ignore the talk about Maggie’s wedding they were apparently having in Cole’s parents’ backyard.

Dawson’s finger brushed along my exposed shoulder. Probably meant to comfort me. Maybe he just wanted to touch me.

But every swipe of his thumb over my flesh sent shivers down my spine.

I was supposed to be married. Supposed to be back from my honeymoon. Darrick was supposed to have moved in and we were supposed to be enjoying the first few months of our life together.

Instead, I was there. Surrounded by strangers and fake dating some apparent god in the football world and there were so many weddings going on.

So much talk about happy marriages.

Babies.

All the things I’d been expecting to have at my fingertips and…

I needed air.

Space.

“I’ve told Dawson you have to come with him to the wedding,” Maggie said.

She turned to me so abruptly, or maybe I’d been so spaced out her words sounded like they were coming through a tunnel.

I flinched. “Pardon?”

Her hand settled on her large, rounded belly. “I told Dawson you should come with him to the wedding.”

“Oh.”

“Maggie…” Dawson’s voice was a thick rumble, cascading over me, and no…

There was no way I could…

I shoved my chair back so quickly, Dawson’s arm went flying off my chair. Conversation stopped on a dime.

Maggie gaped at me.

Space.

Air.

Escape.

“Sorry. Excuse me, please. I need a minute.”

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