Page 30 of Resisting the Running Back

Whew.

I’ll be dreaming of that for a while, that’s for damn sure.

I’m grounded back into reality when I realizeit was just for show.

Tyler is still standing across from us, and my gaze edges to him for a second before I glance back at Miller.

Tyler is looking at me with some combination of rage and curiosity, while Miller is looking at me with pure adoration.

Man, he’s a good actor. It’s nothing short of totally believable.

“Well, we better get to packing,” I finally say to Miller. I turn back to Tyler. “We do have a wedding to plan, after all.”

He raises his brows. “And when, pray tell, is said wedding projected to take place?”

“Maybe before next season starts.” The lie is out before I can stop it, and I feel Miller’s heated gaze on me immediately after the words fall from my mouth.

“So, like…in the next few months?” Tyler asks.

I nod. “Yep. That’s before next season.” I smirk at him, and oh my God, why am I still talking? “If we can’t make it work since there’s so much to be done, then likely at the start of the offseason.”

Miller clears his throat. “Nice seeing you again,” he grunts toward Tyler, and then I spin on my heel and head toward the guest room to finish grabbing anything left in this apartment that belongs to me.

Miller makes eyes at me over the bed as if to say, “Before next season starts?”

I shrug and widen my eyes back at him as if to say, “I’m sorry. but I had to!”

He lets out a soft sigh as if he’s relenting—maybe evenconsideringa June wedding—and one of the things I can appreciate about our friendship is the fact that we can have these silent conversations where we both know exactly what the other one is thinking, no words exchanged.

Tyler isn’t in the family room anymore when we emerge with the rest of my things, and that’s it. We don’t bother with goodbyes. Instead, we walk out, me with one box, Miller carrying two, and we head down to our rental SUV.

“Where to?” he asks once we’re sitting in the car and the boxes are in the back.

“Same hotel we stayed at the night I broke it off with Tyler?” I suggest.

He nods, and we head in that direction.

“What do you want to do with the boxes?” he asks.

I lift a shoulder. “Drop them at my parents’ house, maybe. Or, I don’t know. I could just drive them back.”

“Let me look at my schedule tomorrow, but that could work,” he says.

“I meant by myself. I don’t want to put more on your plate.”

“Are you kidding?” he asks. “A road trip with my favorite author? It’s not more on my plate. It’s a dream come true.”

A thrill lights up my spine when he calls me his favorite author. Something about his approval is just everything to me.

We end up in a room with two queens this time, and I’m not sure why I was hoping those rooms were sold out again.

Miller takes a quick shower, and when he emerges, he’s just wearing a pair of mesh shorts.

No shirt.

Good Lord, those abs.

My eyes zero in on them for a second before they flick up to his, and he totally catches me staring.

---