Page 107 of Puck Love

I glare at her, and then glance back at my woman, who isn’t looking at me but out the window. “I just didn’t like seeing youstruggle.”

A half-smile tips the corners of her lips, and then she shakes her head and exhales a noisy breath. I’m just about to kiss her when my phone rings. It’d been switched to silent while they filmed, but it was going off like a damn rocket in my pocket. I fish it out, see Eli’s goofy face on the screen and answer, “Heyman.”

“Dude, where the fuck have you been? Didn’t you see our flight time haschanged?”

“What?No.”

“You idiot. I texted about it lastnight.”

“Well, I was a little preoccupied lastnight.”

“I hope she was worth it, because missing that plane is gonna cost you severalgrand.”

Shit. Coach is going to fucking kill me. Images of Stella on her knees, on the floor, the couch, the kitchen counter, and in the tub flash through my mind. My dick stirs, and I look at my little snuggle bunny. “Totally worthit.”

“Right, well I hope you’ve got enough money saved away for asshole reconstruction surgery, because Coach is gonna tear you a new one if you’re not on this bus in fiveminutes.”

“I thought we hadtime.”

“Er, no, jackass. If you’d read my messages you’d know we have to be on the tarmac at eleven, so we’re leavingnow.”

“Fuck.” I’m not ready. I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to leaveStella.

“I checked you out of the hotel room. You’re welcome, by the way, but unless you’re already wearing it, you’re gonna have to suit up on the bus, so good luck withthat.”

My suit is currently crumpled up in my bag in the back of this SUV with the rest of the clothes I grabbed from Stella’s before the ballbuster got her panties in another wad about us being late. “Crap. Okay, I’m coming. Just stall him,yeah?”

“Stall the coach?” Eli asks in disbelief. “Have you met theman?”

“Just do it. I don’t need him pissed at me,eh?”

“You better get your ass here now,Ross.”

“I’m on it.” I hang up and pocket my phone. Fuck. I should have checked my messages last night, but this woman makes me lose myhead.

“What’s the matter?” Stellaasks.

“Can we go to the Hilton Hotel downtown? I got a bus to catch,” I say to the driver. “Sorry. Is thatokay?”

Stella’s face falls. “You’re leavingalready?”

“Yeah, I’m supposed to be boarding a bus to the airport with my teammates. Seems I missed thememo.”

“Ohno.”

“If I don’t get there in the next five minutes, I may well be in deepshit.”

“I’m sosorry.”

“It was worth it.” I take her hand and trail kisses over it. “Everysecond.”

Turns out the studio isn’t that far from the hotel, and within six minutes we’re pulling up opposite the bus. I tug Stella into my lap and kiss herdeeply.

She pulls away and smooths her thumb over my mouth. “You’re ruining my lipstick, and you’re wearingit.”

“I don’t care,” I say, kissing heragain.

Ballbuster grunts. “Jesus, get aroom.”

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