Page 370 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 5
“Your girlfriend’s hot,” he said.
Nope, moment over.I blew my whistle. “Great practice everyone!” And this time, I actually meant it. For the first time, every single player was an all-star. “Now get out of here before I change my mind and make you do sprints!” I watched as the players left, Jefferson actually running in the pack for once.
Kennedy started helping me pick up the practice balls.
“You don’t have to help,” I said.
“It’s fine.” She grabbed another ball balancing a pile of them in her arms. “I’m basically a coach now too, don’t you think?”
I laughed as I picked up the last one. “Coach Alcaraz has a nice ring to it, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
We dumped the balls in my equipment bag and I hoisted it over my shoulder. “You know…I don’t actually have an assistant coach.”
“Are you asking me to be your number two?”
I smiled at her as we made our way to the parking lot. “Yes.” I stared at her. Maybe in more ways than one. “I am.”
“It was really fun seeing Henry smile so hard.”
“You know everyone calls him Jefferson, right?”
She shrugged. “I like first names. It’s more personal. Maybe you should give it a try. I might implement first names only as assistant coach.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Watch me. We’ll go undefeated under me.”
“We’re already undefeated.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Don’t let this go to your head, Alcaraz. I’m still the head coach. And you have to respect my authority.”
She laughed as we stopped by my car. “I will never respect your authority. And Alcaraz? Seriously? Don’t call me that.”
“What do you want me to call you?” I stepped forward and she backed up until her ass hit the passenger’s side door.
She didn’t say a word, she just stared at me. But I could tell her mind was racing.
“How about baby?” I suggested. “Or babe? Sugar muffin?”
She’d started smiling halfway through the options.
“No? Sex rocket?”
Now she was full on laughing. “Sex rocket? Who the hell would want to be called that?” She started laughing harder.
“Okay. How about I call you my girlfriend?” It was a cheesy thing to say. I felt like an idiot as soon as her laughter died in her throat. What the hell was I thinking? It was too fast. She’d barely agreed to kiss me this morning. But when you spent 16 years being miserable, it was easy to latch on to happiness. And standing here with her? It didn’t feel like I’d wasted half my life away. I felt like I was 16 years old again. I felt young and alive and happy. Didn’t she?
“Girlfriend? I can’t be your girlfriend,” she whispered.
I dropped the equipment bag and put my hands on either side of the car, caging her in. “Why not?”
“You know why not. Matt, what are we doing?”
“Dating.”
