Page 29 of Rush
Sipping at the alcohol, it felt scandalous drinking at eight thirty in the morning. It was precisely the feeling I was going for with all the bucket list hoo-ha, so I downed the glass.
When our food arrived, I stared at the bacon, baked beans, sausage, and eggs and wondered how many calories there was. I never really had time to eat first thing in the morning, let alone something swimming in a bucket of grease. Glancing at Ryan, I saw him lick his lips—which looked very cute—and turn the plate around so the eggs were closer to him.
“You’re going to eat that?” I asked. “What about your training?”
“One greasy breakfast isn’t going to kill me,” he declared, picking up his knife and fork. “Live a little, J.”
Watching him shovel in his food, I picked up my fork and scooped up a few beans and a piece of egg. Popping them into my mouth, my eyes widened.
“Oh, that’s good,” I said, diving in for a piece of bacon. The moment it hit my tongue, I exclaimed, “Sweet mother of…”
Ryan was watching me with a perplexed expression, his gaze dropping to my mouth, but I was too engrossed with my food to take much notice.
“So tell me, Ryan Harper,” I said between bites. “The AUFC. What do you want to do with that?”
“I want to win a title,” he replied like it was obvious. “I want to be the best.”
“Being the best comes with a lot of sacrifices,” I began, seeing a lot of parallels with my job. “How… How do you…”
“Have a personal life?” he finished for me.
“Yeah.”
He shrugged. “It helps I love what I do. And knowing when to switch on and off. If you’re always on, then you get burned out.”
“Do you ever get hurt?”
“It’s fighting,” he replied. “It’s a certainty.”
I frowned, realizing I didn’t want to know what it looked like to see him with a broken nose or a black eye, let alone seeing a limb or two in a cast.
“You worried about me?” he asked with a smirk.
“It’s just… What if something happens to you?”
“It’s the same with any professional athlete,” he replied. “Injuries happen, J.”
I grunted, using a slice of toast to mop up the last of the sauce on my plate.
“What’s next for today?” I asked, blatantly changing the subject. “Do I get to go back to your place and have a nap?”
Ryan’s lips pulled into a lazy smile, and he shook his head softly. “Whatever you want to do. This is your week, J.”
My week…
I grinned, my stomach full and my heart happy. I liked the sound of that.
10
Jade
Thursday dawned, and as I opened my eyes, I zeroed in on Ryan, who was tinkering around in the kitchen.
Why he was always up before the ass crack of dawn, especially when we both had the week off, was beyond me. He was like some sort of energy source on his own, constantly on the move and constantly putting my sloth of a body to shame.
Just five more minutes…
I moaned and pulled the pillow over my head.
