Page 72 of Enemies Off Camera

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“Yes!” he says, like I just won a game show. He tells me how nearly every day, one of his sisters would ask,Do I look fat in this?And to him, they never did. As an athlete, he says, too skinny means too weak.

“I was just trying to connect with the women,” he says, “and I said something stupid. I regretted it the second it left my mouth. You had the right reaction.”

I adjust the phone against my ear. “Nah, I could’ve been kinder.”

“We’ve learned our lessons, haven’t we?”

His ability to forgive—gently and with humor—hits me straight in the chest. I had assumed the worst about him back then. Now I know how wrong I was.

Gosh, am I falling in love with Jaxon Wilde? Or is it just the sex talking?

“Hey,” he says softly.

“Yeah…” I purr back.

“Umm…” He groans a little. “I miss you. But I’ve gotta go—game day tomorrow. You watching?”

I smile so wide it actually hurts. “You better believe it.”

“Good. Be on the lookout for our signal on the Jumbotron.”

“I will,” I promise.

We say goodnight. There’s a pause. One of those long, lingering silences that’sthis closeto becoming a confession. But I won’t say it. And I’m pretty sure Jaxon thinks it’s too soon, too.

So instead, I say, “See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” he says again.

“Goodnight.”

As always, he waits formeto hang up first. Jaxon Wilde—a true gentleman.

Phone still in hand, I stare at the screen, caught up in the warmth of our call. I want to tell him how I feel. Just… see what he does with it.

I type:

I think I love you.

But I delete it.

I try again:

I think I’m falling for you.

I let it sit there. Read it over. And over.

The truth? I’ve already fallen.

No. No, no way.If deep down Jaxon’s a commitment-phobe, eventhatmight scare him off.

So, I delete the message. Set my phone down.

And stare into the depths of my bathwater, willing all these messy, impulsive declarations to disappear.

FIFTY-TWO

JAXON WILDE (270)

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