Romancing the Grump (Appies, #4)

by Jenny Proctor

knowing Summer will be there adds a new layer. I’m not quite looking forward to it, but I am possibly less annoyed that I have to go in the first place.

“Kiss me,” she repeats. “If you want them to know you’re spoken for, then show them you belong to me.” Her words spark an almost visceral reaction inside me, and I pull her a little closer. I like the sound of belonging to her

My heart is pounding in my chest, my skin is alive with heat and energy, and something inside me is shifting in ways I can’t fully quantify. I will never not know what it feels like to hold her like this, to have her mouth against mine. A blessing and a curse.

We make eye contact, and I smile, lifting my hand to the glass. He stops directly opposite and lifts his glove to the same spot. And then he smiles. Not the little half-grin I’ve seen whenever I tease him, or the annoying smirk he gives his teammates when he thinks they’re being ridiculous. This smile is wide and real and it makes his eyes crinkle at the corners and it’s possibly the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. He leans forward, touching his helmet to the glass, and I echo his movement, pressing my forehead to the same spot.

deep in my bones, I feel some kind of kismet, a recognition that this thing happening between us is bigger than anything I’ve ever experienced before.

You’re not so bad yourself. You look good in Appies colors. I look down at the Appies jersey I’m wearing with my favorite jeans. Summer You think? I’ve got this (fake) boyfriend who plays on the team. I’m wearing his jersey. Nathan Turn around and let me see. Summer If this is just an excuse to check out my butt, I’m fake breaking up with you. Nathan Summer. Let me see my name. His text hits me like a punch to the gut. Because those words don’t feel fake. And the smoldering look in his eyes doesn’t either. Summer FINE, Mr. Bossy Pants. I send my reply, then turn, pulling my hair over my shoulder so Nathan can see his last name written across the back of my jersey. When I look back, his smoldering look has shifted into something different. Something more. Summer Now who’s staring? Nathan Can’t help it.

she just washed vomit out of my hair. Going shirtless might not completely erase her memory of that, but it can’t hurt.

I’m not exactly sure why I do it. But when Summer is finally in my arms, I don’t stop. I don’t say hello. I just lean down, wrap my palms around her shoulders, and kiss her. Maybe it’s to let this guy know exactly how serious I am about keeping Summer away from him. Maybe it’s because if I don’t channel the energy coursing through me into something, I actually might rip him limb from limb. Maybe it’s because the coiled tension inside me has finally snapped. I could lie to myself and say I’m only kissing her because we’re in public. Because her jerk of a boss is watching, and he needs to believe we’re together. But right now, I’m kissing Summer because I want to—because I want her to know she’s mine.

He opens his eyes, and for once, they’re completely unguarded, his desire for me so raw, so readily apparent that it takes my breath away. “Please don’t fight this,” I say.

He’s here, and he’s holding me, and he’s warm and solid and good, and he’s mine. He doesn’t even have to say it for me to know. I can tell by the way he’s holding me, pressing his face into my shoulder.

“Don’t be nervous,” I say. “It’s just me.” He drops his face, pressing it into my hair. “I missed you,” he says. “I hated being away from you.” His words ease the tension I’ve been carrying around all weekend, and I lean up, pressing a kiss to the side of his jaw. “I missed you, too.” He holds me for another long moment before dropping his arms from my waist and picking up my hands, holding them between us. “Summer, I’m not going to say any of this right. I’m not…good at this part. I don’t…” His words are shaky, but his eyes are radiating warmth and confidence. I lift a hand to his cheek, sliding my fingers over his beard. “You’re doing great.” He leans into my touch, his eyes closing for a moment. “I love you, Summer,” he says, and my breath catches in my throat. I wasn’t expecting him to start there—to go right for it—and now it happened so fast, I feel like I missed it. “Can you just…say that one more time?”