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 Sure do, best date of my life  til now.
Kyran grinned, shifting again.  That following Sunday was the Griffins last game of
the season.
 That s right. You played the last quarter. Griffins won. I was so happy for you,
hoped you would call to ask me out. It still kinda hurt to think that he hadn t. But she
realized she was partly to blame for the misunderstanding.
 Oh sugar, I m sorry I didn t.
 It s okay, you explained why.
 What I didn t say last night was that I was confused about the bogus number.
 A mistake, she reminded.
  Cause you were afraid, he said.  Same for me, Anna.
 You were afraid of me?
 Yeah, going home alone was the hardest thing I d ever done. I jerked off most of
the night, thinking of getting you into my bed. Scared the hell out of me, Anna, I admit
it. I called you on Saturday and got that message about the number. Thought you did it
to avoid me the next day. It s happened before, with other women. Didn t want you to
be like them or get hurt.
 Oh no, I can see now why you d think that, she said.
 Let s be honest. I came on pretty strong. I scared you.
 You did. But it s your personality, Kyran. You re prime A-type.
 Can t deny it, he said.  I d planned to ask Alex to help me find you Sunday after
the game. Got sacked in my last drive, strained my knee, changing everything.
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Frances Stockton
 Oh my god, Kyran, I had no idea! The Griffins had won by seven points, but his
last pass of that game was intercepted. The defense came onto the field and kept the
score where it was  til the end. No one had known he d been injured.
 Only the team docs and trainers knew. They sent me to my orthopedic specialist
for an MRI and rehab.
 Wise move on their part. How bad were you injured?
 Not enough to require surgery, just needed serious PT. The SUV slid out of the
gate and they were heading for the highway.  I stayed in California for a while,
reconditioned, got ready for this season.
 Makes sense, Anna commented.
 Thing is, the time away made me realize I wanted to see you when I came home.
 When did you come back?
 A week before practice began. I waited  til last night to see you again.
Kyran was being honest. She was grateful.  You were preoccupied. I understand.
 Thanks, he replied.  It s still not an excuse.
 You were dealing with your knee. It s okay.
 Yeah, and I was still nervous. If I found out you weren t interested it would have
been my fault for not trying harder to reach you. I knew that, but had to take a chance.
 I m really glad you came to the locker room, Kyran. Last night was the best night
of my life, so far. I hope to have more with you.
 Me too, he said.
He concentrated on driving for a bit, maneuvering about the highway with ease. A
few minutes later he handed her his cell phone.
It was one of the fanciest things she d ever seen.  Hit the navigation app. Plug in
your home address.
 I could just tell you, she said with a grin, laughing as she fiddled with it.
 When you re done, put in your phone number.
 Ha, caught you. That s what you really want.
 You bet. If it s the wrong number, I ll know where to find you, he teased.
 Won t do that again, she promised.
 Good to know, he said.
Anna put in the information. Amazing little device started talking, a female voice
giving directions to her house in Baltimore.
They reached her small, rented cottage in Baltimore County. Located in a suburb
near Towson University, her neighborhood consisted of commuters to Baltimore City,
D.C. and college grad students interning in the area. Her school wasn t far from her
house. It wouldn t be too far out of Kyran s way to take her there.
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Quarterback Blitz
He parked his SUV in her paved driveway. Gentleman that he was, he helped her
inside the house.  You go get ready for practice. I ll bring your stuff in.
 That d be great, she said.
Anna did exactly what she needed most. She showered, using the hot water to ease
her tense muscles. Kyran s remedy with the washcloth had helped reduce the soreness
she d felt between her legs. She copied what he d done and felt much better. The
ibuprofen helped too.
Half an hour later, she was drying her hair. Kyran knocked on her bathroom door.
 Hey, Anna, where should I have your car towed?
 Team practice is at the school, she answered.  Remember the name of it?
 Sure do, he said, footsteps walking away.
When she was done, makeup in place, wearing workout pants and a tee shirt with
her school s name and logo, she went to find Kyran. He was waiting in the family room,
flipping through TV channels.
 Sorry my TV isn t as nice as yours, she said.
 It s fine. Ready? He was distracted, probably because they needed to get moving.
It was going on ten o clock. Practice was at noon, but she d like to get to school, talk to
the coaches and the boys.
Anna had an extra gym bag she used for school. It was already packed with what
she d need for the day.
 Wait, I need one thing. She hustled to the kitchen, plucking a bottle of water from [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]