I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I’m here to focus on rugby, after all. We all are.
Still, I can’t help but wonder how things will play out with the new addition to the team... and the house.
After a post-practice nap, I wake to the smell of coffee brewing.
I peek one eye open, blinking blearily. My memories of the previous night and this morning come flooding back, and I can’t help but smile as I remember the text exchange with Killian.
I swing my legs out of bed, yawning and stretching as I pad downstairs in search of the caffeine that calls to me like a siren’s song.
I’m not at all prepared for the sight that greets me in the kitchen.
Dylan, clad in nothing but a baggy T-shirt and short shorts, is bent over the counter, her heart-stoppingly toned ass on display as she searches the cupboards.
The longing that pools in my stomach takes me by surprise, and for a moment, all I can do is stare.
“Hi again, Noah,” she says, not turning around. “I was just about to make myself some toast. Want any?”
My brain short-circuits. Her voice is like honey, dripping over me like a drug I can’t get enough of. “Uh, yeah... thanks... I mean, yes, please,” I stutter, cursing my own ineloquence.
She straightens up as she turns, her cheeks flushing a charming shade of pink, and I realize I’ve been caught ogling. “Sorry, I didn’t... I mean, I thought you were... nevermind.”
Dylan laughs and hands me a mug of steaming coffee, which I gratefully accept. “You’re fine. I should probably put some pants on, huh?” she says, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
I choke on my coffee, barely managing to splutter a response. “Ah, no rush... I mean, you’re... you look... I mean, toast sounds great.”
Dylan laughs even louder, the surprisingly resonant sound like music to my ears. “I’ll be back in a second. Don’t spill the beans... or the coffee,” she adds over her shoulder as she saunters away.
As I wait for her return, I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the day ahead.
With Dylan in the picture, this season is going to be anything but boring.
Chapter 8
Dylan
“Soyeah,guys,”Isay, glancing between Noah, and Jayden who is sprawled on the couch. “The housing office wasn’t really much help at all. Couldn’t give me an estimate of when I’d be able to move out. So it looks like I’m your new roommate for the foreseeable future. Surprise?”
Jayden grins, eyes glinting with mischief. “Did we just win the lottery, or is this the universe playing a cruel joke?”
Noah stretches, his muscles rippling beneath his t-shirt. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
I fight back a shiver, forcing nonchalance. I’m used to commanding a field, but this is new territory. Still, I won’t let them see me sweat.
“Well, go easy on me at first. I promise not to leave my dirty socks everywhere...yet.”
Jayden chuckles. “No promises. We might just have to haze you a little, newbie.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Careful. I don’t haze easily.”
The banter comes naturally, like a scrimmage warming up for the real game. There’s an undercurrent here, a subtle push and pull.
I don’t know the rules yet, but I’m no stranger to strategy. And I don’t give up at the first sign of trouble.
Game on, boys.
The playful back-and-forth is interrupted by the sound of the balcony door sliding open. I turn, a quip on my lips, but the words die unspoken.
The door opens with a slight squeak, and I’m face-to-face with a mountain of a man. His muscular frame fills the doorway, wild dark hair with blonde highlights falling to his shoulders. He looks like he just stepped off the cover of a steamy romance novel.