Her pupils dilated, and she clawed at my hair, bringing me to her lips, only to say, “You need to tell me if you’re going through stuff with your parents. Tell me so I can’t doubt you. It’s hard for me to trust, but I’m learning to trust you. Please… confide in me.”

I wanted to, but I wasn’t ready yet. I’d never told a damn soul the truth about my parents, about the years of abuse I’d suffered… Never truly acknowledged it until Molly came into my life, showing me things could be different, that I could choose a different path. “Baby… you’re safe with me, and I would’ve told you everything that happened when I got home. I didn’t expect to see you. God, it almost destroyed me when I saw your reaction from across the road… and then you ran, after you promised you’d never run from me.”

She shuffled beneath me, and, at the movement, my c**k hardened and I pushed against her crotch.

Sucking in a sharp breath, she murmured, “I do trust you. I-it just looked bad. She kissed you. I… I didn’t like it. I needed to get away.”

Grinding harder, I said, “I’ll never cheat on you, Shakespeare. You’re too damn important to me for that. I told you I’d never f**k around on you, and I don’t like to be doubted.”

“Okay,” she blurted, her breath now ragged and uneven.

I wasn’t going to dry-fuck her like some damn horny teen. If she wanted me to give her what she needed, I was going to do it right.

Pushing her thighs apart and securing them in position with my hands, I leaned in and swiped my tongue from her pu**y to the tip of her clit. Her hips almost lifted off the mattress as she cried out, testing the roots of my hair as her clenched fists wrapped around the long strands.

She tried to move her legs, but I held her tight as I worked her with my tongue, plundering in and out and sucking on her clit. Her moans were building and she was growing hotter—I knew she was close. My c**k throbbed and I knew needed her too come before I came like a damn teenager in my boxers.

With a breathy moan, Mol fell apart, thighs tightening, her fingers pulling on my hair.

She was beautiful.

Moving back to the pillow beside her, I held her tightly in my arms, gripping onto her as if she might change her mind, as if she were going wise up and kick me the hell out of her life at any second. Today had been too close of a call.

After lying still for several minutes, Molly lifted her head, a conflicted smirk on her lips. “God, Rome. You’ve got me so confused. I never know whether I’m coming or going with you.”

I couldn’t help but make the obvious joke. “Always coming I hope.”

Giggling, she jabbed me in the ribs, but the weight of today began to play on my mind, her now-worried expression pressing me to confess, “I’m not sure if you get the significance of what I did today in coming after you, in leaving my momma like that.”

I was never going to tell Molly this, but I was scared shitless, petrified at what she may try to do. As I stared into Molly’s golden eyes, I knew I wouldn’t survive it if I lost her.

“Don’t ever leave me,” I whispered, the truthful words almost involuntarily spilling from my mouth in a moment of weakness.

“Hey, what’s all this?” she asked soothingly as she pressed loving kisses to the top of my head.

“I just can’t believe I’ve got you in my life. You make everything better and I don’t want to lose you.”

“I won’t leave you.”

“You almost did today. You told me to leave you.” It came out sounding accusatory, but that shit hurt; it hurt to know I didn’t yet have her full trust.

“It was a misunderstanding,” she said firmly, but I heard her heartbeat increase slightly as I laid my head on her chest, causing me to look up at her in concern.

Swallowing, she asked, “Truthfully, Rome, how much trouble are your parents going to cause us?”

I didn’t know that answer. I wish I did. There was a chance they would let everything go and cut all ties with me once and for all, but knowing my folks, I was preparing for the exact opposite. They could really try and hurt us. And I would protect my girl if it was the last thing I did.

18

“Tide star QB’s lucky kiss with girlfriend to save the season!”

I smirked at Reece as he read tonight’s headline from the game report, thinking back in amusement to Molly cringing in the stands as the crowd chanted for her to come to the field and kiss me, wearing the Tide jersey I’d left on her pillow for her this morning—my number on the back, of course, with another sappy note attached.

My jersey for MY girl to wear at the game.

Sit with Ally and I’ll come to collect my good luck sweet kiss.

Your Romeo X

Yeah, yeah, I was whipped, and I honestly couldn’t give two shits about it. In fact, I f**king loved it.

Her legs had shook the entire way to the field, but pride burst in my chest as I showed the hundred thousand fans in the stadium and millions around the world that Molly Shakespeare belonged to me.

As she approached my place at the sideline, I could see her eyes focused on the floor, her lips moving as she muttered words of reassurance to herself. I bet she never thought in a million years that my begging her to come to my game, in the library all those weeks ago, would result in her being put in the spotlight to kiss her quarterback boyfriend due to superstition.

As she stood before me, I inched forward, gripping the nape of her neck, making her focus only on me and, pressing my forehead to hers, I whispered, “Hey, Mol.” With that she relaxed, a tiny smile on those pink lips.