Page 60 of Forever Relentless

He shrugged, but he couldn’t hide the smug satisfaction. “Good.”

“Define good.”

We reached the door to the outside, and he opened it with a hearty push. “She’s . . . she’s not easy.”

“No,” I said dryly. “I don’t imagine she is.”

“She pushes back. Doesn’t just agree because it’s simpler.” His grin faded into something steadier. “I like that.”

I thought about another woman who wasn’t easy. Maybe it was the air here. Or maybe it was me. Why the hell was I thinking about Briar right now?

We walked a little in silence, and when I glanced at him, I knew he wasn’t joking or deflecting. He looked . . . grounded.

Slater was invested? Did not see that coming. “You look very steady for a guy in a new relationship.”

Dust shrugged. “New?” He looked surprised when he thought about it. “It’s only been a couple of weeks.”

“And you’re already smiling like that.” I rubbed my jaw. “You look like you’re ready to put a ring on it.”

Dustin-Player-Slater didn’t even grumble.

He rubbed the back of his neck, but he didn’t deny it. “I don’t know. It just feels—” He stopped, searching. “Right.”

Right.

I thought about that for a second. It had taken me years to trust my first step on the field. Years to know when to commit to a gap without hesitation. Even then, I still checked. Still adjusted.

He was talking about a woman as if it were instinct.

“That’s fast.” I was being honest. For someone like Dustin, it was so fast.

“Yeah.” He didn’t argue. “It is.”

Silence stretched between us, easy, but it still felt loaded.

“You ever have that?” he asked suddenly.

“Have what?”

“That.” He gestured vaguely. “Where you just know.”

I faced forward, my eyes trained on the top level of the library as I thought about his question.

I’d known anger fast. I’d known responsibility fast. I’d known when something was about to break. I wasn’t sure if I had ever experienced anything soft that fast.

“Not like that,” I said.

He studied me. “No one? Not even in high school?”

My jaw tightened automatically. “Nope.”

“Huh. Me either,” he added with a sniff. “But with her? It’s just . . . you know.”

I searched for a reply and came up empty. “I don’t think I do,” I said finally. “I don’t do fast.” I didn’t know why I’d said that.

Dustin smiled a little. “That’s true, unless it’s on the field.” He gave me the side-eye. “Emotions? I agree, definitely not fast.”

“That’s not true.” Even though I’d just said it was.