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“It should scare me how confidently you say that,” I commented. Especially because, knowing Jude, he’d come out of this cooking like a five-star chef just to say he could. His ability to learn when he wanted to was both impressive and scary. It was cool knowing the smartest guy in every room was my best friend. On the other hand, the guy burned popcorn every time. It really was up for debate how his cooking a holiday dinner would go. “Why is he bringing up Thanksgiving now?”
“Eh.” Jude shrugged. “You know Rhodes. The guy wouldn’t know what fun is if it hit him in the face.”
I bit my tongue to argue. Again, some things I had to pretend I knew nothing about.
“McLaughlin, hold up,” Rhodes called, saving me from having to come up with some bullshit reply.
“Someone’s in trouble with Brother Coach,” Jude teased under his breath and left me to board the plane with everyone else.
I did a slow turn on the balls of my feet and waited for him to join me, trying to keep it casual. This whole secret thing was going to be a challenge. Suddenly, the title of boyfriend added a whole new layer to our situation, and it made me want to do some really stupid things, like kiss him to ease the seriousness in his expression.
“Yeah?” I asked when he was close enough.
“I hired you an agent,” Rhodes said.
“An agent for what?” I asked, genuinely confused. I had no idea what I needed an agent for. “What kind of agent?”
I could already imagine Jude’s secret agent jokes without him ever saying a word.
“An NFL Certified Agent. I don’t know enough about football to help you navigate everything,” he told me. “And as your coach, it’s not appropriate for me to get you through this. You need someone in your corner working for you as you start talking more with teams, visiting training facilities, and start taking the draft seriously.”
I blinked as I replayed his words over in my mind.
“That’s… a thing?” I asked. Rhodes gave me a look that answered my question. My stomach did a weird little flip as the realization finally hit me. Somewhere between talking about the draft and scouts, I’d actually crossed into a world where hiring an agent wasn’t some cliché move. It was the logical next step in the process.
Was I there now?
That thought hit me like a freight train. Not hopefully someday there. Not if everything goes perfectly there. There now, as in Rhodes had decided it was time to hire one for me.
“I can’t pay for an agent now,” I whispered. I didn’t even want to imagine what that cost him. I didn’t exactly have the money needed to pay someone to handle my future career for me. My parents covered my costs, so that I could focus on football.
“I never said you had to,” he replied. “You just focus on what you need to and let me take care of you.”
“That’s a lot for you to take on, Rhodes. I can’t ask you to do this.”
His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything. Something shifted between us in the silence, quiet but unmistakable. His eyes dropped briefly to my mouth before returning to mine. A shudder rolled down my spine as his intensity melted through me.
“Theo,” Rhodes began, his voice so soft I almost missed it, “I take care of the people I care about. That’s what I do. I don’t care about the money it takes for you to have this. I care about your future, I care about the career you’re trying to build, and I’m trying to help the only way I know how. Please, trust me.”
“I do,” I said without hesitation. That was never a question. The rest of it was just overwhelming. “This conversation kind of sucks to have in an airport.”
“Yeah.”
The silence stretched between us, and I was painfully aware of his presence—not too close, but close enough to drive me crazy. If we were anywhere else, I would’ve closed the distance. My hands itched to touch him.
As if feeling the same, he reached out. His fingers brushed against mine for a small moment. Even though his back hid us from view, my breath still caught in my throat at what he was risking.
“I really want to kiss you right now,” I admitted under my breath. A slow smile turned the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t move.
“Save it for home, little wolf,” he ordered. The low growl in his voice sent a spill of liquid heat through my core, and my dick thickened slightly against my zipper.
Suddenly, getting home couldn’t happen fast enough.
CHAPTER 51
Theo
HORNY DEVIL: Aliens… that’s what I’m going to be known for.
