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Lauren studied her. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Nicole adjusted the strap of her purse and glanced up toward their friends. “I am.” She was still excited about seeing Drew tonight, and still glad she’d come down here. Whatever MJ had to say about it, she wasn’t about to start wishing she’d stayed in her seat.

Drew was halfway through explaining what Auburn had changed after halftime when he caught himself smiling. He got through the answer, making sure his offensive line got the credit, because those big bastards had earned it, but he could still see Nicole leaning over that railing, her hand on his face, that smile, the way she’d kissed him.

He reached for the water in front of him. Hell of a time to be thinking about her mouth.

“Drew, one more before we let you go.”

He lowered the bottle and looked toward the reporter.

“That young lady you went over to see in the stands. Your good-luck charm?”

A couple of people chuckled. Beside him, Dayshawn leaned back in his chair, looking far too interested in the answer.

Drew smiled. “That’s my girl.”

The reporter jotted something down. Off to the side, another man’s face went flat, and he folded his arms, staring straight at Drew. Drew looked right back at him. Yeah, he’d fucking said it.

“Does your girl have a name?”

“Yeah, she does.”

Dayshawn laughed into his hand. Drew took another drink while the reporter waited, pen still sitting on his notebook.

“How long have you two been seeing each other?”

“Come on, man.” Drew set the bottle down. “You got anything else about the game?”

A hand went up farther back, and he nodded toward it. Thank Christ. They’d put together four quarters against Auburn, and he had plenty to say about that.

By the time they finished, his shoulders had stiffened under his shirt. He wanted food, a long, hot shower without somebody yelling for him, and Nicole. Preferably for the rest of the fucking night.

Dayshawn waited until they were away from the table before bumping his shoulder. “Okay, playboy. Had to go get you a sister, huh?”

Drew looked over at him. “You got something to say?”

“Me? Nah.” Dayshawn’s grin spread. “You the one up there talking about ‘that’s my girl.’”

“She is.”

“Shit, we know. Had her hanging halfway out the stands.”

Drew laughed and looked down at the bottle in his hand. He wasn’t about to apologize for that. Would’ve stayed over there longer if people hadn’t kept calling him. “Your girl brings your ass down there every week.”

“And now you see why.” Dayshawn slapped his shoulder. “Nicole’s cool, man. I like her.”

“Yeah. So do I.”

“Little more than like, from the way you were looking at her.”

Drew twisted the cap onto his water. “You done?”

Dayshawn laughed. “Yeah, man. I’m done.”

He clearly wasn’t, but somebody called to him from the doorway, and he lifted his chin at whoever it was and headed over.

Drew had barely taken a step to follow when Jed stopped him. “You should’ve talked to me first.”