Football and Fairy Tales

Chapter 17

Dakota

The first thought that occurs to me when my mind starts to stir is the warmth I'm cocooned in and how safe and secure I feel. The second realization comes in the fact that I'm not at home. When my eyes finally win the battle to flutter open, I discover I'm still wrapped in Devin's arms. I also discover a warm set of eyes staring in at us. Gasping, I sit up and the jacket Devin must have draped over us slides off. Devin groans from behind me. It takes him a minute to come back to the world of the living. While he's working on gaining momentum, I give a shy smile to who I assume is Ed. His dark skin is weathered with age but there's no mistaking the strength in his shoulders or the humor in his eyes.

"You must be Dakota."

There's light coming through the windows. Holy crap, we slept through the night. I nod politely and give him a smile in answer before reaching for my phone in my pocket. There's one text blinking at me.

Mom: I hope you're being careful, honey. We love you. Tell Devin thank you.

I look up confused when Devin's voice lets me know he's fully awake.

"I let them know where we were and that you had fallen asleep. I hope you don't mind."

Running his hand through his hair, he looks nervous.

"I didn't nose around your phone or anything. The message popped up and I shot one back. I didn't want them to worry, and you looked so peaceful."

I lay my hand on the one he's subconsciously laid around my waist to support us both. I've never seen Devin this imbalanced, and it honestly makes him hotter. I'm not the only one to notice his insecurity if the chuckle coming from Ed is any indication. Devin glares at him which just causes Ed to flat out laugh.

"I think I'll leave the two of you alone for a minute."

We both watch him walk off before I'm able to find my voice.

"Thank you for letting them know." I can only imagine how hard that was for him knowing that there's no one waiting for him or worrying over his whereabouts. I've heard rumors about his sister and none of them are good.

"And thank you for last night. I really enjoyed it."

His shoulders relax before he picks up my hand and kisses it. His dimples immediately pop out when he grins and the confidence I'm used to seeing returns.

"You against cold pizza for breakfast?"

I return his smile at the same time my stomach answers for me.

"Compared to my mom's burnt pancakes, I'd say it's a feast."

He gestures for me to get out so he can follow.

"Good, then maybe we can give you your first lesson in custom work before I take you home. You aren't afraid to get dirty, are you?"

Once we're standing, I pull my sweater off to reveal an old t-shirt underneath. His eyes follow my movements and there's an intensity in his gaze I'm afraid to question.

"No one should ever be afraid to get a little dirty." I smile. "It's a deal but why don't we start with the basics like changing a tire?"

Scrunching his nose in a way that makes me want to fall in his arms, he pulls me toward the unopened pizza boxes.

"You're taking the fun out of it, Queen D, but you've got a deal."