The Balled And The Beautiful: A College Sports Romance Story by Nicole Chance
Book: The Balled And The Beautiful: A College Sports Romance Story by Nicole Chance
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Authors: Nicole Chance
Tags: Romance
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asked quietly, hoping she wasn't
asking too much again. "I mean...is that why-"
But he was already shaking his head.
"No, that isn't it. But I can't talk about it. The more I tell you, the worse it is. You already know too much." She nodded before turning to bury her face in her pillow. This was ridiculous. This was just...madness.
A soft touch, a hand running through her hair had her pulling away from the soft cotton to look at him again.
"I'm sorry," he offered. "I really wish we had met under better circumstances."
"Me too," she whispered. He leaned forward, his forehead pressing gently to hers, and she felt a warmth fill her. His arm wrapped back around her waist and together they lay there, letting the world around them fade away.
Chapter 7
Another gloriously hot shower and a change of clothes and Amanda almost felt ready to face the world again. They climbed back into the jeep, still yawning, and made their way back onto the highway. William had been quiet as they had gotten ready to go, but she had caught him glancing at her over breakfast. There had been something lurking in his gaze since they had woken that morning, and even when the warm haze of imagined safety had faded it had lingered.
Now as she stared out the window, watching the rocky landscape swish past, out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her carefully. She looked over at him and looked away immediately. She couldn't explain the expression of confusion she had glimpsed, but she wasn't really sure if she could ask.
The morning past quickly with only a quick stop for gas breaking up the endless miles. Amanda was slowly working up the nerve to ask if they would be stopping for lunch at some point when William's hands tightened around the steering wheel. The leather creaked under his hands. A clench of fear gripped her belly and the now familiar pounding in her ears throbbed in time with her racing heart. His eyes were locked on the rearview mirror and she twisted in her seat to look out the back window.
It took a moment to figure out what he was staring at, but finally she noticed them. Two cars back a dark SUV twisted along the streets. The driver was a pale man wearing dark sun glasses even though the day had remained cloudy and grey. The passenger slumped in his seat, staring out his window, but something in the way he held himself told her that his mind was entirely focused on the present and not lost in a daydream.
"The SUV?" she asked quietly, looking back at him for confirmation. He nodded stiffly.
She swallowed hard, hunching down in her seat. She could feel the thrum of her heart, and wondered absently if terror could replace cardio as a work out. She was beginning to think it might.
A warm hand on her own made her look up. William still stared straight ahead but his hand wrapped tightly around hers.
"It's going to be alright," he stated firmly. "I won't let an y thin g happen to you."
His voice rang with sincerity and she found herself nodding, heart calming in the face of his determination. She turned her hand over, weaving her fingers between his and squeezing. He glanced back at the SUV that had managed to maneuver on the narrow highway until it was only one car behind.
"Are you ready?" he asked, and she watched as he took a deep breath, letting it out in a rush.
"Yes," she replied simply, reaching up to tug on her seatbelt. She shifted her legs from where they had been curled underneath her, settling deeper into the leather seats and bracing herself. He pulled his hand from hers with a final reluctant squeeze, grasping the steering wheel with both hands.
"Hold on," he murmured. Her hands clenched on the armrests as they suddenly accelerated, shooting around the car ahead of them. She glanced back and saw the men in the SUV shouting and trying to speed up. They were caught behind q truck though, and William's jeep only continued to surge forward.
A squeak burst from her lips as he slammed the breaks. The
asking too much again. "I mean...is that why-"
But he was already shaking his head.
"No, that isn't it. But I can't talk about it. The more I tell you, the worse it is. You already know too much." She nodded before turning to bury her face in her pillow. This was ridiculous. This was just...madness.
A soft touch, a hand running through her hair had her pulling away from the soft cotton to look at him again.
"I'm sorry," he offered. "I really wish we had met under better circumstances."
"Me too," she whispered. He leaned forward, his forehead pressing gently to hers, and she felt a warmth fill her. His arm wrapped back around her waist and together they lay there, letting the world around them fade away.
Chapter 7
Another gloriously hot shower and a change of clothes and Amanda almost felt ready to face the world again. They climbed back into the jeep, still yawning, and made their way back onto the highway. William had been quiet as they had gotten ready to go, but she had caught him glancing at her over breakfast. There had been something lurking in his gaze since they had woken that morning, and even when the warm haze of imagined safety had faded it had lingered.
Now as she stared out the window, watching the rocky landscape swish past, out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her carefully. She looked over at him and looked away immediately. She couldn't explain the expression of confusion she had glimpsed, but she wasn't really sure if she could ask.
The morning past quickly with only a quick stop for gas breaking up the endless miles. Amanda was slowly working up the nerve to ask if they would be stopping for lunch at some point when William's hands tightened around the steering wheel. The leather creaked under his hands. A clench of fear gripped her belly and the now familiar pounding in her ears throbbed in time with her racing heart. His eyes were locked on the rearview mirror and she twisted in her seat to look out the back window.
It took a moment to figure out what he was staring at, but finally she noticed them. Two cars back a dark SUV twisted along the streets. The driver was a pale man wearing dark sun glasses even though the day had remained cloudy and grey. The passenger slumped in his seat, staring out his window, but something in the way he held himself told her that his mind was entirely focused on the present and not lost in a daydream.
"The SUV?" she asked quietly, looking back at him for confirmation. He nodded stiffly.
She swallowed hard, hunching down in her seat. She could feel the thrum of her heart, and wondered absently if terror could replace cardio as a work out. She was beginning to think it might.
A warm hand on her own made her look up. William still stared straight ahead but his hand wrapped tightly around hers.
"It's going to be alright," he stated firmly. "I won't let an y thin g happen to you."
His voice rang with sincerity and she found herself nodding, heart calming in the face of his determination. She turned her hand over, weaving her fingers between his and squeezing. He glanced back at the SUV that had managed to maneuver on the narrow highway until it was only one car behind.
"Are you ready?" he asked, and she watched as he took a deep breath, letting it out in a rush.
"Yes," she replied simply, reaching up to tug on her seatbelt. She shifted her legs from where they had been curled underneath her, settling deeper into the leather seats and bracing herself. He pulled his hand from hers with a final reluctant squeeze, grasping the steering wheel with both hands.
"Hold on," he murmured. Her hands clenched on the armrests as they suddenly accelerated, shooting around the car ahead of them. She glanced back and saw the men in the SUV shouting and trying to speed up. They were caught behind q truck though, and William's jeep only continued to surge forward.
A squeak burst from her lips as he slammed the breaks. The
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