The final four minutes of the game passed in a blur. Her fingers were shaking, and she had so much excess energy she had to move her feet, walking in place while she watched Derek orchestrate not one, but two, flawless scoring drives. He was a man playing in peak physical form. The last time the nation had seen him, he was the loser. The underdog who should have stayed home. The man who dropped the ball in a do-or-die situation. But now he was nothing short of triumphant. For a moment, Melanie’s chest hurt her heart felt so full.

Tony had told her to stay put until Derek could find her after the game. But it was difficult to hold her spot. The crowd rushed towards the field to congratulate the players, to interview the coaches, to join the prayer circles dotting the grass, and to join in the celebration that was already erupting. It felt good. Melanie couldn’t deny that. It felt damned good.

Strong fingers took her elbow and then a deep, familiar voice said, “Looking for somebody?”

Melanie spun around, smiling so widely she thought it would split her face. Derek had already tossed his helmet aside and took his pads off, and his longish hair was slick with sweat and hanging over his forehead. He was smiling, too. Beaming, in fact. She had never seen a smile like that from him.

“I was hoping you’d be here.”

“Where else would I be?”

“I don’t know. Buying a beer. Beating the traffic back to your hotel.” He smiled sheepishly, and her chest tightened in response. “Or just lost somewhere.”

“You were just ...” Unbelievable. But she didn’t have the chance to say as much before Derek claimed her lips in a hard kiss. His mouth was just like she remembered, and she immediately moaned into the caress. His arm wrapped around her and she cupped the back of his neck, pressing her chest against his, plunging her tongue deep in his mouth. As soon as she got a taste of him, she wanted more. She wanted to climb up his body and rip the jersey off his shoulders and just devour him.

The crowd was a dull roar around them, but Melanie couldn’t hear anything at all except the sound of her own heart. His grip tightened, and she realized that he could crush her. Was he stronger now? It made sense. He probably pushed himself hard in the off-season to prepare for a new Championship year. She wanted to get her hands on his body. She wanted to lick the sweat from his throat and taste the field and the sun and the victory on his skin. Had it really been eight months since they were together? It felt like it had been so much longer. So much shorter.

“God, Mel ...” One large hand held the side of her face, large fingers pushing the hair from her cheek. “I don’t know anybody else who makes me feel like this.”

“What?”

“Like I could fuck you right here in the middle of the field.”

Melanie moaned. She could almost imagine letting him do that very thing. He made her feel flushed and wanton. “Can we go somewhere with a few less cameras?”

“Yeah…yeah, I think I know a place ...” He pressed his mouth to hers again, kissing her just long enough to make her tremble. “Do you want me to shower first?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. I’ve been waiting eight months to see you again. I don’t want to wait another unnecessary minute.”