The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 180: Chapter 180 - Catch Me

Zac stayed beside the railing without speaking.

The wind moved across the empty stadium and pushed cold air through Roxie’s jacket. His sleeve still touched hers, but the warmth between them had changed.

The words crowded her head until the field below them started to look too far away.

Roxie hated it.

Five minutes ago, she had been laughing in his arms. Now Zac was staring across the field with his jaw tight, probably thinking about parents who wanted to control him and a girlfriend who had no answer when he asked about college.

She looked at his face.

He seemed calm, but she knew him better now. His hands were buried inside his hoodie pocket. His shoulders had gone still. He was giving her space because she had asked for it.

That almost made her feel worse.

Roxie touched his elbow. ”Come on.”

Zac glanced at her. ”Where?”

She stepped down from the concrete ledge. ”I don’t know yet.”

”You keep saying that today.”

”I’m having an adventurous afternoon.”

”You almost fell ten minutes ago.”

”And survived.”

”Because I caught you.”

Roxie ignored him and followed the fence toward the far side of the stadium.

Zac walked behind her.

”Roxie.”

”What?”

”Where are we going?”

”Away from this conversation.”

At least she was honest.

Zac stopped.

Roxie turned around.

His face gave nothing away for a moment. Then one corner of his mouth lifted.

”So you are changing the subject.”

”Very obviously.”

”You could’ve said that.”

”I just did.”

His eyes moved over her face. ”You really don’t want to talk about it.”

”No.”

The answer came fast.

Roxie expected him to ask again. He had every right to. She had reacted badly to his news, refused to explain her own plans, and then stood beside him until the silence became painful.

Instead, Zac nodded.

”Okay.”

Roxie studied him. ”Okay?”

”For today.”

The last two words carried enough meaning to make her chest tighten.

They would have to talk eventually.

She knew that.

Graduation would still come even if she refused to look at it.

But today, he was letting her walk away from it.

Roxie took his hand. ”Thank you.”

Zac squeezed her fingers. ”You’re still telling me where we’re going.”

”No.”

He sighed. ”There she is.”

They continued along the fence until Roxie saw a narrow service gate near the equipment shed. A chain hung loosely through the bars, but the lock had never been closed.

She pulled the gate.

It opened several inches.

Zac stared at it. ”Absolutely not.”

Roxie looked back at him. ”Why?”

”We’re breaking into the stadium.”

”The gate is open.”

”That isn’t how permission works.”

”You spent your entire football career here.”

”That also isn’t permission.”

Roxie slipped through the opening.

”Roxie.”

She stepped onto the path inside the stadium and turned to face him through the gate.

Zac stood outside with both hands on his hips.

Roxie smiled. ”Are you scared?”

”No.”

”Then come in.”

”I’m trying to keep you from getting arrested during winter break.”

”Coach Hayes would forgive you.”

”He might forgive me. Security won’t.”

Roxie backed away from the gate. ”Then they have to catch us first.”

She turned and ran.

The cold air hit her face. Her shoes slipped slightly on the damp path, but she kept going until she reached the edge of the turf.

Behind her, the gate scraped open.

”You’re going to regret this,” Zac called.

Roxie looked over her shoulder.

He was coming after her.

She laughed and ran onto the field.

Her tired legs protested immediately. Cheer practice had already used most of her energy, but the empty stadium made her reckless. She crossed the sideline and headed toward the center of the field while Zac followed at an easy pace.

He could catch her whenever he wanted.

That annoyed her.

”Is that your fastest?” he called.

”I’m tired.”

”Excuses.”

”You spent years running from large men. This is an unfair competition.”

”You started it.”

Roxie ran harder.

She reached the twenty yard line before Zac came close enough to grab the back of her jacket.

She twisted away and nearly lost her balance.

Zac caught her waist.

Roxie laughed as he pulled her back against him.

”Caught you,” he said near her ear.

”You cheated.”

”How?”

”You have longer legs.”

”That’s biology.”

She turned in his arms and pushed at his chest.

Zac let her go.

Roxie backed away, still smiling. ”Again.”

”You’re going to lose again.”

”Maybe I like making you chase me.”

His expression changed.

The smile stayed, but his eyes darkened slightly.

Roxie felt the shift low in her stomach.

She turned before he could say anything and ran toward midfield.

This time, Zac gave her a longer head start.

She knew because she reached the Raven painted at the center before hearing his shoes behind her. She looked back and found him much closer than expected.

Roxie shrieked and changed direction.

Zac laughed.

The sound moved through the empty stadium, louder without a crowd to swallow it.

Roxie ran toward the far sideline. Her ponytail came loose, strands of hair blowing across her face. She could hear Zac gaining on her.

His hand brushed her jacket.

She ducked away.

”You missed,” she called.

”Keep talking.”

”That’s usually the plan.”

She made it three more steps before his arm wrapped around her waist.

Zac lifted her slightly off the ground.

Roxie laughed and kicked once before he set her down.

She turned and shoved him.

He barely moved.

”That was pathetic,” he said.

”I’m conserving strength.”

”For what?”

Roxie pushed him again.

Zac caught both her wrists.

She pulled, but he kept them loosely between them.

”Let go.”

”You’ll run.”

”Yes.”

”That defeats the point of catching you.”

”What was your plan after catching me?”

Zac looked down at her.

His breathing had changed from the running. His cheeks were red from the cold. His hair had fallen across his forehead, and his hands felt warm around her wrists.

”I hadn’t gotten that far,” he said.

”Bad quarterback.”

”I usually have a play.”

”Then call one.”

His mouth curved.

Zac released one of her wrists and pulled her closer with the other.

Roxie stumbled into his chest.

”That one,” he said.

She smiled despite herself. ”Weak.”

”Still worked.”

Roxie rose onto her toes and kissed him.

Zac reacted immediately.

His free hand came around her waist, holding her against him in the middle of the field. The kiss started soft, but Roxie pressed closer and felt him smile against her mouth.

She pulled back.

”What?”

”You’re happy.”

Her chest tightened.

He was trying to make this easy for her.

He had let the college conversation go. He had followed her through a gate he knew they should leave alone. He had chased her across the field because she needed to laugh more than she needed answers.

Roxie touched the side of his face.

Zac’s smile faded as he looked at her.

”I’m sorry,” she said.

”For what?”

”For making your news about me.”

His hand tightened slightly at her waist.

”You were scared.”

”I was still awful.”

”You weren’t awful.”

”I almost threw up because Tennessee exists.”

”That was a little dramatic.”

Roxie narrowed her eyes. ”Take it back.”

He kissed her before she could continue.

She made an irritated sound against his mouth, but her hands slid into his hoodie anyway.

Zac kissed her slower this time. His palm moved up her back as the wind crossed the field around them.

Roxie held onto him.

She still did not want to talk about Tennessee.

She did not want to talk about the military academy, his parents cutting him off, or the stack of applications she had never finished.

She wanted this.

His mouth.

His arms.

The empty field where nobody could see them.

She pulled away and looked toward the goal line.

”Race you.”

Zac stared at her. ”We were having a moment.”

”You’re slow emotionally too.”

”Roxie.”

She slipped out of his arms and ran.

Zac cursed behind her.

Roxie laughed until her side hurt.

She reached the forty before he caught up. Instead of grabbing her jacket, he moved beside her and matched her pace.

Roxie looked over.

”You’re supposed to chase me.”

”I am.”

”You’re running beside me.”

”I’m enjoying the view.”

She shoved his arm.

Zac caught her hand and pulled.

Roxie lost her balance.

They went down together.

Zac twisted before they hit the turf, taking most of the fall against his side. Roxie landed partly across his chest, one knee against the ground and both hands braced near his shoulders.

For half a second, they stared at each other.

Then Roxie started laughing.

Zac looked offended. ”I saved you.”

”You tackled me.”

”I caught you.”

Zac’s arms went around her waist before she could move away.

Roxie’s laughter faded.

The field felt colder beneath her knees, but Zac was warm under her. His eyes moved over her face, then down to her mouth.

”You look beautiful,” he said.

Roxie swallowed.

She loved it when he looked at her like this.

She was also scared enough to feel it in her throat.

Zac lifted one hand and pushed a loose piece of hair away from her face.

Roxie leaned down and kissed him.

His hand settled at the back of her neck.

The first kiss was brief.

The next one was not.

Zac’s mouth opened beneath hers, and Roxie shifted closer until her body pressed along his. The turf scratched lightly against her knees through her pants, but she barely noticed.

His other hand moved over her waist.

Roxie kissed him harder.

Zac made a low sound and pulled her fully onto him.

The sound went straight through her.

Her fingers tightened in the front of his hoodie. His mouth moved against hers with more pressure, all the playfulness sharpening into heat.

For a moment, Roxie forgot where they were.

Then the cold wind moved across the field again.

She pulled back, breathing hard.

Zac looked up at her, his pupils darker.

”What?” he asked.

Roxie glanced toward the empty stands.

The metal bleachers rose above the field, their lower sections hidden beneath rows of seats and concrete supports.

A grin slowly pulled at her mouth.

Zac saw it and immediately looked suspicious.

”What?”

Roxie pushed herself to her feet.

He stayed on the ground, watching her.

She held out one hand.

”Come on.”

”Where?”

”You ask too many questions.”

Zac took her hand and let her pull him up.

Roxie started toward the sideline.

He followed, still breathing harder than the short run required.

When he realized where she was taking him, his hand tightened around hers.

”Under the bleachers?”

Roxie looked back at him.

Her smile widened.

”Scared, Prescott?”

Zac’s expression changed.

”No.”

”Good.”

She pulled him beneath the bleachers.