“You did?” he asked. “I wonder if I ever saw you. I spent a lot of time in the campus libraries.”

I kicked him under the table. What the hell? I mouthed.

Fortunately, Abby didn’t see. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’d probably remember you.”

“One would think,” Todd said, and I kicked him harder.

Fuck off, I mouthed.

He raised his eyebrows.

Elaina looked from her husband to me and back again. I schooled my features, knowing Abby would be looking as well.

Todd cleared his throat. “You like the public library better than the campus one?”

“The people are a lot more diverse,” Abby said. She smiled, but I could see that she’d picked up on the undercurrent of tension at the table. “Plus, college students can be a bit obnoxious. Did I ever have to tell you to tone it down or to stop ripping pages from the reference books?”

Todd laughed and the tension evaporated. “No. I definitely would have remembered that.”

Elaina asked Felicia another question about Jackson, and the conversation drifted seamlessly back to the Super Bowl.

Todd got up to refill his plate and I went with him.

“What the hell was that?” I asked him.

“Just helping you out.” He lifted a piece of bacon from the silver serving tray. “This look crispy enough to you?”

“I don’t care about the damn bacon.” I watched as he lifted another piece and put it on his plate. “Help me how?”

He moved on to the scrambled eggs. “If Abby remembers a pseudo-stalker from years ago, it makes your job easier.”

“The hell it does.”

“You might want to put some food on your plate, or else she’ll know you got up only to bug the shit out of me.” He held out a spoonful of eggs. “Want some?”

“Why not.”

He spooned the eggs onto my plate. “Look, you want me to stay out of it, I’ll stay out of it. Just say the word.”

“Stay out of it,” I growled.

“I’m out.”

True to his word, he didn’t bring up Columbia or libraries for the duration of the brunch and I didn’t have to step on his foot again.

When I entered the box with Abby, I noticed the duffel bag in the corner. I bent down. Yes, it was the bag I’d requested be delivered. Two blankets, tickets to the upper middle section, a zip-lock bag, and a short skirt would be inside.

I closed my eyes and focused on the upcoming plan.

Sex in a public place. Abby had marked it as “willing to try” on her checklist.

She was finally going to get a chance to experience it.

I was thankful for the unusually chilly Florida weather. Had it been a normal February, my plan would never have worked—at least not at the Super Bowl. I’m sure I would have thought of some other way to introduce Abby to the joys of public sex, but this way . . .

Would be unforgettable.

Throughout the first half, she watched the game and chatted with Felicia and Linda. Every once in a while, she’d glance my way, a shy smile playing across her lips.

I couldn’t even say what the score was. I was too wrapped up in the beautiful brunette at my side.

Minutes before the second quarter ended, I took her hand and led her to Linda. I explained we had something to do and we’d be back later. Abby didn’t even question me. Didn’t say a word as I picked up the duffel bag.

“My plan? Starts now.”

She looked up in confusion.

I handed her the bag. “Go change. I have an extra ticket in the bag. Meet me there before the halftime show starts.”

Without a word, she took the bag and walked off to the bathroom.

I checked my pockets, made sure I had the condom and ticket, and then walked toward our new seats. I went a few rows higher than I needed to—I wanted to watch her as she arrived.

I didn’t have to wait long before my wish was granted. She walked to the new seats, shuffling her way through the crowd, looking around as if trying to find me. She had the skirt on. I could have stayed and watched her all night, but it was cold. She needed the blanket around her.

And I needed her.

I sauntered down the stairs, anxious to be back by her side. To have her near me.

I sat beside her and put my arm around her, wondering how she would react to what I would say. “Do you know that three out of four people fantasize about ha**ng s*x in public?”

She grew still.

I licked the inside of her ear, watching as she shivered. “The way I see it”—I gave her ear another lick—“why fantasize when you can experience it instead?”

She moved closer to me.

“I’m going to f**k you during the Super Bowl, Abigail.” I nibbled her earlobe and she rewarded me with a moan. “As long as you’re quiet, no one will know.”

She crossed and uncrossed her legs, then glanced around us. No one was watching us, of course. No one cared about us. They were too wrapped up in themselves.

I caressed her shoulder, stroked her. A faint smile crossed her face.

Yes, she wanted this.

“I want you to stand up and wrap a blanket around yourself. Open in the back. Put one foot up on the railing in front of you.”

She jumped to her feet and wrapped the blanket around herself, just as I’d asked. I looked around and carefully studied the crowd. There was still no one looking our way. We would be just another couple in the crowd, cuddling to keep warm.

My gaze traveled from the crowd surrounding us to the scoreboard. The quarter was in its last seconds. I took the other blanket, stood up, and pressed close to Abby. Jackson and his teammates ran off the field. I draped the blanket around my shoulders and brought the ends around Abby.

My hand found its way up her shirt and I grazed her breast with my hand. Pulled at her nipple.

She gasped.

“You have to be quiet,” I told her again. What the f**k would I do if she got too loud and we were discovered?

But it was too late now—we were both too caught up in the moment to care. So I let myself go and enjoyed the present.

I leaned closer to her. “I can’t wait to be inside you.” My hands explored her body under the blankets, cupped her br**sts. “You feel so f**king good. You turn me on so f**king much.” I thrust my h*ps against her. “Feel what you do to me.” My h*ps rocked into her backside. “How hard you make me.”

The stadium grew dark then, and I stepped back long enough to undo my pants and slip on the condom. “Lean over the rail just a little.”

She looked first to her right, then to her left, but she pressed against the rail and leaned over.

“No one knows.” I lifted her skirt up. “People are so caught up in their own little worlds, they don’t notice what’s going on around them.” Like when you helped someone on your way to a Hamlet reading years ago. “The most life-altering event could be happening right next to them and they’d miss it entirely. Of course, in this case, it’s a good thing.”

Whistles, claps, and shouts filled the stadium. The main act had arrived. I took advantage of the growing chaos and thrust into Abby. She let out a yelp.

I rocked my h*ps into her, in time with the music. Fuck, it felt so good to be so deep inside her. I took the ends of the blanket and wrapped my arms tighter around her, drawing her back against me. Without my asking, she spread her legs a bit, allowing me to thrust and enter her even deeper.

I glanced once more to the people nearest us. “All these people and no one knows what we’re doing.” I pulled back and drove myself into her again. “You could probably scream.” I teased her, tried to drive her to make a noise by pulling at her nipple, but she didn’t make a sound.

I slowed my movements for the next song. This was good. I could do slow—could take a moment to simply enjoy being inside her. To take and hold in my memory the feel of her right now. How she felt in my arms. How her warmth wrapped around me. How her breathing slowed a bit but her heart still raced beneath my hands. I splayed my hands over both br**sts, felt the hard pounding underneath.

And, f**k it all, the next song slowed even more. I hardly moved, but the connection, our connection, was still there. If we had nothing more, we had this and for now, in this moment, it was enough. I could enjoy and take this part of Abby—the submission and trust she gave me for this moment—and not worry about the future.

The rest of the world slipped away as the last song started. My thrusts picked up and I knew I wouldn’t last long. I moved my hand to the front of Abby’s body and rubbed her clit. She pushed back harder against me and started clenching around me.

I moved even faster into her, slamming her against the rail, driving myself farther into her. My h*ps circled and rocked as the song reached its ending. Lights flashed around us. I pulled her tightly against me, thrusting in time to the last few beats of the song.

“Come with me,” I whispered and thrust into her once more, holding still as I released into the condom and she cl**axed around me.

I kept my chest to her back, not wanting to draw any attention to us and waiting for the crowd to die down a bit. But most of all, enjoying the feel of Abby under my hands, under my body. Could she feel the pounding of my heart? Could she feel how she affected me?

As the crowd settled back into their seats, I pulled Abby back from the rail but kept my arms around her. I slipped off the condom, dropped it into the plastic bag I had waiting in the duffel bag, and redid my pants. Then I drew her into my lap—unwilling and unable to let her go just yet.

I ran my nose along her neck. She smelled like sex.

“Now, that,” I whispered, “was an amazing halftime show.”

Chapter Twenty-five

I felt as giddy as a teenager on his first date. Of course, I’d had plenty of public sex in the past: a deserted park, an empty parking lot, even the ever-popular back row of the movie theater, but I’d never participated in something as brazen as a packed-to-capacity football stadium during one of the most watched sporting events in the country.

What if we’d been caught on television?

I ran my fingers through Abby’s hair, and the floral scent of her shampoo surrounded me.

Who the hell cared? It was so dark during the halftime show, no one would have noticed us.

Leaving the stands to return to the box, on the other hand . . .

I’d always had an excellent poker face and could hide my emotions behind a carefully constructed facade, but even I doubted I could hide the I’ve-just-had-incredible-sex look on my face.

Abby sighed and leaned her head against my shoulder. I knew she wouldn’t be able to hide her expression either. Besides, we’d spent too much of our weekend with my family and friends. I wanted some time with Abby, even if we shared that time with the strangers sitting next to us.

So, for the third quarter, we sat. Simply enjoying each other’s company. Pretended to watch the game.

Near the end of the quarter, Abby shifted in my lap and I knew if we didn’t get back to the box, I’d be hiding more than what we’d been doing. I was already half hard again as it was.

“We should head back to the box,” I told her, but held on tightly and wouldn’t let her go. “Do you know why we had to wait?”

A serene smile crossed her face. What the hell was she thinking?

“Because your face shows absolutely everything,” I answered for her. “You’re an open book.”

Except now. Now I have no idea what you’re thinking.

She laughed and the sound caused me to smile. I’d done it—I’d made her laugh. Finally. Even if I had no idea why.

“You better change.” I nodded at her outfit. “Felicia will have my head if she sees you in that skirt.”

I didn’t pay attention to the game anymore when we made it back to the box. I noticed New York won only when Jackson looked our way and blew Felicia a kiss. I hoped he knew he owed me big-time.