Isn't It Bromantic (Bromance Book Club #4) by Lyssa Kay Adams

            “No, I will not slow down. What is going on?”

            “I swear I will explain more later. I just wanted to call so you weren’t caught off guard if you see a picture of us together tonight at the game.”

            “What do you mean together?” His mother’s voice held the upward lilt of hope.

            Vlad met Elena’s gaze as he spoke. “I—I took your advice, Mama.”

            “What do you mean?” she asked again, this time breathlessly.

            Vlad traced Elena’s lower lip with his thumb. “I think maybe I’ll keep some of those details between Elena and me.”

            She laughed in a weepy way. “Of course. Of course. Oh, I can’t wait to tell your father. But what does this mean? Is she staying in Nashville?”

            Vlad held Elena’s gaze. They hadn’t talked about their plans, and he didn’t want to answer for her.

            Vlad gripped Elena’s chin between his thumb and finger and tugged her mouth upward. It turned out that keeping a kiss silent made it all the more potent. It took every bit of willpower he possessed to pull back from her and remember he had his mother on the phone. “I promise I’ll tell you more later, but we’re almost to the arena now.”

            “I’m so happy, Vlad. So happy.”

            “So am I, Mama.”

            He ended the call. “I have something for you,” he murmured against Elena’s lips.

            She leaned back and gave him a coy smile. “In the car?”

            He barked out a laugh and set her back from him. Then he lifted a hip so he could dig into his front pocket. When he pulled out their rings, a small gasp escaped her lips.

            “I thought maybe—” He gulped, nervous again. “Since we’re going to be in public, I thought maybe we could wear them so people won’t ask too many questions.”

            “Yes,” she whispered. Her fingers trembled as she held out her hand and he slid her ring back on. After she repeated the gesture with his, he hauled her onto his lap. He leaned in to kiss her, but she held back. “I heard what Mama asked. If I’m staying in Nashville.”

            He held his breath.

            “Yevgeny offered me the job today. I turned him down.” Elena lowered her head to his shoulder. “I have never felt at home anywhere. Not in a long time anyway. Even before my father disappeared, I felt alone. Never safe. Never settled. The only time I feel at home, have ever felt at home, is with you.”

            Vlad cupped the back of her head and tilted her face toward his. “What are you saying?”

            “I want a real marriage too.”

            The moment called for passion, but the thick swell of emotion in his throat rendered him useless. He pressed his forehead to hers and sucked in a shaky breath. They stayed that way, silently holding each other, until the car slowed and pulled into the traffic around the arena.

            The arena was just one block away from the main strip of honky-tonks and music venues that Nashville was famous for, and the driver had to stop several times to let a wall of people and partiers cross the road before advancing toward the same barricade that Colton had driven up to this morning. With a flash of credentials, the police officer let the car through. Elena plastered her face to the window. “There are so many people,” she breathed.

            And for the first time in his career, Vlad was one of them. Just another spectator relegated to the stands while his team played without him. It stung, but not as badly as it did before. He was healing on pace, and he had Elena, finally, by his side.

            The driver dropped them off by the players’ entrance. One of the trainers was waiting to meet them with a medical cart to drive them to the service elevator and up to the top floor where the suites were located. That way he wouldn’t have to crutch the entire length of the arena.

            “Are you going to go see your teammates first?” Elena asked.

            “They’re warming up already,” Vlad answered, waiting for her to get into the golf cart first. “And it’s bad luck. I don’t want to mess with their concentration.”