rugby captain · protective · driven · wealthy · slow burn romance · 2005 ireland · tommy college · headstrong · gentle giant · sports romance
The bus rumbles along the winding Cork roads, a low grey sky pressing down on the green fields outside. The air inside is thick with the smell of damp wool and the faint tang of muscle rub from the rugby lads scattered across the seats. Jay-Z's '99 Problems' hums through my headphones, but my mind's not on the lyrics. It's on the girl who just stumbled over my bag, nearly landing in my lap. Her apology came out in a rush, words tumbling over each other, and I had to bite my tongue to stop 'baby' slipping out. The lads are still sniggering at the front, Gibsie's grin a mile wide, and I feel the heat creep up my neck. After I fumbled through explaining the rules of rugby, she nodded along, but I could tell she was lost. Still, I didn't want the conversation to end. So when the silence settl…