Page 60 of Wicked Player

“Hunter.”

“I’ll see you around, Hunter. Thanks for coming today.”

Closer to him, without looking, my skin prickled with awareness. If Elizabeth had looked at me like she wanted to jump my bones a few minutes ago, there was something a lot deeper in her gaze when I met hers now.

“Hey. You came.”

She flipped her hands in the air. “Wouldn’t have missed it.”

I gestured toward her jersey. “Because you needed an excuse to buy a new jersey?”

She pinched it with her fingers and tugged it away from her stomach. “What? This old thing?”

A look passed between us. That recognition, and if I had any doubt she knew who had her blindfolded and strapped to a cross only three nights ago, it’d make me a fool to try to pretend otherwise now.

Not when I wanted her so bad and enjoyed being around her so much.

I leaned in as close as I could and still keep it professional. There were cameras and kids all over the place. “We’ll talk later. Keep your phone close.”

It was the last time I’d ask Tristan for anything. After we talked, I’d no longer need Tristan to schedule anything between Elizabeth and me again.

It was a statement, not a question, and I meant it as such. I wasn’t giving her the option to back away.

“Okay,” she said, and her eyes gleamed. Based on that, I figured I didn’t need to worry, but I’d spent too many years keeping my private life private to risk taking chances, even if I was pretty certain she was definitely worth all of it.

* * *

We got slaughtered by Philadelphia.

We played our hardest and got outplayed. Our butts whooped.

It was the first time I walked into the locker room knowing I’d played my best, we’d done everything we could and it hadn’t been enough.

It was also the first time I didn’t give a shit.

I had a whole other game play running through my mind and itched to get started on it.

By the time I showered and changed after the game, I bypassed the sports reporters. Beaux usually answered the post-game conference anyway, and the kids from the hospital had left at halftime.

Elizabeth had been there after the game, in the same field level suite, with the other reporters invited to attend with the hospital kids. A few hospital staff remained.

And Connor Hopkins had been hovering near her back, still wanting her.

Well, the fucker could keep trying, but there was no way he was getting his hands on her ever again.

After tonight, she was going to be all mine. Completely.

Twenty

Elizabeth

“You’re pretty mopey. You that upset about the loss?” I asked Blake. My brother gave me a strange look from across the table. Whatever. He’d been rude all day.

They’d ribbed me all evening once I showed up late for dinner. I was still in my Rough Riders’ jersey, for some reason thinking it was a good idea to buy one with Gage’s number. The team had played amazing today and still hadn’t been able to pull out the win. By the time I showed up to my parents’ house, all the men were acting like I was the cause of the loss. The fact they’d already lost one and had the hardest schedule in the NFL didn’t seem to register with any of them.

How my mere presence at a football game could affect a win, I had no idea. Somehow, I was supposed to have Hayes’ Super Fan abilities to ensure Hale didn’t get sacked or our offense didn’t make a ridiculous amount of false start penalties.

Men.

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