Page 39 of Risky Game

“Yeah, man. I honestly haven’t heard, but hell, that girl could definitely use some friends. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Don’t do it on my account.”

Last thing I needed was to be known as some needy guy.

Cole shrugged it off. “Not much of a leader if I don’t take care of the whole team, that being you if you need it. And kids are always included.”

He slapped my shoulder and jogged off, straight to Dawson Butler, who was stretching in the end zone. It was less than a minute later when Dawson lifted his head in the middle of a deep side lunge and met my gaze.

One quick nod, and I knew Cole had already talked to him.

Dawson had trusted me when I was hired. He was still the hardest nut to crack, but that one nod meant a lot.

It was better than his scowls.

I refocused my head on practice. The team had already done their lifting and exercising, mostly on the bike to keep their limbs loose. And after we spent the next couple of hours working out final kinks, running plays until they became muscle memory, we still had hours of film to watch.

We might not have a game this weekend, but we had eleven days to be game ready at their champion level. Eleven days left to prove to myself and the team that management didn’t make a mistake in hiring me.

I might not have any idea what was going on with Amelia. I might not be able to stop thinking about Ruby despite myself, but football…

Football was my life.

I could do this.

My phone pinged and I reached for it while I shoveled a mouthful of noodles from our team’s Asian buffet dinner into my mouth.

One quick swipe of the incoming text and I was grinning and choking down my dinner.

Amelia’s face lit up the screen. She was standing with her legs apart, one foot pointed out, one hand in the air and her other hand on her hip. Her smile was the smile I missed every day she wasn’t with me and hadn’t seen much of in the last week, and her eyes were bright. Sparkling.

Happy.

Another text followed.

She had so much fun at gymnastics. Teacher said she’s so advanced they might have to move her up a level.

Tell my girl I’m super proud of her. Does she need a special dessert to celebrate?

Bribing her with food, Mr. Caldwell?

It was the same thing I’d said to her last week, and it was innocuous enough, but it was the Mr. Caldwell that made my blood race. I could see it. Ruby, on her knees, looking up at me, “Anything I can do for you, Mr. Caldwell?” while those slim, tanned fingers reached for my waistband. Her naked, legs spread, feet planted on my bed, while asking, “Like this, Mr. Caldwell?”

God. Damn. And after that stupid, silly, and ridiculous kiss this morning…

My dick was hard. I was hard in my office like a teenager who saw a flash of cleavage for the first time and I was growing powerless to stop it.

Absolutely I am. I replied, because I wasn’t an animal.

I could keep my baser instincts and reactions to her in check. For now.

At some point, I might blow it, but it wouldn’t be via text.

She says chocolate chip cookie dough, but we can stop and get it.

I’ll get it.

Ok. Oh… she smiled at me today. Twice. Progress.

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