Page 44 of The Way We Win

“It’s only a few months until the season ends.” My voice is hoarse. “We should wait.”

“Can you do that?” It’s a broken plea.

“It’s the right thing to do.” My mouth is on her cheek, moving to her ear, which I pull between my lips. “For Austin.”

Her hand moves down, and she slides it up and down the front of my jeans, taunting my erection. I exhale a low groan. I want to lift her off her feet and fuck her right here.

“You’re right.” Her other hand rises higher under my shirt, spanning my bare back. “I have to think about my son. He always comes first.”

My lips find hers again, and we’re saying the right words. Only our actions aren’t following.

“Allie…” By sheer force of will, I take a step away from her. “I won’t let you be hurt again.”

Blinking up at me, she’s fucking gorgeous in the moonlight. Her lips are swollen from my kisses, and her eyes are dark with desire. Her breasts rise and fall with her rapid pants, and when she speaks, her voice is pure sex.

“I know.” She stretches out her arm to me, and I take her hand, lifting it to kiss the back of her fingers before walking away fast.

11

Allie

“October will be here before we know it.” Dylan kneels beside me in front of the chain-link fence in her ballet uniform of black leotard and black nylon joggers.

We’re on the field with the drill team, sticking red Solo cups between the links to spell outGo Captains!

The cheerleaders are on the other side of the fence, painting a giant paper banner the team will run through before the game, and Liv is a little ways down, supervising the girls filling red and white balloons with helium to release Friday night.

The guys are on the other side of the fence, finishing up practice, and as I hide behind the cups, I sneak peeks at sexy Coach Jack standing there as always in those jeans that hug his perfect ass with his muscled arms crossed and his cap pulled low over his eyes.

Every now and then, he’ll look in our direction. My heart jumps to my throat, and I have to blink away before he burns me up with a single glance.

I’ve been floating on air for a week.

He kissed me.

More like hedevouredme. I bite my bottom lip, forcing my attention to stay on my work.

I’m doing better than I was last Friday. I could barely breathe as we all stood on the sidelines waiting for him to announce the starting lineup.

Not even hulking, menacing George Powell could bring me down.

Jack quickly read through the names as parents and friends stood around hissing aYes!or quietly high-fiving. I already knew what was coming when he moved from the defense to the offensive list.

As he said each name, the boys would run out and join the group on the field, and the girls would cheer and shake their small pom poms. When he read Levi as second starting quarterback, my skin prickled as all eyes landed on me.

Then he added, “First starting quarterback is Austin Sinclair,” and I couldn’t fight the smile breaking across my face.

The girls broke into cheers, kicking their legs, and even Kimmie was right there with them, cheering for Aussie and screaming at the top of her lungs.

To his credit, my son smiled humbly as he jogged onto the field to stand with his fellow teammates. They clapped hands, grabbed his shoulders, shook his arms, and hugged each other.

Even Levi congratulated him, before they all went back to pulling on their game faces for Coach Jack’s final words of motivation going into the fall season.

George Powell didn’t say a word, but his jaw was set, annoyance clear in his expression.

He could go straight to hell for all I cared. My boy worked his ass off for that spot, and the best coach in the world believes in him.

Pride expanded in my chest, and my stubborn eyes had to find Jack’s.

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