Page 22 of Keeping the Single Dad
“When I can.”
“Are you a cat or a dog person?”
“I prefer dogs to humans. You always know where you stand with a dog. A dog doesn’t judge. They love you unconditionally. No matter what.”
He gave me a grudging nod. His low, lilting voice was smooth, but insistent. “Have you ever been loved like that?”
Sudden heat burned my throat. Where did he get off asking me questions like that???
I stared him down, boldly. “Why haven’t you had sex for five years?”
A look of tired sadness passed over his face. His expression became as flat and unreadable as stone. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. “I shouldn’t be in here. I’m glad we…cleared the air.”?
My jaw tensed. He wanted honesty from me, but he wasn’t willing to give it. “Goodbye, Alexander. I’ll see you around. Try not to make it weird.”
?
Showered and dressed, I packed my kit into my carryall. I found Karen Delaney’s card and fired off a text:It’s Lana. What about Sean Wallace? He’s not as squeaky clean as his reputation.
The phone buzzed instantly with a reply from Karen:What have you got?
I hovered with my thumb over the keypad. It wasn’t too late not to do this, but what choice did I have? Mel was right. Dad was vulnerable right now. A story in the press would threaten his sobriety. A flare of guilt raced across my shoulder blades. No. Screw guilt. Sean had it coming. Sorry not sorry. I had to be careful not to involve Skylar. It would all have to be anonymous. It wouldn’t take much digging to find other women willing to dish the dirt on Sean.
I sent back my reply.Sean Wallace is a cheating scumbag and a bully. He’s also crap in bed. Keep mine and Skylar’s name out of it and I’ll give you some juice. Plus, all this charity work is bullshit. He just does it to make himself look good.
The phone pinged with a response.Meet me. Let’s talk.?
Chapter 11
Alexander
Mylungsburned,andwhite noise roared in my ears. I did everything I could to stand straight and not fall to my knees on the pitch. The training session had been brutal. Ten years ago, I would have aced it, five years ago even, but ever since I’d turned thirty-eight every muscle and bone in my body wanted to make sure I knew how hard it was working.?
A hand landed on my shoulder. Sean Wallace flashed a goading smirk. “Not bad for an old timer.”
Old timer? The cheeky bastard. I’d played alongside Sean’s father years ago. Adam Wallace had been an insufferably arrogant prick, and the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree. Sean was one of the youngest captains in the Premier League. I’d seen jumped-up kids like this all the way through my career. The guys that believed their own hype. They were usually prodigies at a young age and every second of their lives they’d had their heads filled with how wonderful and talented they were. He had his smirking face in magazines so he thought he was God’s gift. I had plenty of comebacks for this cocky wee bastard, but I didn’t want to speak and give him the satisfaction of seeing how breathless I was. Also, he was my captain. It didn’t matter whether I liked him, I still had to respect him.
I stretched my arms above my head, and pain shot the length of my back. I couldn’t help my wince.
Sean’s curious gaze roved over me. “The physios are in this afternoon. Get yourself a massage, mate.”
I smoothed a smile on my face. “Thanks, pal. I will.”?
He nodded and extended his leg in a hamstring stretch. “My dad said to pass on his regards.”
“How is Adam?”
Still an insufferable arsehole, I take it?
“He’s doing great. Taking it easy and enjoying his retirement. No point running yourself into the ground, is there? At some point you have to call it a day and hang up your boots.”
The back of my neck itched. What was that supposed to mean? Was he goading me or was I being oversensitive? If he was anything like his dad, then he was trying to wind me up. It wasn’t easy joining a young squad. Rob had insisted my age wasn’t a factor. They wanted me for my experience. These kids were all talented but none had played at international level. Now that I’d met the lads, it made me wonder if Rob was looking for someone to rein them in. They were a young squad. Untested but cocky. Wild and unruly.
Lively shouts and laughter drifted on the breeze. Sean’s gaze shifted over my shoulder to where the women were training. Lana ran drills with the others. Her red ponytail bobbed as she sprinted with effortless grace, keeping the ball at her feet. The sight of her half naked in the women’s changing room forced into my mind. My fingers had burned to get a handful of those beautiful firm uptilted breasts again. My thoughts skittered back to the perfect smoothness of her marble hard nipples on my tongue.?
“I’d watch out with that one, mate.”
“I’m sorry?”
