Page 13 of False Start
“Because you’re not like other girls.”
I consider him for a moment. “You don’t know me. We’ve had like five conversations.”
And then his knees are touching my shins, and his breath is hot on my face. “Then I’m alone in this insane attraction?”
I look up at him as he towers over me, and try to figure out exactly what it is about him that makes me a little weak in my resolve. I think about lying to him, but it’s not my style. “No, you’re not alone.”
“But you don’t date football players, so a kiss would mean nothing.”
I have a feeling if he kisses me, I’ll feel a lot of something. “Now he’s getting it.”
“Then you won’t stop me if I do this?” He leans forward, presses his lips to mine, and touches his palm to my cheek.
I don’t stop him. In fact, I’m overwhelmed by his scent, touch, and the feel of his facial stubble against my skin. And I’m so overwhelmed I lean into the kiss. I kiss him back as I close my eyes and pretend like hell there isn’t a chance he’ll penetrate my walls. My mouth parts for him as he touches his tongue to mine, and our mouths dance in the middle of the parking lot on the back of his truck. It feels like my entire being comes alive as I start to tug him closer.
He groans against my mouth and captures both sides of my face in his hands. “Fuck, Zhanna. We have to slow down. Anybody could be watching.”
The concern in his voice when I feel so wildly abandoned is like a punch to the gut. It feels a lot like rejection.
God. I’m so stupid.
“No, Z. Not that look. It’s not what I meant.”
“It’s fine,” I say and wave it off. It’s not fine. I kissed a player. And it’s on a train headed nowhere fast. “You’re right. With you being the quarterback, anyone could be watching.” It’s a good thing this came to a quick and abrupt end. “I’m going to go. It’s getting late.”
“Don’t leave it like this,” he pleads. “Have dinner with me.”
I offer the biggest smile I can muster. “It’s okay, QB. I need to get home.” I slide off the tailgate, around his large body and walk a few spaces over to my car. He doesn’t say another word until I unlock my car and climb inside.
“Zhanna!” he calls out, but I pretend not to hear him as I put my car in drive and pull away.
— 5 —
Then
I PULL MY JEEP into Hale’s Row. It’s not entirely uncommon for me to sleep out here by myself on a night that isn’t game night. I enjoy a good hike on our private land first thing in the morning. Sometimes I’ll practice yoga on the dock at the pond, and sometimes Zina is so damn loud, I need to get away from her to think. This place is my church, my refuge from the world, so when headlights flash behind me, I’m taken off guard for a moment. But I quickly realize who it must be at the same moment my phone rings. I stop the Jeep without answering the phone to close the property gate at the drive. Bryant gets out of his truck and is hot on my heels.
“Let me do that,” he says and closes the gate before turning to face me again. He jams his hands into his front denim pockets and looks at the ground for a moment. “So I fucked that up, and I’m sorry.”
I’ve had time to cool down as the heat of our time together passed, and now, I can see he did us both a favor by stopping it. “It’s okay. You were right to stop it.”
“No, you don’t understand. I watched you walk to your car, and it felt like I was making the biggest mistake of my life if I let you walk away without exploring this thing between us. We’ve only had five conversations?” He takes a few steps toward me, but I retreat toward his truck until my back touches it. “But I felt more alive when I kissed you than I did the day my dream college team asked me to throw the ball for them for four years.”
He comes to stand in front of me, andGod, the way he looks at me does something strange to my insides. He looks like he wants to jump my bones, but there’s something else there, something that scares me. He reaches up and tucks my hair behind my ear, and an electrical current travels through me at his touch. My heart beats faster, my breath comes quicker, and my insides turn to lava.
“If you don’t feel this, I’ll fuck off,” he says. “I won’t ever push my luck again. But I don’t think you’d still be standing here if I was totally off base.”
I open my mouth to tell him to fuck off, but my voice fails me. More than that, it’s not what I want. I’m not sure exactly what I crave, but I know it’s him. I just need to get him out of my system and let it run its course. My plan is much better than continuing to deny I want to sleep with him. “Just one night.”
“Baby, there’s no way I’m getting over this in one night.”
I can’t do more than one night, because I actually like the guy. He’s not an entitled athlete. He’s shown compassion. He’s hot as hell. And I want to know what he looks like with all his clothes on the floor of my hunting cabin. “Just one night... and no one can know.”
“Just one night? What happens after tonight?”
“Tonight?” I squeak. I look down at my yoga pants and hoodie. I’d really like to feel at least a little sexy.
He smirks. “You’re thinking too much.” And then he leans down from his gigantic height and kisses me. I think about objecting to his methods, but the man can kiss.
