Page 38 of The Game

“Was she any good?” Tony elbows me.

I stop and grab his upper arms. “Don’t talk about her. Ever.”

“Yes!” He clutches his stomach and laughs. “You’ve got it bad. I told you, he’d play hide the salami with her before the season was over. The way they watch each other is flammable.”

“Cocksucker,” I growl and release him. “Fine. I asked Dani to go to the wedding with me to keep my mom from setting me up with Tiana again.”

“Oh, fuck.” Jeremiah shudders. “That bitches’ brains are scrambled.”

“That, she is.” Tony rolls his shoulders and rubs the spot I grabbed. “Can’t believe your mom is still all over that.”

“Me either, but she’s obsessed with getting another grandchild.” Which might not be long. I should regret making love to Dani without protection, but I don’t. If she gets pregnant, I’d be good with it. She’d be a fantastic mother, and my family would be ecstatic. Hell, I’d be thrilled.

“Earth to Gunner.” Tony waves a hand in front of my face.

“Sorry, man. Just thinking.”

Tony snorts as we walk through the sidelines and toward the tunnel. “I see that. Must have been quite a night.”

“It was.” What the hell? I might as well not hide it. There’s no point in pretending it didn’t happen or lying to them. I’m mildly surprised a photo of us from the wedding hasn’t surfaced and been spread on social media.

“I take it you’re seeing her tonight.” Jeremiah opens the main building entrance.

I close my eyes for a second. The building is not as bright as the outside sun had been. Reopening my eyes, I watch as several of the players on the defensive line laugh and wave at us as they walk by.

Once they’re past us, I nod. “Yes.”

“Did you lock her down?” Tony hits me with his elbow in the ribs as we walk past a row of offices.

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“Are you exclusive?”

“I don’t plan on seeing anyone else.” Everything we said to each other spoke of exclusivity. Didn’t it? My lip curls as the vision of Dani with another man floats through my brain. I don’t want another man looking at her – let alone asking her on a date.

“Well, then, you’d better tell her she’s off the market before someone else asks her out.”

“Yeah.” Jeremiah nods. “I heard some of the guys talking about her the other day. You’re not the only dude on the team that’s noticed her.”

“Who?” I stop. All the muscles in my torso tense at once. Whoever it is has another thing coming. Dani’s mine.

Jeremiah shrugs. “Dillon. For one. He was talking to Clayton Maxwell. Dillon said he needed to talk to her about something private.”

My teeth grind together. “Assholes had better steer clear of her.”

“Then, you need to make it official. You need to tell her you’re not seeing anyone else.” Tony laughs and punches me in the upper arm. “That’s actually hilarious considering your dry spell.”

“Fucker.” I grab my arm and rub it. “You know better than to punch me in the throwing arm.”

“Dude.” Tony rolls his eyes. “If I really fucking punched you, you’d know it.”

“Fine.” I glance into Coach’s office as we walk by. As always, he’s inside with his head down, drawing on pieces of paper with four

televisions blaring different game tapes. The man is obsessed with the x’s and o’s of football.

“Ask her not to see anyone else,” Tony says.

I stomp off, leaving them behind. “I’m telling her.”

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