Page 29 of Touchdowns and Temptations

“You told me that your mother was very pregnant at the Super Bowl in 1999. So, you must have been born shortly after that.” I look at him, speechless, because I didn't think he was listening to me that well. “Yes, I'm listening to you.”

My cheeks heat up as Noah pulls up the driveway and parks the car behind my mom's Porsche.

“You can keep the car,” I say, looking at him. “Drive it home and bring it by my office tomorrow.” And again, the words come out of my mouth faster than my brain can sort them out. I don't want him to keep my car and have a reason to see me again. Even if only at the office.

“Okay?” Noah sounds skeptical. “Thanks, that's nice.”

“It's the least I can do after ruining your evening with your brother.”

“You didn't,” he assures me, leaning over the center console and grinning at me. “I'd rather have spent half an hour in the car with you than two hours in this bar with my brother and the boys.”

He grins. “All right,” he says, coming closer to me. “You need to get out.”

“I know,” I mumble. “Good night.”

My heart beats wildly in my chest as our eyes meet again. Tense, I bite my lip, waiting for him to wish me good night too, but he doesn't.

“Get out, Cara!” he demands, looking exhausted. He even closes his eyes and I can see that his left hand is gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Why?”

“Because I don't want to kiss you on your doorstep and have your parents find out,” he admits. Still, I can see how much he wants to. The air in the car is tense to the breaking point. I lick my lips again. Whether it's out of nervousness or because I'm turned on, I don't know. Noah is unbelievably attractive and my type.

Without wanting to, I lean forward to him. So close that his breath hits my face.

“Noah?” I ask. “Kiss me.”

“Cara, no!” He pulls away from me. As far as he can into the car. He even leans his head against the driver's side window. Embarrassed, I pull away as well. He has rejected me. Fuck. I quickly open the passenger door.

“See you later,” I mumble and stumble out of the car. “Give my assistant the keys.”

“You know we shouldn’t, not like that,” he says, and I shake my head, slam the door shut and run to the house. The engine of the Mercedes roars behind me and Noah leaves the property in it.

9

Noah

The next morning, I drive Cara's Mercedes to practice to return it to her at noon. I notice the questioning looks of my teammates, but I don't pay any attention to them. It's none of their business that I'm driving Cara's car. After what happened last night and what she told me, she's still not interested in getting to know me. Still not, even though she wanted to kiss me. I heard her desire clearly. More than that. My body tingled and I saw myself at the destination of my dreams. Well, almost, because sometimes dreams are just dreams. Fuck! No one wants their parents watching their first kiss, right?

It would have been my chance to feel her beautiful lips on mine. To kiss them and taste them just once. But I was stupid enough to turn her down.

Have I completely lost my mind?

I think so, definitely. This can't be true. There's the woman I've been chasing for days, who I've been trying to get to go out with me, who asks me for a kiss, and I have nothing better to do than turn her down? It doesn't get any dumber than that.

I've probably wasted my only chance to get close to Cara. I open the trunk and take out my gym bag. My eyes fall on Cara's travel bag, which is also inside, and I can't help but smile. Sighing, I shoulder my bag and close the trunk. After the way I behaved yesterday, I'm further away from my destination than ever before.

Alex peppered me with so many questions this morning that I felt like I was being cross-examined by the FBI. My brother wanted to know every last detail and called me stupid when I confessed that I didn't want to kiss Cara. My motives were completely unknown to Alex.

“Noah!” Toby, our tight end and my source for Cara's number, approaches me. “Hey!”

“Hey!” I reply and join him. “You’re alright?”

“Yeah, you good?”

“Yep,” I reply. “I can't complain.”

“New car?” he asks as we walk together and at first, I don't know what to say. I can't believe he didn't recognize the car. They've been friends too long and too well for that. I can't help but be interested in how good of friends they are. If there was ever more than friendship between them.

---