Page 18 of Touchdowns and Temptations

“Cara, wait, I want...”

Tuuuut.

I take the phone out of my ear and stare at the screen. She hung up. This can't be true, can it? I raise my head and look at Alex.

“Hung up?” he asks amusedly, licking his lips. “Looks like Cara Catherine Corse is immune to the McCarter charm.”

“Asshole,” I grumble, stroking my head. “She's really cool, and I want to get to know her.”

“Do you have a crush?”

I roll my eyes. I just think Cara is nice. There's nothing wrong with that, right? Alex meets women all the time.

Because you're not like that, says the little angel on my shoulder and I grimace.

Alex is certainly the bigger womanizer of the three of us. He had a girlfriend for over two years in high school. Daisy. But after she dumped him because she didn't want to share her life with a budding football player, he changed completely. One-night stands and casual affairs have been on his agenda ever since. I don't blame him, because I'm no better when it comes to committed relationships. But I get laid a lot less than he does. Our mother now wonders why she gave birth to three boys, including twins, when she still doesn't have any grandchildren in sight. But I don't see Alex and I as having any obligation in that regard. What do we have a big brother for? Logan should start.

“Noah?” he asks again. “Do you have a crush on her?”

“No,” I answer firmly. “I just think she's nice.”

“Good luck,” he says, winking at me. “Toby said Cara generally keeps her hands off the players.” I look at him, annoyed. “Especially the quarterback.”

I don't believe him. Alex is just trying to make me feel better about the whole thing.

1 Stands for Physical Education. Refers to a school subject focused on developing physical fitness.

6

Cara

I can't get the phone call with Noah out of my head. It remains a mystery to me why he wants to go out with me so badly. What does he expect to get out of it? He doesn't really believe that I would consider a relationship with a professional athlete.

I don't want to end up like my mom. Always alone and waiting for football not to come first. Of course my dad loves us more than anything and without his job and career we wouldn't have much. But I often wished he would have come to my school plays or my graduation. Instead, he was usually at the other end of the country playing football.

Life with a famous father is not always easy. I didn't have many friends at school because they often tried to get free tickets to a Boston Foxes game through me. Also, they would always ask me about my dad and were more interested in him than me. One of my ex-boyfriends, Marco, actually managed to talk to my dad the whole time at a dinner with my parents, completely ignoring my mom and me. My dad was flattered, of course, but I thought it was just awful. The next day I ended things with Marco. He said it was okay with him because he wanted to get to know my dad, and he did. And it usually was like this. Once they found out that my dad was Michael Corse, ex-quarterback of the Boston Foxes, they were blown away. More than once, my date knew all of my dad's stats by heart. It’s not really something you want to hear on a date night.

“Ms. Corse?” My assistant, Katie, pokes her head through the door and smiles at me. “Do you have time for a quick chat?”

“Yes,” I say, pushing my phone aside. I have to stop thinking about Noah and what might happen between us. Because nothing is going to happen. At least nothing serious. There's no question that he's hot, and with his broad shoulders, ripped muscles, and blond hair, he's exactly my type.

“Is this an official appointment? I'm a little distracted.” I look at Katie and she shakes her head.

“You don't have your first appointment for another hour. Mr. McCarter wants to see you now.”

Katie grins at me meaningfully.

“Noah's here?” I ask.

“No.” Katie shakes her head. “His brother Alexander.”

I dimly remember Noah mentioning his brother during our phone call and I was shocked at how little I knew about him.

“And what does he want?” I ask hesitantly.

“I think he wants to work with us, don't you?” Katie looks at me as if she can't believe I'm asking.

“Hm.” I tilt my head. “Let him in.”

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