Page 22 of Summer Catch

“I’ve done this a bunch of times. They always show up thinkin’ they know better. But they always fall in line.”

Jon knew he was young for a head coach in the NFL, and so it had made sense for him to hire two older men, two much more experienced men to be his coordinators.

Randy had bounced around to half a dozen NFL clubs, his innovative offense schemes transforming each team. Jon was an offensive guru himself, so he’d wanted someone who he was sure would never stop pushing the envelope.

Randy had been exactly that guy. He’d been a perfect hire, grounding his staff in his experience and yet fighting for them to be better, to be different.

“I’ll take your word on that,” Jon said. This was such a learning experience. He’d only been an offensive coordinator, never a head coach, and besides, college was different than the NFL, ’cause those guys wanted it so bad, so desperate to keep their scholarships, they’d fall in line. A few of them had developed egos at that point, but they were easy enough to puncture.

But once the guys made it to the NFL, they were given a lot of money and had spent the last few years being told by the media and everyone around them that they were hot shit.

It was not quite as easy to puncture that kind of ego, as Jon was finding out.

“So, you’re not gonna tell me what you were so happy about?” Randy asked when they were almost to the conference room.

“I . . .uh . . .” Jon decided he could at least be a little bit honest. “I met someone, actually.”

Randy grinned at him. “They make you happy, huh?”

Jon nodded. Happier than anyone else had ever made him. First as a friend, then as a lover.

“Well, I can tell.” Randy patted him on the back. “Happiness looks good on you.”

“Oh hey, boss, that is a hickey,” Brock teased as soon as he walked in.

Kieran rolled his eyes. Amused, not annoyed, though.

He knew his staff teasing him was out of love, and frankly, he couldn’t even regret it.

“You finally hit that?” he asked as Kieran pulled his phone out of his pocket. Jon had promised to text him when he’d gotten home. When he was finally alone.

It wouldn’t be the same as being together. As getting to kiss and touch Jon himself, but Kieran was going to take advantage of every chance he could get.

He was in deep, not just in his friendship with Jon, but the love affair this was quickly becoming.

In so deep, he had no intentions of trying to swim out.

Kieran didn’t answer Brock—only grinned, and knew that, coupled with the hickey, was probably enough for him to figure it out.

“I’m ducking out,” he told Nadia and Brock. “Hold down the fort.”

“Enjoy yourself,” Nadia called out to him, shooting him a knowing look.

Kieran shot her an amused glare back.

He didn’t pull his phone out and call Jon until he was in his truck, the door locked behind him.

He’d specifically parked in the darkest corner of the lot when he’d gotten back from grabbing dinner at the nearby deli.

“Hey.” Jon’s voice was already breathless, full of desire.

And you know what that sounds like now. You heard it, loud and in surround sound, last night. You’re never gonna be able to forget it.

“God, you sound so hot, all worked up like that,” Kieran admitted.

He’d told himself to play it cool.

But they’d made an appointment to have phone sex tonight.

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