Page 32 of Tangled with the Tight End

“Marco and Eden are watching him for a few hours.”

A few hours? Sweat pools in my armpits. What is he doing for a few hours? Panic swirls through me. “Uhhh….”

His lips purse together. “You’re seriously going to leave me out here in the cold?”

“No, come in.” I step out of the way, take the container from him, and watch as he shuts the door with a snap. This is a mistake. I’m supposed to be standing resolute in my defense ofstaying away from him and moving on from foolish fantasies. But here I am…. Weaving all kinds of dirty scenarios of things we could do. Sex against the wall. Sex on the sofa. Sex…. Well anywhere.

“Are you okay?” He cups my cheek and studies me.

“Why do you think something’s wrong?”

“Your face is flushed, and you were staring at the wall.”

“Oh….” My face grows even hotter as I spin on my heel, letting his arm drop and place the dessert on the table. The table isn’t big or sturdy, but I’d let him take me on a test drive on it as well.

“Have a seat.” I snatch the blanket up, fold it, and deposit it on the sofa arm along with my Kindle. Maybe I’m just horny. It’s been months since I’ve had sex with anyone or anything besides toys.

He settles on one end of the sofa with his arm along the back of the cushions and waits. His eyes bore into mine, and my stomach flops. Shit. Of course, it’s because I’m horny. This is not good.

“I should get us something to drink.” I step toward the kitchen, and he grabs my hand, running his thumb in a circle over my pulse point. The small touch sends a shiver along my spine.

“Can we talk instead?”

Talk? He wants to talk?

“Sure.” I plaster a smile and return to my seat, putting ample distance between us. “What do you want to talk about?”

fifteen

GABRIEL

Coming here was a bad decision.That’s not entirely true. I need to apologize for my behavior this afternoon, but I did that on the other side of the door. Asking to come in was the bad decision. I need to stay away from her. I’m due to return to Kansas City on Monday and my entire focus needs to be on football and getting back to my team.

That’s all I’ve ever done. But somehow, my head is spinning, and I don’t know which way to go. Do I focus on Gino and retire from football? Can I play football and be a good father? What happens if I injure my knee again? What happens if the team doctor says I’ll never step foot on the field again?

My stomach churns as these thoughts wash over me one by one. Three months ago, I didn’t worry about anything besides getting 10 yards down the field, juking a guy, and turning to my left to catch a pass from Gunner. Now, my entire world is in a tailspin, and the only thing that feels right is Norah.

I swallow hard as she stares with worried eyes. “I shouldn’t have come.”

She licks her lips. “Why did you come?”

I rake a hand through my hair and meet her gaze. “When I first met you, I didn’t think I liked you.”

She laughs and relaxes on the sofa cushions. “Funny, I didn’t like you either.”

“I know.” I inhale. “But somehow you’ve grown on me.”

“Grown on you?” She nods. “Nice. That’s a compliment.”

“You’re welcome.” My heart skips a beat as I move closer and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The dilating of her pupils and the fluttering of her skin as her heart beats erratically, giving me hope that I’m not off base and about to make an ass of myself. “My world is kind of a mess, right now. But it seems a little less chaotic when I’m with you.”

“Yeah? Well, it’s the opposite for me. My world is all planned out, and you come along and mess it up.”

“Is that bad?”

“It’s not good.” She shrugs. “I’m attracted to you, but I shouldn’t be. We don’t fit together. You love the city, and your heart is on the field. I’m a girl who loves serene lakes, baking, and hanging out with my friends. Here in Evergreen Lake.”

“You’re right.” I have enough turmoil in my life, and asking her to wait three years for my world to straighten out is selfish, but what else can I offer her? A week of pleasure? Two weeks at the most? That is even more selfish.

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