Page 56 of Just One of the Groomsmen
It was the reality check he needed if not totally wanted.
As he lined up across from her for what Shep announced would be the last play of the game, Tucker wanted to forget reality and get caught up in the dream for a moment.
Unfortunately for him, it looked more like she wanted to tackle him to the ground and rip him limb from limb.
He and Shep pulled out an old play from high school, one most people didn’t see coming. Addie knew the plays as well as they did, though, and she launched herself at him a fraction of a second after the pigskin hit his hands.
They fell to the grass, a tangle of arms and legs, and he managed to hold on to the ball. She sat up, her legs on either side of him, her palms braced on the ground next to his head. The smug expression, view of her breasts, mere inches from his nose, and friction spread the want firing through his body and drove him right to the edge.
This woman aimed to kill him.
This probably wasn’t the way she’d originally planned to do so, but several cases came down to intent, so in his opinion, that was all that mattered.
He tried to think of non-sexy things like football stats and pond scum as he sat up.
But his hand went rogue on him and dragged up her thigh, and then pond scum wasn’t enough. He was growing harder by the second, and if she hadn’t already felt it, she would momentarily.
“That’s game!” Ford called. “Losers buy beer at the Firehouse!”
Addie rolled off him. Were her cheeks that pink before?
And was it from the exertion, or had she noticed his reaction to her being on top of him?
She pushed to her feet and extended a hand, and he let her pull him up—well, with help, because as he’d pointed out, he weighed a lot more than she did.
She let go but he held fast, curling his fingers around her wrist and tugging her to him.
“Addes.”
She tipped her face up to his. “Yes?”
“You still mad?” he asked, even though her clipped tone implied it.
“Depends. Are you gonna admit that I can take care of myself?”
“I’ll admit that you’re amazing out here on the field, and that you talk trash with the best of them. Playing against you is always a challenge, and next time, I wanna be on your team so we can see how much ass we can kick together. Would it be so bad if, in spite of knowing all that, I took care of you a little anyway?”
Some kind of internal struggle played out, her features creasing and smoothing. “In my experience, relying on yourself and what you can control is the best way to avoid getting hurt.”
“Did somebody hurt you?”
He’d kill them. First them, then the firefighter who’d hit her too hard—he’d just take out everyone.
He’d always felt semiprotective of her, but the impulse nearly consumed him now.
“Not on purpose.”
He frowned.
“Are you two heading to the Old Firehouse, or what?” Ford asked.
While Easton might be onto him, Ford obviously didn’t have a clue. Maybe he should recruit the guys’ help.
Because that wouldn’t be weird or ruin the dynamic in their group at all.
Addie pulled away, and he fought the urge to tug her back to him one more time.
Crossing lines might be complicated, but holding back was causing complications right and left, too.
