Page 22 of Playing for Keeps
“Yeah. It will be a group of us, but I’d not complain if you sat with me at dinner.” I pushed from the wall and moved toward her slowly. “Maybe after we could go on the Sky Wheel, have an official, unofficial date.”
Hannah brought her hands to the side of my neck, running her fingers through the back of my hair with a soft nod. “I can’twait.” She replied. Leaning in, I gave her a tender kiss, standing back when…
“What’s going on here?” Quickly stepping back a reasonable distance from Hannah, I looked over to the Coach as he stood at the entrance of the hallway. Hannah dropped her arms to her side and smiled at her father, running to him with a hard embrace.
“Congratulations, Daddy, you guys played so well.” If fire could have come from his eyes, they would have; the glare he gave me was one to kill your enemy.
“Don’t you have a shower to take, Walters?” His tone was firm, controlled.
“Coach.” I slid past Hannah; my gaze connected with her father briefly as I did. I made sure not to touch her, not to give a single gesture in her direction.
Returning to my bench, I played over what her father could have seen, wondering if she’d be able to play it off as nothing more than two people simply having a conversation.
“You need to shower so we can go get the girls,” Easton said, returning to his bench next to mine.
I nodded.
“What is up with you?” His question came as the coach walked into the locker room, his glare shooting to me as he moved to his office.
“I can’t be sure, but I think Coach might have caught Hannah and me a few minutes ago.”
“Were you fucking?” He asked casually.
“What? No.” I answered, Easton, with a shrug as he pulled on his jeans.
“Then who cares?”
“You saw how he reacted to you dating someone close to his family. Could you imagine me with his daughter?”
“Do you like being with this girl?” My brother asked.
I nodded in confirmation. “Let’s put it this way, I’m taking advice from you on women.” Easton chuckled at my comment.
“I mean, I do know my way around them.” He bragged. “Is it just physical like a bunny?”
I shook my head. “No, there is something more. She brings out a side of me, igniting passion for more than just the game.”
“Well, then it’s simple.” He grabbed his shirt from his locker, slamming the door, looking down at me. “Enjoy yourself, we only live once, right?” He patted me on the shoulder, stepping away, leaving me with the reality that, for once, my brother was right. At least for the night, I wouldn’t think of who saw us or what would happen. We were in a different city, where we could live freely. I would be a fool to ignore that.
We sat in a large group at the restaurant, our table in the back, private. The wine flowed, the food was outstanding, and the company was perfect. We all laughed, shared stories, moments of embarrassment that typically wouldn’t have been shared outside the locker room. A few fans asked to join us. Of course, we agreed to welcome them. Pictures were snapped, even with Hannah and me standing next to each other. It felt great to be able to enjoy my night with her, as though we were just there with other team members and friends. My hand rested under the table on her thigh, her palm covering it.
“Mind if I get a picture with you?” A young blonde asked as she walked up between Austin and me.
“Course not,” I answered, looking at Hannah as I stood up. I stepped just a short distance from the table, my arm around her waist as she wrapped hers around my back. Resting her head on my shoulder, she smiled as her friend took the picture.
“Thank you so much, you’re my favorite player. When I found out you were here, I had to come meet you.” She blushed as she spoke with such excitement.
“Thank you, I’m honored,” I replied
“What are you doing after this? Would you mind if I joined you for a drink?” With a grin, I cleared my throat.
“I’d love to. However, I’ll have to take a pass. I’m seeing someone.” The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them, before I even realized I said them.
“Lucky girl, give her my regard.” The young woman said. “I’ll see you on the field then.” She winked, then stepped away. Taking my seat, I glanced at Hannah, smiling at her, letting her know she had nothing to worry about. Feeling her grab my hand under the table, our fingers interlocked.
As the night moved on, the group dwindled to only the four of us remaining. I had promised Hannah to go on the Sky Wheel and wasn’t going to break it. We waited in line, my arm around her shoulders, holding her against me. It felt wonderful to be out in public with her like a normal couple. There were no reporters taking pictures, no commotion, no need for security. We made our way into our private cabinet, sitting next to each other, when the wheel began to turn. We took in the sights of the city. I had been there a million times, and yet it had never looked so beautiful as it did at that moment.
We rounded the bottom once, twice, when both Hannah and I looked at one another. There was a moment when unspoken energy filled the space between us. She stood up, moved in front of me, and straddled me. Our connection never left the other; her fingers brushed along the side of my face, my fingers gripped at the top of her skirt, holding her close. As the wheel rounded for a third time, our cravings for one another overtook the dangers of being seen.
