Page 17 of Bad Call
I haven’t been able to get that goddamn kiss out of my head since it happened. Even when I’m at practice, doing my best to stay focused, all I can feel is her tongue pressed against mine. She tasted exactly like she used to, andfuck, the way she moaned into my mouth had me ready to pound her right through the living room wall. But I knew I couldn’t, which is why I left.
As much as I’ve gone back and forth about giving her a chance to be in my life again, I have to be careful. There was a time when I thought we were unbreakable. I trusted her with my heart, absolutely positive that she’d never break it. But all it took was one ridiculouswhat-iffrom a random jersey chaser, and my entire world crumbled to the ground, ending with me standing alone in thewreckage with no idea how to move on. I can’t let my guard down like that again—I can’t give her the power to ruin me for a second time. Not yet, at least.
I’m not saying I’m just going to shut her out, because I already know that would be a lie. Kissing Stella wasn’t just the means to an end for me, even though that’s exactly what I made her think. I did it because hearing her say that she struggled after our divorce made me feel something. Part of me was angry because the agony we both went through was her fault. But the other part—the one that cut the last string of my self-restraint—was just happy that she fucking missed me. Call me weak and pathetic, but I just wanted to hold her—to feel her in my hands—one more time. But now I’m not sure if once was enough.
“You guys know each other, right?” he asks, bringing me back to the present. “Stella left before I had a chance to formally introduce you at my house, but you’ve kinda met.”
“Yeah,” she rushes out, her fakest smile on display. Her cheeks are adorably red, and I can tell she’s flustered. To be honest, with as close as she’s getting to Austin, I’m surprised she hasn’t told him that we have history. I’m guessing she thinks it’ll make things weird between him and me, but she couldn’t be further from the truth. Even if we can’t get past our issues, I’m still going to build a relationship with him…and all of my other teammates.
“Great. Let’s do this. Russ, I get five seconds before you rush me. And Stella, you need to have two hands on Emmett, anywhere below the waist, for it to count.” Not sure how it’s possible, but her eyes grow even wider at his words.This should be interesting.
“Wait…what?” she chokes out. “What do you mean,below the waist? Can’t I just touch his back or shoulders?”
“Nope,” he replies with a cocky grin. “Rules are rules. Hips, thighs, or…you know. Whatever else you can get your hands on down there.” Despite my mixed feelings about our past and the kiss, this is pretty fucking funny. I try to hold back, but eventually lose the battle, a boisterous laugh bursting from my chest as horror crosses over her expression. Her head snaps in my direction, brows knitted tightly as she looks for a way out of the current situation, but she won’t get it here. This is too entertaining.
Austin spins on his heel, taking his spot at the line of scrimmage. Even though I probably shouldn’t, I can’t seem to stop myself from leaning closer, my voice low enough so only she can hear. “Don’t worry, Wild Girl. We both know you’ll never catch me, anyway.”
She goes stiff for a second, but follows when I walk away, lining up across from me as I settle into my position. I don’t want Austin to overdo it, so I’ll just wait for his signal and run a quick slant, no more than about fifteen yards. It’ll be easy enough to shake my little defender after that.
“Down! Set, hut!” he says, rolling back as Russ counts out loud. I take off as Stella backpedals, creating some space for me to make the catch without drawing a penalty. Apparently, all those years of watching me weren’t in vain, because she waits until the ball has left Austin’s hands before she attempts to disrupt the play. It sails through the air, and I catch it with ease, turning just in time to see her coming at me with both hands extended in my direction.
I let her think she has me, pausing until I’m almostwithin her reach before juking to the right. She growls in frustration, but doesn’t give up, her little feet pounding into the turf behind me.
“Come on, Stell,” I taunt, turning around and running backwards, narrowly dodging her hands as she lunges forward. “Don’t tell me you’re still skipping cardio. You look winded.”
“Fuck you,” she says, still not close enough to make the touch. Her breath is coming out in rough pants, and I swear I see a bead of sweat forming on her temple. The poor thing is about to bust a lung, so I decide to let her catch me, slowing just as she darts her hands out one last time…both of them flattening directly on my dick.
“I caught you!” she shouts, high-pitched wheezes leaking from her lips as we come to a stop. Somehow, she seems completely unaware of the handful of cock she’s had for the last ten seconds, which is fucking wild, because it’s all I can focus on right now. Her head slumps forward, shoulders heaving as she attempts to catch her breath. “I caught you.”
“You definitely caught me,” I rasp, all the blood in my body rushing south. It isn’t until my thickening erection presses against her palms that she realizes the position we’re in. She freezes, eyes bulging for a moment before she backs away like my junk is on fire, gaze immediately bouncing around the room as she pulls at the collar of her sweatshirt. I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or pretend like it didn’t happen at all, but I don’t have time to decide as Austin jogs up beside us.
“Damn, Stella,” he drawls, a shit-eating grin tugging at his lips. “I know I told you to put yourself out there andmeet people, but I figured you’d at least buy them dinner before you went in with the grabby hands.” He winks at me, lifting his chin in her direction. “Fast mover, this one.” I can’t hold back my chuckle as she scowls over her shoulder at him.
“I didn’t mean to grab him”—she gestures to my lower half—“there! I reached out when he slowed down and…it was an accident!” Her hands settle on her hips, that sassy attitude I used to have so much fun with on full display. “What kind of stupid rule is it anyway that we can only touch below the waist? You probably made that up!”
He doubles over, laughing hysterically at her reaction as Russ joins in. She throws a playful punch at his good shoulder, rolling her eyes and tamping down a smile. I love the way they banter with one another. Stella has always had the most amazing sense of humor, so it’s nice to know that she’s spending her days with someone who gets it.
Austin stands to his full height, wiping the non-existent tears from his eyes with a satisfied sigh. He rolls his shoulder, his face twisting into a slight wince, and she immediately goes into nurse mode.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “Did you tweak it?” Her expression is all business, and I can tell she’s worried. It makes me want to reach out and comfort her, but I know I can’t. Instead, I step closer, hoping that she feels the heat of my body while I pretend to be solely concerned with my teammate’s well-being.
“Yeah. It’s just a little tight. No pain, though.” He lifts his arm in an attempt to stretch it out, but Russ cuts in.
“Let’s go put some heat on it,” he suggests. “Youhaven’t used those muscles in a while, so they may need to be worked loose. A few quick minutes, then we’ll try again.” Austin agrees, and both men walk away, leaving me alone with Stella. As soon as they’re completely out of sight, I give in to my instincts, placing a hand on her back and rubbing in soft, soothing circles. Her shoulders relax, a shaky breath pushing past her lips.
“He’s all right,” I reassure her. “I was watching when he made the pass. He didn’t even flinch. I’m sure Russ was right, and he’ll be good as new after they take care of it.”
She nods her head, turning to face me. My hand drops to my side, and instantly, I miss touching her. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Emmett.” Her gaze burns into mine, those beautiful caramel-colored eyes taking me back to a time when I could look into them for hours and never get tired.
“I always knew you’d be a great nurse,” I murmur. “You were made for this, Stell. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you,” she replies on a choked whisper. Her bottom lip quivers, and I can tell she’s trying so hard not to cry. It makes me wonder how long it’s been since someone told her how special she is. I’ve only seen it a couple of times, but the way she is with Austin tells me everything I need to know. She puts her entire heart and soul into her job, even when it means taking pieces of herself and giving them to those in need. But at the end of every day, when her cup is completely empty, is there anyone to fill it back up? It kills me that I don’t know the answer to that…because I don’t really knowheranymore.
“Who’s up for another game?” Austin shouts through cupped hands, making us both whip around to where heand Russ are reentering the room. He looks happy, which means that the heat loosened his shoulder, and he’s no longer in discomfort. Stella and I breathe matching sighs of relief, glad that he’s okay, even though the heaviness of the last few minutes still floats in the air around us.
I know we need to talk—to hash out our shit and see if there’s any way to move forward—but today is about Austin, and I need more time to decide how much of my battered heart I’m willing to show to the woman who made it that way in the first place.
SEVENTEEN
