I slid out of her, the loss of her warmth like a dagger to the heart, and gathered her to my side before pulling my comforter over us.
Her lids remained shut, but a slow smile spread across her face. “You’ve got a very comfortable bed.”
I barked out a laugh and pressed my lips to hers, stealing one more taste.
“Are you hungry?” Georgia’s mouth was red and swollen, although considering how hard it was for me to stop kissing her, I was surprised it wasn’t worse.
I’d put in a hell of a workout this morning, and then an even more rewarding one just now, and my stomach grumbled as though I wasn’t speaking fast enough.
She giggled, and the sound was so sweet, so perfect in the stillness of my bedroom that I couldn’t stop myself from stealing one more kiss. I just needed to feel her lips on mine again, but she arched when our mouths connected and giggled, the contact and musical sound causing my cock to stir. “We’ll die of starvation if you do that again,” I groaned against her mouth.
I couldn’t think of a better way to go.
“I don’t want to go out. I want to lie in this bed with you until the real world forces us out.” She settled her cheek against my chest, her fingertips tracing my pec.
I couldn’t have agreed more, and with the way the real world was going for me at the moment, I was hoping that it wouldn’t ever force us to leave the comfort of our bubble.
“Let’s order in, then. I could go for a cheeseburger,” I said as I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“Thought you weren’t allowed to eat anything delicious during training camp.”
I flexed the arm that was wrapped around her. “I also wasn’t supposed to have time for a relationship either, but you see how that worked out.”
Her head popped up, and she rested her chin on my chest, her mouth in a lopsided grin. “Is that what this is? A relationship?”
I’d been half teasing, but the part of me that was serious was suddenly very serious. “Yeah.” I kissed her forehead and parroted back what she’d said earlier, “You’ll probably regret it later though.”
Her butt wiggled as she scooted up the bed until her mouth was hovering over mine. “I’ll regret nothing.”
I pushed a lock of her hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear and let my fingertips linger at the curve of her jaw. “I sure hope not. ‘Cause I have to tell you, you blew into my life and I had to grab on for dear life, but now? I’m not sure that I can let you go.”
Her eyelids fluttered shut and she sighed. “If you keep saying things like that, I might not ever leave your bed.”
The image of her red hair fanned over my pillows, her naked body lithe and wanton between my sheets, flashed through my mind. “You can stay as long as you want.”
She rested her head back on the curve of my shoulder, her hand sliding down my abs. “So, if this is a relationship, and I’m your girlfriend, does that mean you’re going to take me to the pre-training camp dinner tomorrow night?”
I tensed, and her fingers froze.
“What?” I stumbled over the single syllable.
She pushed up to a seated position, not bothering to pull the sheet over her naked chest. Jesus, I loved that about her.
It was the first time we’d been together, and she was already so fucking comfortable that she didn’t feel the need to cover herself in front of me. Not that I would have let her if she’d tried.
I forced my focus to her face, the frown creasing between her brows. “You don’t wanna show me off?”
Did I want to show her off? The gorgeous hair, the infectious laugh, the take-no-nonsense attitude. Hell yeah, I wanted everyone to know that somehow, Quinn fucking Miller, nothing more than a hick from the mountains of West Virginia, had landed this incredible woman, and not only had I landed her, but she wanted to be with me even though my past was a train wreck of epic proportions.
But was it too soon?
Her dad was not my biggest fan. Some of the guys on the team had warmed up to me, but most of them were still not convinced that I was going to contribute anything to their team.
“Are you kidding? Who the hell wouldn’t want you on their arm?”
She pursed her lips into a pout. “Then why the hesitation?”
“I just don’t know if it’s such a good idea.”
She crossed her arms across her bare breasts, and despite my most valiant efforts to be a gentleman, I couldn’t help but watch as her cleavage swelled over the tops of her forearms.
“Eyes up here, Miller.”
I snapped my gaze back to her smirking face.
“That’s better. Are we together?”
I blinked. “I thought we just discussed this.”
“Well, I thought so too. But then you said that us doing things together in public may be too soon. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind staying in this amazing bed forever, but that’s not possible. So, the way I see it is, if we’re together, then people, like Daddy, are going to have to deal with it.”
She made a good point. But she also had her father wrapped around her finger. I seriously doubted he had ever told her no in her life. But I didn’t have him wrapped around anything. As a matter of fact, the only fingers that were going to be wrapped were his. Around my throat. When he found out I was dating his daughter.
My stomach lurched at the vision that flashed through my mind. Walking into that banquet hall with Georgia, the entire team and mostly her dad stopping what they were doing to gawk. I’d seen Walter Reed angry before, but this would surely push him over the edge to homicidal.
Georgia interrupted the scene that was playing out in my head to lean forward, her hands sliding into my hair, her breasts pressing against my chest. She licked the seam of my lips, asking for entrance, although why, I didn’t know. I would have never denied her.
The soft moan that slipped out while her tongue stroked mine was enough to convince me, but when she pulled away and poked her lower lip out, I was a goner.
“Georgia,” I croaked, “I’ve got this team thing tomorrow night. Any interest in being my plus one?”
The triumphant grin that spread across her face was reward in itself, but the quick kiss that followed it was the cherry on top.
“I’d love to.” She gave me one last peck on the lips and then, eyes sparkling, asked, “What’re we ordering for lunch?”
21
Georgia
Was it possible to be in love already?
Absolutely.
Was I in love already?
Positively.
As a child, I’d watched all the fairy tales. I’d dreamt of finding that one Prince Charming, had spent hours imagining what he would be like.
I’d never imagined that my own romance would involve drugs, arrests, and a father who was going to give birth to a turkey when I walked into his team dinner on the arm of his black sheep running back.
But then again, I had always avoided the sad parts of the movies.
Quinn Miller was absolutely my Prince Charming though.
I’d known it from the moment I’d seen him at that bar. It was like fate, running into him after we’d spent a few hours chatting months before at that party.
I’d almost decided that I was being too over the top Serendipity after he’d spent weeks avoiding me, but yesterday morning had changed all of it.
I knew pain and anguish. I knew sadness and helplessness. I knew wishing you could turn back the hands of time.
But Quinn showed me that I didn’t know shit when it came to living a nightmare.
When Jack had died, it was horrible. Everyone was left reeling from his sudden loss. I spent months and years grappling with his absence.
But it was nothing compared to what Quinn had been through over the last eight years with his sister.
His nightmare was one that would never end because he could never wake up. Just when he thought that maybe it was over, something would happen and the horror would start again.
I’d told myself
that whatever he said, I would accept it and walk away with the knowledge that I’d done everything I could. But after he’d laid it all out there, bared his soul to me, there was no way I was walking away from him.
He needed me.
And I needed him too.
I needed his hard-won smiles. His easy-going demeanor. His ability to make me feel things that I didn’t know I could.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Quinn’s deep voice broke into my thoughts, and I tipped my head to where he sat in the driver’s seat of his truck, blue eyes studying me.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I said, my attempt at being coy falling a little flat. It wasn’t too soon for us to announce we were a couple, but it was by far probably too soon for me to drop the L word on him. Especially not right now. I could only imagine the look on his face as I told him that I was in love with him right before my dad gave him an eat shit death glare from across the room.
His phone began to ring in the console between us, and he glanced at the screen, his face paling a little. “It’s Jamie. I’ll call her later.”
I shook my head. “No, answer it now. We have a few minutes before we need to go in.”
Relief washed across his features. “You sure? I mean, I haven’t talked to her since the day after my arrest.”
I nodded. “Of course, I’m sure. You want me to give you some privacy?”
He captured my hand before I could reach for the handle of the door. “No, stay. I’ll introduce you.”
“But we’ve already met.”
He grinned. “Well, that was before you were my woman.”
“Oh, god, if you call me that again, I’m going to run for the hills.”
He pushed the button to connect the FaceTime call, and when his sister appeared on his screen, a huge smile lit his face. “Man, you look like shit.”
I scoffed. What the hell kind of greeting was that for a woman who was in rehab?
I didn’t have to worry about her being offended though because her laughter danced through the truck. “Shut up, asshole.” She paused and then sucked in a deep breath. “You’re dressed up. What are you up to tonight?”
I sat quietly beside him, feeling like I was intruding on a personal conversation. I didn’t know the first thing about rehab centers or how long patients had to talk to their loved ones, but if Quinn’s time with his sister was limited, I didn’t want to interrupt it. I’d almost convinced myself to quietly slip out of the truck and wait for him outside, but then he reached for my hand and told his sister, “Actually, I have a date.”
He looked over at me and grinned. “With the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”
“Wow, Quinn. You are on a roll today. First telling me I look like shit and then telling me you’ve been lying to me my whole life. Thought I was the prettiest girl you’d ever seen?”
“Well, you were. Until Hurricane Georgia blew into my life.”
My stomach fluttered. There wasn’t a single woman alive who could say they didn’t like being called pretty, but pairing that with the way his thumb rubbed circles over the back of my hand while he smiled like a mental patient at his sister pushed it over the top.
“We’re going to a team dinner,” Quinn continued and then turned the screen toward me. “Jamie, meet my girlfriend, Georgia. Georgia, my baby sister, Jamie.”
I had less than a second to prepare to “meet” his sister, and unfortunately, when my face filled the tiny box in the corner, it was a mask of surprise. I quickly covered and painted on a wide smile. “Nice to meet you.” I cut my eyes to where Quinn sat. “Again.”
Jamie’s blue eyes matched her brother’s, her messy brown hair the same shade as Quinn’s. Their cheekbones were almost identical, and while Quinn’s jaw was much sharper and masculine, I could definitely see the same lines in Jamie’s face. She looked almost exactly like him, except there was no way I would have ever guessed she was the younger of the two.
Drugs had taken their toll on her and she looked tired. There were purple circles under her eyes and skin that I’m sure was once bright and clear was now dull.
But I had to give her credit; she didn’t so much as blink at the sudden introduction. “So, you’re the girl who’s had Quinn walking around with a cartoon grin for weeks.”
My cheeks heated, and I dipped my chin. “I think so.”
“What are your intentions with my brother?” Her voice was suddenly harsh, and those eyes that matched his were shrewd.
“I, uh––” I stuttered before she started smiling again.
“I’m sorry. I’m kidding. We don’t have parents, so I always took it upon myself to ask the hard questions. Lord knows that Quinn’s got a good heart; someone as gorgeous as you would trample it in a heartbeat. Quinn says you’ve got brothers, so I’m sure you understand.”
I smiled. Quinn had been talking about me. He may have spent the last few weeks not talking to me, but at least he’d been talking about me. Plus, despite all of Jamie’s personal struggles, it seemed like she loved her brother as much as he loved her. I could hear it in the way she said his name, the teasing edge in her voice while she was talking to him.
“Girl, my brothers are nothing but a book of broken hearts. I’ll have to tell you about how Hampton’s love life almost ruined our family.”
Her eyes widened. “I have to hear this story.”
“Well, it’ll have to wait,” Quinn interrupted before turning the phone back toward himself. “We’ve got an uncomfortable dinner to get to.”
“It was nice to meet you!” I shouted over his shoulder. “I promise that I’ll tell you all about Hampton’s crazy ex soon!”
“You too,” Jamie said. “And you’ll get to tell me sooner rather than later. Quinn, they say I can bust out of this joint tomorrow.”
Quinn’s forehead wrinkled and the smile slipped just a little, but it was enough that I wasn’t the only one to notice it. Once again, I felt like I was eavesdropping on a conversation that I didn’t belong in when Jamie’s voice went soft.
“I’m better,” she whispered. “I promise. Come get me.”
Quinn’s Adam’s apple bobbed and then he nodded, a curt jerk of his chin. “Of course. When?”
“Tomorrow?” Jamie’s voice was hopeful.
I tried to quickly do the math in my head to figure out how long she’d been gone. Three weeks maybe? It seemed too soon and judging from the way Quinn’s knee was bobbing under the steering wheel, he thought so too. My stomach was suddenly full of nerves, churning as I watched concern line Quinn’s face.
“You sure?” he asked her again. “Do I need to talk to anyone first?”
“Nope. Just come get me in the morning.” Her voice wobbled a little, but when Quinn promised that he’d be there, she perked up and thanked him before blowing air kisses and disconnecting the call.
For a few moments, we sat there, Quinn’s hand still in mine, his knee still jumping beneath the dash before he blew out a deep breath. “You can tell Jamie all about your brother on the drive home tomorrow.”
“Oh, no.” I shook my head. “I don’t think––”
“Don’t think,” he whispered. “Just come with me. I could really use you by my side.”
His eyes were pained, and I wondered exactly how many times he’d made this very same trip. Get the hopeful call from his sister, drive to pick her up expecting that to be it, for her to be healed, only to be let down again. And again. And again.
I’d promised him he wasn’t going to face this monster alone anymore. What kind of promise would that be if I didn’t agree to go with him tomorrow?
I leaned across the console and pressed my lips against his. They were so unbelievably soft, and every time I felt them, I melted just a little more. “Of course, I’ll go,” I said, my mouth still linked to his.
He pulled back and sighed. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I can’t wait to spend time with her.”
It was true. She’d bee
n Quinn’s entire world for so long, I wanted to be a part of that, to get to know her for the person she was, the one he loved and not just the label that she’d been given.
“You’re incredible,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
I winked. “I am pretty incredible. Let’s go show everyone in there exactly how fantastic I am.”
He groaned. “What would make your dad more upset? Me skipping this mandatory dinner or showing up with his baby girl on my arm?”
“I dunno,” I said as I pushed the truck door open. “Let’s go find out.”
* * *
Turns out, Daddy probably would have been less upset if Quinn had never shown up to another event again. But we’d walked in with our heads held high, and there was no turning back now.
Everyone was mingling around, players and their wives and girlfriends, all with drinks in their hands.
Daddy had been a coach almost my entire life, and one of the things that he loved to do was get all of his players together the weekend before training camp started and feed them and pep talk them and hope that he inspired them to give their all on the field.
He swore that it helped build a brotherhood between the guys, a sisterhood with the spouses, and if nothing else, they got a good meal out of it on the team.
I’d grown up going to these events, and to me, the players were just regular run of-the-mill guys. It was hard to see them in the celebrity fashion that fans did. But I’d never imagined that I’d end up attending one of these dinners as one of the player’s dates.
Apparently, neither did Daddy.
When we walked into the room, the chattering almost immediately died down, replaced by hushed whispers and wide eyes. No eyes wider than Coach Walter Reed’s.
But I had to give him credit; even though his face was turning a shade of red that rivaled a summer tomato, he kept his temper in check and didn’t start bellowing at us from across the room.
I’d promised Quinn that I wouldn’t tell Daddy, or anyone, about his sister. So, even though I knew the truth, none of the players or coaches in this room had any idea that Quinn was not the egotistical guy who he’d seemed like for the last few years.
The Hardest Play Page 15