Avery reached over and squeezed her hand. “He’ll do fine.”
“It shows, huh?” She’d been distracted by her uncertain future with Tanner, but Avery didn’t need those details.
“You look ready to throw up, and I don’t think the guy in front of you would appreciate it.” Avery pointed to the big, burly man guzzling beer and shouting obscenities at the other team.
“It’d be ugly.” Emma swallowed and stared at the field. Tanner threw a football back and forth with Grady to warm up his arm. He was so beautiful. She adored his body naked, but there was something about a hard-bodied man in a football uniform with those shoulder pads exaggerating already broad shoulders and the tight pants hugging his nice butt. Relaxing a little, Emma almost laughed at how far she’d come, or maybe how much Tanner had corrupted her. A few months ago such thoughts would’ve had her blushing. Now they just made her panties wet.
The team finished warm-ups and jogged toward the locker room for the pre-game speech. Pausing, Tanner turned to scan the crowd. He held up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. His gaze met hers and a huge smile softened the tension on his handsome face. Emma blew him a kiss, and he grabbed it and put it in his pocket, giving her the thumbs up before he followed his teammates down the tunnel, taking Emma’s kiss and her heart with him.
* * * *
Tanner strode into the locker room, dancing on the balls of his feet and ready for anything Denver’s defense chose to throw at him. Emma’s kiss energized him, not that he hadn’t already been besieged by nervous energy, but just knowing she was in his corner, cheering for him, and looking damn fine in his jersey filled him with a confidence he hadn’t felt since college.
Together they could do anything. As much as the realization scared the shit out of him, it also calmed him and gave him hope. She believed in him.
The group sitting with her wasn’t lost on him either. Despite the less than warm feeling between Cooper and Isaac and him, Tanner swelled with pride when he saw them sitting together, every one of them wearing his number ten.
Almost like a real family—the family Tanner dreamed of but never had and the very family he’d fabricated for the media to the point where he almost believed he’d been raised by a struggling single father dedicated to his boys and their pursuits. Not exactly a lie, but reality hadn’t been nearly as rosy as it might sound.
Coach kept the pregame speech short, and minutes later the team sprinted as one onto the field to an unusually loud welcome, considering the Steelheads owned the league record for most consecutive losing seasons since their glory days when Meyer stood behind center.
Tanner would play the first quarter with the first-team offense. He vowed to make the most of it, test his resiliency, and apply all the things Coach Meyer had not so patiently taught him. Meyer might be a first-class jerk, but the man knew football. Tanner learned more from him in two weeks than he had in all his combined years playing football.
Denver kicked off, and Grady ran it to the Steelheads’ forty. Not bad field position and better than being on the twenty.
Tanner sprinted onto the field, huddling his guys around him. Cam, Grady, and Hunter listened intently, but a couple of the linemen yawned, looking bored. As captain and the leader of this team, Tanner couldn’t tolerate their inattention. Braedon Dawson had already been doing his part to undermine Tanner during training camp with the defense, he’d be damned if Dawson’s brand of poison would spread to Tanner’s offense. Sid Dimons, their new running back, who’d been cut by the Raiders, bounced on the balls of his feet like a prize fighter, ready to go. Good thing, since he’d get the ball on the first play. Known as the Demon, Sid shredded defenses with his powerful running style, earning his nickname.
“Hey, assholes,” Tanner addressed his misbehaving linemen. “I can make sure you’re knitting on the sidelines if that’s more your speed.”
The big guys at least had the decency to look sheepish. “We’re good,” said the offensive right guard.
“You damn well better be,” Tanner warned. No one would fuck with his team.
Tanner handed off the ball to Demon on the first two plays, and he ripped off a couple nice runs, taking them to third and two at mid-field. When the play came in from the sideline, Tanner tapped his helmet to make sure he’d heard it correctly. He half-turned to find Meyer grinning like a crazy man. Yeah, he’d heard the play correctly. They were testing him, and he’d pass their damn test.
Tanner called the play and broke the huddle. The center snapped the ball, and Tanner faked a handoff to Demon, who did a fine job running with his imaginary ball. Tanner took a few steps back, sidestepping a defensive end who’d found a hole in the line. Buying time for Grady to sprint downfield, Tanner scrambled out of the pocket, incredibly nimble for a guy his size.
One of the fastest men in the NFL, Grady blew by the defensive backs as if they were standing still. Denver had been caught flatfooted and expecting a run.
Grady and Tanner had worked together since their freshman year of college, and Tanner knew his buddy’s moves. He anticipated where he’d run and threw a rocket to that precise location forty yards down the field. Grady hauled it in over his shoulder and never broke his stride. A well-placed block by Hunter had Grady dancing into the end zone.
Tanner broke into a broad grin and ran down the field to join the sea of bodies smothering Grady. You’d have thought they’d just won the Super Bowl. Maybe they hadn’t won the war, but they’d sure as hell won a battle.
The crowd went wild, their cheering raised to a deafening roar. The team hadn’t given them much to cheer about last year, so they were taking advantage of any opportunity to celebrate.
As Tanner returned to the sidelines, he glanced upward, looking for Emma. She stood on her feet, hands raised in the air, screaming, jumping up and down, and hugging her sisters. He cupped his hands to his ears, encouraging her to yell louder. He threw her a kiss before he sat down on the bench and gratefully guzzled the Gatorade one of the equipment guys handed him.
When a shadow blocked the sunlight, Tanner looked up. Meyer, hands on hips, glowered down at him, looking annoyed as usual. Tanner braced himself for a dressing down based on some minute transgression because that was how Meyer rolled.
“Nice pass,” Meyer said, still not smiling. Without another word, the coach walked off to stand with the offensive coordinator.
Tanner scratched his head. With those two words, Meyer had given him the biggest compliment of his career because it was the hardest earned, and he vowed to earn even more praise from the enigmatic, hard-assed coach.
* * * *
Emma waited for Tanner after the game. Standing by herself, she felt uncomfortable and alone. Her sisters, their guys, and Riley hadn’t stayed, which was probably for the better considering Tanner didn’t get along with Cooper or Isaac.
Yet, Emma would’ve loved some company. Other wives and girlfriends mingled with each other, joking and laughing, but Emma stood off to the side, not comfortable inserting herself into others’ conversations without an invitation, even though she was acquainted with many of the women from the women’s club. Emma busied herself with her phone, pretending to be texting someone so she wouldn’t appear so pathetically alone.
Finally Tanner walked out, his hair still wet from his shower. He wore a green dress shirt, tie, and black pants, all of which fit him perfectly, and most likely had been custom-made. He was so hot, he made her mouth water, especially because she knew what he looked like under those clothes.
He saw her and grinned, slipping past a few reporters to pull her into a quick hug. His eyes danced with happiness. While she’d like to think his good mood was due in part to her, she knew better. He’d played a good quarter, probably the best one she’d seen since his college days.
“Good game,” she said, and he literally beamed at her simple compliment.
“Thanks. I felt good out there, Emmie, really good. Hey, how about dinner out before we head home? I�
��m starving.” He glanced around as if just noticing something was missing. “Where’s everyone else?”
“They left.”
“Oh.” He almost seemed sad, but he cheered up quickly. “Then it’s just you and me.”
“And your wingmen,” Emma noted as Cam, Grady, and Hunter loitered nearby, eyeing them.
“Those bastards need to get a life and steady girlfriends so they quit horning in on my time with my wife,” he joked.
Emma laughed. Liking the idea. If Tanner thought they should have girlfriends instead of hook-ups, he must be liking his current life as a married man.
“Hey, clowns, you coming?” Tanner yelled as he grabbed Emma’s hand, laced his fingers in hers, and headed for his truck.
“Yeah, if you’re buying,” Cam answered.
“You’re all cheap bastards. I’m always buying,” Tanner said with resignation.
“If you’re buying, we’re in,” Braedon Dawson inserted himself into the conversation, his beautiful model wife in tow. Tanner frowned but didn’t say anything, but Emma immediately picked up on the tension.
Several minutes later, the group had been ushered to a private table at Miguel’s, a small Mexican restaurant, not too far from the stadium.
Tanner put his arm across the back of the booth, resting his fingers lightly on Emma’s shoulder. His touch did things to her—erotic things. She couldn’t wait to get him naked. She’d never realized how addicting sex was until Tanner entered her life.
“You guys need to get your own lives instead of living vicariously through mine.”
Hunter grinned and leaned back in his seat. “We’re waiting for Emma to get a clue and divorce you. Any woman who cooks like that wins my heart.”
“Hey, idiot, she’s mine.” Cam punched his buddy in the arm.
“I’m the best looking of the bunch. She wants me,” Grady boasted, puffing up like a banty rooster. They were all gorgeous in their own rights, Hunter with his dark, Native American good looks, Cam with his dark skin and darker eyes, and Grady with his wicked smile, tattoos, and bad-boy vibes. Yet, no matter how attractive the wingmen were, none of them came close to Tanner in her heart.
Emma blushed, embarrassed by the attention. She glanced over at Braedon’s wife, who was visibly pouting, as if she couldn’t stand not being the center of attention.
Cleo had been an underwear model or something, nothing big, and she didn’t have a stellar personality to match her beautiful face and body. Emma avoided her in the wives’ meetings because the woman spit venom every chance she got, cutting down anyone who chose to cross her.
“You can cook? Maybe you can teach Cleo a thing or two. Her idea of cooking is a frozen dinner.” Braedon grinned, oblivious to his wife’s murderous glare.
“I hate cooking, but I have other talents,” Cleo said in a sultry tone, addressing her remarks directly to Tanner, instead of her husband. “Don’t I, Tanner?”
Tanner’s eyes grew big, his face paled, and he coughed. The tension at the table amped up to unbearable. Emma’s heart seized, as it was blatantly obvious this woman and Tanner had a history.
“We knew each other at the U-Dub,” Cleo added, for Emma’s benefit.
Now she knew, and the realization made her sick. Cleo was Tanner’s cheerleader girlfriend from his college days. She’d seen them everywhere together during Tanner’s junior year, but the girlfriend had been conspicuously absent when Tanner’s senior year started. There was a story there.
“That was a long time ago,” Tanner spoke cautiously, as if gingerly picking his way through a minefield.
“Too long,” she purred, blatantly coming on to Tanner in front of her husband and Emma.
“So, Brae, you want to invest in a race horse? Tan, Grady, and Cam are.” Hunter smoothly changed the subject and directed the conversation to a safer topic. The men visibly relaxed as Hunter launched into his sales pitch.
Cleo’s shrewd gaze dissected Emma, but Emma ignored the woman. If she’d been Bella, she’d have waved her hand around so the witch could get a good view of the obscenely large diamond on her finger, but she wasn’t. Instead she leaned into Tanner and nibbled on a tortilla chip.
He smiled fondly at her before he turned his attention back to Hunter.
Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Cleo stiffen.
So what the hell?
Emma held up her hand, making sure the ring was visible, and ran her fingers through Tanner’s hair. By the undisguised hatred and jealousy twisting Cleo’s beautiful face, Emma had made her point clear.
* * * *
Tanner opened the car door for Emma, relieved to be away from Cleo and her bullshit. He’d tried to warn Braedon when he’d hooked up with Cleo and immediately fallen for her, but love is blind and lust is blinder. Braedon didn’t listen.
After only a few weeks of dating, the couple had flown to Vegas before training camp for a quickie marriage the same weekend as Tanner’s wedding. Once Cleo got her claws into Brae and his money, she’d turned into a jealous, conniving bitch. The two had only been married a month, but already Cleo led Braedon around by his dick and had his balls in a vise. The poor bastard catered to her every whim. Good thing he’d signed a big contract in the off-season. He’d need every penny of it and then some to keep that woman happy.
Tanner shuddered at the thought of being married to a woman like that. He’d come close, but his sister died, his life fell apart, and he’d walked away from any and all relationships, deeming them too much work and heartache. Jenny had hated Cleo. Now he could see why.
Jenny would’ve loved Emma.
Tanner headed down the freeway toward home, not a fan of the uncomfortable silence between them. He needed to explain, and he was piss-poor at explaining. He’d rather bury his head in the sand and deny his problems. Only this time, those methods weren’t going to work. He needed to man-up. Emma deserved an explanation and an apology.
“I’m sorry about Cleo. She was out of line,” he started the conversation as he exited the freeway and turned onto the four-lane highway toward home. He was surprised how good it felt to apologize and face a problem head-on instead of bury it.
“Something tells me she always is.”
“Pretty much.” He chuckled, grateful Emma didn’t seem too upset.
“I remember the two of you. You were the power couple on the U-Dub campus,” she said quietly; maybe he was wrong about the upset part. Women were a mystery, and he didn’t know one man who could attest to having them figured out.
“It was never going anywhere. It was just sex. Nothing else. Of course, for a randy twenty-year-old, that was more than enough.” He shot a quick glance her way. She looked ready to cry. Well, damn.
“Nothing like what you and I have,” he added with absolute sincerity.
“What do we have?” Emma blinked at him several times as if startled. At least, he’d distracted her from crying.
Her pointed question gave him pause. Tanner was a good-time guy, not one to analyze his feelings or why things were, and he didn’t want to do so now. “We have fun together. We’re friends, and the sex is fucking fantastic.”
“Oh,” Emma almost whispered, not sounding convinced. “She’s very beautiful.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Tanner snorted. In his world, gorgeous women were a dime a dozen. “But she wanted to be a model and planned to head for New York or LA after graduation. I didn’t know where I’d be going, and I didn’t see a future with her. Hell, I didn’t even like her as a person.” He reached for Emma’s hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles, while still keeping his eyes on the road. He released her hand and navigated the truck off the four-lane highway and onto the country road which would take them home.
Emma put her hand on his thigh by his knee and rubbed it. He sighed with contentment.
“I was just worried,” she admitted.
“Emmie, I don’t want her. I don’t know what’s going on between her and Braedon, but it’s not g
ood, and I want no part of it. What I do want is you and me naked in the hot tub with the jets on high while I slide in and out of your tight warm body.”
His words earned him a smile. “Oh, okay, I can live with that.”
“So can I, honey, so can I.”
Truer words were never spoken, and he feared he’d ventured into his personal no-man’s land and allowed himself to get attached to a woman. For both their sakes, he needed to pull back, keep the relationship more physical and less emotional.
When this ended—and it would end—he didn’t want any regrets, and he also didn’t want to lose her as a friend.
Dream on, dumb shit, dream on.
* * * *
Tanner’s second preseason game was played in Kansas City. Emma watched it at Izzy and Cooper’s house. At halftime she helped Izzy assemble some snacks in the kitchen.
After the dinner with the guys a week ago, they’d had incredible sex in the hot tub, on the chaise lounge, and, of course, in bed. Despite the mind-blowing sex every night of the week, something changed that night, something she couldn’t put her finger on. Maybe she was imagining trouble considering her precarious future with Tanner, but she was certain that wasn’t it.
Tanner distanced himself slightly, not in his enthusiasm for sex, but in the closeness they’d been developing. He’d backed off in subtle ways, not sharing as much about his day, not asking her opinions on important matters, not coming home early just to surprise her.
“How do you deal with this?” Emma asked Izzy as she mixed some dip and poured it into a serving dish.
“With what?” Izzy stopped chopping vegetables and turned to her.
“Being with an athlete. I’ve only dealt with one game, and I’m exhausted, emotionally drained, and already worried about what comes next.”
“You’ll learn,” Izzy insisted in her usual no-nonsense, take charge manner.
“He’s so worried he won’t be the starter. He’s practically living at the practice facility, and the team’s rookie QB has been impressive so far.”
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