On the Line

by Liz Lincoln

  Deanna Chamberlain’s face broke into a wide smile as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Get over here.” Despite her words, she came to him, wrapping her arms around his wide shoulders.

  Seth returned her hug, letting himself briefly enjoy the familiarity of the moment. He loved the Dragons and planned to explore more of his new hometown when the season was over. But being home made him realize how much he’d missed Houston. Not the city so much as the family: his dad, his idiot brothers, and especially Mom.

  Maybe if he didn’t get a contract extension and no one else wanted to sign him—which seemed unlikely given the spectacular season he was having—he and Maddie would come back. He’d sold their house, but they’d easily find a new one.

  Except as he thought about it, something hollow opened up in his chest. Milwaukee was starting to feel like home too. Lem and his family were there, and Seth was making new friends on the team. Maddie was finding a place at her school, with the comics club and the ecology club and her new friends, and having a fantastic swimming season.

  And there was Carrie.

  His mom pulled back and held his face between her hands. He got his height from her; she stood just shy of six feet. So she could easily look him in the eyes.

  “What’s wrong? You had a fantastic game. Mike must be exploding your phone.” She knew his agent had a habit of sending dozens of texts and voicemails whenever a client had a good game.

  He tried not to laugh at his mom getting the phrase wrong. “Blowing up my phone.”

  “ ’Scuse me?”

  “The expression is ‘blowing up my phone.’ Not ‘exploding.’ ”

  With a “hmph,” she patted his cheek a little harder than she needed to. “Still, you gonna tell me what’s got you so grumpy after your sack was the winning play?” She moved to the island and resumed cutting the green beans.

  He didn’t bother pointing out that every play was the winning play, because without Baxter’s touchdown passes and Trask’s field goal, they couldn’t have won. Without the defense forcing punts and field goals instead of touchdowns, they couldn’t have won. As his biggest fan, his mom would naturally focus on that final defensive play.

  “I’m worried about Maddie.” He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. Except, given how moody she’d been, it was a big deal. He had no idea how she was reacting to the situation. “I should call her. I’m gonna go upstairs and do that.” He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. “Then I’ll come help you finish dinner.”

  Deanna snorted. “As if I’m letting you anywhere near my food.”

  Seth laughed as he headed for the stairs. Once in the guest room, he shut the door, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and dropped down on the bed. As predicted, he had nine texts and two voicemails from his agent. The two texts at the time of his final sack were in all caps with several exclamation points. Classic Mike.

  Seth also had several messages that fell into the “great game” category and a handful of “Happy Thanksgiving” ones.

  Two messages were from his mom, explaining the Maddie situation. He had a similar message from Carrie. Noticeably absent was anything from Maddie.

  The most recent text was another from Carrie. Despite his frustration, seeing the notification warmed his chest.

  Carrie: Great game. Happy Thanksgiving. This year, I’m grateful for gaining a more intimate knowledge of certain aspects of football. ;)

  He barked out a startled laugh and typed a reply. He loved when she got flirty.

  Seth: Thanks. Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I’m pretty grateful for learning more about comic books. Particularly Poison Ivy.

  Her response came almost immediately.

  Carrie: I’m also thankful for men who know what they’re doing in bed. And multiple orgasms.

  Damn. She was going to make him swallow his tongue. The headline flashed in his mind: “NFL Star Found Dead in Parents’ Home. Cause of Death: Extreme Sexting.”

  Seth: Do you want me to have a hard-on in front of my mom and aunts?

  Carrie: I’m laughing at you.

  Seth: I’m sure you are.

  Their quick conversation had done wonders to relax him. He almost felt prepared to call Maddie and apologize.

  Seth: Can I call you in a little bit? I need to call Maddie first, but I need to hear your voice.

  Carrie: Call whenever. I’m watching It’s a Wonderful Life with her and my mom.

  Seth shoved his hand into his hair, yanking strands free from his ponytail. Restless, he got up and paced the small room as he waited for Maddie to answer. Two steps across, two steps back. It did little to calm him, but it was better than lying on the bed until he shook apart from impotent frustration.

  “Hey, Dad.” Maddie’s voice held a sigh.

  “Hey, baby. I’m so sorry about this. Everyone here misses you.”

  “I bet Clint doesn’t,” she said dryly.

  “You’re probably right.” His cousin was only interested in females he could bang and had no use for kids. In twelve years, he’d barely even spoken to Maddie. But it was no loss for her. The guy was a classic sexist pig. Seth did his best to avoid talking to him as well.

  “I know I don’t control the weather, or my game schedule, but I really am sorry you’re not here.”

  “I know. It just…sucks. I miss Grandma and Grandpa.”

  Seth’s heart squeezed at her pitiful tone. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to hug his little girl and make her feel better.

  “I bet your meal was great, though. Right?” he said, attempting to cheer her up. “Carrie’s a good cook, so I bet she helped put together a fantastic feast.”

  “It was amazeballs.”

  “Amazeballs? Wow, that’s high praise.”

  Maddie ignored his teasing and continued. “No cream of nasty snot soup on the beans, no Red Number 40 marshmallows on the sweet potatoes. And Carrie’s mom cooks the stuffing outside the turkey, so we don’t all get hospitalized with salmonella.”

  “OK, first, cream of tasty deliciousness soup is fabulous when cooked with green beans and topped with crunchy onions. Second—”

  “Dad, I gotta go. Your friend Jason is dishing out pie. It’ll be gone if I don’t hurry.”

  Seth didn’t bother pointing out that at home, she wandered all over the house while talking on the phone, and that she had no qualms about talking while she ate.

  “I wouldn’t want to stand between you and pumpkin pie. I love you. I’ll get the flight stuff sorted out so you can still get down here to see Grandma and Grandpa, hopefully tomorrow.” He was ridiculously excited about having an entire weekend alone with Carrie. She could spend two nights in his bed with him. Saturday was his day off, which was rare, and they planned to spend it mostly naked or in lounging-around clothes, watching movies or binge-watching a show. And taking lots of sex breaks. But he couldn’t do that if Maddie stayed in Milwaukee.

  He was a terrible father.

  “Mike already took care of it. Carrie’s taking me to the airport for an eight-thirty flight. Goes through Denver.”

  “Help me remember to get Mike and Carrie something extra nice for Christmas.” He could think of several things to get Carrie, but none he would discuss with his daughter.

  And while Mike could be overwhelming with his enthusiasm, that enthusiasm had translated into some amazing contracts and a couple of lucrative endorsement deals that had already paid for Maddie’s college. While other agents might not send their best clients multiple texts during a game, Seth liked knowing Mike was paying attention. And he knew not all his teammates had agents who would spend their Thanksgiving making alternative travel arrangements for a twelve-year-old who wasn’t his kid.

  “He forwarded the email to you.” Seth could almost hear her roll her eyes through the phone.

  “Guess I better check my email.”

  “OK. Pie. Gotta go.”

  “Love you. Happy Thanksgiving.”

/>   “You too.”

  The call dropped before he was ready to let her go. But the girl had her priorities straight. He’d never had Carrie’s pie, but it had to be amazing.

  Or amazeballs.

  Before he could call Carrie, a fist pounded on the door. “Time to eat, asshole,” Beau’s voice came through the door.

  “Be right there.” Damn. He really wanted to talk to her.

  He wasn’t going to think too hard about what that meant.

  As he headed down to the dining room, he shot off a text to her.

  Seth: Time to eat. I’ll call later. Plus, I hear you’re having pie.

  Her response came as he took his seat between Aunt Wendy and Logan.

  Carrie: Maybe we can relax each other before bed.

  He half laughed, half choked at the thought. With one hand he reached for his water while the other shoved the phone in his pocket before anyone else could read the text.

  This was going to be his fastest Thanksgiving dinner ever.

  *

  —

  “Happy birthday. You don’t look a day over twenty-nine.” Seth used one arm to pull Carrie away from the washing machine and against his chest. His other arm held a sweater-box-shaped present and small shopping bag. He brushed his lips over hers, then slid over her cheek to press a wet kiss beneath her ear.

  She shuddered, pulling him inside so she could kick the door shut behind him. It was definitely December, with the below-freezing temperatures and gusty winds.

  “That’s because I am twenty-nine.”

  Grinning, he shrugged out of his coat and hung it on a hook. “Must be it.”

  They wandered into the living room and sat on the couch. He’d dropped Maddie at Emilia’s for the night, so they were free to touch and kiss as much as they wanted.

  He set the present and bag on the coffee table, then slid his hand into Carrie’s hair. “Come here so I can give you a proper birthday kiss.”

  She opened her mouth to give a flirty reply, but his lips covered hers before she could. Instead, a squeak escaped her throat as his tongue slid against hers, quickly chasing away any lingering chill that had followed him in.

  Her arms found their way around his neck and she pulled him with her as she sank back into the cushions. They shifted against each other, finding the most comfortable position, their lips never coming apart. He lifted her legs over his so he could scoot closer, and pressed his chest to hers.

  The kisses went on and on, one blending into the next. They were both content not to take it further. At least for the moment.

  Seth’s hand slid down her back, over her butt and down the back of her thigh. Then he reversed course until he reached her shoulder. He repeated the long, slow caress three more times as their tongues tangled and their lips clung.

  Finally, hand splayed wide over the center of her back, he pulled back enough to whisper her name. His forehead rested against hers and she could feel him watching her.

  A faint smile curved her mouth, but she wasn’t quite ready to open her eyes. “Thank you. That was probably the best birthday present I got.”

  “Probably?” She could hear the smile in his voice.

  “My mom got me a new ereader. So it’s a tough call.”

  “Nice to know where I rank.”

  Grinning, she finally lifted her lids and immediately lost the small amount of breath she’d regained. She wasn’t prepared for the intensity in his flaming blue eyes. His features were relaxed, lips turned up, but his gaze bored into her. Telling her all sorts of things he’d never put into words.

  “I…” She didn’t know what she wanted to say, so she pressed a quick kiss to his swollen lips, then pushed gently on his chest so he would sit up.

  With a few inches of space between them, she could breathe easier. “What else did you get me?” She inclined her head toward the present and bag.

  “You want your present or your birthday cake first?”

  She sat up straighter. “You got cake?”

  “Of course. Do you people in Wisconsin have something else for birthdays I need to know about?” He cocked a blond brow at her.

  “You say that like we’re an alien species. Of course we do birthday cake.” She backhanded him in the chest, then stood. “You get any for yourself too?”

  “Like I’m gonna sit here and watch you eat cake without having any.”

  “Be right back.” She put an exaggerated sway in her hips as she headed for the kitchen.

  His low whistle made her laugh.

  A few minutes later, they dug into two decadent-looking pieces of cake. After dropping off Maddie, he’d picked up slices of cheesecake and carrot cake from a local bakery that specialized in both. Because Carrie couldn’t pick one over the other, they shared both.

  Seth forked off a bite of cheesecake and held it out for her. Carrie closed her mouth over the creamy treat, letting the slightly tart flavor coat her tongue. The thin layer of raspberry and the chocolate ganache top were perfect complements to the cake.

  Looking up at Seth through her lashes, she smiled around the fork and moaned. She didn’t normally moan over food, but it was fun to tease him. Holding eye contact, she pulled her dessert off the fork. Heat flared in his eyes as he watched her, his expression tense.

  “Mmmmm, that’s delicious.” She made a production of licking her lips even though there was nothing left on them.

  “Jesus,” he muttered.

  She grinned. He growled.

  Hunger flared low in her belly, a hunger the cakes couldn’t satisfy. But she wanted to draw this out. It was her birthday, and she’d make him crazy if she wanted to.

  She scooped up a bite of carrot cake and offered it to Seth. “You gonna eat?”

  “I’d rather eat you while you eat the cake.”

  His blunt words painted a clear picture in her head. How debauched would it be to lie back on his couch, eating cake while he went down on her? Cheesecake and orgasms—two great things that would be amazing together.

  As much as she now throbbed between her legs, however, she advanced the fork toward his mouth. She wasn’t ready to move on yet. “Maybe another time.”

  He snatched the bite off the fork, tiny bits of frosting catching on his mustache.

  “You have a little right here.” She traced her finger over his upper lip, pressing the coarse hairs against him. Then she ran her nail along the seam of his lips until he drew her finger inside.

  His tongue wrapped around her fingertip, stroking and sucking and feeding the fire in her belly. Maybe she should consider his offer to have all the cake while he feasted on her. The way his tongue played over her finger was reminiscent of how he used it on her clit.

  With a shudder, she pulled back. “Eat the cake. I want my other presents.”

  She deliberately used the plural, even though there was only one wrapped gift. Because, of course, he was the gift she really wanted.

  They made quick work of the cake, with some chatting about their weeks. It had become their routine, as much as they had one. Maddie usually spent the night at Emilia’s on Friday, allowing them to be together, to touch and kiss and have as much sex as they wanted.

  Sometimes Carrie wished they could go to a movie or out for dinner, instead of eating in and watching movies. But it was hard to be too upset when she got so many mind-blowing orgasms out of the arrangement. Some nights they even cuddled on the couch while she sketched ideas for her comics textbook and he studied his playbook. It beat the hell out of sitting alone half watching a rom-com and wondering why she couldn’t find a guy like Billy Crystal or Ryan Reynolds.

  Seth wasn’t Hugh Grant in any of his dozen aw-shucks roles, but since the sex was more out of something NC-17, she was quite content.

  “We gotta stay on top of our game for the rest of the season. St. Louis is two games behind us, but they have a cakewalk schedule the rest of the year, except next week against us. Colorado Springs is just one game back. And they
’re our last game.”

  He set his plate on the table and ran his hand absently up and down her thigh. It sent pleasant warmth to her core.

  “And you need to be ahead of St. Louis and Colorado Springs to go to the playoffs?” She was still figuring out how it all worked. He’d mentioned wild cards a few weeks ago and she still didn’t understand what that meant.

  “And Vegas. But if they lose one more game, their record is too bad to make the playoffs at all. Even if we lose our last four, we’d be ahead of them.”

  She shook her head. “I never knew how much math was in football.”

  He huffed out a laugh. “It’s all about numbers. Player stats. Team stats. Odds. Hypothetical scenarios.”

  “Math and physics. I should have become a fan years ago.”

  He curled his lips into a smile that made her go soft inside. “You a fan now?” He swung her legs over his again and tugged her over until her butt rested against his thigh.

  She slid her hand up his chest, resting it on his shoulder. “It would appear so.”

  Grinning, he leaned in for a kiss. His tongue slid along her lips, then inside, and she melted into him.

  “You taste like cake,” he murmured against her mouth.

  “So do you.”

  “How about I give you your birthday orgasm now?” His beard scraped her, making her shiver, as he dragged his mouth to her neck.

  “Just one?” She put a pout in her voice even though she knew what his response would be.

  “For your birthday. Maybe another to make up for not being able to give you one on your actual birthday Wednesday. The rest are because you make me crazy and I can’t keep my hands off you.”

  “Well, if that’s the case…”

  She let him drag his mouth down her neck until he reached the spot where it met her shoulder. He sucked hard, knowing it made her squirm. The pleasure was intense. She dug her nails into his shoulder and made a desperate sound.

  His hands slid up the back of her shirt, warm on her skin but still making her shiver. With a twist of his fingers, he had her bra unhooked, and shoved both garments over her head and off. They dropped out of sight as he arched her toward him and closed his lips over one tight nipple.