Damn.
Too many regrets.
“Wait.” Monty turned to face me fully. “I’ve heard of you. You’re that wide receiver. Buckeyes, right?”
I shifted in my seat. It wasn’t like that information was hard to come by, and neither was the story about the injury that ended my career before it started, but if I could avoid the subject, I usually did. People could read about it all they wanted. I didn’t feel like recounting every detail.
This time it was Mari squeezing my hand.
“He’s coaching the local high school team.”
“You’re a teacher?” Jackson asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. This is my second year. But I’m not the head coach, just the offensive one.”
Monty smiled. “I saw you play. Man, you could catch anything that came your way.”
Mari leaned in closer. “I bet he still can.”
“I guess I could. Haven’t really played in a long time.” I really hoped that would be the end of the conversation; the end of the one topic I really didn’t want to be on the table.
Heath gave me an understanding nod. “That’s right. Your knee.”
The guys all glanced in different directions, avoiding eye contact. “Sorry, man,” Jackson said.
I looked over at Mari, wondering for the first time how different things might have been if I’d made it to the NFL. I definitely wouldn’t be sitting here.
“Don’t worry about it. Things happen for a reason, right?”
“Yeah, they do.”
The waitress chose that moment to take our orders and, thankfully, the topic of conversation changed after she left, most of it revolving around stories of the band; how they met, crazy things they’d done.
“Crazy bastard jumped the fence and climbed to the top of the slide.” Heath laughed and I glanced between him and Monty. Most of our plates were empty, waiting for the server to return and take them away.
“Was the water on?”
Heath shook his head. “Nope, that shit was dry as the desert. Didn’t stop numbnuts here from sliding down it anyway.”
My ass and legs hurt simply thinking about them rubbing against the plastic as I went down. “Shit, didn’t that hurt?”
Monty smirked. “Road rash took weeks to clear up. Totally worth it, though.”
I couldn’t stop the laughter. I’d known some crazy assholes in college, but none crazy enough to pull that shit.
Jackson spoke up. “You forgot the part where he got chased by the cops. Spent the night hiding under cars and in dumpsters to avoid them.”
My jaw dropped and I watched Monty twirl a spoon through his fingers. “Dude, there’s something seriously wrong with you.”
Monty laughed, his eyes on the spoon. “I know. Isn’t it great?”
The rest of the table burst into laughter and Mari buried her face in Sawyer’s shoulder. It hadn’t been the first time that night. I had a feeling she didn’t even know she was doing it. It was hard for me not to notice how much they touched, either. Nothing major, just a hand on the shoulder here, or an arm over the shoulder there. But that was normal. They were friends. Close friends.
At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
Afraid I might say something to piss everyone off, I bit the inside of my cheek and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. The tension flowed from my muscles when she snuggled closer.
Sawyer glanced at us out of the corner of his eye, careful not to turn his head. I still noticed. I noticed everything to do with Mari. I really didn’t want to be jealous of Sawyer, but he was making it fucking hard.
I forced the thought from my head. With Mari sitting close to me, it was easier to listen to their stories and keep the green-eyed monster at bay. The waitress brought the check. Heath grabbed it before Mari could get her hands on it.
“Not again,” she groaned.
I glanced over at Heath “I’ve got me and Mari.”
She turned in my arms. “You don’t have to buy me dinner.”
Unable to resist touching her, I ran my thumb over her bottom lip. “I don’t have to, but I want to.”
I glanced up to see Sawyer watching me. “She always fights us when we try to pay.”
I looked back down at Mari. “This gonna be an all-the-time fight with you?”
Sawyer chuckled. “All the time.”
“Good to know.”
Mari crossed her arms over her chest, but the corners of her lips twitched as she fought a smile.
“Just remember, we never let her win that argument.” Sawyer winked.
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
That was a relief. It seemed like we were finally on the same page with Mari. Maybe Sawyer and I could become friends; that was, if I could find a way to keep the touching to a minimum. Next time, I’d make sure my ass was planted next to Sawyer instead of Mari. Easy fix.
“You realize that I’m sitting right here.”
I pressed a quick kiss to her lips and as the waitress cleared the rest of the plates, Heath threw his money into the black folder and handed it to me. “We need to hang out more often.”
I put my own money in and handed it over Mari’s head where she couldn’t reach it to Sawyer.
“Come watch the Final Four with us,” he said.
I peeked at Mari. These were her friends. I didn’t want to step on any toes. She had a wide grin on her face. “Sure. Think Kansas is gonna take it all?”
“Nah.” Jackson shook his head. “Connecticut will put up a helluva fight.”
Mari’s eyes glazed over. I’d learned the other night she wasn’t a fan of basketball, but it was good to know I could find common ground with the guys other than her.
With dinner over, Heath moved out of the booth. I followed suit, taking Mari with me.
“Are you coming back to my place or am I taking you back to yours?” I whispered in her ear, low enough so no one else could hear.
She looked around at the guys. “Definitely yours.”
I had a feeling she knew the rest of them would end up at her house. During dinner they’d mentioned working on a few songs for the label and with their basement, meaning no complaints from the neighbors about the noise, Mari and Sawyer had the most viable place to work.
We said good-night to the guys and I took Mari’s arm and led her to the car. On the way back to my place, I noticed she was much calmer.
“See, that wasn’t so bad.”
I swallowed the rest on the tip of my tongue. There was no reason to mention the way she and Sawyer behaved around each other. I had a feeling neither of them—well, at least Mari—didn’t realize it was happening.
“Not at all. I had a lot of fun tonight. I knew Monty was a little crazy, but even I’d never heard some of those stories. You fit in really well.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Did you expect me not to? I’ve chatted with Heath at a few of your shows.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, but that was different. Besides, the jocks and the music geeks don’t always get along. You know that.”
The insinuation that I was still “the jock” was like a punch to the gut. Choosing to make light of it I placed my hand over her thigh, stroking my thumb over the fabric. “This jock happens to enjoy every moment he spends with this hot-as-fuck, smarter-than-everyone-he-knows, music chick.”
There was no way I’d call her a geek. She might have said it, and really it was just a word, but with our history it wasn’t a good choice.
As soon as we got back to my place, Mari settled herself on the couch. I grabbed two beers from the fridge and climbed behind her, her back to my chest, my thighs either side of hers. I hit play on the DVD.
She looked over her shoulder at me. “The Breakfast Club?”
“I figured you’d like it.”
“It’s one of my favorites.”
I caressed her cheek with my fingertips. “Look how well I know you already.”
She placed a soft kiss on my lips and turned back
to the screen. The scent of her was intoxicating. I ran my nose along her neck, placing kisses along the same path. She shivered under my touch. When she bent her head to give me better access, I ran my hands up her shirt to caress her breasts. Even through the fabric of her bra, I felt her nipples rise up proudly against my hand.
She moaned and turned into my arms, my tongue plunging into her mouth the same way I wanted to plunge into her warm body. Our bodies entwined, the heat of her calling to me.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Ryan groaned. “The bedroom is like five feet down the hall.”
I broke the kiss and peered up at Ryan, who stood in the doorway, hands over his eyes. At least we both still had our clothes on. A few minutes later and I was sure that wouldn’t have been the case.
Mari’s face was flushed with desire and I stood from the couch, offering my hand to her, not really wanting Ryan to see her like this. This was for my eyes only. She sunk her teeth into her lower lip, placing her hand in mine. I walked Mari toward the hallway and glanced over my shoulder. Ryan caught my eye and my wink and rubbed his fingers over his temples. “Shit, am I going to need earplugs?”
“Probably.” I smirked, and left him in the hallway.
CHAPTER 22
Mari
Cole kept glancing over his shoulder.
“I think you have some admirers.”
We’d chosen a restaurant a few towns over to avoid being recognized. With the popularity of our first single, people had begun asking us for autographs. It was happening at the grocery store, the gas station, even at the post office. People had no problem approaching us. Nothing out of hand, but for once I wanted to have dinner out with my boyfriend without worrying about people bothering us. It wasn’t like we were a household name. I figured an hour away from our homes we’d be safe.
Apparently not.
“What are you talking about?”
“Two tables to your left.”
I didn’t want to glance over and give them any indication that I’d seen them. Cole had been great about the interruptions closer to home. Not once had he complained, but for me, this was starting to get old very quickly.
I pushed the food around my plate, my appetite completely gone.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Look at me.”
I brought my gaze up to his. “Sorry about this.” I moved my eyes in the direction of the table.
“Don’t be sorry. Your song is killin’ it. It comes with the territory.”
I set my fork down. “You didn’t sign up for this.”
Cole reached across the table to cover my hand with his. “If I have you, I couldn’t give two shits if people stop us to get your autograph. If it makes you happy, it makes me happy.”
“Are you sure?”
He laughed. “You forget that I was supposed to play in the NFL. I’ve had my fair share of people stopping me on the street. Some of them would even ask in my classes, probably hoping it would be worth something someday.”
His eyes dropped and although I knew he was attempting humor, I could see from the way his shoulders slumped that it still hurt him to think about what might have been. I ran my fingers up his arm. “Don’t do that. I still think they should have taken the risk on you.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. He moved his hand away to wipe his napkin across his lips. Was it ridiculous for me to be a little jealous of that napkin? With people watching, I wouldn’t give them any photo opportunities by kissing Cole in the restaurant.
“Speaking of taking a chance on people, I got a call the other day from Hayward about me coaching for them.”
Cole’s eyes were on the tablecloth as he spoke. Was he embarrassed?
“As in the university?”
“Yeah.” It was his turn to push his food around his plate. “They’re looking for someone for the fall season.”
I watched him, trying to pick up any clues. But while I was an open book, Cole was good at giving away nothing.
“Excuse me?” a quiet female voice said.
Even without looking, I knew who had to be standing next to our table. The same ones Cole mentioned earlier. All I wanted was to dig deeper into my boyfriend’s reaction to being offered the job of a lifetime, but I found myself having to paste a smile on my face. I turned to face the two girls idling by our table, mobile phones clutched in their hands.
“You’re Mari from Jaded Ivory, right?” The girl’s voice was so high-pitched, it made my ears ring.
“That’s me.” I kept the smile in place, leaving my shiny, white teeth on display.
“We’re so sorry to bother you,” the other girl said in a much calmer voice, “but we absolutely love your song Runaway Dream, and we were wondering if we could get your autograph?”
I nodded. Not to be a bitch, but the sooner I signed whatever they wanted, the sooner I could get back to figuring out what was bothering Cole.
“Sure. What do you want me to sign?”
The first girl pulled out a sharpie and her phone, flipping so I could sign the case. The other one asked me to sign the top of her Chucks. Squealing, the girls said thank you and bounded back to their table.
“Nice fake smile.” Cole’s trademark smirk was there, visible even behind his glass. Okay, so he was feeling better.
Or trying to change the subject.
“It’s good that you’re the only one who notices. Besides, it might have been a real smile if my boyfriend hadn’t dropped his new job offer in my lap with a look like he was heading to the gallows.”
Cole put his drink down and rolled his eyes. “The gallows? Really?”
“You looked like you were being led to your death. What’s the deal? I thought you were excited by the idea of coaching a college team?”
“I am. I mean, I was . . . No, I am. It’s just—” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not the only call I got. Cambria called me about a week ago.”
I gave his arm a shove. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
His gaze roamed around the room. “You were stressed about the new song.”
“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to know something that exciting. Remember this”—I wagged my finger between the two of us—“is a partnership, which means we share things with each other. The only reason you knew I was stressed about the new song was because I told you. You need to talk to me when something’s bothering you. Then we can figure it out together.”
“I know.” He sighed. “But how was I supposed to tell you that I was excited about a job two hours from where we live? And that’s if I take the coaching position at Hayward. Cambria is five hours.”
Two hours? Five hours?
We’d fallen so easily into a routine that worked for both of us that the possibility of him having to move cities for his job never once crossed my mind. “I never thought of that.”
“I figured as much. It’s not that I don’t want the job, but the thought of moving that far from you doesn’t sit very well. When Harrison mentioned it, I didn’t really believe they would actually call me.”
There was a cough next to us and I looked up to see the waiter. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, just the check please.” Cole reached for his wallet.
I took my purse from the back of my chair. “Please, let me get it tonight. It’s kind of my fault the dinner went to shit.”
He shook his head. “Nope. Let me pay and then we can talk in the car on the way home. Lots of ears listening in.”
He glanced over my shoulder and I just knew the two girls from before were hanging on every word that came out of our mouths. “Okay.”
Cole put his card in the folder and handed it to the waiter. A few minutes later he returned, Cole signed the slip and we were on the road home. I waited until we hit the highway to start with my questions.
“Taking distance out of the equation, do you want either of the jobs?”
Even in the dark of the car I could see his hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Yes, but I don’
t want to leave you.”
“Cole?”
He kept his eyes forward.
“I need you to really listen to me. Do you promise to actually hear what I’m saying?”
“I always listen to you,” he said solemnly.
“I don’t want you to give up your dreams for me. You’ve already had them ripped away from you once. Now you’re getting a second chance. Don’t waste that chance on me.”
The car jerked, throwing me forward as he pulled over onto the side of the road. He put the car in park and turned to face me. Cars whizzed by us, but I ignored them for the man in front of me. “I listened, and now I need you to hear what I’m saying. I may have lost the NFL and, yeah, it really sucked. But the one thing I remind myself is that if I hadn’t lost that dream, I may not have found you.” He leaned forward and took my lips in the sweetest, softest kiss. “I don’t want the other dream if it means giving you up.”
“That’s the thing, Cole, it doesn’t mean giving me up. The studio said by the summer they want us to start as the opening act for a few different bands. Which means we could be on the road quite often. It won’t matter if you’re two hours away, or need to travel for an away game. We’d figure it out, and spend the time together when we could.”
His brow rose. “Now who’s been keeping secrets? You never told me about becoming an opening act.”
I glanced away, knowing he’d caught me there. “Sorry. I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”
“Well I guess I’ll have to figure out how to sneak into your dressing room.” He waggled his brows at me.
“I think I’ll help you sneak in.” I kissed him, pushing my tongue between his lips. He groaned and pulled away.
“As much as I’d like to continue this, I also would rather not get arrested for having sex on the shoulder of the highway, which is exactly what’s going to happen if you keep that up.”
I leaned up once again, running my tongue along the shell of his ear. “Then I guess you better find a place to pull over where we won’t get caught.”
Rock Me (Jaded Ivory Book 1) Page 19