Game On! (Seaside Heat)

by Dani Jace

  “Already liking what I see.” He winked. Lighting a kiss to her cheek, he smiled and squeezed her hand. “Can’t wait.”

  One kiss and damn.

  Without the aid of a footstep, he slid into the high Jeep.

  As she drove on autopilot, white lines zipped past. A fucking football player? So much for keeping a low profile when the owner of her favorite local restaurant already knew him.

  She licked her lips, enjoying the lingering taste of his masculinity. Why her? She’d snatched a football out of mid-air right in front of him and then he’d guessed her profession. Did he like athletic women or had he grown bored with the groupie types?

  Funny thing though, she didn’t feel athletic around him. Every bit of his six-foot-plus frame and two-hundred-plus pounds of hard male made her soft. Feminine in fact.

  A first for her.

  Richard had made her feel intellectual, attractive but astute. Then he sold her down the river as his adulteress tramp. She doubted she’d ever feel worthy again.

  Jordan punched on the stereo and cranked the volume to drown her negative self-talk. Damn Good by Nickelback blared through the speakers, forcing her to smile. She bet her blond football god would surely be better than damn good!

  But could she follow through on the game she started?

  * * * *

  The center snapped the ball. Heath blocked a tackle then sprinted through the defensive line. The ball bulleted overhead. With outstretched hands, he snagged the pigskin, stutter-stepped to avoid the cornerback, and gained another couple of yards. A thick arm snagged him at the hips.

  “Nice catch buddy.” Dugan heaved his weight off Heath, and then offered a hand.

  “Didn’t know it was you dragging my ass down.” Heath accepted the help and wiped the grass off his pants. “Thanks for being gentle.”

  The whistle sounded for a break, and Dugan snapped loose his chin guard. “That’s not what GiGi was screaming last night.” He smacked Heath on the butt.

  “Gotta a second date?” Hell, he was surprised he didn’t already have a standard invitation.

  “Turns out I’ve got more stamina than her musician lays.” He wiggled his brows.

  “Yeah, and you don’t usually pass out in your vomit.” Heath turned for the water station on the sideline.

  “You’re just jealous I got the easy one.” He grabbed a line and guzzled.

  Hardly, but Dugan needed to be the star. Like Jordan said, he liked the limelight. “Maybe I like the thrill of the chase.” He grinned and gunned some water over his head.

  “Just don’t get dragged into any of her games. I’ll catch you later. Got some afternoon delight planned.”

  Heath laughed. “Got it covered, buddy.” If Dugan only knew the game had Jordan offered him.

  * * * *

  From his view on the deck, surfers bobbed on the high tide afternoon swells. Heath itched to join them but couldn’t risk an injury. He’d grown up on the coast of South Carolina near Folly Beach. Since college, he’d been deprived of the Atlantic, and a lake wasn’t the same for an ocean lover.

  With stomach growling, he returned inside to the kitchen. After tossing mixed lettuce in a large bowl, he loaded the salad with grilled chicken and poured on his vice of peppercorn dressing. A few sundried tomatoes served as croutons.

  While eating, he fired up his computer hoping to video chat with his sister, Ashley. No response. Even though her husband made plenty of money, she’d never been a girl satisfied to sit at home. She worked at a law office while Jeremy was in pre-school. At twenty-four she already had a career and a family. Chasing the elusive football dream had Heath far behind in both.

  Curiosity drove him to Google his game girl. He typed Jordan Walker and clicked on the first link, a newspaper article.

  Richard Branscome, CEO of Bodies, a sports equipment chain from Richmond, has been removed from the board for inappropriate relations with Jordan Walker, a teacher in Hampton Roads, and captain of a woman’s semi-pro lacrosse team sponsored by the corporation.

  The fork fell from his fingers. Digging deeper, he searched Mr. Branscome. The man was a staunch supporter of women’s sports in the state. It didn’t take long to also surmise the man was a high-class hound and young female athletes were his prey. Somehow Jordan had gotten caught in his web. If he hadn’t been privy to similar situations while elbowing amongst pro football players, he might not have believed her innocent plea. He knew a player who kept a secret house where he and his friends and teammates invited ladies and partied hard.

  He distinctly remembered Jordan scrutinizing his left hand at the café. She might have been gullible, but he didn’t believe her the type to knowingly carry on with a married man.

  After lunch with more than food for thought, he drove to Sandbridge where he’d first met Jordan. The multitude of vehicles surprised him. Several teens unhitched surfboards as he passed. “No school today, guys?”

  “Last day, early release, dude!” The lanky one grinned.

  Heath found a quiet spot on the surfing side and planted his chair. Before long, the noise of beachgoers blended into the lulling surf while thoughts of Jordan filled his twilight sleep. Hopefully, with the school year finished, his hottie teacher would be free to play their little game over the summer.

  * * * *

  Jordan clicked save after entering the last grade and shut off the computer for the summer. While lying low after her legal troubles, she sighed in relief having made it through the school year. Her cell phone buzzed on the desk.

  “You didn’t call me back on Sunday. Did you meet him for brunch?” GiGi didn’t even wait for her to say hello.

  Crap, she’d hoped GiGi’s fun with Dugan and her trip to New York had dulled her memory. She grabbed a box and started unloading her desk. “Yep. It was nice.”

  “Hold on a second, Jordan. Let me double check this order before sending it to the vendor. Found some great fabrics here this week.” Clicking keys followed. “Okay sister, give it up.”

  “He’s a guy in town for a few weeks and I’m not looking for a relationship.” Just needed a hot body taking her to heights she’d only imagined.

  “Jordan, are you actually clamming up on me?”

  “You know they’re both players on the new Tritons football team, don’t you?” She closed the box, ready to sprout wings and fly away in freedom.

  “Say what?” GiGi let out a long whistle. “Sneaky fuckers!”

  “Your guy’s a middle linebacker, so no wonder he’s meat on the hoof.” Jordan laughed.

  “And between those massive thighs, too.” GiGi moaned. “If I hadn’t had to pack and fly out for this fashion show, I would have kept him at my place the rest of the weekend.”

  How many dates would it take to reach that particular body part on Heath? Warmth built in Jordan’s lower stomach and migrated down. Maybe she could surprise him and skip straight to the ‘D.’ “So are you hooking up with Dugan again when you get back?”

  “Yes ma’am. I ain’t done ridin’ that bull yet. Told him I’d be busy while in New York and I’d call after my flight back on Thursday. Now you’ve got me thinking I should text him. Maybe I should send him a cleavage shot to give him a reminder.” She giggled. “Why waste a chance to show off this designer bra. What about you and Mr. Dreamy Eyes?”

  So she had noticed those stunning baby blues in spite of the meat man. “I offered to be his local tour guide, no strings attached.”

  “Good girl. Heard he’s coming off an evil woman and out for some summer fun like you.”

  So body parts it would be. Jordan frowned, unsettled about how much she longed to see him again. “We’ll get together for lunch when you get back. Get a freebie dress from the fashion show to loan me. One that will bring him to his knees.”

  “Only if I can watch!” GiGi razzed her before disconnecting.

  Forever notorious that girl.

  With a pang of regret, J
ordan packed some of the lacrosse gear she’d loaned to the new coach for the season. She said goodbye to her fellow PE teachers, the office staff then loaded her car destined for home.

  Still paying lawyer’s fees, she’d given up her apartment, hoping to get out of the hole. She turned into her parent’s fancy bricked driveway. With no raises for city and school employees in the last three years, she doubted her residence would change in the near future.

  Her dad stepped out the front door as she started unloading. “Let me help you.”

  “I’ve got it, Dad.”

  He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Though he had a desk job, he stayed in shape playing tennis. His protective and giving nature demanded he help her until the boxes sat stacked in her room over the garage.

  “Are you going out tonight?” He knew the usual school’s-out parties that she used to attend.

  Her life had changed dramatically after being cross-examined by a bulldog lawyer and having her whole life exposed for the public’s eye. Her Dad admitted it was one of the most painful moments in his life. He even said he wished he could have taken her burden.

  “I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”

  His eyes brightened. “Glad you’ve started to get out again, hon.”

  He wouldn’t have lectured her about going out with a guy she just met, but Jordan decided against mentioning Heath. He was just body parts.

  Chapter 5

  The sun dipped below the horizon while a sea breeze broke through the humidity. Heath sat on the deck sipping a beer while waiting for Jordan. The possible reasons she insisted on meeting him here piqued his curiosity. Privacy? Fear? Perhaps she didn’t plan on keeping him in her life long enough for it to matter.

  She parked her sedan beside his Jeep. Thankfully, Dugan had found a corn hole game down on the beach at a neighboring house. Gathering a strengthening breath, Heath waved and met her at the bottom of the stairs.

  She wore her hair pinned up. Small ringlets framed her face, teasing her temples in the warm breeze. Her frilly sundress emphasized her curves.

  “Hello beautiful.” He leaned close and kissed her temple.

  A flush of pink colored her tanned cheeks. She surveyed him. “Back at you, handsome.”

  Thankfully, his shorts and polo met her standards. “Do you mind coming up for a minute while I grab my keys and cell?”

  She smiled. “I’d love to get a peek inside the house.”

  He followed her lovely swaying form up the steps.

  “Nice.” She walked through the open living area that encompassed a bar.

  “The place has been newly remodeled. There’s even a partial ocean view.” He motioned across the bar toward the sliding glass door.

  “Wow, you’ve got the TV, the beach, and internet all within reach of a cocktail.”

  “Would you like one?”

  She slipped onto a bar chair. “A little wine if you have some, please.”

  Heath retrieved a bottle from the mini fridge and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. He gave it a slight roll as he finished half filling her glass.

  She arched a brow. “Did you wait tables in college?”

  “Yes ma’am. And even after college until I signed on to an NFL practice squad.”

  The glass froze at her lips and her eyes lit. “You played NFL?”

  “Not in games, but as a practice player on a couple of different teams. This year I’d hoped for a shot on special teams, with the Texans until the strike.”

  “Were you still there when you were offered a place on the Tritons?”

  It was a nice way of asking if he’d been let go. “Yes, but they had a full roster. Not sure they’d have had room for me after training camp. An opportunity to get on with the new team here presented itself and I was itching to get back on the eastern seaboard.” He poured the rest of his beer down the sink.

  “Will you head back when the strike ends?” She stood, sauntered over to the door to the deck and glanced toward the ocean.

  “Depends, I have to honor my contract with the Tritons. If the strike ends before their season is over, the team won’t wait to fill the practice squad.”

  Returning to Texas was only an option if they called him back. Playing for the NFL had been great money and he’d saved most of his salary for three years, building a considerable nest egg. He’d come close to fulfilling his dream.

  After what had happened to Jordan, he deemed close enough might have to be good enough. It damn sure beat losing everything and he wasn’t getting any younger. Football would always be a young man’s game.

  “It’s never easy is it?” She returned to the bar.

  “You know the saying, life is like the ocean.”

  “I love the ocean, but the tempest of late has been a bitch.” She swallowed the last of her wine.

  “Kinda been in the same boat. How about we change that?”

  “I’m free for the summer.” She winked and played with the stem of her glass.

  He smiled. The smallest things she did turned him on. “Yeah, the kids stormed the beach this afternoon, singing School’s Out.”

  “You can deal with them for the next couple of months.” She chuckled. “Ready to go? I’m hungry after packing.”

  “Running from defensive tackles has the same effect.” Heath grabbed his keys and phone then followed her out.

  He helped her into the Jeep, catching a scant view of her luscious thighs, and his mind shot back to their game plans. Once behind the wheel, he asked, “Do you coach sports at your school?”

  Her bubbly expression faded beneath her tan. “I used to.” She buckled her seatbelt. “I was recently involved in a lawsuit. Coaching during the suit would have put the school and me in an awkward situation.”

  If he didn’t confess to knowledge of her situation now, she’d be mad later. “Since you bring it up, I’ll admit I read something about it.”

  Her lips trembled, but her jaw remained set. “You Googled me?”

  “Trying to find out what sport you played.” He started the engine.

  “Nice try. But I did the same to you. Once burned twice shy, aren’t we? So now what?” She crossed her arms.

  What a tough girl. Leaning close, he cupped her chin and touched his lips to hers. “We go to dinner.”

  * * * *

  His tempting kiss drained all apprehension from Jordan. She stared ahead as he shoved the Jeep into gear.

  A few minutes later, he reached across the console, grasped her hand and squeezed.

  “Better things are headed your way, Jordan.”

  Not scared off easily either. Another positive check on his grading chart. Even in style, he tallied well, dressed in casual shorts and a striped polo. She wouldn’t have guessed him a football player. A guy that frequented the gym, definitely.

  Dinner flew by as she questioned him about his time on the practice squad. She’d told him she had older brothers who played. If they’d had the lingerie semi-pro teams during her time in college, she’d have tried out.

  “Would you be interested in coming out to one of our games?”

  “Of course.” She smiled and offered him a spoonful of the tiramisu she’d ordered more for him than herself. As she ate the rich, creamy dessert, he continued to study her mouth with a passionate gaze. “Something wrong?”

  “Mentally comparing.” He winked.

  Her heartbeat skipped. Lord, he knew how to get her going.

  “Back to the game.” He accepted another spoonful from across the table.

  She cleared her throat. “The Tritons’ or ours?”

  He shifted in the booth. “Do we have enough body parts to make it through the season?”

  She scraped the plate for the last of it and licked the spoon. “If not, I’m sure there are other nice butts on the team to ogle.”

  He growled deep in his throat. “Until you’ve gotten through all of my parts, you best be only check
ing out the ass belonging to number eighty-seven.”

  “Is that so?” She slipped off her sandal and rested her bare foot between his thighs. Then she curled her pale frosted toes against his crotch.

  His intake of breath and hard-on made her smile.

  A muscle worked at the side of his jaw.

  She loved being able to break his composure.

  Their server appeared. “Are you ready for the check, sir?”

  “Anything else, darlin’?” His deep southern drawl seemed determined to brand the endearment his own.

  “Totally satisfied.” Jordan eased her foot up the ridge of his erection and let her spoon ting against the dessert plate.

  At his nod, the waitress drifted to the next table. “As much as I’m enjoying your massage, we’re going to have to walk out of here soon.”

  She chuckled.

  “That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh.” He raced his hand along the inside of her calf.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve found anything amusing.” This playful side of him made her want to get to know him better.

  * * * *

  Giving Jordan a brief foot massage, Heath willed his dick into submission. He’d never seen that coming from his date. After leaving the restaurant, Jordan directed him to turn onto Atlantic Avenue.

  “Locals call this The Strip.” She grinned.

  With school just out, all the kids were trolling. They inched through traffic. From the oncoming lane, a leggy brunette leaned out of her car window and yelled at Heath. “Hey stud, you can be my daddy tonight!”

  He glanced to Jordan. “Did you do this?”

  She played with her hair. “It’s kinda liberating. You can be risqué as you want. It’s unlikely you’ll see the same person again.”

  “Let it all hang out, huh?” He quoted the sixties slang term while several young babes dressed in bikini tops and shorts hung over the rear of a convertible. He’d seen bathing suit bottoms cover more. A year shy of thirty, he felt like a middle-aged man amongst the teens and young adults.