They jogged into place. He did his best not to watch Erin wiggle her rear end as she faced off against Sela on the line. Ben hiked the ball.
Troy took a few steps back, pumped his arm like he was readying to throw, and then folded the ball into Erin’s arms as she moved by him. Shane snagged his flag a second later, Bash blocked for Erin, and she ran like hell.
Only to spin out of Kagan’s grasp and get caught by Hayden.
“We gained some yards,” Troy said when they huddled again. “Nice job, Watters.”
Bash high-fived her. “Let’s do the same in reverse,” he said.
Second down went better and Erin almost made it into the end zone before having her flag pulled by Luke.
“Nice moves,” Luke said, patting the top of Erin’s head.
Erin brushed his arm away. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” She jogged back over to Troy, football in hand, with a smile on her face that somehow seemed just for him. Or maybe it was that he wanted her smiles to only be for him.
“Run it in,” Bash suggested, but Troy wanted Erin to get the first touchdown.
“Let’s give Erin the honor.”
This time there was no mistaking the smile only for him.
He ran over the play, Ben hiked, and Troy handed the ball off. Erin hustled right down the center and scored.
Cheers and hollers sounded from the sidelines. He stood back and watched his teammates take turns fist-bumping Erin. When she’d finished, their eyes met and held and then somehow she stood right in front of him.
“Thank you,” she said with a soft, appreciative voice.
“Sure thing.”
“Ready for some defense?” She led him toward the line of scrimmage. “I think things could get dirty.”
“Yeah?”
She pointed up.
He looked at the sky. He’d been so focused on Erin and helping her get that first touchdown that he hadn’t noticed the rain clouds looming overhead.
“Dirty with you would be fun.”
“Yes, it would.” She cut him a quick glance, bit the corner of her mouth, and all he could think about was getting her alone.
The teams lined up and he found himself across from Kagan. She smiled like she knew something no one else did.
“What?” he said.
“Nothing.”
Troy looked down the line. Luke was opposite Erin, the two of them concentrating on each other with a playful but fierce energy. Sela hiked the ball to Shane, and Troy quickly sidestepped Kagan so he could run over to help Erin cover Luke, who had easily made it past her.
Somehow he forgot to watch where he was going, though. He and Erin collided, tripped over each other’s feet and fell into the sand. Troy cushioned her fall by wrapping an arm around her back and guiding her down. He ended up sprawled on top of her.
She didn’t move, sending immediate regret and concern through him. Slowly, she opened her eyes, piercing him with unearthly blueness. Her lashes fluttered; her chest rose and fell against his.
He pushed up but kept her pinned beneath him from the waist down. He didn’t want to move farther away. He wanted to kiss her. Instead he said, “You okay?”
“I think so.”
“Sorry about that.”
“You got in my way,” she teased. “Weren’t you at the other end of the scrimmage line?”
“Took care of that and thought I’d help you out.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Not that you aren’t capable on your own, but I needed something to do.”
“On my side of the sand.” Her face lit with amusement. She licked her bottom lip, an unconscious move that sent a surge of lust through him.
“Just following the football.”
“Is that all?” Her hands slid over his shoulders and down to his lower back.
“You guys do know you’re not alone, right?”
Teague.
He popped to his feet and helped Erin up. “Right,” he mumbled as Teague shook her head and walked away.
Erin chuckled. She wiped the sand off her butt and hips.
“Need any help with that?” he asked.
She pushed him in the arm. “I think we’ve given enough of a show. Everyone’s going to think there’s more to our friendship now.”
They walked toward the play line, everyone besides Teague having kept their distance. The new spot on the scrimmage line told him Luke had made a catch, but not landed in the end zone.
“Is there?”
She gave a playful shrug. “Stick around and we’ll see.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” And hold her all night long if she let him. He just wanted to be near her. Spend enough time with her that her scent stayed on his skin.
“Stop that.”
“Stop what?”
“Looking at me that way.” She waggled her finger toward the scrimmage line. “Keep your focus on the game, would you, so I can concentrate. I was only a step behind my brother.”
“More like five. And you calling me a distraction, Watters?”
“You wish.”
“That a challenge? Because I’m pretty sure I can think of a few ways to occupy you.”
Her lips parted and she started to say something but then squeezed her mouth shut. It didn’t matter. The flush of her cheeks gave her away.
…
They won the game. Erin caught a long pass from Troy to break the tie score just as her dad blew the whistle signaling game over. Troy lifted her in the air and spun her around and she never wanted her feet to touch ground again. Because when they did, she’d have to face the fact that she burned for him more than she’d ever ached for anyone else.
She wanted to stay the same unemotional woman she’d been a couple of months ago, but Mr. Hottie Paramedic had screwed that up.
With his kindness.
With his sense of humor.
With his chivalry.
With his sense of adventure. Dormant for now.
And no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, she’d gone and grown attached to her wingman.
He put her down, a smile on his face that wiped out every other male smile. “Nice job, Watters.”
Before she could even say “thanks,” everyone else bounded over and congratulated her.
Luke wrapped her in a bear hug. “Way to go, kiddo.” He kissed the top of her head. “You catch pretty good for a girl.”
Erin squeezed him back, his teasing words colliding with the other compliments from her family and friends.
A loud boom sounded. “We’d better get inside,” her dad yelled, taking her mom by the elbow and hurrying them back toward the house.
A split second later, rain poured down. Hayden rushed over to help Vanessa, Teague and Ben ran ahead, Shane grabbed Kagan’s hand, Luke captured Sela around the waist, Bash took Charlotte’s arm.
And Troy? Troy hung back until just the two of them stood there in the cloudburst. His faded blue T-shirt clung to his broad chest. Raindrops spilled down his face. Awareness and regard rolled off him so strongly that Erin shivered. The way he looked at her—like something sent from heaven—made every X-rated part of her anatomy vibrate with need.
Her pulse hammered wildly and his gaze dipped to her neck as if he knew the delicate skin there would betray her attempt to hide the reaction he stirred in her.
He cupped her face. She tasted the rain on her lips, her tongue darting out to capture a second drop. His shaky breath fueled her anticipation. God, if she made him half as nervous as he made her she’d be happy.
She balled her hands into fists to keep from grabbing his shirt. Kiss me. Take me. Don’t stop until…just don’t stop.
His lips moved over hers gently at first, but when she gave in and hauled her body against him, the kiss turned as turbulent as the sea under the present storm. Pent-up desire swept through her with such force that she knew if she didn’t push him away, she’d beg him to keep his thigh between her legs until the pressure th
ere subsided. He moaned and his hands moved to her lower back, her butt.
Entwined, they were headed for the point of no return when some sense managed to worm its way into her lust-filled mind. They weren’t alone! Not even close. Her hands, fisted in his shirt, let go, and she forced herself to step back.
Troy dropped his arms. “Jesus, Erin. I can’t seem to—”
Her fingertips brushed his lips. “I know. Come on.”
They jogged up to the house. Sandy, soggy shoes and socks were piled on the covered patio just outside the open French doors. Wet sweatshirts hung over the cushioned rattan chairs.
They dumped their wet things and went inside.
“I’m glad you could stay,” she whispered. She didn’t know if whatever was happening between them could last, but fighting the feelings he stirred was useless. If given the chance, could he accept her recklessness? Could she live with his safety-first mentality?
Was she ready to take the risk?
A swallow worked its way down his throat. “The last thing I want to do is leave you.”
Her knees wobbled at that and she dropped a quick kiss on his lips. “Good. Because the least I can do is make sure you’re well fed after helping me win the game.”
He combed his fingers through his wet hair. “I seem to remember you promising me more than that, sweetheart.” His other hand snaked around her and pinched her in the butt.
“Ow,” she lied. “Keep your hands to yourself, mister.”
“Can’t make any promises where you’re concerned.”
Erin blinked back the raw emotion those words kindled. She had no idea, really, what was going on in Troy’s head. Sure, he wanted her body. But beyond that?
Her heart deflated. He wanted someone safe. Someone who didn’t have the reckless, adventurous mentality she did.
Whatever she thought might be happening between them was purely physical.
Maybe that was enough for now. The pleasure she felt when Troy touched her and kissed her meant she was human. A woman with needs. He had needs, too. They could fool around without all the crap of love and devotion and commitment.
Right?
“Hey,” he said. “What just happened?”
“Nothing.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Come on. Everyone’s probably loading up their plates.”
Laughter spilled from the direction of the kitchen and Erin needed a minute. She sat in the upholstered armchair next to the antique sideboard in the hallway. “You go ahead. I’ll be in in a second.”
He kneeled down. “In case you missed it earlier, the last thing I plan on doing is leaving you alone.”
“You’re too nice.” He was too everything, actually. She shut her eyes and saw a big red flag. She stayed in control, needed to be in control, but with Troy she felt herself slipping.
“Not all the time.”
Her lids slowly lifted and she peered at him. “I don’t believe you.”
“I’ll prove it to you later.”
“How?” She welcomed his distractions. Foolish girl.
“By taking what I want.”
“What do you want?” she asked, unable to help the breathy tremble in her voice. She wrapped her hands around the edge of the chair and willed herself not to lean into his answer.
“You begging me to do things no man has done before.” His deep, sexy voice dipped to melt-her-panties-off levels. She didn’t want to resist him anymore, but if she had any hope of maintaining even a little distance, she had to keep things light.
“Take care of business while I watch?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “My business, Erin, is going to make you writhe and pant and drive you so crazy with pleasure you’ll want me to stay open to your suggestions all the time.”
“Don’t be too sure of yourself.”
“If there’s one thing I am sure of, honey, it’s that you want my business.”
She laughed this time. “If you think that arrogant, conceited—”
He shut her up with another humdinger of a kiss that indeed left her wanting to beg him for more. Voices in the other room sounded, and he pulled away.
His eyes softened. “I’m confused too, Erin,” he said, topping off his incredible kissing skills with sweet words that annihilated the last threads of keeping herself detached.
They stood and she wrapped her pinkie around his as they walked into the kitchen. Enough food for the entire town filled the counter space. They filled their plates and joined everyone in the dining room. “It was the funniest thing,” Luke was saying. Sela sat beside him with her hand on his arm. “The entire restaurant took notice.”
“There she is,” Vanessa added. “Tenticular girl.”
Erin rolled her eyes and swung right back around with plans to walk out the front door, but Shane caught her arm. “Hang on there, octopus lover.”
Fine. She could take this. It’s not like she hadn’t listened to this silly story a dozen times before. Every time her mom made calamari. Frito ran under her feet, almost tripping her, before dodging for a piece of chicken dropped on the floor. She really loved the little mutt, as did everyone else.
She took the open seat next to Shane. Troy moved around the table to claim the other available spot. “I’m sure y’all love hearing about my childhood.”
“You always kept things interesting,” Luke said.
“What did I miss?” Troy asked.
“Erin cuteness,” her mom said, from the head of the table.
“Erin was eleven,” Vanessa said. “And we were at a seafood restaurant for our dad’s birthday. He’d ordered octopus salad for an appetizer and was teasing Erin about taking a bite.”
“At the time, she hated the thought of eating anything that lived in the ocean,” her mom interjected.
Kagan smiled, like maybe she’d had an aversion to seafood too. And Bash and Charlotte were trying not to look at each other, but it was so obvious they liked what they saw. Hayden absently rubbed Vanessa’s tummy. Teague grinned from ear to ear.
“Dad, you were pretty relentless that day,” Vanessa said.
Dad shrugged. “She just looked so adorably mortified with her nose scrunched up that I couldn’t resist.”
“So Dad keeps taunting Erin with bites of octopus in front of her nose, and then Luke starts calling her chicken and she’d had enough. She stands up, puts her hands on her hips and shouts, ‘I am not going to eat your testicles!’”
Everyone cracked up. Even Erin. How could she not? She glanced at Troy and his laughter made her all warm and gooey inside. His expression was ripe with friendship. He wasn’t laughing at her, but with her.
“I had a run-in with alligator once,” Troy said.
“Do tell.” Sela put her fork down.
“My mom took my sister and me to a Cajun restaurant when we were seven, maybe eight. She ordered us Cajun swamp chicken and fries. I took one bite and said, ‘This is not chicken.’ My mom said you’re right. It’s alligator legs. I stood up, said, ‘Later gator,’ and left.”
“Where’d you go?” Vanessa asked.
“After a while, crocodile.”
The table busted up. Erin laughed so hard she got a stitch in her side. God, he was cute and funny and easygoing. After that the conversation flowed without a break and Troy fit in so seamlessly with her family it hurt to look at him.
Somehow things came back around to her. “Oh, Erin likes to pretend she’s badass, but she’s cautious too,” Luke said.
“Remember when we were little and one of the safety belts was broken in Mom’s car and she hopped out, refusing to go anywhere unless all of us were buckled in?” Vanessa said.
“Yeah, and she wouldn’t even double up with me,” Teague said.
“I remember that.” Mom looked down the table at her.
“Or last year when she saw that couple get into a car with their baby and they didn’t have a baby seat.”
“Teague.” She threw a roll at her sister.
“And
?” Troy asked.
“And she told them they couldn’t put their baby in a car without a safety seat and not to move because she’d be right back with one. She went and bought one and gave it to them.”
All eyes turned to her. Did she have to share all her good deeds? She didn’t think so. She had a reputation to uphold. “It’s not a big deal.”
Compliments that made her uncomfortable followed, but it was the look in Troy’s eyes that meant the most. She’d swear she saw affection, admiration, maybe even a touch of awe, and for once, she let pride wash over her unhidden.
For the rest of the afternoon they ate—and ate—and talked. Shane and Sela’s parents stopped by; the neighbors, too. People broke off into different areas of the house, but the delicious smell of her mom’s cooking filled every room.
Time flew by and before Erin realized it, she looked out the living room window to find any last hints of rainy daylight gone. The fireplace blazed and couples lounged around on the couches.
“A friend of mine is strumming a little guitar at a new place about halfway between here and Portland. Promised him I’d stop in tonight,” Bash said. “Anyone like to join me?”
“I would,” Charlotte said.
“Great.” Bash grinned. Erin imagined he slayed plenty of women with that look.
Shane toyed with Kagan’s hair. “How ’bout it, Jelly Belly?”
Kagan cozied up against Shane’s side. “Sounds good.”
Erin turned her head and found Troy watching her. His eyes traced her mouth as she nibbled on her bottom lip. She heard Vanessa and Hayden decline. Luke and Sela, too. Her breath caught when Troy moved across the room toward her. His broad shoulders blocked any glow from the fire, but the light fixture hanging from the ceiling slanted the most beguiling shadow across his perfect face.
He sat on the arm of the couch. “How about it?
“It?” All day long she’d thought about it and didn’t think he was talking about the same thing at the moment.
“Want to go?”
“Sure.”
She stood and raced upstairs to her old bedroom to change out of her jersey and into one of the soft, loose sweaters she’d left behind, since the closet space in her condo was the size of her car trunk.
And then she went out with Troy.
Wild About Her Wingman Page 15