Game Day Box Set: A College Football Romance

by Lily Cahill

  “What are you smiling about?” I ask, walking my fingers up the curve of her stomach.

  “Oh, nothing,” she says, face still pointed to the sky. “Just this hideous vacation with you. And then I have to move to England. It’s all just ghastly, really.”

  She tilts her chin to eye me, then grins wider.

  “Ghastly, eh? Trying out some Brit words?”

  Nara rolls onto one hip and looks down at me. “I am going to live there, after all. Better start saying bloody and all that.”

  I turn to face her. She’s joking, but I still need to make sure. “You’re really sure about moving? I can live in the states for at least a little while.”

  Although the truth I don’t say—though Nara knows it—is that eventually, I’ll be Duke of Derby. I’ll be expected home. But until then, if living in the U.S. is what Nara wants, I’ll make my life here. I’ll make my life anywhere, as long as Nara is in it.

  Nara presses her lips together, and a jagged fear forks through me. She chews on her bottom lip, consternation pulling her brows together, but then her face clears.

  “Actually, I was saving this until we got back home, but … I just turned in my grad school application to Oxford.”

  I nearly whoop with joy. I scramble to my feet and tug Nara up to stand with me. My arms wrap around her, her body crushed close to mine. “Really?”

  Nara bites down on another wide smile and nods. “Really. Who knows what will happen, but ….”

  “So back to England then, for good?”

  “Ben, when I fell in love with you, I knew what it meant. I knew it’d mean making my home in England. But what I didn’t realize was how much I’d fall in love with your home too. I know we were only there on vacation, and living there full time will be different, but I am so excited to start our life there, together.”

  I can’t stop myself from peppering her with kisses, on her lips, nose, forehead, cheeks.

  Nara slides a hand up between us, laying her palm against my chest. I’m sure she can feel the way my heart thunders against my ribs. Nara at Oxford, it’s just all too perfect. She looks up at me, delight in her warm brown eyes.

  “Just promise me we’ll still find waterfalls to swim in.”

  “Always,” I promise, pressing my forehead to hers. “We will make it our mission to swim in every waterfall in Europe.”

  “Even the cold ones?”

  I smile against her lips. “Especially the cold ones.”

  “And we’ll come back to the states to visit?”

  I hold her close, our bodies warm from the sun. “Whenever you want. And we’ll find somewhere to live with an extra room for your family to stay in when they visit.”

  Nara presses up on her toes and kisses me deeply, and it’s a long while before we pull apart and start dressing again for the hike back to the car. Nara is tying her shoes when she speaks again.

  “Since I’ve got you making promises left and right,” she begins. There’s a devious light in her eyes as she grins at me. “Can I get you to do the hula at the luau tonight?”

  I slip on the backpack and put my hands on my hips. “I’ll even wear a grass skirt,” I say with a laugh, shimmying my hips.

  Nara skips over a rock to come close and slips her hand into mine. “Then we better get back.”

  And with the sun warming our backs, we leave our waterfall behind and start walking together.

  BOX SET - EXCLUSIVE BONUS STORY

  Reggie and Megan

  SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MEGAN. I can’t put my finger on it, but she’s definitely acting weird.

  We’re cruising down the coast, on our way to a boat tour where we’ll hopefully see dolphins. Megan has been talking my ear off about this tour for the last month—picking just the right boat, studying the types of animals we might see, running over optimal conditions for weather and timing. I’ve come to love her organized mind, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t drive me a little crazy with the details. And now we’re just moments away from getting on the boat, and it’s like she’s not even here.

  “Earth to Megan,” I say, nudging her with my elbow.

  “Hmm?” She’s got one hand on her giant floppy hat, holding it in place against the breeze. She’s been staring out the window, her jaw tight. I can’t see her eyes behind her dark glasses, but I’m sure they are far away.

  “I thought you were excited about seeing dolphins.”

  She stirs, as if she’s coming back to herself. “Of course I am.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

  “I know.”

  “Are you excited?”

  “Sure.” I push a hand through my dreadlocks, frustrated. “It’s just that you don’t seem excited.”

  “Well, I am,” she says, but her voice is more annoyed than anything. “I can’t wait.”

  “Okay.” I sit back, not sure how I’ve offended her. “Great.”

  We get to the boat with plenty of time. It’s a perfect tropical day, with a soft breeze cutting the humid air. The ocean is glassy and calm, and the big blue sky above us is dotted with fluffy clouds. I know from Megan’s research that this is just about the perfect day for dolphin watching, but she doesn’t even seem to notice. She barely even looks up as she walks toward the boat.

  “Ahoy!” shouts a man with skin that looks like leather. “Are you here for the dolphin cruise?”

  “Yeah,” I say, reaching out my hand to shake the captain’s. “I’m Reggie Davis.”

  The man’s eyes widen. “Reggie Davis? From MSU?”

  I feel an unfamiliar thrill. I’ve never been recognized outside of Granite before. “That’s me.”

  “Sammy Johnson, class of ‘93. Can’t stop the stampede.”

  “Yeah,” I say, looking to Megan to share the moment. But she’s slipped past me and already taken a seat in the open portion of the boat. She’s got her legs pulled up close to her body, like she needs to hug herself tight. It tugs at my heart to see the stark expression on her face. What the hell is wrong with her?

  I’m about to go over and tease it out of her, but a couple more people arrive and Sammy introduces us. I don’t want to have a serious talk in front of all these strangers, but it’s driving me crazy not knowing what is in her head. As soon as I can, I go to sit next to her, dropping an arm over her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Stop asking me that,” she says peevishly. She pulls away from my arm to dig in the huge bag she brought. “I should put on more sunscreen.”

  “Didn’t you put some on at the hotel?”

  “You’re not a redhead,” she says shortly. “I don’t want to burn.”

  “Okay.” It seems like no matter what I say, it’s the wrong thing. It’s easier to say nothing.

  She rubs her hand on her forehead. “I’m just … I have a lot on my mind.”

  “Anything you want to talk about?”

  She gives me a long look, chewing on her lip. Finally, she shakes her head. “No. Let’s just enjoy the day. Will you put some sunscreen on my back?”

  She pulls off the oversized coverup she’s wearing to reveal a literal itsy bitsy polka dot bikini.

  “Sha-wing,” I say, hoping to make her smile.

  It works. “I had to borrow a bunch of Chloe’s suits,” she says, tugging at the material as if she can stretch it to cover more of her skin.

  “Thank God for Chloe,” I say, grinning.

  “You don’t think it’s weird that I’m basically wearing her underwear?”

  My grin turns to a grimace. “Okay, when you put it that way, maybe it is kind of weird. But you look hot, so I’m going to pretend you didn’t even mention it.”

  She rolls her eyes as she hands me the sunscreen, but I can tell she’s pleased. She sits with her back to me, facing out to the ocean. “Make sure you get it everywhere, okay? Under the straps and everything.”

  I lean forward so I can whisper in her ear, “Believe me, I’m happy to
touch you everywhere.”

  I can see the bloom of a blush crawling up her neck, and I want to follow that flare of color with my mouth. But just then, Sammy starts the safety demonstration, making us all laugh as he shows us the wrong way to suit up in our snorkling gear. I can feel Megan perking up under my hands. I still don’t know what’s been bothering her, but it seems like whatever it is, she’s ready to put it aside.

  Sammy pulls the boat out of the dock and we all cheer, happy to be underway. Between the wind and the music, it’s too loud to talk, but that’s okay. Megan leans back against me, and together we watch the sky and the waves.

  The coastline is gorgeous, and I try absorb the sight while Megan rattles off facts about rainfall and rock formations. I don’t care very much about what she’s saying, but I love seeing the vibrancy return to her face. It makes the contrast to her behavior earlier all the more obvious. The more she relaxes, the more I tense up. What was on her mind earlier? And why doesn’t she want to share it with me?

  Finally, Sammy cuts the engine and tells us to put on our snorkling gear. He can’t guarantee there will be dolphins, but he’s taken us to a spot where they regularly appear to feed. I make Megan laugh by lurching around in my snorkel gear, and then I take her hand and we ease together into the crystal blue water.

  It’s as if we’ve sunk into another world. It’s silent and warm, with bright fish darting around us. Remembering Sammy’s instructions, I blow out my air tube and tilt until I can feel it clear the surface of the water. It feels so natural and easy to be breathing under water, I can hardly believe this isn’t a dream.

  Then Megan pulls her hand from mine, her head disappearing above the surface. When I follow her up, I find her coughing and spitting salt water. “I sucked in some water,” she says, trying vainly to clear her pipe.

  “It’s easy,” I say. “Remember what Sammy said? Slow breathing.”

  She nods and reinserts her tube, gamely ducking her head back under water. Seconds later, she’s back up again. “I can’t make this work.”

  “Just let yourself float,” I counsel. Everyone else is in the water now, swimming around in groups of two or three. We’ve drifted by ourselves toward the back of the boat.

  She tries again, this time coughing up water. “Dammit. Why can’t I do this?”

  “You’re trying too hard,” I say. “You’re overthinking.”

  She gives me a dour look. “It’s not a bad thing to try hard.”

  I lift my eyebrows and my hands, no longer touching her. “I’m not saying it is.”

  “Just because it’s easy for you—”

  “How is this my fault?”

  “If you would just let me be—”

  “What is going on with you?” I burst out, worry and frustration making my words harsh. “What is your deal?”

  Megan’s eyes are wide and terrified under her mask. She swallows, then says, “I’m pregnant.”

  I’m swamped by a wave of surprise. Then I’m swamped by an actual wave that pulls me away from Megan. In that same moment, I hear a splash, and the distinctive bleat of a dolphin.

  Megan turns her head, and I follow her gaze. There, thirty yards away, a large, slick shape launches itself out of the water. I hear Megan gasp. “They’re so much bigger than I thought they would be,” she whispers. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

  Then she turns back to me and stretches her arm out to me. “Reggie,” she says, and there is so much wonder and delight in her voice she nearly sings it. I stroke my way toward her and wrap her in my arms.

  We bob in the water together as the dolphins leap and play. After a shout from Sammy, all the rest of the tour group has spotted them as well. If it weren’t for Megan, I would probably be back at the hotel bar right now, slamming drinks with the guys. Hell, I might not be here at all if she hadn’t helped me through my injury and given me the confidence to play my best. Instead, I’m in a magnificent place, watching an incredible sight, holding my whole future in my arms.

  Megan lets out a sigh as the pod of dolphins swims on, away from the boat. I lean into her ear and whisper the thought that’s been echoing in my mind ever since Megan told me. “You’re having my baby.”

  She shifts in my arms. We both pushed back our masks to see the dolphins more clearly, and now I can see the pained emotion in her eyes. “We’re too young.”

  “Didn’t you say dolphins start when they are like, five? By those standards, we’re positively ancient.”

  She smiles faintly, but she’s nowhere near done. “I start grad school next year. And you’ll be working for the high school coach.”

  I swell with pride, thinking of how much I was looking forward to working with kids. “It’s not full time. And I can get another job if money is tight.”

  “This isn’t supposed to happen yet. I’m supposed to go to grad school, then establish a position in the PT department. My five year plan says we can start having babies when I’m 27, but not now.”

  I smile at her, joy filling me. “It seems like you have to make a new plan.”

  “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way,” she continues grousing. “We haven’t been together very long, and I don’t want you to think that I tricked you or trapped you—”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I ask, genuinely offended. “You think I’m such a fool that I wouldn’t see a trap?”

  She gapes at me. “No, I just … I’ve been trying to imagine what you would say and—”

  “Instead of asking me, you’ve been driving yourself crazy,” I say, drawing her close again so we’re one body, bobbing softly on the waves. “Why don’t you ask me what I think?”

  I can feel her swallow, her tentative hands resting on my shoulders. “What do you think?”

  “I think I love you. And I’m going to love the hell out of this baby. And I think that with your planning skills and my charm, we can make this work together.”

  She’s silent for so long that I feel a deep quake of fear. I shift her enough to see her face. “What do you want?”

  When she looks up at me, her eyes are washed with tears. “I was afraid … I shouldn’t want this baby. But I do, Reggie. I do. I’m supposed to wait, but I can’t wait to have a baby with you.”

  I whoop with pleasure, scooping her up out of the waves. Her mask smacks me on the back of the head as she throws her arms around me. I can taste the salt of the ocean, and her tears, on my tongue. But she’s smiling into the kiss, holding me so tight to make up for the distance she’s put between earlier.

  “We’re having a baby,” I shout for everyone to hear, and Megan’s delighted laugh dances away over the waves.

  BOX SET - EXCLUSIVE BONUS STORY

  Riley and Lilah

  “GOD, I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW beautiful it is here,” I say. Dark is settling over the island as Riley and I walk down a white sand beach on the palm-fringed coast of Kauai. The hotel is throwing a huge luau, and we’ve spent the last few hours hanging out with our friends. I’m comfortable with the guys on the team now, and I love hanging out with their girlfriends. We’ve feasted on roasted pig and salmon poke, drank numerous fruity beverages swimming with booze, and danced to the sound of ukuleles and drums. I feel giddy and warm and, most of all, insanely happy.

  “I can’t believe how beautiful you are,” Riley says, proving that there’s always something that can make me even happier. “Getting out of Granite—and getting you into a swimsuit—was a fantastic idea.”

  I grin and add a little swing to my hips as we walk down the beach, away from the luau. I’m typically confident in my body, but I’m not typically wearing a bathing suit in public. I had been feeling a little exposed in my fuchsia tank suit and filmy white sarong, but under Riley’s gaze I can’t feel anything but sexy.

  “You’re looking pretty good yourself,” I say, taking in the way the last of the light burnishes his burly physique. He’s been hitting the gym hard in anticipation of the NFL Combine, and it’s made his bo
dy harder and hotter than ever. I let my eyes linger over his broad shoulders, his heavy pecs, all the way down his washboard abs to the muscular vee that disappears into his low-slung shorts. Between the booze, the soft, tropical air, and the sight of Riley shirtless, naughty ideas are crowding my mind.

  I pull Riley in for a kiss as the ocean laps at our feet. There’s no rush. We’ve been together for months now, yet I still can’t get enough of him. There’s something so wonderful about knowing exactly how his mouth will feel against mine, exactly how his body will feel under my hands. It’s familiar, but also unbearably exciting. I savor the feel of him as I let my hands roam over all those powerful muscles.

  His hands settle on my hips, angling me closer so I can feel his cock rising against my belly. I gasp into his mouth and clench my thighs together, hungry for more. “Should we go back to the room?” I murmur, looking up at Riley with sultry eyes.

  His hands clench my hips a little harder, but he pulls back. “Later. Let’s walk a little further.”

  I groan, but Riley just smiles. He likes knowing that I’m turned on, likes to drag it out with light touches and deep kisses until I’m so hot for him I can barely breathe. Then he makes it worth the wait by making me come until I’m blind. It’s a pretty good system, actually, but I have something else in mind.

  We amble down the beach for awhile until Riley spots a secluded cove where the shoreline dips in. There’s a weathered wooden bench tucked into the cove, perfect for watching the stars overhead. The beach is empty in either direction and backed by thick jungle, the thrum of music from the luau almost lost in the breeze. For the moment, it seems like we’re completely alone on this tropical island.

  Riley sits on the bench, and I curl into his side, letting my head rest on his shoulder and my hand on his knee. It’s a truly perfect moment—the sky pricked with numberless stars as I rest in the arms of the man I love. If I had my oil paints with me, I’d be tempted to commit this beauty to canvas, but I’ve got other temptations on my mind. I intend to take this moment from memorable to unforgettable.

  I start by kissing the underside of Riley’s jaw. I can feel his hum of pleasure through my lips as I kiss my way up to his ear. At the same time, I’m letting my hand slowly travel up his inner thigh. He opens his legs instinctively, but I ignore that invitation and start running my hand over his rock-hard stomach and chest.