Game On (Fair Catch Series, Book Six)

by Christine Kersey

  Mia laughed. “Tyler has that effect on people.”

  Not wanting to talk about her relationship with Tyler, Brielle said, “Tell me about you, Mia. Tyler said you’re in college. What are you majoring in?”

  Mia launched into her college exploits and Brielle listened while at the same time keeping an eye on Tyler, Rob, and Jeff as they put the tent up. They were efficient—they’d obviously done this before—but Tyler was taking the lead. Caught up with watching him, and finding him more alluring by the minute, Brielle hadn’t noticed that Mia had stopped talking.

  “You really like him, don’t you?” Mia asked.

  Snapping her head around to look at Mia, Brielle felt her face heat. Then, about to deny it—after all, she’d just met the man—at the last moment she remembered that they were supposed to be an item. But not ready to say out loud how she felt, she just smiled.

  Mia grinned. “Uh-huh.”

  This was not a topic she wanted to discuss with Tyler’s family. “I guess we’re all going to be sleeping in the tent?”

  Mia’s eyebrows bunched and her head tilted like that was a ridiculous idea. “No. I’m sleeping in the RV.” Then she laughed. “It’ll just be you and the boys.”

  What?! That was not going to happen. She was not going to share a tent with two men that were pretty much complete strangers. Yeah, she’d gotten to know Tyler, but still. Nope.

  “Actually,” she said to Mia as her mind raced, “I think I’m going to sleep in Tyler’s car.”

  “How come?”

  She held up her hand, her thumb and forefinger nearly touching. “I’m a little worried about bears.” That was completely true, but it was also a convenient excuse to not sleep in the tent.

  Mia laughed. “Tyler wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

  Yeah, right. She couldn’t count on him sacrificing himself for her. “It’s already decided.” She would not be talked out of this.

  “Forget that,” Mia said. “You’ll sleep in the RV with me.” A smile lit her face. “It’ll be like a sleepover.”

  Her gaze slid to the RV. It looked pretty nice from the outside. Would it be better to sleep in a comfortable bed all week and risk saying something wrong to Tyler’s family? Or would it be a safer bet to sleep in the car where she knew she would be decidedly uncomfortable?

  Comfort easily won. “Do you think it’ll be okay with your parents?”

  Mia waved her hand. “Oh yeah.”

  What would Tyler say? Should she pass this by him first? He hadn’t bothered to check with her to see if it was okay that it would just be him, Rob, and her in the tent, so why should she ask him about where she should sleep?

  “Let’s get your sleeping bag out of Tyler’s car,” Mia said.

  “Okay.”

  They stepped to the back of the open Range Rover. With the tent out, the space wasn’t quite as packed, and Brielle saw two rolled up sleeping bags. Which one was she supposed to use?

  Mia grabbed the closest one and pulled it out.

  “I’m not sure if that’s the one Tyler wants me to use.” That wouldn’t give anything away, right? Tyler had told his parents she’d never been camping so obviously she hadn’t gone with him, so she wouldn’t know which bag he typically used.

  “Tyler won’t care which one you take,” Mia said, completely confident.

  Trusting her, Brielle nodded, then went to the back seat and took out her small suitcase.

  Mia turned and began walking toward the RV. Brielle followed.

  “Where’re you going?” Tyler called out.

  Stopping, Brielle turned and looked his way. Rob and Jeff stopped to watch the exchange.

  Awkward.

  It appeared they were about done putting the tent up—a tent that looked fairly large. A six-man tent, if Brielle had to guess. Nothing like the little two-man tent she and Kate had slept in. Of course she’d always been glad Kate’s family didn’t make them sleep under the stars.

  “I, uh,” she began, then she pointed to the RV. “I’m going to put my stuff in there.” Even from where she stood she could see his eyebrows tugging together.

  “You can put your stuff in the tent.” He gestured to the canvas fabric. “We’re done putting it up.”

  This was embarrassing. Especially in front of an audience. “Mia invited me to stay in the RV.” Way to put the blame on someone else. Brielle glanced at Mia, who didn’t look bothered to be the one held responsible for separating the lovely couple.

  Tyler was a bit surprised that Brielle was abandoning him already—it made their relationship look shaky that she was going to stay in the RV instead of in the tent with him. Trying to cover the awkwardness, he smiled. “It’s the bears, isn’t it?”

  Brielle enthusiastically nodded. “Yes.” Then she and Mia continued on to the RV.

  Tyler turned to his dad and Rob. “On the way here she said she was nervous about sleeping in the tent because of the bears.” That should do it.

  Both men nodded, then went back to what they’d been doing.

  Glad that he’d managed to supply a reasonable explanation for Brielle choosing to be away from him, Tyler thought about the next obstacle: Trying to control what was and wasn’t said in the RV when he wasn’t there.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Wow,” Brielle said as she and Mia stepped into the fifth-wheel. “This is really nice.”

  To her left was a table with bench seats as well as a pair of recliners. Under a large window at the back was a couch, and across from the recliners a good-sized TV was mounted to the wall. The kitchen sported an island where Ann was chopping vegetables, as well as a gas stove, a refrigerator, and plenty of storage.

  Ann looked up from her work and smiled. “Have you been inside an RV before?”

  “No. I was lucky my friend’s dad let us sleep in a tent when we went camping.”

  Mia visibly shuddered. “What about all the bugs?”

  Brielle nodded. “Right?” She hated bugs too.

  “Mom,” Mia said, “Brielle’s going to sleep in the RV. That’s okay, right?”

  Worried that she was imposing, Brielle added, “Or I can sleep in Tyler’s car. Either way is fine.” Please let me sleep in the RV.

  “The car?” Ann said, her eyebrows raised. “Don’t be silly.” She pointed to the couch. “That folds out into a queen bed. You can sleep there. And Mia can sleep on an air mattress on the floor.”

  “No,” Brielle said. “I can sleep on the floor.” They were being way too nice. And just because they thought she was Tyler’s girlfriend. Guilt pierced her heart.

  “I really don’t mind,” Mia said as she sat on one of the recliners and pulled a handle to raise the footrest.

  “How about we switch off?” Brielle said. That would at least be fair.

  Mia shrugged. “Either way.”

  That made Brielle feel slightly better.

  Men’s voices approached and a moment later Jeff, Tyler, and Rob climbed the steps of the RV and walked inside. Brielle moved out of the way, standing on the far side of the kitchen island.

  “Make yourself at home,” Jeff said to Brielle. Then he looked at Mia before turning to Brielle with a wink. “Just like Mia does.”

  Mia’s hands were folded behind her head and her eyes were closed. “Just resting my eyes, Dad.”

  Brielle smiled at their interaction, then her gaze went to Tyler, who was watching her. Was she doing anything wrong? Not knowing him well enough to read his expression, she wasn’t sure.

  With his gaze still locked on her, he walked toward her, sending her pulse fluttering. How was it that he had that effect on her when she barely knew him? She had no idea, but there was definitely something about him that drew her into his orbit.

  When he reached her, he brushed his hand against her arm. Electricity skittered across her skin.

  “Come sit by me,” he murmured, then he crossed the small space to the couch and sat down.

  She couldn’t have resiste
d the invitation if she’d wanted to, and seconds later she stood in front of the couch. It had room for three, and though she wanted to have a little space between them, she knew that would look odd. Not to mention that she wanted to make sure there was room for someone else to sit there.

  Her gaze slid to Tyler, who was staring at her, a smile on his face. He patted the space beside him. Was she taking too long to sit? Was his family watching her? Probably. Swallowing her hesitation, she sat beside him, leaving only a few inches between their thighs.

  This was nice, having her sit right beside him. No center console separating them, just a bit of air. She was close enough that he could smell the soft floral scent of the shampoo she’d used. Or was that perfume? Either way, he liked it.

  Her hands were in her lap. Tempted to take one of them into his, Tyler glanced her way. She seemed tense—back straight, shoulders tight, hands twisting together. Maybe now wasn’t the best time. She’d probably yank it back without thinking about it. Not a good look for a couple.

  “How are you doing?” he asked, his voice low enough that only she would hear it.

  “Good.”

  He knew this had to be harder for her than it was for him. He was completely comfortable with his family. Okay, maybe not comfortable enough to tell them she was his fake girlfriend, but whatever. For her, they were all complete strangers. Even he was someone she’d just met. Yet she’d been willing to come on this trip with him anyway. True, he was paying her five grand, but still. She could have said no.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep in the tent?” He wanted to give her every opportunity to say yes. In all reality, he wanted to keep her close so he could intervene in any conversation if necessary.

  “I’m sure,” she said with a tight smile.

  Was she really worried about bears? Or something else?

  Then a startling thought occurred to him.

  Maybe she didn’t want to be around him more than necessary. From what he’d seen, this was all about the money to her. Just a job. Why should she suffer his presence more than she had to?

  Stung by the thought, Tyler wondered if she would change her tune if she knew he was a player on the Vipers, not just an office worker. Didn’t matter. If she couldn’t stand him, then that was a secret he would never reveal.

  Trouble was, he was attracted to her.

  Glancing her way, he took in her profile—the soft curve of her jaw, her long eyelashes and cute little nose, the way her blonde hair fell gently across her shoulders. There was something about her that reeled him in like a fish on a hook. A fish that had no chance of getting away.

  Too bad she didn’t feel the same way about him.

  Maybe pulling off this pretend relationship was going to be harder than he thought.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Brielle could feel Tyler looking at her—through her peripheral vision she could actually see his head turned her way. Why was he staring? Did she have dirt on her cheek? Did she need to wipe her nose?

  Trying not to bite her lip in self-consciousness, she used the back of one hand to wipe at her face. She saw Tyler shift his gaze to the front.

  Having his attention so focused on her made several butterflies take wing in her belly. And when she reminded herself that she would have the entire week with him, a swarm of butterflies leapt up and cheered.

  “I’m going to throw the burgers on the grill,” Jeff announced as he opened a package of pre-shaped patties. “How many do you each want?”

  Tyler and Rob both said two, while Ann and Mia said one.

  “What about you, Brielle?” Jeff asked.

  “Just one for me, thanks.”

  Jeff shifted his gaze to Tyler. “I’d better put an extra one on for you.”

  Everyone laughed. Everyone but Brielle. She didn’t get the joke. Must be some inside family thing? Trying not to feel left out, and not wanting to ask for fear it would be the wrong thing to do under the circumstances, she stood and walked to the counter where Ann was tossing a salad.

  “Put me to work, Ann.”

  Ann smiled at her. “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll have plenty to do. In fact, I’m assigning you and Tyler to dish duty.” Then she winked. “And no, this RV doesn’t have a dishwasher.”

  Brielle laughed, but inside, she groaned. That was another thing Brielle hadn’t enjoyed about camping. Doing the dishes. It wasn’t just that she had to do them by hand—that wasn’t so bad. It was the fact that they had to conserve water while doing them. It just made it that much more challenging.

  Maybe it was different in an RV. Guess I’ll find out. The consolation prize was that Tyler would be by her side the entire time.

  Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  Once they were all seated around the outside picnic table with the burgers grilled and all the food laid out in a tantalizing spread—and with Tyler beside her—Brielle felt herself begin to relax. They filled their plates and began eating.

  “Since we’re all here,” Ann said a few moments later, “let’s discuss what we want to do tomorrow.”

  “Hiking, of course,” Rob said.

  “A new hike, or an old favorite?” Jeff asked.

  “I’d suggest the Mary Mountain hike,” Rob said, then he looked at Brielle, “but since grizzlies are sometimes in that area, probably not a good idea.”

  Alarmed, Brielle couldn’t stop herself from speaking. “Yeah. I’d rather not.”

  Mia laughed. “Me either.”

  Glad she wasn’t alone in wanting to avoid bears if at all possible, Brielle smiled at Mia, who raised her eyebrows as if to say These guys are crazy.

  “What about you, Tyler?” Ann said. “Any hike in particular you want to go on?”

  The thought of running into a bear scared Brielle enough for her to raise her hand. “I vote for one without bears.” She glanced at the others, her gaze stopping on Tyler.

  Tyler turned his head and smiled at her, sending a burst of attraction through her.

  “There’s no hike where I can guarantee you won’t see a bear, but for the record, in all the years we’ve come here, we’ve never come across one while hiking.”

  Brielle looked to Mia for confirmation. Mia nodded.

  Knowing she had to take a risk—heck, this whole trip was a risk—Brielle decided to place her trust in Tyler. “Okay. What do you suggest?”

  Pleased that Brielle seemed willing to leave her safety in his hands, Tyler considered which hike she might enjoy the most.

  “Storm Point,” he finally said to the nods of his family.

  “I love that one,” Mia said.

  “The marmots,” his mother said.

  “Yeah,” Mia said with a smile at their mother.

  Then Tyler looked at Brielle to see her reaction. He knew she had never been on the hike, so she wouldn’t really have a clue what to expect. Still, he hoped to see approval on her face.

  Instead of looking at him, she was looking at Mia, like her opinion mattered more than his did. Slightly annoyed, Tyler held back a frown.

  “After breakfast we’ll pack lunches and get our CamelBaks ready,” his mother said. Then she looked between Tyler and Brielle. “Does Brielle have a CamelBak?”

  Finally, Brielle looked at him, a question on her face, before looking at his mother. “No. I didn’t know I needed to bring one.”

  Kind of surprised she even knew what one was—after all, she’d said she hadn’t been hiking in years—Tyler was proud to say, “I got one for you.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “You did?”

  Wanting to play the part of doting boyfriend, he briefly placed his hand on her back. “Of course.”

  Tyler’s touch sent a burst of heat cascading through Brielle. Using all the self-control she could muster not to betray the emotions swirling inside her, she turned to Tyler with a smile. You have a job to do, she reminded herself, wondering what she would do right then if he really was her boyfriend.

  Since he’d made the f
irst move of touching her back in a casual way, she decided she should reciprocate. Quietly inhaling, she reached out and touched his shoulder while saying “Thank you.”

  He smiled at her. “No problem.”

  He wore a short-sleeve t-shirt, and Brielle had been admiring his biceps all day. Not able to stop herself—and even though he was looking at her—as she began to pull her hand away from his shoulder she let her fingers slide down just enough to brush them across his bicep. Firm and powerful, it was just as she had imagined.

  One of Tyler’s eyebrows rose as his gaze was locked on hers.

  Heat burned her cheeks. What am I doing?

  Brielle turned her focus to her plate, studiously avoiding Tyler’s eyes. Even so, in her peripheral vision she could have sworn he was smirking.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Had that touch been on purpose? Tyler was fairly certain it had been. Especially with the way Brielle had looked away so suddenly.

  Why had she done it? Was she attracted to him? Maybe his earlier assumption that she didn’t want to be around him had been wrong. Maybe her fear of a bear wandering into the campground really was the reason she was going to sleep in the RV.

  Buoyed by the thought, he picked up one of his burgers and took a bite.

  Mortified that Tyler had caught her caressing his bicep, Brielle refused to look his way as she ate, desperately hoping no one in his family had noticed.

  His family reminisced about past Yellowstone trips and Brielle soaked it in. She liked these people. Not only had they been completely welcoming to her, but they just seemed genuinely nice.

  Her phone rang in her back pocket, blasting a popular rock song into the air.

  Everyone stopped talking and looked her way.

  Did they have a no cell phone policy while camping? Had she just broken a cardinal rule?

  Face heating once again while her phone continued its boisterous ring tone, she snatched her phone from her pocket and saw the name Cara on the screen. Oops. She’d forgotten to check in. Cara must be worried sick.