by Lea Coll
“You said yourself that no one knew about Reid’s speech issues. He kept that locked up tight. Who knows what other people are hiding in their pasts? Not everyone talks about it,” Hadley said.
“Sometimes it takes the right person for them to open up, like Cade with Hadley and me with Reid.”
Dylan’s words brought a glimmer of hope that I’d be that person for Jonah. But I didn’t delude myself into thinking this thing with Jonah would last longer than his injury did. The second he was cleared to play football, I had a feeling whatever attraction he had for me would be forgotten. Even knowing that, I didn’t want to put a stop to whatever was brewing between us.
“You know, it doesn’t have to be anything serious. It could be a fun fling for the summer,” Avery said.
I pointed at her. “That has a nice ring to it.”
I liked the idea of removing any expectations and exploring the chemistry between us. I just had to remember what it was.
Talk turned to the news that an old friend and law school classmate of Avery and Dylan’s, Taylor, and her fiancé, Gabe, were moving from New Orleans to Annapolis. She’d be working at the firm until she had her baby, then might move to part time. Not knowing Taylor, I listened with one ear, just enjoying being out with women. Going to class and working odd hours for Reid kept me busy the last few years. I hadn’t formed lasting friendships.
Chapter Eight
JONAH
I’d asked Callie to meet me in the fitness center for a workout. I’d done some research on training for an obstacle course.
“You summoned?” Callie strode toward me in another skintight outfit.
It was late, so only a few employees were working out on the machines, and a couple of guys lifted dumbbells in front of the mirror.
“Are you ready for this?”
She flexed her bicep. “If you can make this bigger, that would be nice.”
I couldn’t help reaching out to squeeze the small muscle that formed. Her smile faded as her eyes heated from my touch.
“I’ll work you over.” Fuck that was not what I meant to say.
She pulled her arm from my grip with a saucy grin and a wink. “Let’s get started then.”
I was so used to Callie being serious, this flirty version threw me for a loop.
We went through a quick warm-up before walking around the track which ran on the second floor. It was a great way to see the whole facility. We went past the soccer fields and basketball courts before taking the steps back to the fitness center to one of the rooms where classes would be held.
“I thought we’d be doing weights.” Callie cocked her head.
The floor was padded, and the walls were mirrors. A bar ran the length of one wall. “We’ll do both.”
She raised a brow. “This is a little more serious than I thought.”
“I don’t do anything halfway.” I started my timer. “We’ll go through a series of HIIT exercises, Tabata style, then finish with total body lifting.”
She waved a hand at me. “That sounded like gibberish to me.”
I smiled. “HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, and Tabata just means you’ll do the exercises for a total of four minutes, but it’s really twenty-second intervals. It sounds short but—”
“In reality, it’s brutal?” She laughed.
“It’s not too bad. Just follow my movements. I’m not cleared to do the jumps yet, so when I do a calf raise, you’ll jump. You’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” She eyed me warily.
I took her through squat jumps, burpees with tuck jumps, and jumping lunges. We started each move slowly, then picked up the pace as she caught on to the movement.
Breathing heavily, she said, “You know burpees are bad enough without adding on push-ups and tuck thingies with them.”
“So, you have heard of burpees before?” I took a long pull of water, wishing I had the go-ahead to work out full bore.
“My friends have dragged me to a boot camp once or twice before.” Sweat beaded on her chest.
“If you want to scale the wall in the ninja course on your own, this helps.”
“Why not just do the treadmill or elliptical?” She lifted her shirt, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
My gaze caught on the wide expanse of skin she’d exposed. A flat belly, lightly defined muscles, and her belly button.
I got the impression she was asking questions not just out of curiosity but because she was stalling. She wanted a longer break before we started on the next exercise.
“Those are static exercises, good for a warm-up, but they don’t provide much functional strength.”
“Don’t tell that to all of the people who slave on those machines five days a week. What is functional strength?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling satisfaction when her eyes were drawn to my biceps. “It’s what helps you pick up boxes or scale a wall. It helps you with everyday real movement. Overall, it’s a better workout than doing repetitive movements like you would on the elliptical.”
“That makes sense. Although the elliptical would have been easier,” she teased.
“Nothing is easy when it comes to athletics or sports. You have to work hard to get where you want to be.”
She bit her lip, looking away from me. “You always knew you wanted to play professionally?”
“I knew I was good at sports early on. I picked it up easily, pitching to my little league baseball team, tackling kids in flag football. Instinctively I knew when to pivot, when and how to move my body for the best impact. I easily built muscle mass. It came easier for me than other kids, but when I got older, I had to work harder. Eventually, everyone’s on the same level. You have to constantly improve to stay relevant.”
“That’s a lot of pressure. When did you know you wanted to do it for real?”
“My high school coach thought I had what it took. College scouts were recruiting me. It seemed like the best option. My ticket out of my town.” A chill ran over my body. I worried I’d revealed too much.
“You didn’t like your hometown?” There was nothing but genuine curiosity in her tone, but it set me on edge. I didn’t like to talk about where I was from. It was hard for all of those feelings not to come back to me, flavoring my tone and mood, tipping someone off that things weren’t good when I left.
I shrugged like she hadn’t just asked the hard-hitting question. “Like any kid, I wanted to experience something different. I was in a hurry to grow up.”
She nodded. “That makes sense. I had plans to move away too, but when my parents died, I stayed closer to home. I lived with my grandfather instead of moving into the dorms. I changed to a cheaper school.”
“You did what you had to do.” I was relieved she’d changed the subject to her, taking the heat off me.
“After he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, he went into a personal care home earlier than he needed to so I wouldn’t feel responsible for him. He wanted me to go to college and enjoy life. He didn’t want me to be burdened with taking care of him.
“I’m sorry.”
She gave me a sad smile. She’d resigned herself to losing the people she loved, her parents, and she’d eventually lose her grandfather over time.
I couldn’t help but see the parallels in our histories. As much as I hoped it would draw us together if I told her the truth, I knew it wouldn’t. Her parents were taken from her in a horrible accident, one that was someone else’s fault. It was no different than what I’d done.
To cover my thoughts, I picked up my water, leading the way back to the weight room. “We’ll finish with some total body strength moves.”
I showed her the movements, helping her adjust her weights. “You’re doing compound movements, so you’ll want to start light. You can squat more weight than you can with an overhead press.”
“Got it.”
I stood close by so I could spot her or step in if she needed my help. She was a trooper,
doing everything I asked.
Going through the cooldown, I told her, “Make sure you eat a healthy snack or meal with protein.”
“Got it, coach.”
“Are you being cute with me?”
“I feel like your little project.”
Except I wanted to do more than shape her body, I wanted to explore it. “It’s something else to focus on besides my training.”
“You want to be doing all of this, don’t you?” She gestured around at the weights.
I couldn’t do the compound movements or the jumping exercises. “I’d like to be back to myself.”
“Will you miss this place when you’re cleared to play?” Her gaze was on me.
It felt like a weighted question.
“Yeah, but I’ll be back in the off-season.” What I should have said was that I’d miss seeing her every day. Now we had an excuse to talk during work, to work out. Reid wouldn’t understand if I kept our friendship, or whatever was happening between us, during the season. But if I wasn’t cleared to play, I’d still be working here. That thought buoyed me more than I thought it would. For the first time, I realized I had other things in my life I enjoyed and looked forward to seeing.
“I have you lined up to coach some camps in the spring and summer.”
“Perfect. I love working with kids.” When I ignored that voice in my head telling me I wasn’t a good influence.
“You are really good with the fans. I’ve always admired that about you.”
Her praise felt good. She admired me. I let that sink down deep because I rarely allowed the good to penetrate. I focused on the fans and mentoring kids to make up for my past—to turn a negative into a positive. I might seem like a hero on Sundays, but deep down, I wasn’t.
“Reid struggled with meetings with fans. Mainly because of his speech issues, but you’re a natural.”
I didn’t tell her it was an act I put on. It wasn’t the real me, or maybe it was the me from before. The one that let go of inhibitions, he said exactly what he thought, was quick to laugh.
“It means a lot that you think that of me. I think a lot of people dismiss me as a typical jock.”
She studied me for a second before continuing, “I think I did the same. I feel like I’m getting to know you better though. There’s a lot more to you than you let on.”
“Not really.” I wanted to know her better without her delving too deeply into who I was. I wished I could be with her without letting her all the way in. It was possible, but she deserved more. Just like that kiss on the ninja course, I’d take whatever I could before she realized I wasn’t worth her time.
“You know, we haven’t talked much about the mentor program.”
“You’re right. We should. Maybe over dinner?” I arched a brow, challenging her to refuse.
“We could talk about it easily in the office. Or now.” She arched her brow. She was challenging me to make it official, to say what I meant, not to couch my request in terms of work.
“That wouldn’t be much fun, now would it? Maybe I want to take you out.” The thought sent a sweet feeling through my body. I did want to spend time with her outside the complex. Every minute I spent with her had me craving more.
“You could have just asked me out. Not couched it as a business dinner.”
My chest felt like a balloon filling with air, pressing on my skin, threatening to burst. “Callie, can I take you out to dinner?”
A smile played on her lips. “I’d like that.”
Happiness filled my body before a twinge of regret took over. This could only go so far. I could enjoy her for now, but then I’d have to set her aside, push her away because Reid wouldn’t like it. Working together made things complicated, and ultimately, I had nothing to give her. She deserved so much more, but I was going to push those worries aside to live in the moment.
“How fancy will it be?” Her voice was teasing.
“What’s your ideal date?” Women I went out with expected the yacht clubs, the hardest to get reservations at the most sought-after restaurants, VIP access to clubs, but my instincts were telling me Callie was the opposite.
“Listening to music, walking around Annapolis in the evening.”
“Yeah?” Was it that simple with her? Was I the one making it complicated?
“Annapolis is one of my favorite places.” Her smile was shy.
I loosely demonstrated the next stretch, unable to place my legs in the proper butterfly position.
She mimicked my movement.
“Pull your feet in a little more. I don’t have enough range of motion yet.”
“I like you because you’re different. You don’t say or do anything I expect.”
I held up a hand when she opened her mouth. “I know you say it’s because a certain kind of woman places herself in my path, but it’s not just that. Everything that comes out of your mouth is fascinatingly, refreshingly unexpected.”
I could easily fall for this woman. Asking her out, even if we talked about business, was a slippery slope, the beginning of a never-ending slide. My pulse pounded in my ears. I was done avoiding her. I was going to barrel toward temptation, taking what I wanted, ignoring the ramifications.
She leaned forward, deepening the stretch, looking up at me from under her lashes. “Just don’t treat me like something that’s disposable.”
My heart twisted painfully. “I won’t.”
My voice cracked on the words. The promise was empty, even if I didn’t want to treat her like that.
Chapter Nine
CALLIE
“What’s Callie short for?”
I looked up from the spreadsheet on my computer. Jonah stood in the doorway in a T-shirt that read Rebel Sports and athletic shorts. Jonah had a habit of interrupting my work to joke around. Instead of being annoying, it was a nice distraction.
“Calliope.” My face heated. “Not exactly the easiest name to pronounce growing up.”
“Kids made fun of it?” Jonah smiled; his eyes sparkled with humor.
I rested my elbows on my desk, smiling. “They did. In a sea of Emmas and Maddies, I was different, but it was easier to go by Callie.”
“Why don’t you change it now that you’re an adult?” His expression was sincere.
It felt like he was pursuing me, flirting, getting to know me. It was nice.
“I’ve gone by Callie for so long, I can’t imagine changing it.”
“It’s a beautiful name either way.” His blue eyes were intent on mine.
“Thank you.” Jonah saying my name was beautiful heated me from the inside out.
I hadn’t felt good, really good since before the accident. My parents’ death left a hollow cavern in my chest that would never be filled.
His eyes brightened. “You want to get out of here? Grab dinner. Blow off some steam?”
“As attractive as that sounds, I was going to work a little longer, then go to bed early.”
“Calliope Goodwin.” His tone was chiding.
“Yes?” I raised a brow at him, wondering what charm he was going to use to convince me otherwise. Anticipation heated my veins.
He held his hand out. “I asked you out. You said yes. I’m cashing in my chips. Let’s go have some fun.”
“Is that all it takes to get women to go out with you? A boyish grin, a twinkle in your eye, and some smooth words?”
He winked. “Is it working?”
I wanted to get up and go with him more than anything. I laid my hand in his larger one. “I like to think I’m stronger than that.”
Jonah curled his fingers around mine, laying his free hand on his chest. “No one is immune to my charms.”
I snorted as tingles sprang from our joined fingers traveling up my arm. The warmth of his calloused hands surrounding mine felt so good. I’d never wanted a guy to hold my hand before. We walked down the hallway to the parking lot. Reid was gone for the day, and no one else was working this late, so I didn’t have to worry abou
t what anyone else would think. I could let go and be myself with him.
I glanced at his profile. His expression was lighter today. Sometimes, he was quiet and had this brooding look on his face. It was more than worry, it was like this darkness that took over sometimes. I wondered if anyone else even noticed it. Noticed him.
I was probably just hypersensitive to his moods.
We stopped by his large black SUV. “Where are we going?”
“You want to go to Annapolis?” Jonah stood in front of me, our joined hands between us. He was dressed casually, but this felt like a date.
“It is my favorite place.”
He opened the door for me.
The cabin of the truck was clean, an athletic bag in the back seat, and a bag of footballs on the floor. “You’re always prepared.”
“Yeah, you never know when you’re going to want to throw a football around.”
“You carry balls around so you can play pickup games?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged like it was no big deal which, I suppose, it wasn’t. It was just me who thought that was adorable. Here was a guy who played football professionally, but he must love the game to always carry balls around wanting to play more.
“It’s cute.”
“Cute?” His tone was testy like he didn’t like to be called that.
I smiled, looking out the window. “Yeah, it’s cute.”
He leaned over, lightly pinching my thigh.
I shot him a shocked look. “Hey.”
His lips twitched. “Don’t call me cute.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Geez, you’re sensitive.”
“Only around you.”
I shifted, facing him. “What do you mean?”
His expression was open, more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him.
“I care what you think.”