Pass Protection (Quarterback Sneak Book 3)

by Natalie Brock

  “What did you say?” Jamie asked from outside the room.

  “I have a date.” Brittany opened her bedroom door and motioned her to come inside. She scowled. “At least, I think it’s a date.” Shaking off her moment of uncertainty, she asked, “Which one should I wear?”

  Jamie pointed at the polka dot top. “Definitely the black and white one. Very hot.”

  Brittany cocked her head and looked at her two choices. Yes, the polka dot bikini was sexier, but Brittany figured a little subtlety was more appropriate in this instance. So she set down the polka dot garment and went into the bathroom to change into the black and grey bikini. “What time is it?” she called to Jamie.

  “Eleven thirty-five.”

  “Oh no!” It was already more than a half hour since she last saw Matthew. She quickly changed, threw a T-shirt and shorts over the bikini, and picked up her phone. Staring at it, she realized she still didn’t have Matthew’s contact information. “Damn. He’s gonna think I’m standing him up.” No time to load up a bag with sunscreen, lip gloss, and a hairbrush. No time to put her hair up, either. She slipped on a pair of flip flops, grabbed her cross-body wallet, and swung open the door. “See you later, Jamie.”

  “Have a great time, sweetie.”

  Brittany ran as fast as she could in her flip flops. She wasn’t used to running for speed, just jogging for exercise. Even though it was mid-October, the temperature still got up into the eighties. She was sure to be a sweaty mess when she met up with him. Turned out a half hour wasn’t nearly enough time to get to her dorm, change her clothes, and get back to the sports complex. But she was so happy Matthew wanted to hang out with her, it didn’t seem appropriate to negotiate the amount of time. Next time he wanted to spend time with her, he’d have to come to the dorm and pick her up the old-fashioned way.

  She let herself imagine what it would be like to ride in Matthew’s car, sit beside him in the front seat, cuddle against him, gaze at his profile as he kept his eyes on the road. He’d put his arm around her shoulder, pull her close, and play with her hair. They’d talk and flirt the way they did on the bus from Bradenton. He’d open up about himself, they’d get to know each other on a deeper level and begin to connect in a whole new way. By the time they actually got to wherever it was they were going, their closeness would be solidified and would hopefully lead to something more.

  She panted as she came to a stop near the entrance to the sports complex. Looking around, she couldn’t believe Matthew wasn’t there. Did he give up and leave without her?

  Nearby, a motorcycle engine revved, catching Brittany’s attention. The driver took his helmet off. “Hey,” he called to Brittany. Her eyes widened when she saw it was Matthew. He was wearing a white cotton T-shirt that accentuated his pectorals, a pair of khaki shorts, and tennis shoes, no socks. His legs were solid and muscular. He looked so sexy as he dismounted his Harley. He gave her a big smile. “Ready?”

  She walked closer. “This your car?”

  Chuckling, he said, “Yeah. A used Harley, but it works for me.” He reached out and gently touched her arm. “I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”

  “I would’ve texted, but I don’t have your number. Why aren’t you on the contacts list?”

  “I guess the team secretary hasn’t gotten around to adding me yet. As far as you not having my number, well, we’ll have to rectify that.”

  When he turned away, Brittany’s brow knit. She thought he was going to give her his number, but instead he held up an extra helmet. She looked upward as he slid it over her head. “You don’t really expect me to wear this thing, do you?”

  “Why not?” He fastened the strap under her chin.

  “Because it’s not my color and it’ll flatten out my hair.”

  “You look adorable.” When her expression softened, he added, “Besides, I want you in one piece.” He secured his own helmet and tilted his head. “Come on.” He threw a leg over the bike and waited for Brittany to climb on behind him. “Put your arms around me.”

  “With pleasure,” she said as she clutched his chest.

  “Watch your feet.” He glanced behind him. “You comfortable?”

  “Totally. Where we going?”

  “Siesta Key,” he said as he pulled away. “It’s about a little more than an hour’s drive from campus. Think you can handle that?”

  She sunk her fingers into Matthew’s chest. “You watch the road and I’ll handle everything else.”

  Brittany closed her eyes as she pressed her chin against Matthew’s shoulder. Her arms were wrapped around his warm torso, wind blew through her hair, the vibration from the bike’s motor tingled her spine, and the smell of fuel filled the air. This wasn’t the car ride she’d imagined, but in a way, it was even better. It gave her the opportunity to hold him for the first time, for their bodies to touch. He felt so good in her arms.

  With her hands splayed across Matthew’s muscular chest, she held on tight, thinking there was no better feeling in the world. She felt so exhilarated and wondered if there was a way they could just keep driving and driving and never return to campus.

  »»•««

  Matthew wrapped his arms around his knees and stared out at the horizon. His anxiety over being benched dissolved as he allowed his mood to be altered by this vacation-like setting. The view here took his breath away. The sugary white granules of sand melted into the aquamarine gelatin, also known as the sea. Before moving to Florida, he had been to a beach only twice in his life on family trips, once to California and once to New York. The Gulf of Mexico was different, though. The water was much calmer than the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, much more tranquil.

  He breathed deeply and filled his lungs with the smell of the baked sand and the salty sea. A light whiff of coconut suntan lotion reached his nostrils, and he decided life didn’t get any better than this.

  He glanced over at Brittany lying on the blanket with her eyes closed. Not only was the view stunning, but so was she. The more time he spent with her, the more he believed she was really an angel in a devil’s cloak. There was something sweet and vulnerable about her when you peeled back her layers—that is, when she let him peel back the layers, something he suspected she didn’t often do.

  The voices in his head—also known as his conscience—were at odds when it came to Brittany. One voice kept telling him to fight his growing attraction before he risked giving in to temptation. The other voice told him he deserved to have a life, and his vow merely served as an excuse not to get close to another girl. Suddenly he grew concerned about something more immediate. Despite it being October, this was Florida and the sun was still too hot to bake in. He tapped Brittany’s shoulder. “Hey, come here.”

  ∙•∙

  She opened her eyes and squinted from the brightness of the sun, shielding her face with her palm up. “What?”

  “One sec.” He turned and pulled sunscreen out of the backpack he brought. “We can’t let you burn. Come here.” Brittany sat up. Biting her lip, she turned her back expectantly, pulling her long blonde hair to one side. She could hear his hands rubbing together. When his fingers touched her skin, she closed her eyes and savored his touch. He slowly rubbed lotion on the exposed skin on her back. The coconut scent was comforting. His slightly callused fingers slipped under the halter strap, and he massaged the back of her neck with his thumbs. Mmm. There was something so erotic about the moment, so sensual. He was really good at this. She was certain he had done this before. He clasped her shoulders and held them. Breaking the spell, he casually asked, “What did you think about that meeting? You think we should change the team name?”

  That was quite a non sequitur, she thought. The mood was set for him to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Instead, the conversation veered toward the mundane.

  He released her shoulders and Brittany turned around. “Oh that. I don’t know.”

  “Don’t you have an opinion?” he asked as he applied sunscreen up and down her
arm.

  “Not really. I don’t care if they change it or if they don’t.” She paused for a few seconds to watch his hands move down the length of her right arm, then her left arm. “Honestly though, I’ve been a cheerleader for a long time and in my experience, team names are supposed to sound ferocious and intimidating, right?” She didn’t give Matthew a chance to respond before adding, “I mean, people have a right to an opinion no matter what Janna and Coach Fairchild say. I have no problem with that. If anyone wants to talk to EFUsion, let them. But what a stupid thing to petition about. There are more important things in the world to get worked up over.”

  Matthew chuckled. “And here I was thinking you didn’t have an opinion.”

  “If I wanted to add my voice to the chorus, I would have said, come on people, get a life and stop trying to run everyone else’s. The team name is the team name and you can’t always get what you want.” Realizing she was borderline ranting, she gave Matthew a look and shrugged. “You’re right. I guess I had a stronger opinion than I thought.”

  “Don’t apologize. I like a woman who speaks her mind.”

  Brittany bit her lip and blushed a little. Then she mischievously plucked the sunscreen from the space between Matthew’s legs. “Now it’s my turn to do you,” she asserted, letting her gaze linger on his chest. He smiled and turned around, facing away from her. She slowly rubbed the lotion onto the warm smooth skin on his back. “What about you? Should we change the team name?”

  “No. We should absolutely not change the name,” he said decisively. “The Barracudas is a fine name and I seriously doubt if people come or don’t come to a football game because of the team name.”

  She wanted to keep rubbing his skin, but she was done applying the sun cream. Matthew turned around and took the lotion from her. Setting it aside, Matthew laid back and looked up at the sky, tucking one arm under his head. “Man, it’s beautiful here. We don’t have beaches like this in Illinois.”

  Brittany took a deep breath as her eyes drank in his physique. Before she had a chance to embarrass herself by ogling, she laid down next to him. “I didn’t think you had any beaches in Illinois.”

  Matthew laughed lightly and instinctively reached for Brittany’s hand. “You’re right, we don’t. This place is one of a kind. I think I want to live here forever.”

  “Me too, as long it’s with you.”

  He turned his head and gazed at Brittany. Moments passed and finally he said, “What is it you want to do with your life, Brit?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, like a career. What’s your major?”

  Shrugging, she said, “I haven’t decided yet.”

  “But you’re a junior, right?”

  “Yeah. Yeah. I know I know.” She waved at the air. “I’m supposed to declare my major by now. I get daily robo emails from my guidance advisor telling me to pick something.”

  “And?”

  “And I’ve gotten quite proficient at hitting the delete key. Hmm, maybe I’ll major in deleting emails.”

  “I don’t think a lot of businesses are looking for professional email deleters,” he quipped. “What do you like to do? What interests you?”

  “Besides you?” When he gave her a look, she said, “Okay, be serious Brittany. Dance class is my favorite. And of course I love cheerleading.”

  “Are you saying you want to go on to become a professional cheerleader?”

  “Okay sure. Why not,” she answered half-heartedly.

  “You know, there’s not many cheerleaders older than twenty-six. What’ll you do when you outgrow it?”

  “Same thing you’ll do when you outgrow football.”

  “Being a player is different,” he said evenly. “There’s lots of quarterbacks who play until they’re forty. And they make enough money to last a lifetime if they’re savvy. You have to be interested in something else.”

  She looked at her fingernails. “Cosmetics. I love cosmetics. I’m tres artistique.” She dramatically pushed her hair over her shoulder. “In fact, I’m a stylist at Salon Simone. It’s a high-end shop on International Drive and Harbor Lane, very upscale clientele. Tres chic. I do hair and manicures and makeup too,” she said, telling Matthew a little white lie that made her feel like less of a loser who sweeps hair off the floor and does laundry. “Okay. You can do something in cosmetics.”

  “Like what, though? Be a make-up artist?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe an esthetician.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Someone who knows about skin care and gives expensive facials. Kind of like we do at the salon.” She chuckled. “Or I could be a cosmetics chemist.”

  “Wow. Chemistry can be tough.”

  Pouting, she looked at him and said, “What? Don’t you think I can handle it?”

  “Oh I have no doubt you can do whatever you put your mind to, young lady.” He squeezed her hand. “You are nothing if not tenacious.”

  “Is that another one of those insults disguised as a compliment?”

  He rolled on his side and stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “No. It’s the truth. You wouldn’t give up on me until I realized you were right.”

  “Right about what?”

  “That we should know each other better.” He slid his hand under her back and pulled her closer to him, leaning over her until his lips met hers. Brittany held Matthew’s shoulders as she lay under him. He surprised her by deepening the kiss. She hooked her thigh around his leg until their bodies tangled together. The Florida sun baked down on them, virtually melting their bodies together. They were lost in the kiss, lost in each other’s arms.

  Matthew broke the kiss and leaned away a little. His lips were still parted as he gazed into Brittany’s eyes. She searched his eyes, wondering what was coming next, holding back from what she really wanted to do, which was pull him flush on top of her. Instead, she had to let him take the lead.

  Brittany snapped out of her reverie in time to realize she was staring at Matthew and hadn’t heard his last few sentences.

  Smiling, he said, “I think it’s time to cool off.” He quickly got up off the blanket and held his hand out. Brittany took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Tugging her hand, he turned around and led her toward the ocean.

  The hot granules of sand warmed the soles of her feet as she ran alongside Matthew toward the water. As soon as she splashed into the sea, her body instantly cooled. He released her hand and dunked himself under the water. Her heart skipped a beat when he rose from the water like Neptune, the mythological Roman god of the sea. Smoothing back his hair with his hand, his smile widened as he looked at her, his white teeth gleaming, his broad shoulders wet and glistening.

  In an instant, he disappeared again, diving down under the water. “Matthew? Where did you go?”

  Suddenly Brittany felt something odd move between her thighs. Fear washed over her and her first thought was “shark.” She gasped when her body was lifted out of the water. When she looked down, she laughed loudly, realizing she was sitting on Matthew’s shoulders, her legs dangling over his chest as he held on to her calves. She leaned forward, pressing her cleavage to the back of his neck and wrapping her arms around his upper body. Before she got too comfortable, he submerged them both and tossed her off his shoulders into the water. He floated closer and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her out of the water again. She wrapped her legs around his torso and held him tightly, looking into his eyes.

  This was as close as she’d ever been to a man physically outside of a sexual encounter. His eyes twinkled when he smiled at her and she was dying to kiss him, but she held herself back. A wave lifted them up and carried them a few feet closer to the horizon. She giggled like a little girl. He rubbed his nose against hers but stopped short of kissing her. What was he waiting for, she wondered. Permission? She wanted to tell him to go ahead and kiss her, but she was afraid to break the lighthearted mood. She pushed back her instincts and allowed Matth
ew to take the lead. At this point, he could lead her anywhere and she’d gladly follow.

  He licked his lips while pressing his fingers into the small of her back and running his thumbs along her wet skin. One hand slid from her back down her thigh, stopping to clasp the underside of her knee. She shivered involuntarily. “Are you okay?” he asked. “If you’re cold, we can get out of the water.”

  “No, I’m fine,” she said quietly, so quietly in fact, it hardly even sounded like her.

  “Let’s get out of the water.” He gently set her down and took her hand, and even though she really didn’t want to leave the sensual sanctuary, she let him lead her back to shore. But instead of heading for their beach blanket, he asked, “Want to go shelling?” She looked at him funny, so he clarified. “You know, go looking for interesting shells.”

  “I know what shelling is,” she said with some amusement. “I just didn’t think it would be something a big, strong football player would like doing.”

  He laughed and touched her chin. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, angel.”

  Her body flushed with warmth when he called her angel. That was the sweetest pet name she’d ever been called. “I’m ready to know more, any time you want to share.”

  “Maybe later.” He tugged on her hand and led her down the shoreline.

  They picked up a couple dozen shells during their long walk. By the time they returned to the blanket, their bodies had dried off from the sun. Matthew looked up and squinted. “Angle of the sun’s shifted. Must be later than I thought.” He reached inside his tennis shoe where he’d stowed his phone. “It’s after four. We should head back.”

  Brittany sighed. She really didn’t want to go back, but she merely nodded. They slipped their clothing over their suits, gathered their things, and walked back to the parking area where Matthew’s bike was waiting.

  Brittany felt sleepy as she held on to Matthew for the ride back to campus. Today felt like a turning point in their relationship. At least that’s what she hoped it was. But when they got back to campus he placed the seashells in her hands and kissed her forehead. Not exactly the end to the date she was hoping for.