NATHAN WAS SLUGGISH DURING PRACTICE. ALL DURING drills today he’d felt like he was dragging a Chevy through the turf. Even his coach had noticed and told him more than once to pick up his own ass and run.

He’d never been happier to see the end of a practice. He’d stood under the running water in the shower for what seemed like an eternity, hoping it would wash away the tons of turf he’d eaten when his defense had knocked him down over and over again.

There wasn’t a part of his body that didn’t hurt like hell. What he wanted right now was a damn beer and a cheeseburger.

“You look like you’ve been run over by a truck,” Flynn said as he passed by his locker.

“Feel like it, too.”

“I’ve had rough practices like these before. Some days are just like that. You need to shake it off.”

“I plan to. With a beer and a cheeseburger.”

“Ninety-Two makes the best cheeseburgers in the city. Let me treat you to one.”

He wasn’t in the mood to socialize. He’d planned to grab something on the way home and nurse his aches and pains on the sofa, but Flynn was a veteran and he could probably use some insight into why he’d been dragging ass on the field today. So he nodded. “Sure. That sounds great. Thanks.”

“Okay. Meet you there.”

Flynn left and Nathan sat there for several minutes, trying to summon the energy to get dressed.

He had to start getting his shit together. They had a tough game coming up this weekend against Dallas and he had to get his mind-set right.

Last night he’d stayed up way too late thinking about calling Mia. Or going over to Mia’s place and making her talk to him.

God, he missed her. He thought by now he’d be over her. It had been three weeks. He always got over women fast.

But he’d never loved a woman before. Not the real love kind of love. This really fucking hurt. Getting over her wasn’t going to be easy.

Maybe he needed to text her, to ask her to meet with him so they could talk things out, so she could make him understand what the fuck had happened.

Closure. What he needed was that mystical closure thing people talked about when relationships ended. He’d always laughed about that when his friends talked about it or he saw it portrayed on TV. What the fuck was closure anyway?

Whatever it was, he needed it so he could move the hell on with his life.

He got dressed and drove into the city, parking in the lot at Ninety-Two. By the time he got there, he decided that the closure thing was overrated. What he needed was a beer and a cheeseburger and an awesome game on Sunday.

Those were all the things he needed to be happy. He needed to stay away from women and relationships, because those two things screwed with his head. All he needed in his life was football. If he just concentrated on football, everything would be perfect.

Then he walked in the door of the restaurant and saw Mia sitting at the bar, and his newly constructed life plan went totally to shit.

MIA SAW THE LOOK ON NATHAN’S FACE WHEN HE WALKED in. He was not happy to see her. She half expected him to turn around and walk out. In fact, she found herself holding her breath for that fraction of a second as their gazes met, waiting for him to do exactly that.

When he didn’t, when he walked toward her, she exhaled in relief. He could be mad as hell at her, he could even yell at her. But what she couldn’t handle was him walking away.

Though that’s what she’d done, wasn’t it? She’d walked away from him—from them, without even giving him a truthful explanation about why. She owed him that, so she really hoped he’d stay to hear her out.

“I’m here to see Flynn,” he said.

She swallowed, her throat gone dry. “He’s not here.”

Nathan frowned. “Okay. I’ll wait for him.”

“I mean, he’s not going to be here. I asked him to ask you to come.”

“Why?”

“Because I figured if I asked you to come you wouldn’t.”

“You’re right. This is a waste of time.”

He started to walk away but she laid her hand on his forearm. “Please stay.”

“I don’t need closure, Mia.”

“Closure? I’m not— I don’t want that, Nathan. I want to talk to you.”

He looked around and so did she. The restaurant wasn’t crowded. It was still early so the dinner crowd hadn’t arrived yet.

“Fine.”

She felt such relief at that one word. “Let’s get a table somewhere private in the corner where we can talk. Would you like something to drink?”

He told the bartender he wanted a beer. Once he got that, they went to a table in the far corner of the restaurant.

Mia took a sip of her wine while Nathan took several long swallows of his beer, then set it down on the table.

“What’s this all about, Mia?”

Now was the time to lay the truth out on the table. She hoped he didn’t bolt when she did, but she owed him that. She owed him the truth—and her feelings.

“I lied to you.”

“When?”

“When I broke up with you. It wasn’t about my company or me. It was about you.”

He didn’t respond to that, so she continued.

“That afternoon of the preseason game, you put your arm around me and the media was there. They took photos and those photos showed up online. I sat outside Mick and Tara’s house. You remember we were supposed to meet there.”

“Yeah, I remember. You cancelled.”

“Right. I saw those photos and what the reporters were saying about you and me. They focused on the two of us together. They asked if we were a dynasty in the making. They accused me of using you to benefit my company. And suddenly it wasn’t about your game that day, Nathan. It was about us.”

“So?”

She sighed. “How can you be so nonchalant about that? You know how the press focuses on an athlete and his personal life. I didn’t want that for you. Not at such a critical juncture in your career.”

Nathan took a sip of his beer. “Oh, I get it. So you decided it would be best to end things between us to save me. How noble of you.”

She knew he’d be mad about it. “I’m sorry. I thought what I was doing was for the best. For you.”

“Without talking to me about it. Without asking how I felt about it. Because Mia Cassidy knows best.”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t like that. I was scared for you, Nathan. I was worried how you’d be perceived, that the focus would be about the two of us instead of your performance on the field.”

“So instead of treating me like someone you care about, you treated me like a client. Hell, Mia, for that, I should sign with MHC, because you handled me beautifully, didn’t you? Your instincts were right on. Tell the client that personal life and entanglements come second to career. Right?”

This was not going like she thought it would. Couldn’t he see what she’d done for him? Couldn’t he see how much her heart was hurting? “That’s exactly the way I thought. I sacrificed us for you. Don’t you see that?”

His gaze narrowed. “Oh, I see it perfectly. Only I was in love with you, Mia. So while you were thinking all about business you ripped my goddamn heart out.”

He was in love with her? It was the first time he’d said it and she should be elated.

But she could only watch him as he stood, tossed money on the table for his beer and, without another word, walked out of the restaurant.

Mia stared at the empty chair where he’d sat.

Oh, God. She’d hurt him so much, even more than she’d thought. Because she’d had to be the one in control. So instead of loving him and talking to him about her fears and concerns, she’d managed him. He was so right. Instead of talking it over with the man she loved, she’d treated him like a client.

It really was over between them. And she couldn’t fix it. What she’d feared the most had happened.

She’d lost Nathan. Only it wasn’t the sex or falling in love that had driven the wedge between them.

It was her. She’d ruined them. And she totally deserved this feeling of utter loss and devastation.

NATHAN THREW HIS KEYS ON THE TABLE AND PACED the confines of his condo. He raked his fingers through his hair, still hot after the long drive home.

“Fuck.”

Mia had manipulated him, treated him no better than she’d treat any one of her clients.

He’d loved her. Hell, he still loved her, goddammit. And she didn’t care at all about him. How could she shred him like that without a thought to how he felt?

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was Mia. He gripped the phone so tight it made his hand cramp, so he threw the damn thing on the sofa.

She’d made all the decisions and never once thought to ask him how he felt. Because in Mia’s world, business was everything. Business came first.

Well, no more. He was done with having his heart stomped on.

And he was done with Mia for good.