Colton

With my right hand wrapped around a beer bottle, I stand next to Dylan in our teammate Marcus’s living room. I’ve been nursing the same drink for over an hour, and my eyes are trained on the front door.

I’ve never been less interested in a party scene than I am tonight. All I want is to be alone with Sky. Instead, I’m backed against a wall, trying to avoid the drunken scene playing out in front of me. What was supposed to be a group of about twelve turned into three times that, with more women than men. Wilkens invited his sister, who invited all her sorority friends, and here we are.

I’ve fended off more than a few blondes pressing their breasts against me and purring. Yes, they actually purred while they asked me what position I play. In the past, I would have made a joke about being the tightest end on the team.

But tonight, the only woman I want to see still hasn’t showed.

I shift my attention to Dylan.

“You’re quiet tonight,” I say to him.

He jerks a hand through his dark head of hair, his first tell that he’s uncomfortable. “Not in the mood to meet anyone new. Marcus swore this thing would be small.”

“I know. He definitely didn’t plan on this.”

As I speak, a woman jumps onto Wilkens’ shoulders. He grabs her thighs to hold her steady, and starts parading around the room with her. She grabs a shot from one of her friends and downs it.

“You’d think we were still in college,” Dylan mutters.

Just as Wilkens passes by the foyer, the front door opens.

This time my hopes aren’t dashed. Ted and Angie walk through the doorway first, followed by Sky.

She widens her eyes as she takes in the scene. Wilkens stops to greet her, the woman still hanging off his shoulders. I hand Dylan my beer bottle and push through the crowd.

When I reach Sky, I hesitate for a moment before leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Her gorgeous red hair is pinned back, with light tendrils framing her face. Her skin, which had been so pale when I saw her earlier today, is pink and glowing. She’s dressed casually, in an off-the-shoulder green fitted top that shows off her emerald eyes, and faded blue jeans.

She inclines her head at the chaos around us. “So much for a quiet gathering.”

“My teammate’s sister thought she’d invite everyone she knows,” I say with a grimace. “I had no idea.”

Sky smiles at me. “I don’t mind. I was just surprised.”

I glare at Wilkens as he runs into me while depositing the woman back on her feet. He throws me an apology and heads to the kitchen for more alcohol.

I greet Ted and Angie, who immediately ask me where the drinks are at. Taking Sky by the hand, I lead the three of them over to Dylan.

I’m worried Ted and Angie will freak out at the introduction, but Sky must have warned them ahead of time, because they both shake Dylan’s hand carefully and without fanfare. Ted does try to sneak a photo with his phone when Dylan’s chatting with Sky, but I shake my head at him, and he nods before depositing his phone in his pocket.

“I won’t take any,” he whispers to me. “My immature moment has passed.”

I clap him on the back. “Come help me get drinks for you three.”

Ted follows me enthusiastically, whispering in my ear the whole way about this player and that player.

“Is he fucking her?” he asks as he stares at Marcus and his girlfriend.

“They’re together,” I say. “Sort of.”

“Ohhh.” Ted nods vigorously. “I get you.”

I hand him a glass of wine. “That’s for Sky.”

Ted glances at it. “You know her favorite wine already.”

I grab him a beer and a margarita for Angie. “I try to know all her favorite things.”

Ted pretends to swoon. “You are so going to crack my favorite journalist’s armor, Mr. Wild. I can’t wait to see it unfold.”

---

An hour and a half later, I find myself in the familiar position of keeping the wall in Marcus’s living room company. Sky’s chatting with Angie and Ted over by the kitchen. She seems to be enjoying herself, but she rebuffed my one attempt to touch her.

So I’ve kept my distance, although I’m starting to think something more than just the interview has thrown her off.

“Hey, Dyl.” I turn to face him, but he keeps his profile to me.

“Yeah.”

“Do me a favor and don’t mention what I have going on with Sky to any other Wilds.”

Dylan’s jaw works like he’s surprised. “Why not?”

“I don’t want to jinx myself. The woman’s like a track star, the way she runs out on me.”

My cousins would no doubt be happy for me. But they’d also be protective, and right now, I’m feeling protective enough.

“But you’ve told J, right?” Dylan confirms.

“Yeah. Jenson pretty much dragged it out of me.”

He nods, and turns to click his beer to mine. “I don’t trust anyone,” he says quietly. “Especially women. But you knew Sky before all of this…” He points out at the room of football players with the top of his beer bottle. “And that makes it different.”

He means Sky’s not after me for my status, or my money, or my dick. I shift so I’m facing the room, too. Side by side, without needing to look at each other, Dylan and I stand in silent solidarity. And I say to him, “It is different with Sky. But if I met her today for the first time, she still wouldn’t be after the wrong things. Not every woman is a user.”

He snorts. “I have yet to meet the opposite. Not in years.”

“You will. Someone who doesn’t want you for your big contract, or your big…”

He punches my arm, and I crack up laughing.

Sky twists around then, and her smile lights up every part of me. And not just the part of me that grows hard at the sight of her.

And just like that, I head toward her.

She meets me halfway.

“Having fun?” I ask her.

She surprises the hell out of me when she lays her hand on my chest. The heat from her palm seers into my heart, and I work to keep my breathing even.

“I need the restroom.”

I point to the hallway. “I’ll show you.”

The downstairs bathroom is locked, so I take Sky upstairs. I stand outside and wait for her when she goes inside the bathroom, but when she comes out, she steps right up to me, effectively trapping me against the hallway wall. Her expression is closed, though, like she’s trying to hide something. From me? Probably, but I sense she’s also masquerading from herself.

Unable to resist her, I flip us and lift her hands over her hand, pinning her wrists lightly with one hand, and using my other to grip her hip.

The party noises from downstairs fade away, until Sky’s erratic breathing is the only thing I can hear. I step into her, pulling her body flush against mine.

“Skylar.” I say her name like a plea. “I’ve thought about your mouth on mine ever since I walked out of your door last week.”

Her lips part and she releases a sigh.

I dip my mouth to meet hers. Our lips touch gently at first, but then the kiss turns feverish. Within seconds, Sky’s clawing at my back, her nails digging into me as my steel length rubs against her hot core.

“I can feel how wet you are,” I murmur into her lips. “Are you as wet down there as you are up here?” I dip my tongue further into her mouth.

“Yes.” Her affirmation comes out as a moan. “You feel so good, Colt.”

I return my attention to ravishing her mouth, but my fingers snake underneath the waistband of her jeans. She bucks into me, her body language begging me not to stop.

I slide across her soft skin until I reach the button of her jeans. When I unsnap it, she goes languid in my arms, like she can no longer hold herself up.

“Holy fuck,” she mutters. “You make me crazy, Colt. You always make me so crazy.”

Realizing that anyone could walk upstairs and see us, I shift my body so I’m completely blocking her from the direction of the stairway. I pull my head back from hers a fraction of an inch, so I can watch her face. And then I slowly lower the zipper on her jeans.

The sound of the metal teeth unlocking is the only sound in the upstairs hall. Sky’s eyes, pools of liquid green, are fixed on mine.

My hand is shaking as I slip it below the elastic of her panties. But before I reach the part of her I’ve dreamt about, I halt.

“Sky,” I say fervently. “God, I’ve imagined touching you again so many fucking times. So many times.”

She tosses her head back against the wall and slams her eyes shut. “Touch me,” she says in a pleading tone.

Her words say yes, but something about her feels off. I knew it as soon as I kissed her. And it’s no doubt related to the closed look on her face that I caught when she left the bathroom. But I’m too turned on to decipher any further. And she’s grinding into my hand now, practically moving my fingers into the right place all on her own.

So I slowly start to slide my hand into her heat. I’m just about there, when—

Beeeeeeep!!

Marcus’s damn smoke alarm suddenly goes off. And it’s not stopping.

Sky jumps out of my arms like she’s the one on fire. “What the—”

“Smoke alarm,” I say.

I help her zip up her jeans, and we hurry down the stairs.

By the time we reach the kitchen, the sound has stopped.

“Sorry, guys.” Marcus frowns at Wilkens. “This asshole put popcorn in the microwave, and let it cook until it burned to a fucking crisp.”

He holds up the charred bag.

Sky wrinkles her nose at the smell. “Is your microwave ruined?”

Marcus shrugs. “It’s unplugged and airing out. I won’t test it until tomorrow, but it should be fine.”

As he and Wilkens get into an argument about how long to leave the windows open, I turn to Sky, cupping her face in my hands. “That was a shitty interruption. Are you all right?”

“I am,” she says. “But I think I’d like to leave, as long as you’re okay to go.”

“I’m more than okay with that plan. Let me tell Dylan.”

Sky follows behind me, and spends a couple minutes making friendly small talk with my cousin, before bidding him good night.

I let Dylan know I’ll talk to him tomorrow, but he inclines his head for me to step closer. I watch Sky find Ted and Angie across the room, before I lean in toward Dylan.

“What is it?”

“Don’t fuck this up with her,” he says, the smirk on his face masking how serious I know he is. “I can see how much you like her.”

“Got it. You sound like Jenson.”

“I like her for you,” he insists, and I know he means it. For Dylan Wild to say he has even an iota of trust in any woman is a freaking miracle.

“Good night, D.” I make my way over to Sky.

Angie and Ted decide to leave as well, and we all say good-bye by Ted’s car.

Once Sky and I are alone in my car, I hand her over the Wild bear she left behind last week.

She hugs it to her chest. “With everything that’s happened, I forgot about this. And I have something for you, too, but I didn’t bring it with me.”

“Oh?” I can’t hide my surprise. “You bought me something?”

Her face turns nearly as red as her hair. “You’ll see. Next time I see you.”

“Can’t wait.” I pull out of the parking spot and onto the street.

Once we’re driving down Sunset, Sky rests her head back against the seat. Her jaw relaxes, and she shuts her eyes. Other than our out-of-control make out session outside the bathroom, she looks like she hasn’t let her guard down in days.

“Have you had any time alone since the interview today?” I ask her softly.

“Not really.” Her voice is husky and exhausted. “It’s been kind of a fucked-up day, Colt.”

“You up for talking?”

She lets out an affirmative sound. “Take me somewhere private.”

---

Skylar

Colton takes us to the beach, my favorite place in the world when I want to hear myself.

“This is exactly where I wanted to go,” I say softly as he puts the car in park and lowers the windows. “Thank you.”

Colton shifts to face me directly, and the moonlight casts a bright glow so I can see his expression. His normally clear blue eyes are cloudy, like he’s worried.

And I hate seeing him upset, especially if I’m the cause.

So I loosen the grip on my closely-held secrets, and fill him in on my mom’s news.

“I want to help,” he says immediately, his jaw ticking tightly with coiled tension. “One of the guys on the team—his dad’s with the FBI. If you give me your permission…”

“No.” I say it more sharply than I mean to. “We have the FBI involved. I swear, Colton—between my brothers and my mom’s friend, they’re going to find him. Soon.”

“But what’s wrong with more hands on deck?”

“I just don’t want anyone else knowing.” I felt stupid that I still care, but I can’t lie to him. “My mom raised us to keep our family problems to ourselves, for our safety. Old habits die hard, maybe, but the thing is, outside of my family, you’re the only person who knows everything. I’ve told little pieces of the truth here and there, but for the most part, I keep the whole story to myself.”

“I understand,” he says, and I believe him when he says it. “I promise I won’t say anything.”

“Thank you.” This conversation has effectively taken all the heat out of the evening. “Sorry for the cock blocking. I think I should just go home now.”

Colton reaches for my hand. “Of course I’ll take you home, and I won’t try to come in. But don’t apologize for telling me what’s in your heart, Sky. I want to know.” He runs his thumb over my palm. “I do have a request, though: let’s go on a date. Soon. Just the two of us this time.”

I stiffen. “Just you and me?”

His gaze stays on mine. “Yep. Just us.”

I pull my hand away. “You’re being kind of bossy,” I say, trying to sound teasing.

“And you’re being kind of tough,” he says back. “Who will win this round?”

I laugh. I don’t know who I’m trying to be a tough girl for. I’m insanely attracted to him, and I actually really like him. So I relent first. “Okay. What are you doing tomorrow night?”

His lips part, almost like he’s caught off-guard. “Are you seriously asking me out?”

I flush. “Well, yes. Tomorrow’s Friday, and I’m getting off at a decent hour. Do you want to do something?”

“Hmmm. Since you met me halfway…sort of.”

“You sort of want to do something?”

When he focuses his gaze on me, his eyes reveal that same vulnerability I saw when he invited me back to his house last month. He swallows, hard, and then he discloses his full plan.

“Actually, I want to spend the weekend with you. All of it. Starting tomorrow.”

“You—” I halt. “You want to spend—what?”

Colton’s voice drops. “I believe we need more than a few hours alone to catch up and get to know each other. Don’t you? I’ve got three guest rooms. You can take your pick.”

“You want me to sleep in the guest room?” pops out of my mouth.

But he doesn’t tease, or make some flirtatious remark like I think he’s going to. “I want you to know that there’s no pressure. I just want to spend time with you. Okay?”

He gently squeezes my knee, and I nod.

“That being said—” His cheeks flush pink. “Of course I want you in my bed. I thought I’ve made that clear many times over already. You, on the other hand, avoided seeing me for four weeks, and have only agreed to go out with me when we’ve been surrounded by people.”

The moment before his expression turns neutral, I catch a glimpse of pain.

I rub the top of his hand that’s still on my knee. “I’ve got so many demons, Colt. I hope you haven’t taken them personally.”

His jaw relaxes. “I appreciate how honest you always are. And I swear to you that I will be as patient as you need. So. This weekend. What do you say?”

“I can’t stay the whole weekend,” I say quickly.

He breathes out slowly. “I figured you might say that. Can I ask why?”

I nod. “Because of my pets.”

“Karma and River.”

I can’t hide how happy I am that he remembers their names, and I smile. “Yes. I can’t leave them alone all weekend, and it’s too short notice for me to get a pet sitter.”

Colton’s face breaks into a wide smile. “So bring them to my house. I don’t have any pets, but I had a rescue dog for five years. He just passed away last month.”

I bring my free hand to my mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You never mentioned.”

His eyes cloud over with sadness. “I didn’t want to talk about only sad things with you. I do that enough. But Boxer was awesome. He didn’t come to me until he was nearly ten, and he had some health issues already from being abused. But he lived a pain-free life with me, right up to the end.”

“I’m glad.”

Colton purses his lips in a determined way, like he isn’t going to take no for an answer this time. “So you’ll bring your dog, and your cat, and yourself?”

I run my teeth over my lip, trying to buy time. But the truth is, I want to see him alone. And even stubborn old me can’t ignore that fact. “For the whole weekend?” I say, trying to stall.

“Yes.” He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses it in a way that makes me shiver.

I take my hand back, but my answer is certain. “Okay. I’ll come by after work tomorrow.”

His eyes flash with relief. “I’ll pick you up.”

“No.” I need my car. If not, I’ll feel trapped, and when I feel trapped, I’m even more likely to bolt. “I have to go to my apartment and pack. I’ll drive over, and I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”