Carter

Something was wrong with Reagan. Throughout dinner, she wouldn’t meet my gaze. If I moved over toward her, she would find an excuse to be somewhere else. After the fifth time that happened, I let out a frustrated growl.

“Don’t worry,” Brooke said from beside me.

“Sorry?” but just then my phone rang. I held up one finger for Brooke to wait, while I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and then answered, “Hello?”

“I have some bad news,” Ted said.

“What?” I drew out.

“Some schedules for interviews and photo shoots have been moved up now Alexander knows you’re serious about leaving.” Alex would have known for sure if he didn’t think himself too good to even talk to his own goddamn team. Instead, he went through our agents to reach out to us. He’d been our manager for all of a year. But I was sure Alex didn’t know shit about football.

Unclenching my jaw, I asked, “Moved up to when?”

Ted paused, and whenever he did that, I knew it would be bad. “I’ve booked you on the last flight tonight to make it to your appointment tomorrow in LA.”

“Fuck off,” I growled out. “Tonight?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Carter.”

“Shit.” I shook my head. “What time?”

“You have to be at the airport in a couple of hours.”

Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair and gripped the back of my neck. “You’re killing me, man.”

“And I do hate that, but it’s not my fault.”

“I know.” I sighed. “I’ll be there.”

Ted rattled off the information on where he’d have my ticket waiting, but I wasn’t really listening. Instead, I glanced up to see everyone’s eyes were on me.

“Do you have that, Carter?”

“Uh, yeah.”

He groaned. “Just get in the cab I send there and call me when you get to the airport.”

“Thanks,” I replied and then ended the call. “Looks like I’ll have to head off early. Tonight, in fact.”

“Sucks, brother,” Casper said.

“Yep.” I nodded.

“You just have to think at the end of it all, you’ll be a free man,” Dad suggested.

I nodded and glanced over to see Reagan standing at the table holding a bowl. She gave me a sad smile.

Mom clapped. “All right. Let’s get this place cleaned up so Carter can pack.” Could always count on Mom to get the ball rolling. Even though she hated me traveling like I did, she’d support me. People moved about, and I went to go to the table to start clearing, but Brooke grabbed my arm.

“This time away from Reagan will be good,” she whispered.

“Why?”

She shrugged, her lips lifting into a smile. “Just make sure to call her and text.”

My brows dipped. “I always do.”

“Good,” she said, then punched me in the arm and walked off.

What in the hell was that about?

I put it to the back of my mind and set to help everyone clean up. The faster we did it, the quicker everyone would leave, and I could spend at least a few minutes alone with Reagan before I left. I needed to know she was okay.

By the time I kicked everyone out, I had about an hour to pack before the taxi showed. I quickly raced through my room and shoved things in my bag, knowing if I forgot anything, Ted would help get it to me. My gut was messing with me. I didn’t know if I needed to fart or it was the start of something worse. Maybe if it was worse, I’d get to stay home. The truth was it wasn’t anything but me not wanting to walk out the front door.

I’d only just come back and had been hoping to at least get a full week of waking Reagan up in the morning and watching her dazed-self gaze at me like I was her favorite chocolate. I wanted to stay and have coffee with her every morning before I hit the shower and she had to leave for work. I wanted those light brushes of skin I allowed myself and the kisses I gave her on the cheek or neck. Shit, just thinking of the last kiss I gave her on her neck, had my cock paying attention to my thoughts. He liked it when Reagan crossed my mind, even better when I was alone in the shower and I got to jerk off while picturing her under me, over me, beside me… anyway I could take her.

Dad was right. I just had to think of the last game and how my life would settle after it. He’d also promised to keep an eye on Reagan for me while I was away.

“Hey.” Reagan’s soft voice behind me caused me to squeal like a girl, making her laugh.

“Shit, woman. Never startle a man like that. I could come out swinging.”

She snorted. “Or squeal like a girl, then hide under the bed.”

I scoffed. “I would never hide unless it was from a clown. They’re freaky bastards.”

She smiled. “That’s true. Do you need a hand with anything?”

“If you could grab my bathroom stuff, that’d be great.”

She nodded and left.

I put the remainder of items in my bag and looked around the room to see if I was leaving anything I’d really need. Ted would have to hire me a suit for the events. If I took mine, it’d crease and I sucked at ironing.

Reagan was taking a while. I could hear her rummaging through something before she’d stop and then start again. By the time I made it to the bathroom door and opened it, she’d stopped what she was doing and stood quickly. Swinging around to face me, she held one hand behind her back.

My brows rose and my lips twitched. “What are you doing?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest.

She shrugged. “Nothing.” Then her nostrils flared. “Erm… you know, I mean, packing.” She picked up my bathroom bag from the sink and thrust it out at me.

Straightening, I stood and stepped closer, taking the bag from her hand. “Thanks.” I placed it back down on the sink. “Reagan?”

“Yes?”

“What do you have behind your back?”

She laughed nervously. “This feels like a Pretty Woman moment. Do you know that movie?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “So, it’s just dental floss?”

“No.” She blanched. “It’s, ah, drugs. I was going to snort some of the good stuff up.” She nodded to herself, while I threw my head back and laughed heartily.

Jesus. I never expected what was going to come out of her mouth.

Shaking my head while my laughter subsided, I stepped even closer to her. The tips of our toes touched. She stiffened, and her breath caught. She then let it out shakily. Slowly, while smiling down at her wide eyes, I reached around her and gripped her wrist.

She tried to keep her arm behind her, but it wasn’t too hard. I managed to get it back to her front and took her hand in both of my hands. I gently pried her hand open and found… a condom inside it.

My eyes widened. “Why do you have this?”

She licked her lips, sniffed and shrugged.

“Reagan,” I bit out. If she thought she was going to use it with someone while I was away, I’d tell her she was mistaken. The only person she’d be using it with was me.

I picked up the condom and held it in front of her face. “Why?”

She let out a puff of air. “I found it in your bag.”

Shit. I’d forgotten I had some scattered in there. “You took it out for?”

She took a step back, but I curled my free arm around her waist and tugged her forward. Right into me. She gasped. Her hands landed on my chest. I gripped her hip with the condom still in my hand and leaned in so my mouth was right next to her ear. “Why did you take it out?”

I needed to know. I needed her to say if it was for her to use or because she didn’t want me to use one while I was away. Not that I would since she wouldn’t be with me.

“Because…”

“Yes?”

“I-I didn’t want you to use it,” she whispered, her mouth close to my chest.

I groaned, leaning in even more and touching my mouth just below her ear. Her pulse beat wildly. “I wouldn’t,” I admitted against her skin.

Her breath came out in shallow pants. “N-no?”

Slowly, I trailed my lips up to her cheek and then stopped just beside her mouth. I kissed the corner of her lips. “No.”

Her hands fisted my tee. “Carter….”

A horn honked from out front.

I closed my eyes, pain shooting through my chest. Christ, I was so close to having her mouth. Finally, her cute-as-fuck attempt at hiding a condom from my bag told me I was in with a good chance she’d accept my kiss willingly.

Another honk.

“Fuck,” I muttered. “I have to go.” Removing my hand from behind her, I brought it up to tilt her chin up so I could have her eyes. “I don’t want to go.”

“You don’t?” She bit her bottom lip.

I traced my thumb over it, and she let it drop. “No,” I said, staring at her lips.

Yet another honk.

“We’ll talk,” I stated.

“Okay,” she whispered, her eyes searching my face.

Leaning in, I kissed her nose. “Soon.”

Another fucking honk.

I growled in the back of my throat.

Reagan let out a whoosh of breath and laughed. “I’ll go tell him you’re coming before you think of murdering him.”

I snorted. “Too late, sweetheart.” I shook my head. “Okay, go, and I’ll fix my bag without any condoms in it.”

“You don’t—”

“Reagan. I don’t want them or need them while I’m away. Do you understand that?”

“Um, I think so.”

“That’ll do.” I smiled and stepped back to let her pass, even though on the inside—and especially my dick—cried at me to not let her go.

With a sigh, I ran a hand over my face and looked down at the floor. For the first time ever, I goddamn hated football.