by Lila Rose
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.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reagan
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” Carter asked through the phone a week later.
Sweetheart.
He’d been calling me that all the time since the barbecue.
And I loved hearing it.
“I’ve just walked through the door. Brooke’s coming over, we’re going to have a girls’ night of drinking and watching The Rock.”
He chuckled. “Sounds like fun. Wish I was there.”
“You will be in two more weeks.”
“Looking forward to it.”
He’d been saying that a lot as well, every time I’d tell him how long he had until he was home again.
My nerves kicked in a lot more with him in person, they were even there on the phone, just not as much. He made me feel relaxed when he talked about random things. I still couldn’t believe the scene in the bathroom before he’d left. The way his heated eyes looked at my lips told me he wanted to devour them. I would have let him, but it was the worst timing ever.
“How’s everything going where you are?” I sat down on the couch.
“Boring. I’ve done so many interviews and had too many people taking my photo. The only part I still enjoy is being on the field.”
“Dustin and North have been sending me photos of you at photo shoots and interviews. You definitely don’t look happy.”
“They’ve been sending you photos?”
“Well… yes. I thought you asked them to.”
“Hell no I didn’t. Sweetheart, if you want photos, I’ll send them to you.”
“Oh, um, okay. That would be great.”
“I’ll send some of all the places I go to for games, meetings and any tourist attractions. I’ll even send some extra amazing ones.”
“Are… are you talking about dick pics?”
Dear God. When he said amazing pictures, my mind jumped right to the image of him pulling down his shorts and… yeah, I wouldn’t go there, but it was too late to shove those words back into my mouth.
“I have to go,” I blurted.
“Do you want me to, Ree?” he asked in a low tone.
How did I put myself in this position? Oh, right, I spoke before my brain could tell me it was a bad idea.
“What?” I laughed nervously. Then snorted and lastly blew out a raspberry. “I-I, no
, I mean, no.” I laughed again. Thank God, my front door opened. “Oh, look, it’s Brooke. I have to go. Talk soon. Miss you,” I bumbled out, then hung up the phone.
Brooke took one look at me and asked, “What did you do now?”
Groaning, I slumped back on the couch with my hand over my face. “Kill me.”
“I’m presuming that was Carter. Do you realize you just told him you miss him?”
I sat up. “I did?”
“Yes, in your jumble of fast words out of your mouth. But I heard it at the end.”
I threw my hands up. “Oh well. Honestly, that’s nothing compared to what I just said to him.”
“Shit. What was it?”
I shook my head.
My phone rang. I screamed, saw Carter’s number and threw it to the other end of the couch. Brooke reached for it. “No!” I screamed. She dropped the phone cackling to herself.
“Now I know it’s really bad.” She grinned.
The phone stopped ringing, but my ears still were.
Dick pics, really, Reagan?
“What did you say to him?”
“We were talking about photos, the ones North and Dustin send me. I thought he knew about them, but he didn’t.”
Her brows shot up. “So why would they send them?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe they know he likes you and wants you to know he’s trustworthy.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. Anyway, he said he was going to send me something amazing and… I asked if it was going to be a dick pic.”
Brooke sucked in a big breath. There must have been some saliva in there too because next, she choked and started coughing. Standing, I walked to her and patted her back.
My phone then chimed in with a message.
We both stared at it on the couch.
“Read it,” Brooke said, after clearing her throat.
“Nope.” I shook my head.
“Do it or I will.”
I knew she would. Even if I took her to the ground, she’d fight tooth and nail to get her way.
“Fine.” I went and sat back on the couch and picked up my phone. “What if—”
“Open it,” she demanded.
“But maybe—”
“Ree, open the damn thing.”
“Okay.” I nodded. I unlocked my phone and saw it was a text from Carter. An image text. My eyes grew. “It’s an image text from Carter.”
“Hoo-wee, let’s have a look.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. I shouldn’t have said it in the first place. You know how I blurt stuff out without thinking, it was one of those moments. I don’t want to see his penis until it’s in the flesh in front of me… well, if that happens.”
Brooke snorted. “It’s going to happen. From what you told me about before he left, it’s so going to happen.” She grinned.
My pulse raced at the thought.
I jolted when another text came through.
“Open them already.”
“Okay.” I nodded, and then pressed on it. It went right into Carter’s texts since he was the last person I texted about Wesley doing something silly in class, and when the picture Carter sent popped open, I laughed.
My hand went over my stomach and I laughed some more.
“What?” Brooke asked.
My hand came up. I wanted to read the text before I told her.
Carter: You don’t need to be embarrassed. I know you, Ree, you said it by accident. I thought we could start out slow :)
Smiling so wide I was sure my jaw would crack, I looked up at Brooke, then showed her the text. She saw it, grinned, giggled and said, “He’s awesome.”
“I know.” When she passed the phone back, I looked at the picture again. It was of his foot. He sent me a picture of his foot.
He was adorable.
Me: I’m sorry I just blurt out random thoughts.
Carter: I don’t care what you say or do, but I do care about you not answering my call because you were embarrassed. You don’t need to be with me.
Me: I’ll try not to. TRY!
Carter: That’s all I can ask for. Now, where’s my photo woman?
Giggling to myself, I lifted my free hand, snapped a photo and sent it off.
Carter: Love it. Have a good night.
Me: Thanks!
“Awe, you two are the cutest.”
I jumped and spun around, nearly falling off the couch. Brooke was leaning over the back of the couch reading over my shoulder.
“You scared the hell out of me.”
She snorted. “I could tell, because you forgot I was even in the room.”
“I…” I went to deny it, but she was right, and then I felt bad about it. “I’m sorry.”
She scoffed. “Don’t worry about it, honey. I’m totally happy for you.”
“Really?”
“Hell yes.”
“But is it too soon to jump to conclusions? We haven’t even—”
Her hand covered my mouth. “Stop,” she ordered. “Jump to conclusions. You can because Carter is it for you. Everyone knows how obsessed he is with you. Everyone.”
“Maybe that’s why Casper called today and asked what my plans were on the weekend. He kept mentioning if I needed or wanted to go anywhere with a man, he could take me. He wouldn’t want me to go off with some random guy just for company. He said Carter wouldn’t like it a couple of times as well.”
Brooke laughed. “They’re looking out for you for Carter.”
I smiled. “That’s sweet.”
“It really is.”
I stood. “Let’s get the night started.” I walked from the living room into the kitchen with Brooke following. “Vodka, vodka, or vodka?”
“Damn, it’s a hard one. Vodka and orange juice please.”
“Done. And while I do that, I want to hear all about you.”
“Ah, you know all about me. You know when I lost my virginity, when I got my first period, and when I got a scare from trying nipple clamps with Joe, my old boyfriend.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Yes. But what’s happened recently.”
“Nothing.” She shook her head and went to the freezer to grab some ice. She came back with the tray and saw me glaring at her. “Seriously, nothing is going on.”
I just stared, then after a moment, I said, “So it’s fair you know everything and I don’t?”
Her head dropped back to look at the ceiling. She straightened. “Dustin has called me a few times and asked me out.”
My eyes widened. “And?”
“I said no.”
“You said no?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“If I said yes and we went out a few times and he decided he wasn’t all that into me, then I wouldn’t be able to see Benjie.”
I slid a glass her way. “And you want to see Benjie.”
She smiled, and it was all warmth. “I do. He’s a great kid and makes me see what I’m missing out on. I need to find a man who wants forever so I can start our own family.”
“Wow, that’s a big step.”
She nodded. “I know. But seeing how things are going for you and Carter, how all he can do is see, breathe, and want you… I want that with someone.”
“What about if you find that with a woman?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Then it’s a woman and we can look at IVF or adopting.”
“But what if Dustin could be that one?”
Her brows dipped. “He isn’t. He’s a player.”
“Players can change for the right woman.”
“Then I’m not his right woman or else he would have seen that at the start.”
“Brooke—”
“Nope.” She grinned. “I’m okay with it, and I like hanging out with Benjie.”
“You’ve spent more time with him?”
“Yeah. Just a couple of times. Dustin asked if I could entertain him a couple of times as he’s been busy. I’ve picked him up for ice cream
and taken him to the movies. So much easier having a kid to take than seeing Disney movies on your own and getting strange looks.”
“Well, I’m happy if you are.”
“I will be.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Reagan
“Hi, I just wanted to congratulate you on another amazing game,” I shouted into the phone over the noise in the background on his end. I lay back in bed and got comfortable. It was Carter’s second week away, and he’d just finished a game that went into overtime; it was that close.
He must be tired, but I felt the need to call him.
So, I did.
As the days passed, it was getting easier and easier to reach out to him without worrying if I was interrupting something or thinking he wouldn’t want to talk to me.
He did, because each time I called or texted, he either answered, texted back right away or got one of his friends to tell me he’d get in touch as soon as he could.
I’d been surprised he answered after the game. I was just going to leave a message telling him congratulations.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he yelled into the phone, just before more cheers erupted. “Sorry,” he added loudly.
I laughed. “It’s fine. I’ll call you later.”
“No, wait, I’ll go somewhere— Shit, who let them in here?” he called. More roars sounded around him.
That was when I heard a woman’s voice purring, “Carter Anthony, it’s been too long,” right near the phone.
My insides tightened.
“I’m on the phone,” Carter clipped.
“I’ll let you go,” I muttered, but he probably didn’t hear me.
“No,” he demanded into the phone. But was it to the other woman or me?
“Come on, how about we have a special night like last time?” the woman questioned.
