The Backup Plan: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance (One Pass Away: A New Season Book 2)

by Mary J. Williams

  “Since when do you sleep in the buff?” she asked.

  “Since the summer I turned sixteen. Elianna Stivic would climb through my bedroom window once everyone in the house was asleep. Figured if I were naked, we’d save time.”

  “Wow. Even as a teenager you were a player,” Piper said with a sigh.

  Pausing by the bed, Piper raised her hands and carefully removed the pins from her hair. Fascinated, Levi’s breath caught in his throat when she shook her head, releasing a fall of glossy red strands of silk. A second later, she slid beneath the covers.

  “Now I know why you showed up dressed in such a ridiculous getup,” Levi told her, pulling her close, one arm around her waist. When she laid her head on his shoulder, he smiled. “You found the most sexless outfit possible so I wouldn’t be tempted to misbehave.”

  “Guilty,” Piper admitted.

  “Ah, Piper,” Levi said with a sad shake of his head. “You’re kind of clueless about how men think, aren’t you?”

  With a snort, Piper poked Levi in the ribs.

  “Be honest. There was nothing provocative about what I had on. Unless Beverly Hillbillies’ granny gets your motor running.”

  “You get my motor running,” Levi explained in a matter of fact way. “If you wore a potato sack, I’d want you. No makeup. Scraped back hair. Doesn’t matter. You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Period. No argument. No debate.”

  Piper sighed.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Why can’t you be a shallow, obnoxious jerk?” she demanded. “Not all the time, but for a little while. Just long enough to make it easier for me to remember why we shouldn’t be more than friends.”

  Holding Piper’s hand to his chest, Levi turned onto his side. Confused, he looked into her eyes.

  “Tell me,” he said. “Because for the life of me, I can’t think of a single good reason why we shouldn’t sleep together, in each other’s arms, every night for the rest of our lives.”

  “How did we go from one night to the rest of our lives?” Piper touched his cheek. “You never do anything halfway, do you?”

  “I told you before,” Levi said. “Waiting around for things to happen no longer works for me. We belong together, Piper. Every day. In every way possible. Don’t we deserve all the happiness we can get?”

  “Yes. But—”

  “Give me one reason.” Levi placed a kiss on the palm of Piper’s hand. “Just one.”

  “You won’t listen,” Piper told him. Sadness tinged her voice. “You’ll tell me I’m wrong.”

  “You are,” Levi insisted. “Whatever the reason.”

  The Piper he knew would have argued to her last breath. When she ducked her head and refused to meet his gaze, Levi wanted to shake her.

  “You’re due at practice early in the morning,” she said. “Let’s get some sleep.”

  “Fine. For now,” he said, tucking her head beneath his chin. “The subject isn’t closed. Not by a long shot.”

  Piper didn’t answer. With a sigh, Levi closed his eyes and willed himself to relax. She was in his bed, in his arms. He should have been elated. So why did he feel as though he’d won the battle, but the war was far from over?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲

  PIPER CHECKED HER phone and smiled. Every hour on the hour since she’d left his bed, Levi had sent her a text. She was certain he must have set the messages up to be delivered on a schedule. He was too busy with meetings and practice to do the job himself.

  Whatever the method, the little reminders that she was on his mind were effective. Slowly, surely, they chipped away at her resolve.

  The first text arrived as Piper let herself into her office. She snuck out of Levi’s house before he was awake—a coward’s move, but she wasn’t sorry. He was too persuasive and after a night in his arms, she worried that all he’d need to do was ask and she would have eagerly agreed to some early morning sex with him in a heartbeat.

  Come to me again tonight. The words were short, oh, so sweet, and to the point.

  Piper’s response was just as direct.

  No.

  An hour later, Levi replied.

  Please.

  Deciding he needed more of an answer, Piper used logic to make her argument.

  You have a game to prepare for. I’d be a distraction.

  Another sixty minutes ticked by. Levi’s message was a repeat of his first.

  Come to me again tonight.

  Piper shouldn’t have been tempted. Yet, she was. Reminding herself that she was in the right, that her reasons had everything to do with him and his wellbeing, she remained firm.

  No. I won’t change my mind.

  Office hours were always busy. Clients were in and out, deadlines needed to be kept. Normally, when Piper was pressed for time—which was most days—she put her phone in the bottom drawer of her desk and only checked for missed calls and messages during lunch, and right before she left for home.

  Because of Levi’s little game—one she found annoyingly amusing—she kept her phone nearby, reading each text as it arrived, on the hour.

  You’ll be at the game on Sunday. Right?

  The high noon message gave Piper reason to pause. Her thumbs hovered over the keys before she typed her response, hitting send before she could change her mind.

  Too nervous. I’ll watch from home—like always.

  The next hour, then the next, and the next, Levi didn’t waver. He was relentless.

  You’ll be at the game on Sunday. Right?

  Right?

  RIGHT?!!!

  Piper didn’t respond, but she laughed. Most of the time Levi was the most mature, grounded person she knew. Other times, he had all the subtlety and sophistication of a sledgehammer. No matter which method he employed, he tended to get his way. And this time was no exception.

  I’ll be at the game on Sunday.

  If Piper expected a gloating, celebratory acknowledgment, she was soon to discover that Levi’s determination knew no bounds.

  Come to me again tonight.

  Rolling her eyes, Piper decided to opt-out. She turned off her phone and returned to work. The next time she looked up from her computer screen was when the intercom on her desk buzzed three hours later.

  “Yes?”

  “You have a call on line three,” Piper’s assistant said.

  Piper rubbed her eyes and sighed. Good timing. She needed a break.

  “Who is it?” she asked.

  “Levi Reynolds.” Her assistant paused. “I don’t follow football, but my husband can’t wait for Sunday’s game. He bought one of Mr. Reynolds’ jerseys right after he was named as the Knights’ starting quarterback.”

  “I’ll be sure and tell him,” Piper said with a smile. She picked up the receiver. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?”

  “We’re on a break.” Levi sounded chipper. “You aren’t responding to my texts.”

  “What’s the point when my answer is the same?” Piper asked. “No. I will not spend the night with you.”

  “I won’t stop trying,” he warned.

  With a laugh, Piper’s head fell forward.

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  “I know what I want,” he countered. “A win on Sunday, you, and a cold beer.”

  “At least I know where I fall on your list of priorities,” Piper said. “Right between an overrated sport and a bottle of Bud.”

  “Michelob,” Levi corrected. “Dylan doesn’t keep Budweiser in his refrigerator. Don’t ask why. The answer is long, rambling, and makes absolutely no sense to anyone but him.”

  “You two were made for each other,” Piper said. Tongue in cheek, she asked, “Why don’t you invite Dylan to spend the night?”

  “He hogs the covers.” Levi chuckled. “And you smell better.”

  Piper burst out laughing. Nobody could lift her spirits or lighten her mood like Levi.r />
  “If you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll hang up.”

  “Wait. Did you find your birthday present?” Levi asked.

  Present? Piper grinned. She thought he forgot.

  “My birthday was on Monday,” she said in a stern voice.

  “Don’t be angry,” he cajoled. “I bought the gift while the team was in London. But with everything that happened, the moment never seemed right to give it to you.”

  “Where did you hide it?”

  “Bottom drawer of your desk,” he said. Before Piper could complain that he’d made a mistake, Levi added, “Not on the left side where you keep your phone. On the right.

  Piper opened the drawer and gasped. Levi knew her weakness for brightly wrapped packages. She wasn’t proud of the fact, but more than once he’d coaxed her out of a bad mood with nothing more than a box covered in sparkly paper and swirls of ribbon.

  Yup, Piper was that shallow.

  “Pretty,” she sighed. “Where did you find a metallic purple paper with silver and gold adding machines sprinkled across the surface?”

  “Some secrets are better left untold,” Levi said in a mysterious whisper.

  Examining the package, Levi proved once again that he knew how Piper’s mind worked. If he’d given her a traditionally wrapped present, she would have spent forever peeling back the paper, careful not to cause a single rip or tear. Instead, she lifted off the lid and was left with a box she could keep and use again.

  Slowly, because Piper loved the anticipation as much as the eventual reveal, she looked inside. What she found was a pair of heart-shaped emerald earrings. Breathless, she reached for a tissue.

  “Levi.” Piper wiped the tears from her cheeks. “They’re beautiful.”

  “The color of your eyes,” he said, his voice low and intimate. “I knew the moment I saw them that they were meant for you.”

  Pulse racing, Piper took a deep breath. Her blood pumped fast, and she felt as though her chest might explode at any moment. Unlike the earrings Levi so thoughtfully selected, her heart wasn’t comprised of a cool, stable, multifaceted stone. It was flesh. Strong, yet surprisingly vulnerable.

  Piper had always suspected she was a one-man woman. However, because she’d skated through her life without coming close to falling for anyone, she assumed the man who could own her heart didn’t exist.

  And then, she met Levi.

  The way Piper felt about him wasn’t like anything she experienced before. And Lord knows she’d spent a lot of time telling herself they were friends and nothing more.

  Lying to herself had been easy while Levi played along. When she didn’t know how he felt, how much he wanted her, in his bed, in his arms, in his heart, she could pretend her feelings hadn’t changed. But now he wanted more.

  What was she going to do?

  “Have you eaten?” she asked, stifling a groan. Inquiring about his food intake was the only conversation filler she could manage? Yikes!

  “I have you flummoxed, don’t I?” Levi asked with a knowing laugh. “My Piper at a loss for words? I’m flattered.”

  “You’ve upped your level of activity. Increasing your calorie intake is important,” Piper said.

  Piper knew that her lame justification was just as telling as the food comment, but she’d dug herself a hole and she couldn’t think of a way out except to go deeper.

  “I appreciate your concern. Truly, Piper.” The timbre of Levi’s voice was low and intimate. “Having someone who cares about me matters. Knowing the person is you, is everything.”

  Levi’s words should have come across as pure corn. Sappy. Sentimental. Yet he managed to sound sincere, and heartfelt, and sexy as hell all at the same time.

  Oh, boy, Piper thought. She was in trouble. Resistance, she feared, was futile.

  “Thank you for the earrings,” she said. “Levi?”

  “Yes?”

  The hope in Levi’s voice made Piper smile. The need broke her heart—just a little.

  “What if I don’t come to the game on Sunday?” she asked in her best cajoling voice. “I’ll root for you from home. I promise.”

  “I need you at the stadium,” he said without hesitation. “Give me one good reason why you can’t be there to support me?”

  Levi wanted one reason? Piper could give him three.

  “My stomach will be in knots. I might vomit. And, my nerves will be off the charts intense, I’ll spend the entire game with my hands over my eyes.”

  “Sounds bad,” he agreed.

  “I knew you’d understand,” Piper said, breathing easier.

  “I understand. But I don’t care.” Levi let out a derisive snort. “I’m mere days away from starting my first game in forever. You’re nervous? How do you think I feel? Sheesh, woman. Get over yourself.”

  Get over yourself, Piper thought with a petulant pout. She flipped the phone the finger.

  “I’ll be there in spirit,” she reasoned.

  “Big fucking deal,” Levi said. “And where do you get off giving me the finger?”

  “How did you…?” Piper’s head whipped around, searching the empty room. “Did you install a spy-cam in my office?”

  “I don’t need a hidden camera,” Levi told her. “I know how you operate. Flipping up your middle finger when you’re frustrated is classic Piper.”

  Piper could have argued that Levi didn’t know her that well. But since she knew she was wrong, she decided not to waste her breath.

  “What’s the worst that could happen if I’m not there?” Piper asked in all sincerity.

  “We’ll lose,” he said without preamble.

  “Foul! Unfair!” Piper cried. “How dare you use guilt tactics to manipulate me?”

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Levi reasoned. “I’ve won, right? You’ll be at the game?”

  “I will.” Piper sighed. She always planned to go, but jerking Levi around gave her more pleasure than she liked to admit. Okay, sometimes she could be a bit of a bitch. “Now hang up. I have work to do.”

  “One more thing,” Levi said.

  “I’m listening.” Now, what? Piper wondered.

  “Come to me again tonight.”

  Despite herself, Piper laughed and ended the call. She swiveled her chair toward the window. Looking out, she didn’t notice the skyline of downtown Seattle that she normally admired. Her mind was elsewhere.

  If only, Piper thought. If only Levi weren’t so charming. So handsome. So funny. So smart. If only he wasn’t the person she wanted to be with, morning, noon, and night. If he were a cad or a jerk. If he kicked puppies or made babies cry. If…

  Maybe then Piper could walk away. But one thing stopped her. Quite simply, though she knew in the long run, he would be better off, she didn’t want to go.

  Besides, Levi wouldn’t let her go without a good reason. She had a good one, but she feared he wouldn’t agree. How could she explain to someone who was raised by loving parents—who mourned their loss every day—that all families aren’t made of goodness and light?

  Sometimes, Mommy was the devil and brothers one and two, her evil minions.

  Piper exaggerated—mostly. But for her, family wasn’t a warm, safe place. She viewed her mother and siblings as combatants. She had something they wanted, and they would stop at nothing short of murder to attain their goal.

  The cell phone on her desk buzzed. Checking the screen, Piper read the caller ID. Mephistopheles. With a sigh, she answered.

  “Hello, Mother.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲

  PIPER DIDN’T GET football. Oh, she understood the rules. How could she not when her best friend was the Seattle Knights’ general manager? When the person you hung out with since the first grade lived and breathed the game, no matter how many barriers you erected, some of the finer points were bound to seep into your brain and stick.

  As Piper watche
d the crowd file into Knights’ Stadium, she was amazed at the lengths the fans went to show their devotion. The seats were awash in the team’s colors.

  Blue and gold face makeup. Blue and gold wigs. Blue and gold jerseys. The combination was pleasing enough in small doses, but a steady diet made Piper feel as though she were out to sea, the waves crashing against her weary eyeballs. The effect was slightly nauseating.

  “Try the stuffed artichokes,” Darcy said, pointing to the buffet. “The crab with cream cheese filling is amazing.”

  Swallowing against an influx of bile, Piper shook her head and rubbed her stomach.

  “Maybe later,” she said.

  “Don’t wait too long,” Darcy warned. “Once the other guests arrive, the food goes fast.”

  Advantages came along with being the general manager’s BFF. One was access to the owner’s luxury skybox. Piper wasn’t averse to sitting in the stands, but nothing compared to the bird’s eye view of the field from the glass-enclosed seats near the top of the stadium.

  Riley Preston inherited the Knights’ from her grandfather. He purchased the franchise when it was at a low point. The former owners wanted to move the Knights to another city. Douglas Preston saved the team, kept football in Seattle, and passed his passion for the game on to his pride and joy, his granddaughter.

  Riley was there, as she was for every home game, with her husband and sons. Under her reign as the owner, the Knights had turned the corner from beloved also-rans, into elite contenders. In any given year, all the experts agreed that the team could go all the way. Every season, they topped the polls to win another Super Bowl.

  Every year until this one.

  “The Knights are underdogs for the first time in forever,” Riley said. Standing next to Piper, surveying the stadium her grandfather built, she thoughtfully sipped from a bottle of water. “Personally, I hate the tag. Professionally, I’d hoped the insult might light a fire under the players.”

  For the most part, the occupants of the skybox were dressed in casual, comfortable attire. Piper wore blue jeans and a simple button-down shirt in the color of spring daffodils. Riley’s jeans were well-worn and topped by a t-shirt and white leather bomber jacket. Her shoes—a pair of multi-colored loafers—as always, put other footwear to shame.