The Player's Game

by Alice Gaines

  “No one could find you last night,” Harrington said.

  Grant pulled Katy closer. When her temper got the better of her, she could get really creative with insults—he had the scars to prove it. “I guess we’ll see if you have what it takes to do the job, won’t we?”

  “I guess we will.” Harrington’s smile got even brighter. “I think I’ll get some coffee, too.”

  Grant and Katy stood where they were while the twerp walked past them into the hotel. Then Katy turned around and glared up at him. “What does he mean, he’s starting?”

  “The first game. Preseason. It doesn’t count.”

  “I don’t care if it counts,” she said. “Starting?”

  “Teams do that all the time. They let the new guys play to see if they have the right stuff,” Grant said. “Besides, it protects the real starter from getting injured.”

  “This has to hurt, Grant,” she said. “Don’t pretend it doesn’t. Not with me.”

  Sure, it hurt. It hurt like hell. And finding out this way in front of his wife…okay, ex-wife…didn’t help matters. Maybe someone had tried to call him the night before. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have missed that time with Katy for all the world.

  “My feelings don’t matter,” he said.

  She cocked her head and stared at him as if he’d said something supremely stupid. What else could he say? “One way or another, someone else is going to have my job in a few years. Maybe it’ll be Harrington, maybe not. I have to live with that.”

  “Well, I don’t have to like it,” she said. “You’ve done so much for this team. The starting quarterback doesn’t have to go on junkets like this one.”

  “I like junkets like this one,” he said. “Interacting with the kids keeps me young.”

  Of course, he’d said the magic word “kids.” He’d told her in the very beginning of their relationship how much he loved children and how much he wanted to be the kind of father his own old man hadn’t been. He’d been foolish enough to assume because he’d said that to her, and she hadn’t disagreed, that she was on the same side. Assuming always got people into trouble.

  Sure enough, she didn’t say anything but just looked away.

  Most guys wanted a son, but Grant had always pictured himself with a little girl. He’d spoil her rotten, but he’d make sure she grew up strong, like her mother. There wasn’t any rule against a man playing catch with his daughter or taking her to ball games.

  Oh, crap, the ideas Katy put in his mind. He’d given up on all this nonsense after the divorce. Maybe not all of it. After all, he’d already decided that when he’d finished in the NFL, he’d be working with ASK-USA—serving as a spokesman for adopting special kids—and he planned to adopt one himself. Or maybe two.

  But settling down with a woman who’d have his children was not likely to happen. He’d tried that, and it had all blown up in his face.

  Some incredible sex didn’t change things. Katy would just have to be his latest friend with benefits. And when this tour ended, so would their affair. Things were safer for both of them that way.

  “I’m sorry if I screwed things up,” she was saying.

  “Huh?”

  “I said, I’m sorry if our outing last night caused problems for you with the team,” she said.

  “Nah. My being MIA wouldn’t change their plans for who starts.” Just who gave him the news.

  “I won’t spirit you away again.”

  She wouldn’t have to. Their next trip would be to a high-class resort on the Jersey shore. The team had booked them a standard room, but in the wee hours of the morning, an idea had occurred to him about how to continue their private party. He’d learned the resort had special cottages. They could do their disappearing act without actually leaving the facility. It wasn’t exactly the wisest plan if they’d have to part later, but he wasn’t known for his wisdom, especially where this woman was concerned. They only had each other until this tour ended. They might as well enjoy the time to the fullest.

  “What’s going through your head?” she asked.

  “Hm? Oh…nothing.”

  “I know nothing when I see it, and whatever you were thinking about wasn’t nothing.”

  “You’re too suspicious.” He took her elbow again. “Let’s get that coffee.”

  …

  Once they got back home after that incredible trip to Rochester, Grant had let Katy go inside her building alone. Tomorrow, they’d head to New Jersey and the beach. But right now, he needed some time to think about what had happened and what would happen…and Adam and Ryan would help him sort out his feelings—damn it, feelings again.

  Other than the gym where they normally shot hoops, the Tap Room was the Players’ favorite place to meet. The Scotch was aged and the steaks were big enough for a man to sink his teeth into. When Grant arrived, the other two Players were already occupying a booth in the back. Even though Ryan, the television sports doctor, and Grant, the quarterback, were celebrities, and Adam was the CEO of a large hospitality company, the three of them could talk privately here. The restaurant management made sure they weren’t bothered.

  When Grant slid into the seat next to Adam, he found they’d already ordered him a drink. He took a swallow of the fine single malt for fortitude before launching into the reason he’d called the meeting.

  “It’s Katy,” he said. That in itself ought to be enough of an explanation to get things rolling.

  Ryan looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Your ex? Are you still involved with her?”

  “Her boss saw that video of us together at Savvy and thought we were getting back together,” Grant answered.

  “Nicole found out who posted that online and fired him,” Adam said.

  “Thank her for me.” Adam’s wife owned the resort where this whole mess had started. “Katy’s boss is a big fan of my team…and me…so he encouraged her to take some time to work on our marriage. Or former marriage.”

  “And you agreed to that?” Ryan said. “What are you…nuts?”

  Adam held up a hand. “Don’t be so quick to judge. Old feelings die hard.”

  “And come back to bite you in the ass.” Grant took a long drink of his Scotch.

  “Are you going to get back together?” Adam asked.

  “No, we’re just pretending,” Grant said. He wasn’t being totally honest. “Well, maybe. I don’t know.”

  “That’s screwed up, Grant,” Ryan said.

  “That I can totally agree with,” Grant said.

  The waitress brought a plate loaded with onion rings and a bowl of remoulade sauce on the side. She was a cute thing with a saucy smile and a swing to her hips. At one time or another, all three of them had thought about giving her a tumble. But Adam was happily married now. And she held no appeal for Grant—not after the way Katy had blown his mind in Rochester. He hadn’t taken notice of any woman since he’d started this whole game. And that was very bad news.

  “Your food will be ready in a minute,” she said.

  The chorus of thank-yous from all three of them won them a warm smile, and then she left. And yes, the hips made a subtle invitation as she did.

  They all dug into the onion rings, giving Grant time to think of what he’d say to his friends. Still, nothing came.

  After a bit, Adam wiped his lips with his napkin. “So, how have you been working on your marriage, considering you’re divorced?”

  “The team’s on a PR tour, and Katy came along,” Grant said. “The problem is some of the locations are over-nighters, and we’re staying in the same hotel rooms together.”

  “And getting laid,” Ryan said. “You’re asking for trouble.”

  “What could I do? She needed my help.” Protect and provide. He’d always done it—especially for the woman he’d once loved. Hell, the woman he still loved. No
amount of Operation Avoid Katy would change that.

  Adam just stared at him. “How’s the sex?”

  “Um…hard to describe.” That oral sex. Hot damn. It had taken the top of his head off. And then his body had come roaring back for more. “She got us a special hotel room the other night. Piped in porn, riding crops, mirrors everywhere.”

  Ryan whistled through his teeth. “Where was this place?”

  “Outside Rochester. I’ll get you the information on it.”

  Their food arrived—a huge T-bone for Grant and slabs of prime rib for the other two. The waitress put it in front of them, bending just a bit to show off a little cleavage as she served them. Ryan stared, as usual. Grant and Adam exchanged smiles.

  “Enjoy your meal,” the waitress said before she sashayed off again. For a minute, none of them spoke as they dug into some of the finest beef on the planet.

  “Remember what you told me about honeymoon sex?” Adam said after a few minutes.

  “That it’s the best you ever have,” Grant said. And he was right in the middle of it.

  “It doesn’t end after the honeymoon,” Adam said. “If you and Katy have that, you might be able to make the rest of the marriage work.”

  “Marriage,” Ryan said. “Remember the pact we made? We were supposed to be players. No strings attached.”

  “When true love comes along, there’s no way to fight it,” Adam said. “I know. I tried.”

  “Not for me.” Ryan waved a hand. “Too much risk, too little payoff.”

  “Maybe it isn’t for you.” Lord knew that once he said goodbye to Katy again, it’d be a long time before he could get back to playing the field. But then, he’d probably never get sex as good as he’d had in that hotel room in Rochester. And that would stick with him for the rest of his life.

  “What are you going to do?” Adam said.

  “Keep on helping her out, I guess,” Grant answered. “Tomorrow we go to New Jersey and stay at the shore. She always loved the beach, so I got us a special cottage.”

  “Why don’t you see if you really can make things work between you two?” Adam said. “You’re already half in now, right?”

  “I dug my hole. I might as well keep shoveling.”

  “No matter what happens, we’re here for you,” Adam said.

  “Both of us,” Ryan added.

  “Thanks. I have a feeling I’m going to need you.”

  …

  Katy had one night at home to recuperate after Rochester, and now, she was back on the team bus as it rolled through the northern part of New Jersey. These were the last days of the tour. For the next two nights, the team would stay in a resort by the shore—not the kind she’d found in Rochester, no doubt. The day after that, she and Grant would return to Manhattan, and the charade of putting their marriage back together would end. She wouldn’t get to sit here, absorbing the warmth of Grant’s body, and she wouldn’t share a bed with him again. There’d be no more amazing sex. And worse, she’d have to start getting over him again. She looked over at him as he stared out the window. If she could.

  When Jim Brandenburg called, she picked up the phone immediately.

  “Katy,” his voice boomed. “I have great news and greater news.”

  “Hi, Jim.”

  Grant turned to listen to her end of the conversation.

  “First, I see pictures of you and Grant on all the social media sites,” Jim said. “Looking good.”

  She mentally rolled her eyes. “Thanks.”

  “You are a fine couple. Out teaching young kids, supporting Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs,” Jim said. “Makes me proud to know the two of you.”

  “Grant’s right here. Would you like to talk to him?”

  “You bet.” Jim’s voice blasted out of the phone.

  She handed the phone to Grant.

  “Hi, Jim,” Grant said. “How’s the lawyering business?”

  Grant listened for a while, looking at Katy the whole time. She and Grant had known each other for thirteen years, starting in college. They’d been lovers for most of that time. They’d been as close as two human beings could be, or at least, she’d thought they were.

  During the fights and the divorce, she’d lost her best friend when she’d most needed him. She’d recovered, but now she’d fallen back into expecting his smiles and his arms around her and experiencing their incredible lovemaking. She’d lose all that. And she realized that from now on, she’d find herself looking for his face in every crowd and listening for his laughter. She should have known she could never have just a little of Grant. He was too potent a drug.

  Stupid, stupid. She’d pay for this with more misery, but what was done was done.

  “I think she’s pretty special, too,” Grant was saying.

  More talk on the other end. Grant sat and listened to it all, and she watched him with her heart as well as her eyes.

  “We have high hopes for the season,” Grant said after a few moments. “We have a great, new running back named Nelson. You’ll want to keep your eye on him.”

  This was Grant’s standard spiel for media interviews—he could probably do it in his sleep. Jim would be lapping it up the way he always did. She glanced out the window as the two men talked.

  “News for Katy?” Grant said after a moment. “Good, I hope.”

  She glanced at Grant, and he smiled and nodded. “I’ll let you tell her yourself.”

  She took the phone from Grant. “I’m here, Jim.”

  “Your work on motion to dismiss on the Winthrop case dazzled,” Jim said. “No one’s ever cited Hart v. Town of Mayfield quite the way you did.”

  “Because most people have read only the caption and not the whole ruling,” she said.

  “Good work. Really good work,” Jim said.

  “Does that mean Winthrop’s going to get off?” she asked.

  “Hell no.” Jim laughed. “He’s as guilty as sin. But you impressed the judge, and Wheeler is not easily impressed.”

  One small strike for justice. And she’d made the leading partner happy. Not bad for a day’s work.

  “So, I’m taking you off Winthrop and giving you something bigger,” Jim said. “How would you like to work on Berkshire?”

  Berkshire. Holy crap. A major case with constitutional implications. Only the head attorneys and their associates were assigned to that one. It took Katy a moment to find her voice. “I’d love it.”

  “Good,” Jim said, his voice booming again. “I thought I’d put you on Charlie Grey’s team. The two of you seem to get along.”

  “Sure.” She’d hardly said two words to Charles Grey—he was so far above her. But she’d make damned sure they got along.

  “You enjoy the rest of your vacation. Get some rest. We’re going to work you when you get back to the office,” Jim said.

  “I will.”

  Jim broke the connection, and Katy sat staring at her phone for several seconds.

  “So, what’s the news?” Grant said.

  “I’ve been promoted, sort of. I’m off that dog of a case I was working on, and now, I’ve been teamed up with one of the senior partners on something bigger,” she said. “Way bigger.”

  “Like how way bigger?”

  “Potentially Supreme Court bigger.”

  “No kidding? Really?” He appeared honestly happy for her. And impressed. He wore that same proud smile she’d seen on him when she’d been admitted to law school. And when she’d passed the bar. He’d been so supportive back then. She’d lost all that with the divorce.

  “Don’t get too excited.” She put her hand on his arm. “I’m only working on the case in a small way. The senior partners will argue before the Court…if that happens.”

  “You must be excited.”

  “Yeah, I am.” Was she? This would take a
little while to process, but then she’d have to get to work. She wasn’t going to join Charles Grey’s team without reviewing everything about the Berkshire case. All the motions. Any depositions they’d already held. And while she was at it, she’d better bone up on other relevant Supreme Court cases. Berkshire was going to rule her life for the next several months at the very least.

  “Then I’m excited for you.”

  That was so good to hear. Odd how they could be so easy with each other now that they weren’t formally attached. Without all the expectations marriage brought, they could be friends.

  “It’s funny, you know?” he said. “Your career is headed for the stars while mine is headed for retirement. I’m not sure how Mom will take that.”

  “You don’t always have to be top dog, Grant,” she said. “You don’t always have to take care of people. They can take care of themselves.”

  His chin got that stubborn angle she’d seen so many times as she’d tried to get him to see things from her point of view. “They don’t have to. I watch out for the people I love.”

  “And you have. But maybe you ought to do something for yourself for a change.”

  “I enjoy giving. Mom loves the house I got for her.”

  He’d done that right after he received his first big signing bonus. He’d moved his mother to the good side of their small, southern town with the stately houses.

  “You put your sister through college,” she said. “You put me through law school.”

  “Damn straight.”

  Her father’s academic salary had paid for her college tuition, but law school would have been a stretch. Grant had insisted she was his wife and his responsibility. While she appreciated it, in the end, all those old-school attitudes had made him too inflexible to adjust to a more enlightened marriage.

  “Don’t you worry about me, Katy,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”

  “The charity?” she said. “Why won’t you tell me what it is?”

  “You’ll find out when the time’s right,” he answered. “When I retire.”

  “Why not now?” His secrecy around it didn’t make any sense.

  He tapped the end of her nose with his finger. “Because it’s not important.”