by Pamela Yaye
Before he could argue, a tall man in light gray slacks and a dark blue pullover walked up. “Hey, Kelly, sorry I’m late.”
Kelly turned away from Will and grinned. “Tyrell, hey, no problem. My brother kept me company for a few minutes but he’s leaving now.”
Will tamped down the need to finish his argument. Now wasn’t the place. Kelly was having a knee-jerk reaction. He’d give her time. Eventually, she’d come around once she realized Erin wasn’t just a passing hobby for him.
He slowly rose to his feet and shook Tyrell’s hand before looking at Kelly again. “This conversation isn’t done.”
“Oh, it’s all the way done.” Her face grew serious, pleading. “Please, Will. For me, don’t do this.”
Instead of answering, Will turned to Tyrell. “You two have a good breakfast.”
He walked away before Kelly could snap back with something smart. Kelly’s pleading look and insistent demand that he stay away from Erin rang in his ears as he made his way back to the hotel. An earworm that made him regret seeking out his sister in the first place.
How was he going to convince Erin and Kelly that what happened between them had nothing to do with the conversation he’d had with Kelly two months ago? Nothing to do with trying to get a woman who’d turned him down back in his bed. Nothing to do with his no-strings-attached dating history. There was something there between him and Erin. He wasn’t sure what. Wasn’t sure if the something was long-lasting, but it was something he hadn’t experienced before. And he’d experienced a lot of women.
He respected his sister, but this wasn’t something he could give her. Erin had stirred emotions in him he couldn’t ignore. Instinctively he knew he was right. Just like when he was in the middle of a game, and he stopped overthinking plays and just went with the flow of the play, his teammates, the opponents. Instincts took over and helped him make game-changing plays. He trusted his instincts. He wasn’t going to ignore them now.
Chapter 7
The after-party’s official start time was nine, but Erin knew people wouldn’t start showing up in full force until after eleven. That didn’t stop her from making sure everything was prepped and ready to go for the few who would show up on time to snag a table, chair or place at the bar that wasn’t already reserved.
Jared came up behind her and placed his hand on her hip. “Everything looks great. You did a fantastic job.”
“Thank you,” Erin said with a satisfied grin on her face.
She had to agree. The club they’d chosen for the after-party was one of the hottest spots in town. Multiple DJs would keep the party going all night. Mountain Brewed had a variety of its craft beers on tap, along with a few cocktails inspired by the brand. The beers were free to those with tickets to any of the weekend’s events. There were also special gifts for the VIP sections, and more prizes would be announced to partygoers all night.
Jared pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. “You’re going to be a shoo-in for the executive position.”
She leaned away from his kiss and surveyed the surroundings. “I don’t like to count my chickens before they hatch.” Though a part of her knew that if this night went off without a hitch she would be the top contender. She’d even heard rumors that several players participating in the weekend planned to attend the Mountain Brewed party.
She really hoped one of those players wasn’t William Hampton.
“Count them,” Jared said, squeezing her hip. “You deserve, it baby.” He kissed her cheek again. “I’m going to check on the caterers again.”
Erin smiled as he walked away. The damp spot where he’d kissed her created an unnerving cold sensation that made her want to swipe at her cheek. She waited until he’d slipped into the kitchen before she did that.
What was wrong with her? Ever since bumping into Will she’d been hyperaware of all of Jared’s annoying little habits. She didn’t want to think about the reason why. Comparisons only made things worse. Why was she comparing Jared to Will anyway? They were completely different. For one thing, Jared wasn’t a lying jerk who’d said nice things only to get her into bed.
Everything I told you that night was true.
Why had he looked so genuine when he’d said the words? Sincerer than she could have expected. Sincere enough to make her wonder if maybe she’d jumped to conclusions. Or maybe she was being delusional and falling into his trap again.
“Well, this place is fantastic.” Kelly’s voice.
Erin grinned and turned to face her friend. “It is, isn’t it?” They hugged each other.
The sunny smell of Kelly’s perfume enveloped Erin. When they pulled back, she gave her friend a quick once-over. Kelly was stunning in a strapless red dress. “What are you doing here so early?” Erin asked. “I didn’t expect you to show up until later.”
“I wanted to talk to you before you get too busy,” Kelly said.
“Okay, let’s go to the bar. You can tell me what you think of the signature drink.”
They hooked arms and strolled over to the bar. Erin ordered two of the cocktails. Neither she nor Erin was a craft beer drinker. Once they were settled on the barstools, Kelly faced Erin and frowned.
“Why didn’t you tell me you and Will slept together?”
Erin froze with her drink halfway to her mouth. She closed her eyes and pictured her hand slapping the back of Will’s perfectly faded head. “He told you that?”
She couldn’t believe he told Kelly. Why? Was he trying to embarrass her further?
Kelly shook her head. “No, but I can read a lie in Will’s face from a mile away.”
She opened her eyes and met Kelly’s worried gaze. “Why did you ask him if we slept together?”
“Because he came to me this morning asking a lot of questions about you and Jared. When I told him to back off, he felt some type of way about that. That’s when I put two and two together.”
“What two and two is that?” She wasn’t volunteering this information willingly.
“That when he came to see you a month ago, and tried to hit on you, that you two did a lot more than just go to see Slam! Apparently, he slammed into you.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “He didn’t slam into me.” He’d slid in to her. Nice and hard. Over and over.
Heat spread through Erin’s body. Kelly raised a brow. Erin looked way and took a long sip of her drink.
“Please tell me you aren’t still hooking up with Will?”
Erin slammed her drink onto the bar. “No! Not at all.”
“Then why is he all worried about who you’re seeing now?”
“Because I told him it would never happen again. After you told me what he said, I knew he was just playing a game.” A game he denied playing.
Everything I told you that night was true.
Kelly studied her. “So there’s really nothing there?”
There was something there. Erin just planned not to acknowledge it. “Nothing at all. We had a fun night, I got caught up in the moment, and one thing led to another. It was just sex on my end, and once I realized what he was up to, then it wasn’t even that.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want you to think I was silly for sleeping with him. And he is your brother. It’s kind of awkward.”
“I don’t care if you sleep with Will,” Kelly said. “Not really. I know sex can really be just sex.” She reached over and placed her hand over Erin’s. “I just don’t want to lose my best friend to him.”
Erin placed her hand over Kelly’s. “There is no way you’re losing me to Will. It’s not even a competition. Believe me, nothing is ever going to happen between the two of us again.”
Kelly watched her for a few long seconds before her face relaxed and she smiled. “Good.” Kelly raised her glass. “To after-parties and getting the promotion.”
&
nbsp; Erin raised her glass. “To getting the promotion.”
They clinked glasses and took a sip. Erin meant everything she’d said. Nothing else was happening between her and Will. She wasn’t going to fall for his games again. There was no way he could be serious about anything, least of all her. They’d grown up together; wouldn’t she have gotten some hint over the years if he was attracted to her?
There was that night of the military ball.
That night didn’t count. But as the party began to go into full swing, and Jared pulled her onto the dance floor one last time before things became too busy, all she could think about was how Jared’s hands on her hips didn’t make her heart race the way Will’s hands had.
* * *
When Will arrived at the Mountain Brewed party the club was lit. He would have liked to have gotten there earlier, but after the activities of the day he’d had a full evening of press-related events. Not to mention the team clearance allowing him to attend the party hadn’t come through until late.
The soft lockdown was in full effect. Mike had been charged and the trial date set. The team scrutiny from the media had come as expected. Stories about the various publicity nightmares they’d faced over the years. Though the lockdown irritated Will and several other teammates, he understood the reason behind it even more. Right now, the Gators needed only positive attention in the media.
Will didn’t want any drama tonight. Now to convince Erin to talk to him without pissing her off. He’d tried calling and texting her all day. No response. He needed her to listen and hoped she understood. He owned his mistakes, and leaving without telling her had been wrong. He hadn’t been ready to face what happened between them. Something special started that night they were together. Special enough to keep him thinking about only her in the weeks since. Tonight, he wanted her to at least hear him out. Her boyfriend Jared be damned.
He searched through the crowd for her. Pausing for the occasional selfie with fans both male and female at the party. There were several other players who attended. He’d heard plenty of people talking about the Mountain Brewed party. Every mention of the brand she represented reminded him just how dedicated and driven she was. He did not deserve someone like her, but he was selfish enough to try.
Eventually, he spotted Jared. He stood in a corner, one hand on the wall, as he talked to a woman in a black jumpsuit who leaned against the wall. Jared glanced over his shoulder quickly before turning back to the woman who was not Erin. They smiled at each other, flirtation apparent in her eyes. Jared ran a finger down the woman’s cheek, and she slipped a piece of paper into his pocket.
Will frowned. What the hell was going on with that? This guy couldn’t be that much of a jerk to hit on another woman at Erin’s party. Could he?
Will stalked right over to them. “Jared, you seen Erin?”
Jared jerked and straightened. He turned quickly and looked guiltily at Will. “Will, hey, what’s up?”
The woman wrapped a hand over Jared’s biceps. He shook her touch away.
“Why don’t you tell me?” Will said, looking at the woman. He held out a hand. “Will Hampton.”
“I’m Iris,” she said with a grin.
Will shook her hand, then looked back at Jared. “Looks like you two are pretty close.”
Jared shook his head. “Actually we’re...”
“Not as close as I hope we get later,” Iris cut in.
“Oh really?” Will tilted his head to the side. “I wonder what Erin would have to say about that.”
Jared’s eyes widened. “Come on, man. No need to pull Erin into this.”
Apparently, he really was that much of a jerk. “Why not?”
Jared shrugged. “You know how it is. It’s a guy thing. Monogamy is good in theory, but hard in practice.” He tapped Will on the chest. “What Erin doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
Will saw red. His hands clenched into fists. He wanted nothing more than to punch Jared’s teeth all the way to his stomach. “No, you see, what Erin doesn’t know and eventually finds out about will hurt her. And as her friend, I’m not going to stand around and watch you try to play her.”
Will turned away. Jared grabbed his arm. “Hey man, you can’t just rat me out.”
Will jerked his arm away. “I can, and if you grab me like that again I’m going to embarrass your ass in front of Iris, Erin and every other woman here.”
Jared puffed up his chest. “What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you’d understand.”
“Understand what?” Erin’s voice cut in.
Will spun around. Erin stood there with her arms crossed. For a second, he was struck speechless. She wore a fitted black dress with a low V-cut neckline and a hem that stopped right above her knees. Sky-high heels accentuated her legs, and her thick hair fell in a smooth, sleek curtain to her shoulders. Damn, she was breathtaking.
Then he realized her eyes were shooting daggers at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Why are you trying to pick a fight with Jared?”
“Me pick a fight? I came over to ask this sucker if he’d seen you, only to find him getting some other woman’s number.”
Her eyes widened. She looked from him to Jared, who shook his head so hard it was a wonder he didn’t scramble his brain.
Jared rushed forward. “Baby, he’s lying.”
“Check his left pocket if I’m lying,” Will said.
Iris wrapped a hand around Jared’s waist. “No need to check. Hell yeah he asked for my number.”
Pain flashed in Erin’s eyes. She looked from Jared to Iris, then to Will. Will reached for her, but she lifted a hand and stepped back. “To hell with all three of you.” Then she turned and hurried away.
Chapter 8
With stealth and determination, Erin got through the rest of the party without bumping into Jared or Will. Kelly gave her a few looks a couple of times that asked if Erin was okay. She always smiled and kept it moving. Lord knew there was enough going on at the party to keep her busy and distracted from the fact that she’d been played for a fool. Again. And to make the realization even more mortifying, Will had witnessed her embarrassment.
She was mad at Jared. Mad at him for being just another jerk, but when she took half a second to stop and think, she realized she wasn’t hurt. She’d never considered Jared to be the one but shouldn’t she feel a little more disappointed he’d gotten another woman’s number at her party?
By the time the party wound down after 2:00 a.m., Erin had kicked off her shoes as she went over the follow-up details with the club owners. Despite Jared’s being a total douchebag, and the told-you-so look in Will’s eyes after ratting Jared out, she was happy with the results of the party. That was all that mattered. She was here to do a job, and she’d done the job successfully.
After finishing up her conversation with the owner, Erin walked through the now mostly empty club to the side door. She waved at the bartenders and other workers cleaning things up and thanked them for their hard work when movement at one of the tables caught her attention. She turned and gasped as Will stood and strolled toward her. He was dressed in a trendy suit. The coat slung over his shoulder with one hand. He’d rolled the sleeves of the white shirt up to his elbows and unbuttoned the top buttons.
“What are you still doing here?”
“I’d think the answer to that question would be obvious,” he said. He moved closer until only a few inches separated them. “I’m waiting on you.”
Her shoes were still off. In her hands. Which made him tower over her. She yearned for the height. To be on a more even playing field. Will unnerved her enough already without her being reminded of his height. The way his body surrounded her in a cocoon of pleasure. How solid and firm every part of him was.
Erin slid back a step, then pushed her hair behind one ear. “Why are you waiting on
me?”
“Because we need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. I’ve said everything I need to say.” She turned to walk away.
Will’s long stride put him right beside her. “Well, then you can listen to what I have to say.”
He followed her down the hall to the side door leading to the back parking lot, where her car was parked. Erin stopped at the door to put her shoes back on. Will used the opportunity to stand in front of the door. Blocking her exit.
Erin got her shoes on, then crossed her arms. “Haven’t you done enough tonight?”
“You can’t be mad at me for what that fool did.”
“You should have stayed out of things.”
“No, I shouldn’t have. If I’d stayed out of things you’d still be dating a cheater. You deserve better than that.”
“Yeah, I deserve a guy who lies to get me in bed.”
She moved to push him out of the way. Will held his hands in front of his chest and widened his stance. “I didn’t lie to you.” He sounded frustrated. “Why won’t you believe me?”
“Because I know you, Will. I grew up watching you go from girl to girl then woman to woman. Why should I believe I’m different?”
Lightning-fast hands grasped her waist and he pulled her close. Dark eyes burned into hers. Hot and serious but also pleading. “You are different. You know me. Not the professional athlete people see on television, or the fun guy the media portrays. You’ve seen my struggles. You told me to keep trying when I struggled to keep my grades passing in college and Dad told me not to worry because I was going to play ball professionally. You had the audacity to correct my free-throw shot after I’d been drafted.” His eyes softened along with his grip on her waist. “You wrapped your arms around my shoulders the day my mom died in the hospital and let me cry.”
Her heart broke again at the memory. Kelly consoling their father, who’d been devastated. Will, trying not to break down. His body shaking with suppressed grief. She’d sat and pulled him against her. He’d crumbled instantly. Her heart had twisted with the agony of the family’s pain.
