Though Chris’s mom had died in a car crash when Chris was an infant, the boy had never lacked for a mother. Kiersten, though barely more than a child herself at the time, had stepped into her sister’s role without hesitation. Kiersten had even refused to let her older sister take on the responsibility, since Brianna had just had a baby with her husband. That was just one of the many, many things Garrett admired about her so much.
“Don’t even think about abandoning me for her,” Mike said between clenched teeth, following the line of his gaze. “You don’t stand a chance and you know it. Besides, she’s still depressed over Peter leaving her. Fucking asshole.”
“Agreed.” Garrett shrugged. “We’re friends, is all.”
“Yeah, but only because she shoots you down all the time,” Mike called out. “You’re pathetic. Move on and leave her alone. You’re not in high school anymore.”
Mike, of course, referred to the huge crush Garrett had held onto all throughout his teen years. But he was over it. He’d grown up and moved on, as people did. “You have no clue what you’re talking about,” he said before walking away.
“Yeah, I do. She’s my sister,” Mike retorted. “And you’re an as—” Mike broke off and looked at the kids surrounding them. “Uh, an astounding fool.”
Garrett rolled his eyes at his friend’s quick recovery, waved over his shoulder—with one finger conspicuously higher than the others—and stalked to Kiersten’s side. All of the other moms let out a disappointed sigh and zeroed in on Mike. The poor sucker stood no chance, and deserved every second of it.
The closer Garrett got to Kiersten, the faster his heart thumped in his ears. It felt more like he was sprinting down the court for a winning shot instead of walking up to an incredibly sexy woman. She saw his approach and straightened, cheeks rosy. Her green gaze latched on his, pushing him away without saying a word. “Coach Garrett, how are you doing tonight?”
Her voice washed over him, and he fought the urge to pull her into his arms. He shook his head and grinned at her. “Kiersten, you can call me Garrett.”
“Not here,” she murmured. Her gaze flitted over his shoulder to where Chris probably approached. “Don’t want to give anyone anything to gossip about.”
He swallowed hard and pasted on his generic playboy smile. Then he ran his fingers through his hair. “Are we still getting together for drinks tonight?”
“Yes,” she said quickly. “Now be quiet, or Chris will get the wrong idea.”
The wrong idea being that she was actually interested in more than friendship from him. Garrett knew all too well that wasn’t the case. “Right.”
“Hey, coach,” Chris said. He walked over to his aunt’s side and looked at Garrett with eyes far too wise for a thirteen year old. “What’s up?”
Garrett cleared his throat. “Nothing much. I’m just letting your aunt know about practice on Monday at five.”
“Oh, okay.” Chris looked up at Kiersten expectantly. “Ready to go to Friendly’s?”
“I’m always ready to go to Friendly’s,” she replied. When she slung his gym bag over her shoulder, her gaze met Garrett’s for one brief second. “Good bye, Coach Garrett.”
“See ya,” he murmured.
He watched her walk away, the swing of her hips teasing him. Over the past three months, they had been getting together at her place to have a few drinks on the weekends, but not as lovers. Just as friends. Very platonic friends. It’s all they could ever, and would ever, be. He was her kid’s teacher and coach. Though the school didn’t frown upon such things, other parents did.
All it would take was one game where he played Chris longer than another kid, and all hell would break loose. So no matter how much he might like to see how those swinging hips felt in his hands…he needed to keep his head on straight.
And his hands to himself.
Rolling his shoulders, he headed back to Mike’s side. Upon seeing his return, Mike flashed him a dirty look. “About time,” he muttered under his breath. “Done drooling all over my sister?”
Garrett ignored him. “Okay, everyone. Listen up. Practice is Monday at five, after school. We’ll see you all then. Coach Mike and I have to go over some end-of-game plays, so we’re gonna head out now.”
The women dispersed, leaving him and Mike alone. Mike scowled at him and punched his shoulder. “Look, fuck-wad, stop chasing her. I know my sister pretty well.”
Garrett ground his teeth together. Was he so fucking transparent?
“I’m not chasing her.” Garrett mentally flinched at how untrue that sounded.
But he wasn’t. They were friends. If there was a moment or two where he wished they could be more, then so be it. That was life. It didn’t mean he had to act on the desire. That certainly wouldn’t do at all for his image—the same image he’d worked very hard to build.
“Looked like you were to me,” Mike said.
Garrett gritted his teeth. “Then you weren’t looking close enough. I’m over her. I’ve been over her since college. You’re the one who needs to move on, man.”
“I did.” Mike eyed Garrett in a way that all too clearly conveyed that he doubted Garrett had.
Garrett grabbed the clipboard. “So did I.”
“Good. Now, I need to drink a few beers and find a woman with a lot of daddy issues and no attachment issues whatsoever.” Mike gathered up his jacket and clipboard. “You in?”
Garrett hesitated. After all of the ribbing Mike had been giving him, the last thing he wanted to admit was that he was spending his Friday night at Kiersten’s. “Nah. I think I’m getting sick. I’m gonna go home and take it easy.”
“Like you’ve been doing almost every weekend lately? Are you going to shave your legs and douche, too?” Mike snapped. “What the fuck, man?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly right. I’m going to go home and douche. See you later, asshole,” Garrett called over his shoulder. “Don’t forget that we have our own game tomorrow.”
Mike called out, “See you then. Wear a pretty skirt for me, will ya?”
Garrett flipped him off and stalked out of the gym. The cold air blasted his face as soon as he went outside, and he inhaled deeply. Damn, but he loved winter. Tiny snow flurries drifted down from the sky, and Garrett took a minute to appreciate the sheer beauty of the unblemished white snow falling around him. Too bad it wouldn’t stick to the ground. It wasn’t cold enough in Vegas for that.
But it sure looked pretty.
And then it struck him how very much like life falling snow could be. It all looked great at first glance, but within minutes all you had left was yellow snow and gray streets. Nothing ever stayed pure and fresh—which was why he avoided entanglements.
It wasn’t because the only woman he really wanted didn’t want him. No. All he needed was a warm body in bed every once in a while, and he was good to go. It didn’t matter who she was, or where he found her. Intimacy was overrated and overbearing.
Unfortunately, the more he told himself that…the less he believed it.
About the Author
Diane Alberts has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.
She is a multi-published, bestselling author with Entangled Publishing, Swoon Romance, and Decadent Publishing. She has, as of this date, four books with Entangled Publishing, one book with Swoon Romance, and five older books with Decadent Publishing. Her February release with Entangled Publishing, ON ONE CONDITION, hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. Her Swoon Romance novella, CAPTIVATED BY Y
OU, hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list. Diane is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency.
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