Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology

by Anthony, Jane

  The room erupts in genuine applause. Jade startles like she’s not sure if they’re serious or making fun of her.

  But I know these guys.

  And I know what she just did by delivering that kick-ass presentation.

  She won the team.

  She gained their respect.

  And now, they’ll be willing to learn from her.

  8

  Jade

  The minute the meeting ends, I go straight to the room that will be my studio for the next month. My hands are shaking as I lay out the yoga mats and wait for the first group of players to come in. Just stepping into this room again reminds me of Devon and what almost happened between us an hour ago.

  He’s a freaking football star. And I had no damn clue.

  We’ve been living in the same city for years, and he’s a public figure. But I don’t pay attention to celebrity crap. I teach any athletes and actors who come to my studio, and I get to know them for the people they are, not for how big of a star they are. When I was hired to work for the Cougars, I purposefully didn’t look up anything on the players. I wanted to get to know them with a blank slate and not any preconceived notions. I’ve learned I have more success that way.

  But Devon’s career choice suits him.

  And I want to know more about him.

  I sit down on my yoga mat and start some light stretching. The coach told me he’d send in players by position group, so I have no clue who will be coming in first.

  But I’m starting to have a clue about what it’s going to be like working here.

  I felt like I was in the middle of a football field when the team began to applaud.

  I’m not used to such a raucous response to my talks. I’ve given speeches before, but the events were very tame and subdued in comparison to the group of guys I just met. Their enthusiasm was sweet, but I can’t help thinking this whole month could be a total disaster.

  Right now, though, as much as I tend to avoid focusing on the financial part of my business, it’s a fact—I need money to pay off my student loans. I couldn’t possibly turn down the California Cougars’ request to work with the players during their voluntary workouts. It will only be for four weeks, but the steady pay, not to mention the high rate the general manager insisted on paying me for the exclusive use of my time, was far too generous to decline.

  Not that I want to turn down athletes who are looking for an edge or a way to help their bodies to heal. I love working with anyone who needs it. But the idea of training a bunch of professional football players is intimidating. I’d never admit that to anyone, but the level of testosterone that will take up this studio is no doubt more than has ever filled up any of my studio spaces before.

  A knock on the door brings me out of my thoughts, and King and Colton poke their blond heads in.

  “Come on in!” I say.

  Ready or not, here I go.

  King and Colton are both super nice and willing to learn. Neither one has a clue what they’re doing on a yoga mat, but King is actually quite limber for a big guy. Either of these two guys would be a great catch for someone. They’re both ridiculously hot and sweet. But Colton is also definitely very married. He mentions his wife several times during our session and how great she is with their children.

  I love hearing about his home life and how incredibly normal it sounds. I’ve always heard the worst about professional athletes and their inability to stay faithful, but Colton definitely seems to buck that trend. However, his harmless chatting about his kids seems to agitate King.

  When we finish our session, he tells Colton to go ahead. Once we’re alone, he asks me quietly, “Can meditation actually help with anxiety?”

  I look at him closely. The dark circles under his eyes are pronounced.

  “Do you have trouble sleeping?” I say softly.

  “My kid is seven,” he says. “And I’m a single dad. I get help, obviously, but only when I’m not home.”

  “I’m sure it’s a lot to handle.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I can bring in a meditation technique for you to do before bed if you’d like to try it.”

  “Okay.”

  I hesitate, not wanting to get too personal. But I’ve always stayed honest with my clients, and I don’t want to hold back because I feel out of my element.

  “I volunteer at a homeless shelter, and a number of the people there have seen improvement from meditation exercises we do together. Anxiety is an issue for many of us from all different walks of life.”

  King thanks me, and the next wave of players comes in.

  It’s the receiver group. As the five guys take their mats, I quickly learn this is the liveliest group I’ve had yet, especially one guy in particular.

  Gray Winter.

  “That’s an interesting name,” I say to him.

  He rolls his eyes as the rest of the group laughs.

  “Tell me about it. My parents had a sick sense of humor.”

  I can’t help but notice that any trace of amusement leaves his face at the mention of his parents.

  “Well, having a unique name isn’t all bad,” I tell him. “Helps make you memorable.”

  “He’s memorable enough, trust me,” Cash Daniels calls from his mat. “Ask any woman he’s gotten within a hundred yards of.”

  “Hey!” Gray grins, but his tone is serious. “You make me sound like a prick! I may like women, but I’m not some asshole creeper.”

  “I didn’t take it that way,” I assure him as the rest of the group keeps going with their jokes.

  Before the whole class devolves into chaos, I say, “Why don’t we get started?”

  The morning passes as I work with group after group.

  Everything’s going great.

  Until Devon Wilkens strides into the room.

  Alone.

  “Where are the rest of the…” I trail off as I realize I don’t know what position he plays.

  “I’m it.” He holds out his arms. “The other running back is injured and the third is off the team.”

  Something about the way he says the last part sounds forced, but I don’t want to push him. I have a feeling the story is related to what the coach told me privately this morning, and it’s really none of my business.

  “So you’re a running back,” I say. “I can picture that.”

  “Really?” He shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. “How so?”

  “You seem like a guy who knows what he wants and exactly how to get there,” I say simply. “I imagine you’re pretty good at driving the ball into the end zone.”

  His sky-colored eyes peruse me as I sit at his feet, his always-intimidating presence looming even larger. “You read me well for someone I hardly know. Is that a talent of yours?”

  I drag my teeth over my bottom lip. “I think it’s just you.”

  He takes a seat on the yoga mat across from me, and awkward silence hits the room. The tension between us could spark a war. Or something else.

  “Coach said you’ll be working separately with the injured players,” he finally says.

  “Yes, that’s right,” I say in a neutral tone.

  But inside, I’m dying. How am I going to be alone with Devon? The chemistry between us is too intense to ignore.

  But I need to ignore it. I’m a professional, and this is a job. And I need to keep firm boundaries. With all of the players.

  “I had no idea you were a football player,” pops out of my mouth.

  Way to stay strictly professional, Jade.

  But I get rewarded with what I’ve wanted to see since I ran into him last night—Devon finally smiles.

  And oh God, he still lights up the room. That perfect lopsided grin I’ve been picturing for the last nine years.

  “What did you think I was when we first met?” he asks me. “I thought I would have screamed ‘athlete.’ I certainly don’t look like an intellectual.”

  I furrow my brow. “Why wouldn’t yo
u? You’re just as smart as the next person.”

  He makes a silly face, his pale blue eyes sparkling. “Not if you knew my grades in school. I was lucky to get my degree.”

  “But you did it,” I point out.

  Time slows down as he reassesses me almost like he’s never looked at me so closely before. I squirm beneath his scrutiny, but then he gives me a slow nod.

  “Yeah,” he says with certainty. “I did it.” He gestures to the yoga mats we’re sitting on. “And so did you, Jade.”

  I know I blush. And I hate that I do. I’m no different than anyone else; I enjoy a sincere compliment. But to receive one from the man who saw me at my absolute lowest point means even more.

  “We’ve both come a long way from Muscle Beach,” I say lightly.

  “Speaking of. You nailed your presentation in the meeting,” he says, and I know he means it.

  “Thank you.” My phone starts buzzing in my bag.

  “I forgot to turn that off,” I say apologetically. “Hold on a moment.”

  I reach over to my bag and pull out my phone with the intention of silencing it.

  But the text on the screen stops me cold.

  “Shit,” I murmur out loud.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  I don’t even realize I’ve stood up until Devon’s at my side.

  “Everything okay?” he asks me.

  “Um…” I keep staring at my phone screen as if the words studio flooding and apartment uninhabitable will magically disappear.

  I feel my knees buckle underneath me. Before I can sink back down to the yoga mat, Devon’s arm is around my waist, holding me up.

  “Jade. You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”

  I turn my head to look at him.

  God, he’s close. Almost as close as he was earlier today. His eyes are filled with worry, and he brushes my cheek with his free hand.

  “You can tell me, Jade.”

  “A-hem.”

  We both snap our heads in the direction of the sound. Coach Sanders is standing in the partially-open doorway, and his frown screams disapproval and suspicion.

  But Devon keeps his arm wrapped firmly around my waist. “Coach, it’s not what it looks like.”

  “Oh, really, Wilkens?” Coach Sanders turns his withering gaze specifically onto Devon, and his frown deepens into a full-out death stare. “What exactly is going on here then? Are you already breaking the rule I so clearly set out last night?”

  I know all about what happened with one of their players and how he’s about to be implicated for sexual assault. I don’t know his name or what exactly happened, but the coach made sure to fill me in as soon as I arrived this morning. He didn’t want me finding out through social media, and he wanted to assure me that every player on the team would be on their best behavior with me. He also made me promise I’d come to him immediately if that wasn’t the case or if I was made to feel uncomfortable in any way.

  He was clearly agitated about the entire incident, and from the way he’s glaring at Devon right now, what he saw when he opened my studio door hit a major nerve. His eyes are bugging out of his head, and he’s red in the face. My urging to defend Devon from his coach’s misinterpretation overrides any instinct I have to keep my private life to myself.

  My legs have stopped their shaking, and I gently extricate myself from Devon’s arm around me before I turn to his coach.

  “Coach Sanders, Devon was just being a friend.” I hold up the phone I’m still clutching in my fist. “I received some bad news a few minutes ago. To be honest, I was in complete shock, and Devon reached out to make sure I didn’t fall.”

  Coach Sanders’ hard gaze softens. “Is the news something we can help you with in any way?”

  “I don’t think so.” I don’t want to share the story, but the situation could impact my work hours, so I continue. “This morning, I heard a strange sound coming from the bathroom in my studio, which is right below my apartment. I called my landlord before I came here, and he just texted me to let me know that there’s a leak in the pipes. It happened quickly once it started, and if I hadn’t called…well, things could be worse.”

  Although I’m not sure how things could get worse than…

  “I have to shut down my studio so they can repair the damage to the pipes and the floor. So that means the other instructors have nowhere to hold their lessons. And because my apartment is above the studio, water started to get into its walls also.”

  I can practically see Devon’s mind working. “So you can’t live at your place?”

  “It’s no big deal,” I force out. “It’s just temporary.”

  Coach Sanders says he’s sorry and he’d like to help however he can, but Devon just looks at me.

  His eyes see everything.

  Because he knows.

  He knows just how big of a fucking deal this is to me.

  I’m homeless.

  Again.

  “You’ll stay with me,” he says immediately.

  “What?!” I say incredulously. “I couldn’t possibly impose…”

  “I’ve got a guesthouse,” he says as Coach Sanders nods.

  “It’s a very private space,” the coach assures me. “And it’s detached from Devon’s house. He’s had tenants before.”

  “I don’t know,” I say.

  “In fact,” Devon says slowly like he’s thinking it through in real time. “My back lawn is flat and spacious. It would be easy for your employees to teach their yoga classes there.”

  Coach claps Devon on the back. “Good thinking. Jade, will that work for you?”

  Yes.

  “I just don’t think…”

  “You two are old friends, right?” Coach Sanders says to me. “Let Wilkens repay you for saving his butt.”

  “He already did that,” I say.

  “Ms. Jones.” Coach Sanders shoots me a stern, caring look I imagine a father would give to his child. “You’re a member of the Cougars’ community now. We help one another.”

  I don’t answer him right away as I sift through any other options in my head. Mom and my siblings live way too far away. Marina and Emerson, my two yoga instructors, share a tiny apartment that definitely has no space to teach classes.

  In the end, I put on my best smile and thank Devon for his kindness.

  “So you accept?” he asks me, his blue eyes flashing with a vulnerability that startles me.

  “I accept.”

  Shit. What have I just gotten myself into?

  9

  Devon

  What the hell did I just get myself into?

  I can barely handle Jade and me working together.

  But living together?

  Even if she’s tucked away in my guesthouse, that’s not nearly far enough away to quell the burning desire I feel for her.

  But her expression when she found out she had nowhere to live—

  It was heartbreaking, like she was reliving the pain of being homeless all over again.

  I know what it’s like to feel the bottom drop out from under you. It was a long time ago, but that feeling of abandonment never really leaves you. Not completely.

  And I couldn’t stand the thought of Jade suffering through that kind of pain by herself.

  Before I knew it, I’d offered up my place to her.

  And she accepted even though I read her face clear as day.

  She was thinking the same thing I was—this is a bad idea.

  But the boat-rocking sensation in my gut doesn’t feel bad. It feels pretty fantastic, the idea of Jade Jones living across the yard from me.

  “She’s going to be living with you?” Gray asks me, fear in his eyes. “You know you can’t fuck her, right?”

  I punch his arm. “Shut the hell up. Of course I know that.”

  We’re all sweaty and breathing hard as we leave the practice field. The day is finally over, and Jade’s meeting me outside my house. She had to leave work to go meet with her landlord, but her place
isn’t too far from mine, so she shouldn’t hit a lot of traffic getting there.

  Colton smirks. “You didn’t seem to recall that rule this morning when you were ‘showing her’ around the facility.” He air quotes “showing her” and I punch him too.

  “Dev, you’re going to wear out your fist the way things are going with her working here,” Dylan says lightly as he flips his car keys in the air and catches them.

  I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Jade’s the woman from the restaurant last night.”

  Colton and Dylan snap their heads in my direction. “The one you wanted to date?” Colton confirms.

  “Not date. I don’t date. I wanted to…” I shake my head in frustration. “I don’t know.”

  “He wanted to fuck her,” Gray says confidently. “Am I right? And what woman from the restaurant? I missed this part of the conversation last night.”

  “It’s nothing,” I mutter.

  Coach passes by us with his window down, and the four of us go silent.

  “See you tomorrow?” he says out the window.

  “Tomorrow,” we all respond.

  “It’s something,” Colton insists as soon as the coach’s car is out of earshot. “And from what I saw, it’s not one-sided.”

  A wicked grin crosses Gray’s face. “You mean she’s into him too?”

  Colton glances at me but doesn’t say anything else.

  “Interesting.” Gray’s amused tone is irritating as hell. “Well, whatever it is, you better get it under control, Dev.”

  I veer away from the three of them, putting my hand up over my head in a wave. “Thanks for the advice, fellas. See you tomorrow.”

  I get into my truck and make my usual right-hand turn out of the parking lot. I could literally drive this route between the team stadium and my house in my sleep.