“You have a lovely home,” Marina says, any bite in her tone completely gone. “And I heard you and Jade knew each other previously. What a coincidence.”
“A good one for sure,” I say with a glance at Jade. “This time, we can’t lose touch with one another.”
Emerson and Marina both smile, and Emerson says, “That’s right. Especially being housemates and all.”
“And work colleagues,” Jade adds, taking her bottom lip in her teeth.
Right. Work colleagues. The reason she’s simultaneously back in my life and off-limits.
I nod goodbye to her as she leaves for her guesthouse, and Marina and Emerson follow her.
“Oh, yeah,” Colton says as I walk over to the guys. “You two are just friends. Sure.”
“A thousand bucks says they fuck within the week,” Gray says, pulling a wad of bills out of his wallet.
“I’ll take that bet,” King says.
But I take Gray’s money and shove it at him. “No fucking bets on Jade.”
Dylan chuckles. “I never thought I’d see you like this, Wilkens. But I approve.”
“Of what?” I ask him.
“You’re defending her when she’s not here.” He holds up one finger. “You’re fully agitated when asked about her.” He holds up another finger. “You talk to her like you actually care about her answers.” He holds up a third finger. “You’re gone for her.”
I don’t have a comeback for him.
Because he’s right.
I’m so turned on by anything and everything Jade that I can’t think straight.
But I’ve got my foster brother’s wedding coming up. And while he and I have never seen eye to eye, and I tried to talk him out of getting married so quickly, as it turns out, his nuptials are coming at the perfect time for me. I’ll get away from L.A. for a few days, away from my house, and most importantly, away from the only woman I can’t stop thinking about.
11
Jade
The rest of the week passes quickly. Devon doesn’t try to flirt with me again; in fact, he hasn’t openly flirted since that first day at the Cougars’ arena. And he doesn’t invite me to eat with him on his patio again. He comes home after I do, and he disappears into his house. I only interact with him at our yoga sessions at work, and he’s all business.
He’s a great client, and he asks a lot of good questions. With the other players, I’m comfortable putting my hand on their arm or shoulder to help them correct their yoga pose, but with Devon, I don’t touch him once.
I can’t.
Because if I do, I’m afraid I’ll lose my professionalism far too quickly.
And he and I are definitely on the same page.
Ever since I moved in, he’s kept a firm distance, almost like he’s drawn a line in the sand between himself and me, and neither of us is allowed to cross it.
He’s doing the right thing.
By himself. And by me. I’d no doubt lose my job if Devon and I explored the nuclear attraction between us. And he could get benched—or worse.
All of that somber thinking aside, nothing’s changed on my end.
I want him.
More than ever.
And living on his property like this but unable to touch him—it’s torture.
The more I get to know him, as brief as our interactions are, the more I like him. He’s a good person. He clearly loves his job and his teammates.
Something’s off, though. He doesn’t smile often, and I want to know why.
But it’s none of my business, and I should be putting my focus on my job, not on the star running back.
Now that I know what Devon does for a living, I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out before. For goodness sakes, when I met him, he was wearing a Cougars’ hat! But lots of people wear their local teams’ hats, and ninety-nine percent of them don’t actually play for the damn team.
I focus as best I can on the other players on the team. The wide receivers group is still very high energy, but they settle into the daily sessions easily. Again, except for one. When we finish on Thursday, I ask Gray to hang back.
“What’s up?” he asks me as he bounces on the balls of his feet like he has too much energy to stand still.
“You seem to be having a little difficulty holding the poses,” I begin. “Not because you can’t; clearly, you’re strong enough.”
He flexes his huge bicep in response.
“Like I said,” I continue. “Clearly, you’re more than capable. But you’ve spent every class this week joking around and claiming you couldn’t even lie down for the Shavasana at the end.”
Gray’s gaze narrows on me. “I don’t like being still.”
“What about quieting your mind?”
“I’ve only ever found one way that works for me. Scratch that,” he says with a casual shrug. “Two things.”
“Football and…sex?” I guess.
He inclines his head toward me. “You got it. And last I checked, yoga wasn’t on that list. Speaking of—” He pauses. “What’s your friend’s name? The blonde?”
I smile. “Marina. And before you ask, yes, she’s single, but no, she’ll never go out with you.”
“Why not?” His eyebrows draw down like he’s genuinely confused.
“She doesn’t like players. Or manwhores, or whatever you call yourself.”
Gray grins. “Those are all good compliments, Ms. Jones.”
“I’m just saying…find someone who’s more of a match to your dating style.”
“I’ll think about it,” he says.
“Anyway, getting back to yoga, keep trying to quiet your mind in class. I promise it will get easier.”
“You sound like a therapist. You don’t know what kind of demons I’ve got going on in my mind, Ms. Jones.” Gray’s tone is teasing, but his expression is eerily blank.
“I understand,” I say, and not in a cursory way. “I don’t like all the thoughts of my past that come up for me either. But sometimes, it’s best to let them sit there so we can look at them and let them go.”
Friday is a day off for the entire team. This works out well for me since I have to drive down to Orange County for my sister’s wedding. Paris and California fly in that afternoon with London and Caleb. I offered to pick them up at the airport, but Caleb’s parents want to take them to breakfast first, so they’re going to rent a car and meet me at the hotel where all the wedding guests will be staying.
That ends up being a good thing, because late Thursday night, I received a call from the attorney dealing with Dad’s will. He asked me to meet with him Friday morning in downtown L.A. He said the meeting wouldn’t take long but that it was important.
Wanting to avoid rush hour, I get up before it’s light out on Friday morning. I dress in a white button blouse and navy skirt, paired with matching heels, and apply plenty of eyeliner to help mask my tired eyes.
I arrive at the law office without a problem. The receptionist leads me down the hall and into a large office at the end of the corridor. She leaves then, and I step into the office.
“Hello, sir,” I say.
“Jade Jones?” A grey-haired man glances up from his papers. “I’m Bert Mannion. Have a seat, please.”
He puts down his papers and proceeds to tell me that my father has left me something.
“He did?” I can’t hide the confusion in my voice. “He didn’t have anything to leave that I know of. I’m assuming even his bike was destroyed in the crash.”
“It was,” Bert confirms. “But everyone has something, Ms. Jones. In your case, your father’s possessions may have been minimal, so he left you…” He reaches into his top drawer and pulls out—
A ceramic container.
“I don’t…understand,” I say.
“He left you himself,” he says matter of factly.
I point at the container. “He’s…in there?”
“Yes. This urn contains your father’s remains. His will explicitly stated t
hat you were to have them. He said you’d know what to do with them.”
I haven’t allowed myself to think much about my father’s death. Between losing my studio and apartment, plus my new job and Devon, I’ve had plenty to keep me occupied.
But this moment is hitting me hard.
And as Bert hands me the urn, and I hold it in my hand, I have to clench my teeth to keep from crying.
“Good luck to you, Ms. Jones.” He stands up, signaling the end of our meeting.
“Thank you.”
I drive home in a fog, barely able to concentrate on the road in front of me. I make it back to Devon’s in good time, and I pull into the driveway.
I should leave for the wedding. Get an early start and offer to help out Melody and Mom with any details.
Instead, clutching the container of ashes tightly in my hand, I step out of my car and stumble over to Devon’s back patio. I sink down into one of the lounge chairs and stare out at the swimming pool. The blue water is still and soothing, and with the sun bright and sunny in the sky, all looks perfect.
Except it’s not.
“Morning.”
I twist around in my chair.
Devon—morning Devon with no shirt, low-slung Cougars sweatpants, and a sexy five o’clock shadow that brings out the blue of his eyes even more—is standing less than two feet away from me.
His bare chest is as ripped as I’d imagined it would be. Without realizing what I’m doing, I drop my eyes to the dusting of dark hair on his pecs, then my gaze shifts to his navel, where a happy trail leads down to the band of his sweatpants.
When he clears his throat, I jerk my head up only to connect with his heated blue stare.
“Good morning,” I say brightly. “I hope you don’t mind me sitting out here so early.”
“Of course not.” He points to the kitchen. “I’ve got coffee on. Want me to bring you out a mug?”
I haven’t had any caffeine this morning. I’m spoiled by my coffee shop at work, and I can’t wait to get that daily part of my life back again.
“Yes, that would be amazing,” I say. “I’ll come help you.”
“I got it. You stay there and relax. How do you take your coffee?”
“One cream and plenty of sugar,” I say with a laugh.
“Be right back.”
Once he’s gone, I let out a silent scream.
He’s so good-looking it seems unfair to the rest of the male species. And yes, I’m not blind. A bunch of his teammates are also attractive; Colton and Dylan Wild, and Gray and King are all ridiculously handsome.
But the only one I can’t stop looking at, or thinking about, is Devon.
He’s back with our coffees so fast I don’t have time to tuck the urn behind me.
“Thank you.” I take one of the mugs from him, both relieved and sad that he’s put on a t-shirt.
He takes the adjoining lounge chair and places his coffee mug on the short table between us.
“What’s that?” he asks me as he spots the urn on my lap. “It’s a pretty container.”
It is pretty. The ceramic urn is painted a dark piney color with white flowers on top.
“This?” I touch it. “Oh. It’s…” I cut off.
Devon’s expression stills. “Too personal?” he asks me. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.” I pick up the urn gingerly. “These are my father’s ashes, actually.”
“Jade…” He reaches for me, but I shift back, and his hand misses my arm.
“He passed away recently. I found out the night you and I ran into each other at the restaurant.”
“I’m so sorry,” he murmurs, his hot blue gaze intensely focused on me.
I feel like he can see through my forced smile and right through to the pain cutting my heart.
“My father and I weren’t in contact. He wasn’t in a good place for a long time. His remains were the only thing he had to give me.” I stare down at the urn. “I’m supposed to know what to do with them. And I have no fucking clue.”
Now Devon’s off his chair and kneeling in front of me. “Hey.” He puts a warm, comforting hand over my knee. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Maybe give yourself time to grieve first. Even if you two weren’t close, losing a parent can leave a huge hole in your heart.”
He speaks like he knows. Like this moment touches him more than he’s letting on.
I raise my gaze to meet his. “You’re right. I haven’t allowed myself any time to process this. And I have to leave town for the weekend, so it will have to wait until I return.”
Devon
I’m here to comfort her, but I’m fighting emotions I don’t like to feel. I woke up this morning with that familiar ache in my heart, one that’s always there but that I feel on this day more than most. I dragged myself out of bed and then downstairs to get coffee.
I didn’t want to talk to anybody, and I was relieved we have the day off from practice.
But then I saw Jade sitting out here by herself, and I found myself heading toward her.
And despite the fact that her father’s ashes are lying between us, our connection is too powerful to ignore. We’re just sitting here having a normal conversation. But whether we’re talking about the weather or about death, Jade turns me on without even trying.
It’s something about her voice, and the raspberry scent of her shampoo, and the way she sits cross-legged on the lounge chair. She’s so naturally herself and doesn’t even seem to know how to put on airs or to cover up.
I restrain myself from touching her further. I want any part of her, anything that she’ll give me.
Like he knows where my mind’s gone, my phone buzzes with a text from my coach. I glance down at the screen; it’s a simple reminder about the change in practice time on Monday, but it’s enough to shift me back into the business mode I’ve tried to adapt with Jade ever since I found out she was working for the Cougars.
“I’d better go get dressed. Have a good weekend, and text if you need anything.”
“Sure. Thank you.”
I try to ignore the disappointed tone of her voice as I walk away.
12
Jade
I make the drive to Orange County in silence, not even turning on the radio. My thoughts are all over the place, and I’ve got my father’s ashes safely buckled in the front seat. I felt weird leaving them at Devon’s guesthouse, so I decided to just bring them with me.
And as I valet park, I don’t feel comfortable leaving the urn in the car, so it comes with me to the Blue Dolphin Inn. Once I check into my room, I place the container carefully on my nightstand, trying not to dwell on the way Devon seemed to flip a switch when he said goodbye this morning.
I know why he did it. But we’re allowed to be friends. And he seems to be pushing away even that level of closeness.
I quickly change into a flowy white skirt and fitted aqua top. It’s not even lunchtime, but Paris texted that they were on their way.
I’ve barely had time to take a look around my cozy room with an ocean view when someone knocks on my door.
I swing it open.
“Cole!” I say as my brother picks me up in his arms.
Cole is the only one in the family I like. I love all of them, but Cole is the only one I’d actually choose to spend time with if we weren’t related.
With dark eyes and blond hair, he’s a cross between his father and Mom, but he didn’t seem to get any of Mom’s narcissistic qualities. Other than refusing to date like a normal person—something I can’t exactly judge him for since I don’t date at all—my brother is a great guy.
“Jade, I’m so glad you made it!” Melody pops out from behind Cole and gives me a cheek kiss.
She’s dressed in a simple blue dress, but she looks like she spent hours on her hair and makeup.
“You look amazing, Mel. Is there something going on tonight that I didn’t know about?” I ask her.
“Just the rehearsal dinner.” Melody squea
ls. “I have the greatest speech planned. You have to hear it, Jade!”
Cole smirks. “You’re getting married?” he says to Melody, his eyes widening in mock surprise.
Melody grins. “I am. And you’re a groomsman.”
His eyes crinkle at the corners. “Shotgun?” he says, his tone as serious as it is teasing.
“Cole!” Melody slaps his arm, but her cheeks flush red. “Stop being so bad!”
His dark eyes flash with humor. “Maybe I’m not the one who’s been bad.”
I laugh with them, but inside I’m wondering if he’s onto something. Could my sister be pregnant?
“Jade!” Now Melody slaps my arm. “You’re staring at my belly.”
“No, I’m not,” I say as Cole breaks into a laugh.
“You were!” She immediately fusses over my bangs, calling them unruly.
“On that note,” I say as I kiss her goodbye. “I’m going to meet Paris and California. I’ll see you both tonight?”
“Seven o’clock,” Melody says.
“And we need to catch up,” Cole says to me quietly as I turn to leave. “You haven’t returned my voicemails.”
“I texted you back,” I tell him.
“Text isn’t the same,” he says. “I want to talk, Jade. Tonight, okay?”
“Definitely.” I hug him goodbye and retreat to the hotel bar.
That’s where Paris and her boyfriend, Caleb, find me.
Paris grabs me in a hug, and Caleb kisses my cheek.
“This place is beautiful!” Paris says as if she isn’t just as beautiful with her bright smile and her dark hair hanging perfectly past her shoulders.
Paris is like my little sister. Though two years younger than me, we met at Harvard when she was dating a guy who I secretly wished she’d drop like a bag of coals. I knew he was all wrong for her, and I was so happy when she realized it, too. She’s the sweetest person I’ve ever known, and when she met Caleb, I couldn’t have been happier for her. Not because she needed a man to complete her but because Caleb brings out all the best sides of Paris. He likes her for exactly who she is, and if I were to ever get into a relationship, that’s something I would want too.
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