Second Chance: A Military Football Romance

by Claire Adams

  "Fuck." I jerked back and pressed my hand to my chest. "Yes, I am, and thanks...I think."

  He laughed. "You think? You're welcome, I guess."

  I tried to ignore how cute the slight dimple in his left cheek was as he rolled his eyes at me. "You're not like any of the girls I've met, Miss Thing."

  "Miss Thing?" I moved around the pole, trying to avoid being too close to him.

  "Yep." He gave me a sideways glance as he ran his fingers through his blond hair.

  "How am I so different? Is it because I don't melt the minute you look my way? You've known me for three days and have yet to see me naked? Different like that?" I stopped at the cross street and looked to my left and right.

  "It's to your right. Tucked away right here." He took my elbow and turned us, ignoring my question. "What kind of movie do you girls like?"

  "Chick flicks, mysteries, porn." I shrugged and walked beside him as I kept my eyes ahead of me. I'd almost embarrassed the hell out of myself by running into a pole in front of him. The last thing I needed was to owe him something for saving my ass again. He'd done it twice already.

  "Hmm...porn sounds fun. It's been years since I've seen one. I bet money with the cinematography and stuff that they're pretty awesome nowadays."

  "Do you really expect me to believe that you haven't seen a porn recently?" I shook my head, unable to pull myself back from being a complete ass. What the fuck was I doing? This wasn't me. My need to protect myself was working overtime.

  "No need to watch one on TV when you live it every night, right?" He gave me a “fuck you, too,” smirk and held the door open. "Pick out whatever you want and I'll get it. The guys won't let me live it down if I don't, not that any of that should be your concern."

  He walked down the aisle farthest from me, and my stomach dropped. I owed him an apology. I hadn't acted this shitty since I was a teenager with raging hormones. Following him down the horror aisle, I picked up Friday the 13th and turned it over.

  "I've seen this one lots of times, but it's always a good scary date-night movie." I glanced up, thinking he might have given me a smile or a shitty comment over me calling the evening a “date-night.” Nothing. "Okay, so let's get it."

  "Yep. And let's get this." He handed me The Notebook and walked toward the front, not giving me a second glance.

  "Really? I'm not sure your friends would be too hip on a sappy love story."

  "It's far more than that." He glanced over his shoulder as he pulled his wallet out. "Not that I'd know. I was too busy making out the 10,000 times I've seen it, but the opening scene is pretty good. Hooks you right away."

  The sarcasm in his voice was hard to swallow. He was pissed that I was being so judgmental, and I could understand it all too clearly. I hated being judged for anything and by anyone. Nothing felt more condemning. He might deserve it, but it wasn't my place to give it.

  The cute blonde cashier’s face lit up as Brody walked just in front of me.

  "Hey, you. Where were you?" She pushed at his chest as her smile lifted to her eyes. "You push me in the lake and disappear. What are you, 10?"

  He chuckled. "Naw. I like the courtship to go slow, and you were...aggressive that day. Just figured I'd cool you off a little."

  I stopped beside him, having half the mind to reach over and wrap my arm around his back like he meant something to me.

  Her eyes moved toward me as she picked up the movies and started to scan them. Her cute smile faltered, and some part of me loved it.

  "Who...who's this?" She said like I wasn't there.

  Brody glanced down at me and back to her. "Oh, this is my sister, Kelly. She's here for a few days, and we're hanging out tonight, but I should be done around 11 if you're off by then?"

  "Yeah. I will be." The girl extended her hand to me. "Hi, Kelly. I'm Tanya."

  I shook her hand as warmth coated my chest and rose up my cheeks. Had the cock beside me really just called me his sister?

  "Nice to meet you." I took the movies from her and walked to the door as Brody finished making his plans for the night. Asshole. He was exactly the guy I thought him to be. That I would even began to feel bad over my thoughts was sickening.

  "Alright. One chick-flick and one scary movie for those in the group with someone to cuddle up to." He put his wallet in his pocket and glanced over at me. "You want me to carry those?"

  "Nope. Your little sister has it." I kept my voice flat.

  "Little? You definitely look older than me." He chuckled and moved back as I swatted at him.

  "You're a pig, you know that?" I gave him a sideways glance before turning back toward the house.

  "Why? I was just kidding. You know you're the hottest girl in this town. Stop getting offended so easily. You're wearing your emotions on your shoulders. That never works well for people like us." He reached out and pulled me closer, helping me to avoid the bikers coming our way.

  "People like us?" I huffed and hugged the movies to my chest. "I'm nothing like you."

  "No?" He jogged up the steps to the house, pulling the door open. "Maybe not. I guess I would need to know you a little better before imposing my own assumptions about you. Otherwise, I'm just being a complete ass, right?"

  "Asshole." I walked into the house, clearly getting his underlying hints. He wasn't the only one being an ass. I was, too.

  Now to figure out how to stop.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Brody

  Fuck this girl and her preset notions.

  I held the door for her before grabbing a beer and walked back out to the patio. Clay and Emily followed me out, and I was grateful to see the door close behind them. While Cora was exactly the type of woman I wanted to press to the bed beneath me, she was quickly turning me off with her pissy, “better than you” attitude.

  "Let's get the grill fired up and we can put the brats out here." I glanced over at Emily. "Did you guys want me to put anything else on here will I'm at it?"

  "Yeah. I think we got…”

  "Corn and hot dogs." Cindy walked out and gave me a warm smile. "I can't believe you got The Notebook. It's my favorite, though I swear I never make it past the first scene."

  I laughed and nodded. "Exactly. It's a make-out movie, right?"

  "Totally." She moved up beside and helped lay everything out on the grill before glancing over her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry about Cora."

  "What? What about Cora?" I didn't turn my attention on her. I couldn't.

  "She's gone through some rough shit this last semester. Her boyfriend of two years was cheating on her and had been for the whole two years. She's just incredibly sensitive right now." Cindy closed the grill, and I turned as Emily started talking.

  "She's a really great girl. The best." Emily smiled and moved into Clay's lap, leaving me needy for someone to reach out and show me a bit of attention. Not someone: Cora.

  "I'm sure she is." I shrugged and took the beer that Cindy offered me. "I don't want to cause any trouble, but I am who I am."

  "And, we love you that way, buddy." Clay lifted his beer. "You make us feel better about ourselves."

  I laughed. "Jerk."

  "Only with you can I be myself." Clay wrapped an arm around Emily before pulling her down for a long, passionate kiss. I turned my attention to Cindy and shook my head.

  "These kids nowadays." I followed her back into the house, not at all thrilled to see Cora laughing at something Daniel was saying. Maybe he was a better match for her mentally. Physically, it was 100 percent me, but maybe she was too broken to do anything but seek out the weakest link. Cool. I could deal with that.

  "You're too funny." Cindy glanced over her shoulder. "Did Derek tell you I made a new dessert for you guys?"

  Derek piped up. "For me, girl. For me."

  "For all of us." I picked up a pillow on the couch and tossed it across the room to him.

  "For all of you." She smiled and turned her attention on Derek. "You want a beer?"

  "A pretty redh
ead who can dance, cook, and offers to get me a beer?" Derek let out a long dramatic sigh and let his head fall back. "Marry me, Cindy."

  "I need to make sure you're good in bed first, but if so...then yes." She giggled and walked toward the kitchen as a genuine smile lifted my lips. I turned to follow her as Derek continued to sing the girl's praises.

  Cora glanced over at me from the kitchen table, but I ignored her. She was damaged goods. Better let Daniel handle her, instead. He was the sensitive type of guy.

  I would hang out for a little while and then be on my way. There was no need to stand around in hopes of something that wasn't going to happen.

  "You know," Cindy turned from the counter where she was working on uncovering a bowl of dip. "If you work on being friends rather than trying to get her in bed, it might work."

  "I don't need it to work, but thanks." I kept my voice soft and friendly, even though I felt the exact opposite. I wasn't a lovesick fool with my eyes on one woman. I was interested in the sexy brunette at the kitchen table for a few hours of sweaty fun. Nothing else. Obviously, I was giving off the wrong vibe to everyone, seeing that they were all handing out advice or teasing the hell out of me over her.

  "I'm sure you don't, but we have the rest of the summer, and if I was going to go after anyone on this whole lake, it would be Cora." Cindy shrugged. "She's the full deal. Smart, beautiful, sexy, funny, daring, strong, and the best friend we all have."

  I glanced over at her as my heart swelled in my chest. It wasn't love. It was infatuation to know the woman Cindy was talking about. I'd seen enough of that around the edges of the cold-hearted bitch that had Daniel laughing like a school girl, but I wanted to see more.

  "I'm sure she is, Cindy, but she's not interested, and I'm not the kind of man who chases after a woman. I'm just not." I opened the bag of chips closest to me and walked over with a chip in hand. "Now, stop trying to sell me off to the nearest available girl and let me taste your dip."

  She smirked and held out the bowl. "You're lucky that cowboy in the other room is so cute, or I'd let you do more than taste my dip."

  I laughed. "Good to know."

  "What are you two giggling over?" Emily walked into the kitchen and picked up the bag of chips. "Oooo, is this Cindy's enchilada dip?"

  "No clue, but it's fucking amazing." I reached over for a few more chips as the flavor of the dip rushed across my tongue. It had to be one of the best things I'd ever tasted.

  "It's the taco dip, but close enough." She gave us a sweet smile. "Do you guys really like it, or are you just being nice?"

  "Just being nice. It tastes like shit." I grabbed the bowl and the bag of chips and walked to the living room. "I'll take one for the team and eat it all."

  "No, you won't." Cora walked into the living room and sat down beside me.

  Daniel dropped down beside her.

  "What's the big deal with the dip?" He pulled his glasses off and cleaned them. "Is it really that good?"

  "The best." Cora reached for the chips, but I pulled the bag away.

  "What do you say when you want something someone else has?" I let my eyes move down to the thickness of her bottom lip, wondering how good it would feel pressed between mine. She had to taste like passion and feel like heaven.

  "Give me the chips or I'll kick you in the crotch?" She smirked and reached for the chips.

  I leaned in, unable to help myself.

  Her breath caught as I paused just before kissing her and let my eyes move up to lock onto hers. Being close to her tore down my facade and stripped me for the moment.

  "You say, please," I whispered and licked at my lips before moving back and handing her the bag.

  The slight widening of her eyes and the fast ticking along the side of her neck left me with no doubt that she was at least curious. Maybe not interested, but curious.

  "Please." She took a chip and dipped it into the dip before handing it to Daniel, who was standing up, looking around. "Here. Try it."

  "Daniel," Dedra called from the porch. "Come here. I want to get you to look at this bite. I swear it's from a spider.”

  "Coming." He took the chip from Cora and smiled. "Always nice to be needed even before I finish my schooling."

  "You'll always be needed, buddy." I smiled at him and tugged the chips back from Cora before leaning back and pressing my shoulder against hers as she reclined into the couch next to me. "So, I know Emily can cook, and Cindy obviously can. How about you?"

  "Looking for a woman who can fuck all night and still make you breakfast in the morning?" She glanced over at me, the emotion on her face drawing me in.

  "Wow. That was almost a record for us, and we just met." I took another chip from the bag and dipped it in the creamy rose-colored dip. I lifted it to her lips and nodded. "Why do you keep bringing up sex, Cora? Is that all you think about when you look at me?"

  She leaned forward and bit the chip, not answering me. "I'm getting a beer; you want one?"

  "Yep." I pushed at her back to help her off the old couch and couldn't help but breathe in deeply as the scent that was uniquely her rolled over me. A mixture of coconuts and cinnamon. Delicious.

  She handed me a beer as she walked back in and let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry."

  "For not popping the top? You should be." I moved the chip bag from behind her and winked at her. "Derek gets a woman who loves to cook and totally gets why The Notebook is a make-out movie, and I get berated for being a guy with hormones. Typical Sunday night!"

  She smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry about being an ass. I just-”

  "No. Don't let up on me just yet. I was starting to think I needed to change my ways. Keep giving me shit, and I might turn into a good guy at some point this summer." I ran my finger around the side of the bowl and licked at it. "Fuck, this is good."

  Her eyes moved along my face as she leaned back and ran her finger along the inside of the bowl, too. "I'm not sleeping with you."

  "Why do you think that I'm interested in sleeping with you?" I laughed, wanting to be crude and make her feel as if she were the furthest thing from something I might desire, but I couldn't do it. I wouldn't. Not after Cindy told me about her situation. I'd never cheated on a girl, but then again, I'd never been in a relationship long enough to consider it.

  "You're kidding, right?" She licked at her finger sensually. Bitch. She had to be playing a game with me. I couldn't even seem to tell anymore with her.

  "Brats are done!" Clay walked in with his hands in the air. "No thanks to you."

  "Me?" I got up, ignoring the desire to grab Cora's hand and lick her finger clean for her. She had no clue how good I could make her feel, nor would she if she kept it up. I could handle a bit more, and then I was hitting the door.

  Keep telling yourself that.

  We gathered around the large kitchen table in the dining room as Dedra and Emily started to open windows. The spread on the table looked great, and my stomach growled as I reached for a plate.

  "Hold up, handsome. We gotta pray over the food." Dedra bumped me with her hip and smiled.

  "Go for it." I smiled at her and bowed my head as she prayed. I glanced up to see Cora watching me as if she wanted to ask a question. I mouthed, “What?”

  She mouthed back, “Close your eyes.”

  I winked at her and closed my eyes, licking at my lips in hopes that she would know that I was teasing her for not closing her eyes, too.

  "Amen," Dedra finished up and lifted her hands. "Eat up. We'll start the movie after this."

  "The horror movie, right?" Clay grabbed a plate. "Cause Brody here hates a fucking chick flick."

  I pretended to gag. "Only good for one thing."

  "Making out!" Cindy laughed.

  "Exactly. That's my girl." I pointed to her as Derek growled at me. "Or your girl?"

  Clay shook his head at us. "You guys are ridiculous. A chick flick is the perfect excuse to get out a good cry and still keep your man card."

  "
A good cry?" Derek laughed. "That's it. Get his card." He nodded toward me, and I handed my plate to Cora who'd moved up beside me. We moved toward Clay as he lifted his hands.

  "Come on, man. Not here in front of the girls." He tossed his empty plate at me as the girls started to laugh and Derek moved around the other side of the table, effectively helping me trap Clay at the back of the table.

  "Leave him alone, or I'll get you both." Emily held up the large squeeze container of mustard.

  "And, I'll help her." Cora grabbed a bottle of ketchup, giving me the chance to turn on her instead of Clay.

  "Oh yeah? I thought you like mustard with your wieners." I moved toward her as Emily opened the mustard.

  "Watch it, mister. We'll get you." Emily wagged it at me. I reached out and grabbed it from her, squirting some in my mouth as they laughed.

  "Everyone calm down. Let's eat and get the movie started. Friday the 13th is my favorite." Daniel chucked a hot dog bun at me, and I turned in time to catch it.

  "Alright, fine, but I'm taking all of you out the first time I get you in the lake." I wagged my eyebrows and glanced around at them, landing on Cora. "Especially you."

  "Me?" She lifted her eyebrows as she sat the ketchup down. "Fine, but I'm going to tell everyone that you cried during The Notebook."

  "Psssttt. I'm not crying tonight. I might make out a little if you're up for it, but crying? Never." I couldn't help but laugh at the cute look on her face. Somehow, it would seem that I was the last person in the room she would consider snuggling up to. Too bad, because as much as I was done with being judged by her, I didn't see myself leaving any time soon. There was far too much possibility between us.

  "Don't hold your breath." She shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed a plate as I moved in behind her with a cocky smile on my face.

  "God, I love a challenge." I glanced over at Clay as he shook his head.

  "Oh fuck, here we go," he mumbled, causing all of us to laugh.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cora

  I laughed harder than I had in a long time during dinner, and the laughter of my friends left me open, raw. I was tired of being a bitch in hopes of Brody shoving off. It had only been a few short conversations with him, but watching him interact with Clay and Daniel showed me a very different guy as Emily had hinted he was.