“There you go. I’m leaving. You’ll have the place all to yourself,” she said.
“Wait!” he said, the word bursting out. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” She swallowed hard. “I . . . I thought everyone was done for the day. I hoped this wouldn’t be a problem.” She flipped the long, damp blonde ponytail over her shoulder and turned toward the door. He reached out to take her elbow. His touch was surprisingly gentle.
“Hey. Let’s give this another try,” he told her. “I’m Seth. What’s your name again?”
“I’m Jillian. I know I’m probably not supposed to be in here, so maybe I should just leave.” The flash of irritation she felt at the fact he’d forgotten her name was superseded by dread. “Please don’t tell John. I need this job.”
Seth took the DVD case out of her fingers. She grabbed at air, but he flipped it over to take a look. “Cardio Burn? Listen, Jennifer—”
“Jillian,” she reminded him.
“Yeah. Jill. The treadmill is a lot more effective than this DVD. You also won’t be as prone to injury. How about it?” He took her elbow in his fingertips and steered her in the direction of the treadmills.
“I have to go . . . ”
He still held her elbow. A teasing smile moved over his mouth. “Are you sure about that? Let’s walk a little. You know how to use a treadmill, don’t you?”
She hadn’t been on a treadmill in so long, she wasn’t exactly sure what to do. Surely she could figure it out. She glanced at the control panel, which seemed to have a lot in common with the flight deck of a commercial airliner. She wondered if anyone actually used all of the readouts available.
“It seems more complicated than I remember,” she said.
Seth helped her step onto the machine and reached out to punch buttons on the display. “You can handle it,” he said. “How tall are you, Jill?”
“Five-foot-four. And my name is Jillian.” She looked down at her feet. Godzilla’s eyes were about a thousand shades of brown.
“Short, huh?” Her head shot up. She narrowed her eyes at him, but she saw the flash of another smile, and she had to smile too. He had a dimple in his chin. His eyes sparkled. For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to see his smile more often. “So, I need your weight.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll just go home.” Jillian stepped off the treadmill.
“Luckily, there’s a scale right here,” he said. “No big deal.”
She wasn’t fond of any activity involving a scale . . . He cupped her biceps in both of his hands and guided her onto the flat piece of metal.
“Don’t look,” she said, but she was too late.
Seconds later he said, “Got it. Come on.”
Tears of shame and frustration rose in her eyes. It wasn’t bad enough that she’d gotten caught red-handed in the workout room after hours. He also knew how much she weighed! She knew she needed to lose weight, but she’d prefer to keep that number to herself.
Her face felt like it was on fire with embarrassment. He glanced over at her and said, “Don’t worry about it.” He didn’t seem to care about seeing the number that was going to haunt her.
“But I—”
“Next time, you’ll know exactly how to program this,” he reassured her. He punched a few more buttons on the treadmill readout, clipped the emergency shut-off to her T-shirt, and directed her onto the treadmill. “Ready?”
“I don’t want to bother you. Maybe I should go.”
“You’re not bugging me. Come on. Do fifteen minutes with me,” he coaxed. “You can handle it.”
He hit the “Start” button, and he grabbed her around the waist so she wouldn’t fall when the moving belt started. “Go ahead. Try it.”
Jillian felt his fingers sink into the softness. She glanced up at him. He didn’t seem to be disgusted. She was horrified, however. He knew how much she weighed, and he’d touched her . . . Oh, God.
Jillian’s feet started to move, and he let go. He stepped away from the treadmill, picked up the water bottle she’d brought in with her, and put it in the cup holder on the machine. He walked over, grabbed some free weights off the rack, and did butterflies while he watched.
“You’re doing just fine.”
She appreciated his encouragement, but she really wasn’t sure she wanted a workout buddy at the moment. Every little humiliation, every awkward moment she’d ever had as the girl nobody noticed rolled into the tall, dark-haired, handsome man standing only feet from her. He moved closer to the treadmill as he watched her. It would have been endearing if it wasn’t slightly annoying.
The display read eight more minutes. She could accomplish this.
“I can do it myself,” she insisted as he edged closer while she glanced in his direction. It was like a kitten staring down a Great Dane. He didn’t look worried. He actually looked like he was about to laugh.
“Sure you can. That’s why you chose a workout DVD that I’d have a hard time with.”
“Maybe you should work out more, then,” she said.
He let out a snort. “Sassy, aren’t you?”
He did a few more curls with the free weights as his mouth twitched with repressed laughter.
“Why, yes, I am.”
“So, when’s the last time you went to the gym?”
“What do you think?” she said. She continued a little longer in silence. Seth set the weights back down on the rack and grabbed a set of lighter ones. He was still standing in front of the treadmill. He didn’t seem to want to leave. She could only imagine how much he’d laugh at her if she told him she’d avoided the whole working-out thing since she was in college. “It wasn’t a priority.” She stifled a sigh.
“How long have you worked here?”
She was studying the treadmill’s readout. It took her a few seconds to answer him. “I don’t get it.” She’d only burned two hundred calories or so. Maybe the readout was broken.
“Again, how long have you worked here? It seems pretty self-explanatory to me.”
She regarded him for a moment. “Two months.”
“I got here two weeks ago.”
“Uh-huh.” She pretended like she wasn’t hanging on his every word. He was really cute, his body was even better, and it was all she could do to keep herself from drooling. Breathing was also a priority, and his nearness left her a bit breathless.
“Southern California’s traffic sucks, but this may be worse. Is the 405 always a mess?”
He was referring to the freeway that most of the Sharks traveled to get to the practice facility. Jillian had to smile. He looked forlorn.
“Yes. It is. Don’t you come here in the late morning, though?” she said.
“Not always. Sometimes I have to be here early because we have meetings. I can’t believe the traffic.”
“If you carpool with someone, it’s a faster trip. Isn’t there anyone on the team who lives close to you?”
“I’m not sure. I moved into my house in Bellevue about a week ago. I’ll have to ask around.” The treadmill shut off. He reached out to grab Jillian’s elbow as she teetered. “Easy.”
“Thanks.” She hopped off, picked up her water bottle, and took a long swallow. He was watching her, but he was trying to pretend he wasn’t. She wondered what he was thinking. Then again, her short acquaintance with Seth had already proven he would have blurted it out. “It’s late, and I should go. Are you staying?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Would you please lock up when you’re done?” She gathered up the DVD case and the water bottle and picked up her purse (and tote bag full of office clothes) off the floor by the television set.
“I’ll do that.”
Jillian took a few more steps toward the door. She wasn’t sure what to say to him. Finally, she turned toward him once more. “Thank you, Seth. It was nice to meet you.”
He lifted an eyebrow and nodded once at her. “It was nice to meet you too. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
He gave her a big grin.
“That . . . that would be great,” she stammered and smiled in return.
“Have a nice evening. Drive safely,” he said. He gave her another nod.
He punched the “Power” button on the sound system. AC/DC blasted over the speakers. He jumped onto the treadmill she’d been using minutes before, hit “Start,” and began to run.
ANOTHER FRIDAY NIGHT, but Jillian’s date remained the same. As always, a puffball of ginger fur named Crème Brulee, or CB for short, curled up next to her on the couch. She’d gotten Crème Brulee from someone giving away kittens in front of the grocery store a couple of months ago. Her apartment was cozier with the cat. Plus, she’d always wanted a kitten. It was beyond Jillian why this should be different from any other Friday night, but somehow, it felt like it should be. Everything was somewhat normal for her. Well, except for the part where she’d met the most gorgeous guy to have spoken to her in years. Maybe she’d see him again on Monday when she went to work. Surely he was just being polite when he told her he’d see her around. He couldn’t really mean it, right?
She let out a groan and covered her face with her hands, though, when she remembered that he knew how much she weighed. She’d awoken the puffball with an unexpected noise. CB batted at her with one small paw.
CB let out an injured mew, hopped off the couch, and scampered away. Jillian knew she’d find the kitten asleep on her pillow later.
She hurried over to the laptop on the little desk in the kitchen, pulled up Google, and searched on Seth’s name. She sank into a chair while she read. He was six-foot-four, and she weighed practically as much as he did. Well, not quite, but still . . . She let out a long sigh. He was two years younger than she was. It also seemed Seth had been busy. He was single. “Very single,” according to one of the most recent fan websites she looked at. In Google Images, she found a series of photos of him with multiple tall, dark-haired women, each more gorgeous than the last.
Irritated, Jillian shut the laptop lid with a click, got up from her chair, and hurried into the bathroom. She’d stood in front of a full-length mirror so many times, but it always showed her the same thing. She wasn’t unattractive, but she could use a little more self-confidence and a lot more toning. She wasn’t asking for physical perfection, but she’d like to make some changes. If she made a plan, started slowly, and kept at it, she’d see a difference. The biggest changes needed to start on the inside, though. Maybe if she got out a little more, she might meet a guy who was interested in her. Seth was gorgeous, but he wasn’t really in her universe. Jillian went into the kitchen, grabbed a frozen low-calorie dinner out of the freezer, ripped off the cardboard lid, and shoved it into the microwave. Dinner would taste a whole lot better if it was accompanied by half a bag of chips and some ranch dip. But that wasn’t an option right now. She opened the refrigerator door to look for some type of fresh vegetable.
She pushed the fridge door shut after a fruitless search and rummaged around in her apartment’s tiny pantry. She located a can of peas. Peas were good. Plus, there weren’t many calories in peas. Maybe she could fill up on them if the diet dinner didn’t cut it.
Jillian’s love/hate relationship with her body and food had started when she was little. Most of the time, there wasn’t enough to eat. She ended up in a foster home at three years old after her mother died in a car wreck, and she was moved a few times before she entered elementary school. Things got a little better for Jillian when she was placed in a more permanent foster home, but she was still so hungry. No matter how much she ate, she wanted more. When she was old enough to make her own money, she made sure there was more than enough food, and that’s when the problems began. Even more than a diet or a new workout regime, she needed to focus on the great things in her life. She’d build a healthier lifestyle as a result. Change from the inside would last a lot longer. She wanted to build on the goals she’d already achieved and reach out for more of the things she wanted in life: A husband. A family. To belong.
SETH FELL INTO bed later in his new house, tossing and turning for a few minutes as he waited to fall asleep. It had been a long and frustrating day. He could only imagine what waited for him on voice mail from Kim. If he’d made her so unhappy, maybe she should be relieved to be rid of him, but he knew she’d never see it that way.
He’d rummaged around in the storage room at the team headquarters a little before he’d left; he found an Under Armour T-shirt and shorts that looked like they would fit Jillian. She had some cross-trainers, but she’d need better ones. He wasn’t sure why he even gave a shit. But his actions showed he did.
The women in his world were physically perfect. They were all beautiful, long-legged, and willing to do just about anything to spend time with a pro athlete. The older he got, though, the more he realized the party was over, at least for him. Kim was the third woman in four years who had looked great from the outside but turned out to be a nightmare when he’d looked any deeper. If he was truthful, he’d say she was a placeholder, which made him a real asshole too. He knew he didn’t want to marry her. He should have ended things a long time ago. It was an excuse, but he didn’t want to be alone. He’d jumped at the opportunity to be traded to Seattle. He’d enjoyed San Diego, but it was time to leave. Seattle offered opportunities he’d never get there: a championship. More money. A different atmosphere. His agents had put out the lure; Seattle bit, and here he was.
He’d told Jillian he’d see her around. Mostly, he wanted to find out if she was as funny and sweet as she seemed. Something about her touched something inside of him too. She was different than the women with whom he typically spent time, and he was curious. Maybe he could arrange to run into her on Monday at the facility.
Minutes later, Seth was dreaming about Jillian. Actually, he was dreaming of her eyes: big, as blue as the forget-me-nots his mom had in her garden, and flashing with irritation. He’d seen tears in those eyes too and sincere amusement when she smiled at him. He wondered what he’d see in her eyes if he stripped her clothes off and laid her down in his bed. Were her nipples the same shade of pink as the subtle flush that spread over her cheeks when she was embarrassed? What did she taste like? She’d probably knee him or something if he came on to her. Then again, in his dream, she slowly took his clothes off and pushed him down instead. She climbed on top of him, and she unhurriedly sank onto him. She felt so good. She was tight and hot, and she was saying his name . . .
“Seth. Seth. What the hell is going on?”
He awoke with a start. His kid sister, Lauren, was standing over him. He’d had the house for a week, but he’d been dumb enough to give her a key. He thought the drop-ins would slow down when she finally moved into her sorority house at the University of Washington—apparently not.
“You were groaning. Did you just get home?” she said.
“Huh?” He wanted to go back to sleep, but Lauren wasn’t letting that happen, at least not right now.
“I came over here because you didn’t answer your freaking cell phone.”
“It’s broken. What the hell do you want?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ll leave.”
“No.” He sat up. Even in the darkness, he grabbed a pillow to put over his crotch. Shit. What a dream. He’d have to spend some time later figuring out why he was dreaming about a woman he’d just met, but there wasn’t time to delve into the depths of his psyche (or his hard dick) right now. “Did you want to talk to me or something?”
“I’m fine. I wanted to get out of the sorority house for a little while, so it wasn’t all bad.” Lauren threw herself down on the corner of the bed. “Mom called. She thought you’d been eaten by wolves.”
He saw her swallow hard in the illumination filtering into his room from the hallway light and watched her fingers pluck at the fabric of the comforter on his bed. Lauren and his mom had panicked. He stifled a long sigh. He wondered how many years it would be before any member of his family wouldn’t imagi
ne the worst every time he wasn’t immediately reachable.
He worried about them too, despite pretending that he didn’t.
He attempted to sound irritated. “What time is it?” he said.
“A little after ten. Don’t tell me you’re getting old, Seth. You’re in bed and asleep at this time on a Friday night? That’s tragic.”
“You should try it.” He sat up a bit more and surreptitiously adjusted himself beneath the pillow.
“Yeah, right.” Lauren reached out to flip on the bedside lamp. “Have you eaten?”
“Hours ago. Are you hungry?”
“A little.” She fiddled with the base of the lamp for some unknown reason.
He suppressed a groan and got out of bed. “Pizza?”
“Okay.” She scampered after him. “Vegetarian?”
“Fine.”
Be sure to score a copy of every book in Julie Brannagh’s
Love and Football series!
BLITZING EMILY
A Love and Football Novel
All’s fair in Love and Football . . .
Emily Hamilton doesn’t trust men. She’s much more comfortable playing the romantic lead in front of a packed house onstage than in her own life. So when NFL star and alluring ladies’ man Brandon McKenna acts as her personal white knight, she has no illusions that he’ll stick around. However, a misunderstanding with the press throws them together in a fake engagement that yields unexpected (and breathtaking) benefits.
Every time Brandon calls her Sugar, Emily almost believes he’s playing for keeps—not just to score. Can she let down her defenses and get her own happily-ever-after?
RUSHING AMY
A Love and Football Novel
For Amy Hamilton, only three Fs matter: family, football, and flowers.
It might be nice to find someone to share forever with too, but right now she’s working double overtime while she gets her flower shop off the ground. The last thing she needs or wants is a distraction . . . or help, for that matter. Especially in the form of gorgeous and aggravatingly arrogant ex-NFL star Matt Stephens.
Guarding Sophie Page 10
