Pass Protection (Quarterback Sneak Book 3)

by Natalie Brock

  “Don’t do that!” Jamie said with exasperation. “You’re teasing me.” Jamie’s comment triggered her memory and her mind briefly wandered to Matthew touching her. “Earth to Brittany. Come on girl. Talk! I know he took that chastity vow, so how far did you go?”

  “Well, we made out a little.” She knew she was smiling like an idiot but she didn’t care. “We went further than I thought we would of—you know, because of the vow, so we had to stop, but he held me all night.”

  Jamie cocked her head. “Just held you? So are you saying you did or you didn’t have sex?”

  “Well, we didn’t, but just being in his arms was beyond anything I could have imagined or hoped for. He’s such a good guy. He’s so real and earthy and unpretentious and honest and warm and tender.”

  “Not to mention drop-dead gorgeous.”

  “He is, isn’t he? I mean not just because I’m in love with him.”

  “Oh he is. It’s a fact, girl, not an opinion. So, um, did you tell him you’re in love with him?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Do you think he loves you?”

  “I don’t really know, but I do know he has strong feelings for me. I could feel it. He calls me angel. Most people think of me as just the opposite, but not Matthew.” She shrugged her shoulders and leaned her head back, basking in the memory of how sweet he was to her. “This is a first for me, Jamie. It’s the first time I’ve really liked a guy who liked me back. This is big.”

  Jamie smiled and held her arms open to hug Brittany. “I’m really happy for you, Brit. You deserve to be happy.”

  “Thanks. I think so too,” she said, half laughing, half crying. Leaning away, she swiped at her tears. “I need to take a quick shower and get ready for class.”

  “Are you going to see Matthew today?”

  She took a towel off a shelf in the closet and hugged it to her body. She walked backward toward the bathroom and told her friend, “Yeah. Today. And tomorrow. And the next day.”

  »»•««

  Brittany’s timing was seriously off during practice. She was totally distracted by the sexy quarterback throwing passes on the other end of the field. She caught him looking in her direction a bunch of times, too.

  She could hardly wait for practice to be over, and that was another first for her. She loved cheerleading. But she loved being with Matthew even more. She was dying to look into his eyes, breathe his scent, feel his arms around her.

  “Riley, get with the program,” Janna shouted.

  Her lips parted. She’d never been called out like that before. “Sorry, Janna.”

  Jogging through the tunnel on her way to the lockers to change, someone grabbed Brittany and pinned her to the wall. “God, I’ve missed you.” In an instant, Matthew’s lips were pressed against hers.

  She smiled and crossed her wrists behind his neck. “Missed you too, handsome.”

  “I need to hit the showers, but I had to see you first. I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

  “Oh?” she said coyly. “What do you mean?”

  He lowered his chin and raised his brows. “I think you know exactly what I mean. You. In my arms. All night.”

  Brittany shivered at the memory. “You shouldn’t look at me that way in public,” she joked flirtatiously.

  “Dare I hope to hold you again tonight?”

  She raked her fingers through his hair and closed the gap between their bodies. “I couldn’t say no if I tried.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

  “Count on it.” He leaned in and gave her another kiss. “I need to change. Walk me to the locker room?” He nodded and threaded their fingers together.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Looking in the full-length mirror behind her bedroom door, Brittany pinned her hair up again. She shook her head from side to side. Too pretentious. She pulled it out again and ran a brush through it. Tonight was her first official date with Matthew, the first one that was planned in advance. She wanted to look good for him. She knew he liked it better when she didn’t try so hard, so she went easy on the makeup. He said he felt like he was seeing the real her. So tonight it was just mascara, lip gloss, and a little blush. “Aw, hell.” She slammed her brush down.

  She heard a knock at the apartment door and her eyes widened. “Hi,” she heard Jamie say. “Nice to see you again, Matt. Let me get Brittany.”

  Brittany quickly pulled her hair through a Scrunchie ponytail and wrapped it into a loose bun. Before Jamie could call to her, Brittany opened the bedroom door. She was wearing a cream-colored peasant blouse and off-white leggings. Matthew’s eyes lit up as soon as she stepped into view. “You look beautiful.”

  “Really?” She looked down at her outfit. “I wasn’t sure where we were going, so—”

  He touched her hair. “You’re perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  Jamie watched as Matthew kissed Brittany’s cheek. She observed the interaction intently, taking it all in. “He’s right, you look great, Brit. You both look great.” Brittany had forgotten Jamie was even there. “I’ve got homework I have to get back to, so—you guys have a good time.”

  “Thanks James.” Brittany watched her friend walk to her bedroom and close the door. Then she turned back to Matthew. “So, where we going?”

  “Do you bowl?”

  Brittany nodded. “It’s been a while, but it sounds like fun.”

  “Your seat on my motorcycle awaits.”

  »»•««

  He took her hand as they walked into the bowling alley a couple of miles from campus. The place was packed. Monday nights were student discount nights, which explained why the lanes were so busy. Brittany hoped there’d be an open lane, but she didn’t really care if they had to wait. She was on cloud nine just being out on a real date with a guy she was wild about. She leaned on the counter as Matthew paid for two games each.

  “Warner! Over here,” a voice shouted. Brittany looked around and saw a group of about a dozen Barracudas and their dates in lanes twenty-four and twenty-five. Among them were Tony and Allison, as well as Bennie and some unlucky girl. She felt her heart sink. She was looking forward to being alone with Matthew tonight. He looked equally disappointed.

  She shrugged. “We kind of don’t have a choice,” she said sadly.

  After bowling a few frames, she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. She washed her hands and reapplied lip gloss. Even though she wished she and Matthew were alone, she was having a better time than she expected. Besides, the night was young and they were going to be alone soon. Her heart beat faster when she thought about lying in Matthew’s bed tonight and being in his arms. Being wrapped in his arms all night was the most romantic experience imaginable. She didn’t need to have sex with him to feel fulfilled because he managed to fill her heart and that was enough.

  When she came out of the ladies room, she ran smack into Bennie, of all people. “Excuse me,” she said angrily.

  He blocked her way. “What’s the matter, Brittany? Don’t you say hello to an old friend?”

  “We’re not friends. Get out of my way.” She attempted to brush him aside, but he used his broad chest to push her against the back wall near the rest rooms. He smelled of beer, cigarettes, and sweat, just like the day he’d tried to paw her in the bar. “Get away from me.”

  “What’s a matter, babe? I ain’t good enough for you, but Virgin Mary—I mean Matthew—is?” He leaned closer to her lips and she thought she was going to vomit. “I can make you happy in ways he never even read about in his bible.”

  “You’re disgusting.” She turned her head to keep from breathing his nauseating fumes.

  A pair of hands grabbed Bennie’s shoulders from behind and pulled him away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Mazursky?”

  Bennie smiled menacingly at Matthew. Matthew was a half a foot taller than Bennie, but the lineman beat him on girth. According to the team stats, he weighed about eighty pounds more than Ma
tthew. “I was just getting reacquainted with an old girlfriend is all.” He turned partway toward Brittany, who clung to the wall. “Isn’t that right, Brittany?”

  “Shut up,” she spat. She quickly walked around Bennie and grabbed hold of Matthew’s arm.

  Matthew shook a finger at Bennie. “Stay away from her, you understand me?”

  “Or what, Warner? What are you gonna do to me?” It was clear Bennie wasn’t at all intimidated.

  Matthew glanced at Brittany and then back at Bennie. “Don’t try me, man. You don’t even want to know.”

  He clasped Brittany’s hand and led her back toward the rest of the group. “Did you and Bennie ever—” Matthew asked.

  “Ever what?”

  “You know. Date and—”

  Brittany let go of Matthew’s hand and froze. She couldn’t believe Matthew was asking a question like that at a time like this. She needed rescuing, not accusing. “No!” She hated playing defense. “I told you my whole history.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I saw you sitting with him at Dos Naranjas a while back and it looked like you guys were a couple.”

  “You were there?” She fought back tears, remembering how she hoped she’d see Matthew at the campus bar that night. Now she knew he actually was there, but he’d never approached her. When Bennie cornered her, she couldn’t believe no one came to her rescue.

  “I felt bad about being short with you that day,” he explained, “so I came to the party after all. I wanted to make it up to you, but you were with Bennie.”

  Matthew misconstrued the whole situation. “If you were there, you should have seen I was trying to get away from him, just like now. I needed help.”

  “Don’t be mad, Brit. I’m just trying to get the whole picture.”

  “You already have the whole picture!” She marched back to lane twenty-four and grabbed her purse. “See you on campus,” she said to the group without smiling. Then she walked past Matthew toward the exit.

  “Brittany, wait! Where are you going?” He caught up with her and grasped her arm.

  She pulled out of his grasp. “Home.”

  “Please, sweetheart, don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to—”

  Swallowing hard, she said, “Can we please just get out of here?”

  “Sure, whatever you want.”

  She held on to him throughout the motorcycle ride back to campus, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t warm and sexy, and she didn’t feel close to him despite the proximity. Tonight she was fuming. How could he think she’d be with someone like Bennie? He obviously didn’t believe she hadn’t had a date since freshman year. He obviously doubted she was telling him the truth. She’d told him her whole history and he assumed she was keeping secrets. Okay, so she’d told a white lie or two, but that was when they hardly knew each other. Ever since then, she’d been an open book. She fought her tears when she realized the gossip from high school and her freshman college year was always going to follow her. People were always going to remember that and think the worst about her, even Matthew. She would never be the sweet innocent girl he wanted. She could never be the churchgoing, pious spirit that would be welcomed into his parents’ home, into his church and community. That scarlet letter she was branded with would always follow her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she grew. He knew everything about her and still believed the worst. She knew hardly anything about him and believed only the best.

  When he pulled into his parking spot, Brittany got off the bike. She quickly unbuckled her helmet and handed it to him. “Good night.”

  “Brittany, come on.” He reached out without touching her. “Please don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, I swear I didn’t.”

  Tears flowed down her cheeks, making her wish she could channel her inner tough girl. “I guess I thought you knew me better than that. I poured out my heart to you. I told you everything, everything there was to know about me.” She pulled the Scrunchie out of her hair and threw it on the pavement. “And I thought I knew you better too but I really don’t know anything about you because you won’t confide in me. This was all just a foolish fantasy I was living in.”

  “Brittany, come on.” Matthew hooked both helmets on the handlebars. “That’s not true, not at all. Please don’t make this into a bigger deal than it has to be.”

  When he took a step closer, she held her palms up. “Don’t.” His eyes widened at her anger. “I just need to be alone, okay?”

  “Wait. At least let me walk you to your dorm.”

  Walking away, she shook her head vigorously. “I’ll be fine. Don’t follow me and don’t call me.”

  »»•««

  Matthew turned on the shower and stepped inside. He closed his eyes and let the hot water rain down on the back of his neck. This night went seriously off course. Just when things were getting better, just when his life was getting good, fate kicked him in the teeth again. What was wrong with him?

  He remembered when the world held so much promise for him back in Illinois. He had everything he wanted—a supportive family, a promising football career, a girl he loved. He had a picture-perfect life. Then Michelle pulled the rug out from under him. She wasn’t pregnant, she didn’t want to marry him, and she wasn’t in love with him. Three and out. So he picked up the pieces, took a purity vow, moved to Florida, was promised a starting quarterback position, and wham, another rug got pulled out and he was on the sidelines.

  Then he met Brittany, and little by little, she peeled back the layers and awakened the piece of his heart he’d worked so hard to protect. She played no games with him. She said what she meant and she meant what she said. He was falling for her—hard—and he thought she felt the same. One wrong word and that rug got pulled out again too, landing him flat on his back.

  He soaped up his face and let the water rinse it clean. He stepped out of the shower, put on his terry robe, and left the bathroom. He visualized Brittany everywhere, in every corner of the room. They’d only spent one night together here, but she permeated the whole place, including the bathrobe he was wearing. Her presence had made everything seem possible again.

  And just like that, she was gone.

  He threw himself into his bed and imagined holding her like he did last night, like he was supposed to again tonight. She felt so good in his arms, so warm, so real, so happy to be with him. She was heavenly, and now he was in hell. It would be a cold day in Orlando before he’d open his heart to any woman again. He was tired of feeling like this.

  »»•««

  “Get off me! I said get off of me!”

  “Brit, wake up. You’re having another nightmare.” Brittany sprang into an upright position in bed. Her eyes were wide as she looked at Jamie, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Are you okay, cookie?”

  Brittany covered her face with her hands. “I’m fine.” Her voice was muffled.

  “That sounded like a bad one.”

  “Nightmares are never good.” She moved her hands away from her face and looked at Jamie. “I broke up with Matthew.”

  “In your nightmare?”

  “No. In real life. We’re over.”

  Jamie’s eyes flashed. “How can that be? You guys looked adorable together when he picked you up. Anyone could see you were insanely over the moon about each other. Both of you. What happened?”

  Brittany was quiet for a minute before she whispered, “I don’t know.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “I know. It was stupid, James.” She threw back the covers and dangled her legs over the side. “I got mad at him because he asked if I ever slept with Bennie. You know Bennie, right? The big dumb ugly offensive lineman? He truly is offensive. He keeps putting the moves on me and he’s pretty, um, threatening.”

  “Why don’t you report him?”

  Brittany flashed to high school and how the whole town came down on her for accusing the star basketball player of rape. It ruined her senior year and almost ruined her life. “No, I
can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  She got off the bed and padded into the kitchen in her bare feet. “You know why. I told you what happened to me in high school.”

  Jamie followed her friend into the kitchen. “Yeah, but he can’t get away with harassing you, Brit.”

  Brittany felt a burning in her gut. It wasn’t just Matthew she was mad at. She was mad at herself. Bennie made her feel the way she felt in high school when she was attacked by the team’s point guard. She wouldn’t even let that guy’s name flow through her mind anymore. Bennie made her feel powerless, just like the jerk in high school did, and she resented it. She resented it and she was embarrassed by it because she let him make her feel that way. She shouldn’t need Matthew or anyone to come rescue her. She should be able to handle these things on her own.

  Jamie touched her arm. “You still with me, Brit?”

  Brittany wiped a tear from her cheek and nodded. “I’m fine. I’m fine except I lost potentially the best relationship I ever had.”

  Jamie put her arms around her friend. “Talk to him. I’m sure it’s not too late.”

  Taking a step back, Brittany grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. She really didn’t feel like talking anymore. She was spent. Glancing at the clock on the stove, she said, “I’m sorry I woke you, James. I need to get some sleep and so do you. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

  She cried in spurts all night, trying to be quiet enough not to wake her friend again.

  Chapter Twenty

  At the next home game, Brittany tried her best to put her soul into her cheers, but being depressed made it hard to act cheerful, very hard. The rest of the week had crawled by after Monday night’s date fiasco. She tried to keep a low profile all week, at least as low as a co-head cheerleader could. She avoided Matthew, and the few times their eyes met during team practices, she turned away. She didn’t know what to say to him, and no matter how deep her feelings were for him, his lack of trust made it impossible to be in a relationship. It was probably better for all mankind if she just stayed single.