“What now?” I whisper, lying in his arms as dawn breaks in the sky outside the hotel room window, telling me that it’s still early morning and I’ve not had any sleep yet. Our bodies are still damp with sweat, and I know we could do with a shower. I also know that if I were to close my eyes right now, I’d fall into a deep and peaceful sleep.
His fingers glide up and down my back, soothing me. “You still owe me a date.” He presses a kiss at the back of my neck.
“You still want a date?”
Of all the things he could’ve said, that’s not what I was expecting. Jackson Taylor is a player, and if I’m truthful, I would’ve thought he’d had his fill of me. I know his type all too well; fuck ‘em and leave ‘em.
“Yes. I want to show you I can be more than just a gentleman in bed. We can go for dinner, see a show.” I snigger at his choice of words. I’m not so sure my body agrees with the gentleman part. There are parts of me that are sore that I never knew existed. A smile comes easily to my lips because he was exactly who I needed and wanted. Now though, I’m not sure where that leaves me.
“Well, come on, Sam. It won’t be that bad going on a date with me.”
“Fine,” I say.
“Now you make it sound like a chore.”
I shake my head. “It’s not a chore, but I have my reservations.”
“Well, in that case, it’s up to me to erase all reservations from that pretty little head of yours.” He tugs my arm and I turn around to face him. I’m met with his gorgeous blue eyes and a sluggish smile. My heart thunders in my chest and fire ignites within me just from seeing that grin.
There’s a connection between us, one I can’t figure out. I shouldn’t feel like this. I shouldn’t want to spend more time with him, but I do. But this is one of my brother’s friends and team-mates. I know enough about football to know that rifts between team-mates are usually down to girls. Although, usually it’s because they’re fighting for the same attention, not because it’s the sister of one.
“Stop thinking. It doesn’t suit you.”
I shake myself from my thoughts. “Jackson…”
“Don’t. We’ll go for a date and we’ll have a perfect night,” he says, and then presses his lips to mine to silence me and distract my thoughts. Although, I’m not even sure what I was thinking. “Have you stopped thinking?”
“Not sure. I don’t want to face my brother or anyone else looking like this,” I tell him, because I suppose that’s what is really bothering me right now.
“I can order us room service and then I can take you home. I know Logan has booked Lee in for a massage or something, so they shouldn’t be around when we leave.”
“Thank you. Food would be good because I’m hungry and you’ve certainly worked up an appetite,” I tease, and my thighs clench together just thinking about our night together. I close my eyes, trying to calm myself down as my heart is beating hard in my chest. A small chuckle brings me back to reality, and when I open my eyes, his eyebrows are raised. His hands glide effortlessly up and down my back before he squeezes my arse.
“I think now would be a good time for you to order some food and I’ll go and grab a shower.”
“Scared you’ll have more fun with me?”
“No. I think you should be the one who’s scared,” I say, prying myself from his hold and climbing from the bed. “If you order food, then you can join me in the shower.” I don’t look back as I walk toward the bathroom, but I do hear him pick up the phone.
I must be mad. Totally insane for wanting to spend time with a player with his reputation.
“You look perfect,” he says as I continue to smooth down my dress in the lift. I’m wearing yesterday’s clothes minus my underwear, which Jackson says is a complete turn on. It might be for him, but not for me. My nerves are shattered, and I’m sure he can tell I’m more than worried that we’ll bump into my brother as we leave the hotel.
“I’m a mess.”
“A hot mess, maybe.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere.”
He smirks. “I don’t think I need to use flattery to get what I want. I’ve already got you here with me.”
I take a deep breath as the lift doors open on the ground floor. My eyes dart everywhere as Jackson walks toward the reception desk to check out. Of course, it’s still early, and if anyone has any sense, they’ll still be tucked up in their hotel beds. But that doesn’t stop me anticipating what I should say if I bump into Logan.
“That’s us.” Jackson wraps his arm around my waist and I tense under his touch. “Will you please relax? No one is about.”
Until I’m safely in his car and heading home, I’m not sure I will. I feel like I’m about to get caught by my mother for sneaking out when I was younger. Only this time, I’m sure Logan’s reaction to seeing me and one of his team-mates together would be so much worse than getting caught by my mum.
I feel myself sighing when we get outside, and Jackson leads me to his car. The blacked-out Range Rover isn’t what I expected. I thought he would have a flash sports car. He opens the door for me, and I quickly climb in, relieved that I’ve not been caught sneaking out of the hotel. Although, I’m a grown woman and can do what I want.
“Let’s get you home and get you to bed.”
“I’m going home, and I’m going to bed, alone.”
He chuckles as he starts the car. “I’m good, but even this player knows his limits. Although, if you’re game…”
“Jackson!”
He flashes me that cheeky, cocky grin and turns his attention to the road ahead. I sit back in comfort, watching the world drift by outside.
“Did you always want to be a football player?” I ask him.
“Don’t all boys?”
“I know it was all Logan spoke about since as far back as I can remember. I remember getting dragged along to his games on Saturday mornings when I was young.”
“Is that why you don’t go now?”
“God, yes. Spending Saturday mornings in the cold and wet was not my idea of fun when I was little.”
“No, I don’t suppose it would be. But you do know professional games are completely different to boys’ clubs? What about you? Did you always want to be a photographer?”
“Maybe one day I’ll come to a game. With the photography, no. I just kind of fell into it when I left school because I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do. But this is something I love.”
“Even when the model makes you feel uncomfortable?”
“If you’re referring to yourself, I was more taken by surprise to see you.”
“Why? Am I not famous enough to be photographed by you?”
I shake my head at him and turn back to the window, yawning. I’m so tired. I know if I were to close my eyes now, it wouldn’t take long to drift off. The good thing when I get home is I can change into clean pjs and go straight to my bed and sleep all day and night. Well, that’s my plan for the day.
Our journey is quiet, and I smile when we take a left, turning towards the river and my flat. Home sweet home.
“And here we are,” he says as we pull up in front of my building.
“Yes, we are.” I pause for a moment as I look at him. Part of me wants to invite him up, but another part tells me that some distance between us would be wise.
“Our date! How about next weekend? Because after that, the team is heading off for training.”
“Next weekend sounds good. But isn’t that early for training?”
“Yes. We’re only getting two weeks off this year as we have early European games before the start of the new season, and the boss wants us all in shape.”
“From what I saw yesterday, most of the team looks in pretty good shape.”
“I’m glad you said yesterday,” he says. “Thank you.”
I glance down at my hands, unsure what my reaction should be. I lean across and kiss him briefly on his lips, taking him by surprise. “You’re welcome,” I say with a smil
e before getting out of his car. “Call me.” I close the door and walk into the building, and I don’t look back.
Stepping into my apartment, I exhale a deep breath.
What the hell are you playing at, Sam Walker?
Chapter Thirteen
I pull the bedcovers over my head in an attempt to drown out the sound of my phone buzzing persistently. Doesn’t whoever is on the phone understand? I don’t want to talk to anyone. Sleep is what I want and what I need.
I roll over with the covers over me and it finally stops, only for hammering on my front door to start. Bloody hell, can’t a woman get some peace and quiet to sleep? I drag myself from my bed and walk barefoot through the flat, not giving two shits what I look like, and open the door. At least it’s not my brother, otherwise he’d already be inside.
“What?”
“I’ve been calling you all bloody day. I was beginning to think something was wrong, but then I thought, if there was, I’d already know about it because someone would’ve called me,” she says, barging past me with two bags in her hands. With the smell wafting in my nostrils, I can only presume one bag is Chinese take-away.
“Come on in, Kate,” I mutter, closing the door and following her through to my kitchen. I lean against the work surface and watch as she grabs plates, cutlery, and glasses and starts plating up food. If it weren’t for the smell of my favourite take-away, I would be telling my dear friend, politely, to fuck off home. But as it is, I’ll let her off waking me from my sleep because she’s brought food and wine, and I’ve not eaten since breakfast in the hotel with Jackson.
“Are you going to just stand there?” she asks, casting her eyes over me.
“No. I’ll take the food and wine and I’m going into the living room because I can get more comfortable in there.” I pick up the bag of prawn crackers, my favourite crunchy part of the meal, and put the handle in between my teeth then grab the plate and wine.
I’m smiling to myself because, even feeling this tired. I can still multi-task. “Well?” she questions me, staring at me as I get comfortable on the sofa.
“Well, what?”
“How was the wedding?”
“Like most weddings, good.”
Her eyebrows knit tightly together. “Sam Walker, that’s a very vague answer even from you. What happened at the wedding? You and Jackson?” And of course, she would just jump right in and ask that question.
I take a mouthful of my favourite chicken with Peking sauce and leave myself a bit of time to decide what the hell I’m going to tell my best friend about Jackson.
“Sam!”
“What? I was eating.”
“You did that deliberately.”
“Maybe. Yes, Jackson was there, along with the rest of the football team. Jess was stunning, and my gorgeous niece was the perfect angel all day. What more do you want to know?”
“The juicy bits. And don’t you dare try to tell me there were none because you have already given yourself away with the expression on your face.” Kate stares at me from the chair as she eats.
“If you want to know if I slept with Jackson, the answer is no.”
“Oh!”
“I spent the whole night with him and there was no sleeping involved. That’s the reason I’ve not answered any calls. I’ve been sleeping today.”
“You dirty little stop-out.”
“What can I say?”
“I want all the details.”
“No. Some things you’ll just have to use your imagination for because I’m not going to kiss and tell.”
“But I’m your best friend.”
“Yes, you are, but I won’t divulge any details of our night together.”
“You mean nights. Okay, so when did you get home?”
“Early this morning, and I went straight to bed.”
“I have no words,” she says, tucking into a mouthful of food.
“Good. Let’s not ruin dinner.”
“Are you going to see him again?” I stare across the room. “What? It’s only a question. You and Jackson would be perfect together.”
We are, especially the sex, but I choose not to tell her that. “He’s asked me out on a date.”
“Brilliant. You and he could end up like Jess and Fletcher, a true love story.”
“It’s one date before the team set off on pre-season training and games.”
It’s just one simple date. Who am I kidding? For Jackson, it might be one date. I hope I’m not going to turn into those desperate women who fawn over footballers. I don’t think so. Footballers have never interested me before. I’ve been privileged to watch from the side-lines, seeing the antics Logan and Fletcher have got up to over the years with some really desperate cheap tarts. That was enough to put me off.
“It might only be one date, but I think this will lead to something more.”
“You and your fairy-tales,” I say before taking a drink of my wine.
She’s always thinking two steps ahead and looking for one of us to get that happy-ever-after, which I’m not so sure I believe in anymore. Jackson and happily-ever-afters don’t seem to go together. I could be wrong, and if I am, I’ll eat my words, but something tells me Jackson and fun go together perfectly. And fun is what I need right now.
All work and no play leads to a boring Sam.
“How is your brother?” I ask, because she didn’t want to go into it over the phone.
“He’s doing okay. Keeping his nose clean and staying well out of any trouble.”
“That’s good.”
“Yes, so hopefully he won’t have to serve his full sentence. I still feel responsible for this situation.”
“Kate, if it were me and Logan, he would’ve reacted the same way. So, you shouldn’t feel responsible. The guy that was trying it on, pushing you up against the wall, sliding his hand up your dress. He’s the only person to blame for this.” Kate’s body trembles at my brief description of that night. I’m glad her brother was out with us and had stepped outside the club to check on her, because if he hadn’t, the situation might be completely different, and I’d be trying to help my best friend through the aftermath of a brutal sexual attack.
“I know, but it still upsets me knowing that he’s in there because of me.”
“Enough! He won’t see it like that, and anyway, hopefully he will be out soon.”
“I hope so. Now, I don’t want to be upset, so tell me, when can you get tickets to a football game?”
“I suppose I could ask Logan for tickets to the first home game of the season.”
“But that’s weeks away,” she whines.
“Actually, it’s not. The team has a European game at home in, I think, six weeks.”
“That’s still forever away.”
I laugh at her dramatic tone. “It’s not that long. And why the interest?”
“It seems everyone is bagging themselves a hot-shot football player, including my best friend. Maybe I should find myself one.”
“Hot-shot footballers are not all they’re cracked up to be,” I say, thinking of all the headlines Logan and Fletcher have made over the years. My poor mother, having to see some of those things printed about them. Even though Fletcher is not her son, she’s always been a mother to him, and as such, hates seeing anything bad in the headlines about either of them.
“Of course you can say that, having got one for yourself.” She tilts her glass and finishes drinking the contents before topping her glass back up.
I won’t argue with her; there’s no point. She believes what she wants to believe. But the thought of me with Jackson Taylor does appeal to me, really appeals to me. I’m going to have to be careful with him, otherwise I’ll end up being hurt again, and that’s not something I want because it won’t just affect me. This will affect Logan and the team. I can’t have the two of them getting into another fight because of me. Maybe I should speak to Lee and see if she can keep my brother’s temper under control. Because Kate won’t be the
only one feeling guilty about her brother.
Chapter Fourteen
Jackson: I’ll be there in 2 mins.
I stare at his message on the screen. Yes, I might be ready, but I’m not sure I’m ready for this date of ours mentally. My stomach has been in knots all day, and I’ve tried to talk myself out of it so many times.
I’m nervous. God, that’s an understatement.
It’s only a date.
Of course I’m ready; I have been since Lee left the flat ten minutes ago. She and I have spoken all week because I’m scared shitless about any fallout from tonight between Jackson and Logan. Lee told me she would deal with my brother for me and to enjoy my date. She came over this afternoon for a visit with Chloe, I think to calm my growing nerves, and she helped do my hair and make-up. I felt fine while she was here, but now, not so much.
The good thing about hopefully spending less time travelling is that I’ll get to spend more time with Chloe. I want us to be close, but that won’t happen if I’m jetting off around the world for work. Lee has some work to do this week because Jess is on her honeymoon, so I’ve said I’ll take Chloe a day or two if Logan is busy.
I grab my bag and throw my phone inside it, and I head out the front door of my flat, unsure what to expect from my night out with Jackson Taylor.
The cool night air hits me as soon as I open the door to the building. It’s colder than it should be considering the time of year. I shiver, and I’m glad I brought a long woollen cardigan with me. My stomach does a little somersault as his car pulls up beside me. My heart quickens as I open the passenger-side door and get my first glimpse of him. There’s just something I can’t explain, not even to myself, about what it’s like being in his presence. It’s the whole package. From the way he looks, filled with confidence, and the scent of his aftershave that is fast becoming one of my favourites, and I’m not usually interested in how a man smells.
He flashes me a smile and I wish I was unaffected by the sight of him. It would make my life simple. But my life isn’t simple.
“Are you just going to stand there looking at me, or are you going to get in the car?” he asks, his eyebrows raised. I can hear the mocking tone in his voice. With a deep breath and a smile, I climb into the car. “You look and smell incredible,” he says, leaning over to tuck my hair behind my ear and kissing my cheek.
Scottish Player: A Hero Club Novel Page 8
