Текст книги "Scoring Wilder"

Автор книги: R. S. Grey

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

how I could somehow stop the avalanche about to take place.

This was it. The proverbial shit was about to hit the fan and I wasn’t ready. I was a nervous wreck the rest of the day. I couldn't get in touch with Liam after practice, but I couldn't go to Coach Davis before talking to him first. There was no more time to wait though. If Tara was going to go to Coach Davis, we had to beat her there. For all I knew it was already too late; Tara could have gone to her directly after practice.

"What are you going to do?" Becca asked. She was sitting on the edge of my bed and I was standing up, pacing back and forth across my carpet. I felt like a caged animal.

My heart wouldn't stop pounding and my hands were clenched into tights fists. I'd 481/890

realize how tense I was and try to relax, but then Tara's face would materialize in my thoughts and I’d tailspin back into tense anger.

"I have no freaking clue."

"Kinsley, this is serious... if Tara goes to—"

"I know. I know that," I cut her off and reached down to grab my running shoes. It was late, maybe eight or nine, but I needed to run.

"I'll be back in a little bit," I muttered, heading down the stairs and out the front door without a second glance. I jogged down my front lawn and turned right down an empty street. Hearing my feet pound against the asphalt was like waking up from a foggy dream. Until that moment I'd thought I was 482/890

invincible. But in reality, I had put my dreams, my future, and my career on the line for a guy that I only had known for a few weeks. In the big picture of my life, Liam was a dot on the timeline, yet he was capable of wiping away everything that could have come after him.

And to make it worse, I had no one to blame but myself. I'd chosen to take the chance. I'd chosen to live in the moment and test fate. What if Coach Davis called me into her office tomorrow and told me I was off the team? What if she told me she wouldn't be inviting me to the Olympic tryouts? What would I have then? Liam? How could I look at him without seeing my failure?

I kept running until the fear had sunken deep into my bones. This was a wakeup call.

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A wakeup call that I feared was happening too late. Maybe if I explained everything to Coach Davis she'd give me another chance. I had no other option. I wasn’t prepared to give up my dreams.

I was contemplating that fact as I rounded the corner back to my house and saw Liam's SUV sitting out by the curb. It was parked directly outside of the Rookie house rather than hiding around the corner. My stomach sank even lower and I slowed to a walk as I got closer to his car. My heart hammered in my chest, but I couldn't control its rhythm. The run and this surprise were too much for my nerves to handle.

I passed by his SUV and peered inside, but it was empty. The front door opened behind me and I spun around to find Liam 484/890

heading outside. His hair was disheveled.

His eyes were sharp and narrowed on me. A few of the sophomore girls peered through the thin gap before closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, frozen in place.

"Letting the team know that I won’t be coaching them anymore."

My breathing stilled. "What?"

He kept walking closer to me, his expression indiscernible. "I spoke with the LA Stars and Coach Davis today," he explained, running his hand along his jawline.

I felt my world screech to a stop. Holy shit, he’d done it. I reached up to cover my mouth with my hand, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

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"Everything is out in the air now. Tara can't blackmail you and Coach Davis will deal with her separately."

He wasn't telling me what really mattered. What actually mattered. Did I have my dreams still or not?

"What happens? What happens now, Liam? Am I still on the team? Are you still on the team? Do you still have your endorsement deals?” Suddenly I felt just as close to exploding as I had before my run. I couldn't handle the stress. It was too much.

Liam came to stand in front of me, taking my hand in his. I let him because it was easier, but I wasn't sure I wanted him to touch me.

"The LA Stars were upset about the potential for bad press, but they wouldn’t kick 486/890

me off the team for something like this. A few of my sponsors were pissed and yeah, my most conservative sponsorship dropped me.

They don’t know how the media will spin the story and they didn’t want to take the chance on me. I’ll be able to talk the others down.

This afternoon, I told Coach Davis a toned down version of the truth– that Tara was interested in me and that I was interested in you. She was hazing you and a few other rookies and threatening to use false facts to get you kicked off the team."

"They weren't really false facts," I whispered.

"Technically, they were. We never had sex," Liam corrected. He was splitting hairs at that point, but I didn't care to argue.

"Coach Davis and I agreed that it'd be best if 487/890

I stopped coaching the team so that the drama could die down.”

“But aren’t you in trouble with the LA Stars?”

He shook his head. “I wasn’t ever in trouble with the LA Stars. That was all just media bullshit. I've been playing better in the last few weeks than I have in my entire career.”

Had I just heard that right? He talked to Coach Davis and the LA Stars. He was telling me everything was okay. He was telling me that the worst of the storm had passed, but my brain wasn't catching up yet. My heart was still pounding and I just needed a few moments to absorb everything.

"Kinsley, it's settled now. We don't have to hide—"

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I shook my head, once and then twice, trying to clear everything out. Five minutes ago my worst fears had been bubbling over.

I’d had a taste of what it would be like if my soccer career was pulled out from under me and it’d been the scariest moment of my life.

I took a small step back from Liam.

"Kinsley?" he asked warily.

After everything he’d just explained, I should have felt relief, but instead I felt like I was hung-over from the day.

"I just need a few moments to think. I'm exhausted..." I answered honestly. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Thank you for fixing everything. I know it was probably scary having the face everyone by yourself."

"Hey– I told you I would take care of it.

I didn't want you to worry. I would have 489/890

done anything to make sure that none of this touched you– that your career wouldn't be jeopardized."

His words felt good to hear, but I couldn't let them settle in. I was a full glass of water and life kept trying to pour more liquid in. The excess was pouring down the sides and spilling out. I just needed five freaking minutes of swallowing some of today’s events before I thought about adding more.

I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded before stepping around him. I think I had to block his appearance altogether; his dark eyes, his creased brow, his pouty lips. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to move past him.

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"Thank you, Liam. But today I realized how close I came to losing everything I've worked for and I feel like a royal idiot... like the loser that chooses a guy over the Olympics." I spun around and headed into the house.

“That’s it? You’re going to give up?” he yelled out behind me. I paused, staring down at the grass, too fearful of look back toward his brooding eyes. “I just put a lot on the line for you, Kinsley. I was out there fighting for you, fighting for us, the same day you and Josh were plastered all over the fucking in-ternet. But I did all of that because I wanted to be with you, I wanted the whole package—not the sneaking around, not the forbidden romance. I wanted to take you out on a real date and show you off because I wasn’t 491/890

afraid of starting something real with you…

so what are you scared of?”

His shoes crunched on the gravel, and I turned just in time to watch him hop into his front seat and slam the door closed. His en-gine roared to life, and in a moment he was gone, speeding down the street and leaving me with remnants of whiplash.

What was I scared of?

Chapter Eighteen

"I brought you dinner. Are you hungry?"

Becca asked, placing a bowl of soup and a sandwich on my nightstand.

"No, I'm just really tired," I answered,

“but thanks.”

It was Friday night and a few of the girls were heading to go see a movie. I'd opted to stay in my room and wallow. All I'd done the past 36 hours was eat, sleep, and breathe soccer. It was refreshing and just what I needed—to remind myself of my true love in life.

Becca pulled my comforter down so she could see my face. I think she expected me to be crying; instead she found unwashed hair and smeared make-up. There might have also been some melted chocolate on my chin 493/890

that I’d been trying to lick off for the past half hour.

"I realize why you're doing what you’re doing," she began, and then paused until I met her hazel eyes. "It's a sort of self-punish-ment. You almost feel guilty that you got away with everything, so now you're punish-ing yourself. It's bullshit."

Her words struck a chord. "What are you talking about?"

"You feel bad because you broke the rules and didn't get caught. And then when you did, nothing really happened. Life continued on. Well, you know what? Maybe that was a dumb rule in the first place. Would you be pushing Liam away if you were allowed to be dating him this entire time?"

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I chose to assume that was a rhetorical question.

"I'm going to the movies with the girls, but tomorrow, you and I are going to that get together at Penn’s house. I already told him I would go, and you owe it to me to come with me."

I’d completely forgotten about those plans. It’d be Becca’s first time seeing Penn since they met and I knew she was excited about it.

"I don't kno—"

She held up her hand to stop me. "I cleaned a toilet with a toothbrush for you.

You're coming."

She had a point.

"You're my best friend, Becca. Thanks for everything,” I called just before she left.

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"You're welcome, but you're still coming to Penn’s," she laughed, and then closed my door behind her.

…

Saturday morning I had plans to meet with Coach Davis for breakfast. There were still a few pieces of the puzzle that hadn't been cleared up and she'd requested to meet with me so we could clear the air. Even though I didn't think she was kicking me off the team, I still felt nervous about being reprimanded by someone I looked up to as much as her.

"Morning, Coach Davis," I said as I took a seat across from her. She looked up from her coffee and smiled. It was strange seeing her outside of practice. She looked so nice in her scarf and jeans. Like a real person and 496/890

not just a soccer coach. If we were meeting under different circumstances, I would have complimented her outfit.

"G’morning, Kinsley, how're you doing?"

she asked.

"I'm fine. I feel good after the last few days of practice. I think the team's really coming along."

She nodded at my response, but the edges of her eyes crinkled as if she were trying to see something I wasn't showing her.

Her hand gestured to the seat across from her and I quickly shuffled to sit down and get comfortable.

When I was finally settled, I looked up and took a deep breath.

"I asked you here today for two reasons.

The first was that I wanted to apologize to 497/890

you specifically. I put Tara in a position of power on the team and I wished I had paid more attention to the way she was abusing that power. The things that she put you, Emily, and Becca through are inexcusable, and it's not the way I want to run my program."

"Coach—"

"I'm not done yet. I strive to create a program where you girls can come to me with any problem."

I nodded and took a quick sip of water.

"Second, we both know your behavior with Coach Wilder was extremely inappropriate. You chose to put yourself over your team and went against rules that I had in place for a reason." I winced at her words.

"Now, that being said, I understand that this 498/890

particular situation was a little unorthodox.

Liam was volunteering with our team, and technically, he wasn't on staff at ULA. The rule was put in place so that you girls would stay focused, and to be honest, I didn't want any of you getting hurt. When Liam came to me and explained the situation, his feelings for you were very apparent. I'm not so cruel as to break up young love. I'll leave you all to do that for yourself."

I smiled at her joke and then glanced up from my water. "So where do we go from here?"

"Well, Liam is no longer with ULA, so your relationship with him is no longer of my concern."

"So, I could technically date him?"

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Coach Davis smiled gently. "You'd have to ask him that question."

Oh, right. There was the slight problem concerning Liam’s probable hatred for me.

He’d left the ball in my court Thursday night, and there’d been 48 hours of radio silence between us since then. I thought that’s what I needed. I was feeling overwhelmed and I wanted to take the time to get my thoughts in order. Well, my thoughts had definitely cleared and the only thing I cared about was the fact that Liam and I were no longer off-limits.

I paused before asking the next question. "And what about Tara?"

Coach Davis took a sip of her coffee and narrowed her eyes, as if collecting the pieces of her thoughts.

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"Tara spoke with me yesterday and gave me an ultimatum: 'Either you go or she goes'."

My heart started pounding in my chest.

"Ah."

"But the last time I checked, Tara was not ‘Coach Tara.’" Coach Davis sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thank god," I murmured under my breath.

She smiled. "I told her to pack her things and leave. I was prepared to offer her a second chance, but the fact that she was so blinded by her hate for you that she would want to kick off one of the best players on our team shows how little she truly cares about the program."

Holy hell.

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"Wow."

"There will be some adjustments, but I feel good about the decision and I think the team will really benefit. We'll vote for the new captain on Monday."

"I don't really know what to say."

Coach Davis eyed me for a moment and then leaned forward, as if she didn't want me to miss a single word.

"You have a good head on your shoulders, Kinsley. In the few weeks that you've been with the program, you've had quite a few challenges thrown your way, yet no matter what, you haven't let it affect your practice or your commitment to the team.

You've had multiple opportunities to shove yourself into the spotlight, but I think the way that you're going about your career is 502/890

very wise. All too often, athletes shoot themselves in the foot by reaching for celebrity status before honing their skills."

Her warning reminded me of Liam.

"Do you think it's a bad idea to be with Liam? If I’m supposed to stay away from the spotlight?"

"I don't think you could find a better match than Liam. He has a reputation, as I warned you about, but now you’ve seen firsthand how the press likes to embellish their stories about young athletes. He's a damn good soccer player and I think you could learn a lot from him."

Wow. I couldn't believe the way the conversation was going, but I'm really glad I agreed to meet with her. The haziness around the last few days was beginning to 503/890

settle and my options were right in front of me, ready for me to take them.

"Thank you so much, Coach Davis. For everything. I promise I won't take my second chance lightly."

"Good. Now, let's order. I'm starving."

She winked and handed me a menu.

…

"Penn said his house is on the beach so let's wear bathing suits under our dresses in case people are swimming," Becca declared as we pushed off the bed to start getting ready.

"Okay, I have this cover up that's kind of fancy enough to be worn to a party," I mentioned, heading toward my closet. It was an icy blue silk material that wrapped around my body and crossed in the front so that it 504/890

stayed closed when I pulled my arms through the spaghetti straps.

"Hmm, I'm not sure what I have. I could just wear a nice top and shorts?"

I found the cover-up hanging in my closet right next to an identical one. I’d forgotten my crazy mother had ordered me the dress in multiple colors. One blue and one fuchsia. I think they’d been a part of a

“Maui” themed care package. I’m not kidding, the woman is dedicated.

"Oh, I forgot my mom bought me two! If it’s not too ‘sister-wives’ of us, we could both wear these?"

Becca ran to the closet with a giddy smile. "That's perfect."

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"You should wear the teal with your blonde hair," I said, pushing the cover-up toward her.

"We'll look like we're fourteen-year-old best friends that have to match wherever we go."

I pushed her out of my closet so I could change into my bathing suit. "We kind of are.”

“Hey wait, are you nervous to see Liam?” she asked as I started to shut the door on her face.

“Nope. No. Zilch. Nada. Who’s that?” I lied before squashing her out of the door way.

I was as cool as a cucumber.

“The lady doth protest too much!” she called before cackling her way toward the 506/890

bathroom. As long as I live, I’ll regret not putting that hot wax on her face.

An hour later we were leaving the house in our bright, silky cover-ups. Becca's hair looked sleek and sexy and she'd curled mine so that it hung down my back in beachy waves. Penn's house was all the way out in Malibu, but I didn't mind the drive down Pa-cific Coast Highway. You'd think after having lived in Los Angeles my whole life I'd be sick of the ocean, but most of the time I was just too busy to take a trip out just for fun. It'd been almost a year since I'd been out to Malibu, and as we pulled up to his beach house, Becca and I exchanged impressed nods.

Penn had a modern home with lots of windows and sharp, clean lines. We could 507/890

see people mingling around inside already, so we pushed through the front door and were greeted by music and laughter.

"This isn't so bad," Becca nodded. The party was intimate compared to the last few weeks and the crowd appeared to skew a bit older than the LA Stars parties. There were people mingling around with cocktails and beer, but I didn't recognize anyone right away.

"Good call with the bathing suits," I nodded, noticing a few of the guys were wearing swimming trunks and t-shirts.

"Should we go get a d—"

Becca was midway through her sentence when she was interrupted.

"Kinsley! Becca!" Josh called just as I turned to see him approaching us.

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He'd taken his shirt off so that his broad chest was on display. I could tell from his awkward walk that he was already tipsy.

"Hi Josh," I answered simply, unsure of where we stood. Surely he didn't know the article would be spun around on us, so I couldn't blame him for that. But it still left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

"You two look like twins," he smiled, casting his gaze from me to Becca, then back again. Becca stifled her laughter by covering her mouth.

He was just tipsy enough to be harmless and I think I liked him better that way.

"We should party, c'mon," he reached out for my hand, but I pulled it out of his grasp.

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"Actually, Becca and I were going to use the bathroom," I lied, giving him a simple smile.

He bought it. "Okay, come find me when you're done." We watched him walk away and get swallowed up by the crowd of people before us.

"He must have started drinking early,"

Becca noted, and I glanced down at my phone. It was only 7:00 P.M. He'd be well on his way to plastered if he kept the same pace.

"Not my problemo anymore! Let's go find drinks."

I strung my arm through hers and we walked through the party. Quite a few people paused to watch us walk by, but I think it was the matching dresses that pulled them in.

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Penn’s house had an open-concept lay-out. The dining room opened up into the living room and then it expanded into another sitting area. The entire back of the house was composed of floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased a pool and a perfect view of the ocean.

"Wow. This place is amazing," Becca murmured as we both stopped to watch the sunset for a moment.

"Glad you guys like it," Penn answered behind us. Becca's body stilled and then she unwrapped her arm from mine. When she spun around to face him, I could tell she was trying to mask her elation behind a cool facade, but there was no hiding it. She was thrilled to see him.

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"Hi!" she beamed up at him, and I shifted my gaze to Penn. His dark hair was styled back and his brown eyes held a little twinkle in them as he smiled down at her. His head was tilted a bit to the side like he was trying to take all of her in but couldn’t quite figure out where to start.

He was wearing a white plaid button down that he'd rolled to his mid forearms.

Beneath that he had on dark red board shorts.

"I'm so glad you guys made it," Penn said, finally glancing for a brief moment at me. It was like he had to remind himself that I was there standing beside Becca. Wow, this guy was falling hard.

"Hi Penn. You have an awesome house,"

I complimented him, sweeping my hand 512/890

around the room. "How long have you lived here?" I felt as if I had to carry the conversation. Becca couldn't wipe the smile off her face long enough to actually speak.

He ran his hand along the bottom of his chin in thought. "I think two years now.

Liam and I wanted to invest in some neighboring properties so we nabbed these two places right when they went on the market."

Neighboring properties?

"I thought Liam owned the house that the LA Stars live in?" I asked.

"Ah, yeah, he has that house as well as the place next door," Penn clarified, pointing out through the window. I followed his gaze to the house in the neighboring lot. Liam's house apparently. It was beautiful. It looked just as beautiful as Penn's, but the styles 513/890

were completely different. There was a giant wraparound porch and white siding. Navy blue shutters hung perfectly from each window and light flooded the bottom floor, as if drawing people toward the house.

I wondered if he was there now instead of enjoying the party.

“He was having a few sections completely remodeled, so he was staying at the other house while they finished up.” Ah, I remembered him mentioning that, and it also explained why he never took me there when we were trying to sneak around.

"We wore our bathing suits. Do people usually swim?" Becca asked, drawing me back to the conversation.

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Penn smiled. "Yes, but not until later.

Usually when the bigger crowd dies down.

It's more fun that way…"

Oh yeah, I bet it is.

Becca bit her bottom lip and nodded. I could tell she was nervous. Her hand was holding her opposite elbow and she only held eye contact with Penn for brief moments.

"Do you guys want me to take you on a little tour?" Penn asked, eyeing Becca. I figured it was probably my time to bow out.

"You guys go ahead. I'm just going to grab a drink and I think I saw a friend of mine over there." There was no friend, but they wouldn't have left me otherwise. Becca's hazel eyes locked on mine, and for a moment I couldn't tell if she was thanking me or pleading with me not to leave her. Either 515/890

way, I shrugged and gave her a thumbs up when Penn turned. As he waited for her to catch up to him, I wondered if their tour would include a special viewing of Penn’s downstairs.

After they were out of sight, I wandered over to the drink station where a well-dressed server was whipping up cocktails.

Technically I wasn't old enough to drink, but it's not like the guy was going to card me at a party like this.

"What can I get for you?" the server asked with a polite smile. He was mixing a drink for another guest while he talked to me, and for a moment I just watched him in action.

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"I'm not sure actually. I don't think I want a beer, but I don’t know many cocktails."

"Have you tried a greyhound before?" he asked, finishing off a drink and handing it to the person beside me.

"No, what’s in that?" I asked with a timid smile.

"It's one part vodka, one part grapefruit juice, and then garnished with a bit of lemon or lime," he explained with a friendly tone.

"That sounds awesome. I'll take one of those," I said, reaching into my purse for a tip.

We chatted casually as he mixed my drink. I loved the dark pink hue of the final concoction, and the moment I took a sip, I knew he’d pegged me right. It was delicious.

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The grapefruit cut the vodka so that the combination was just sweet enough to be deadly.

"I think this might be my new favorite drink," I complimented.

"You come back when you're done and I'll make you another."

I smiled before turning back toward the party.

I took another sip of my drink and surveyed the scene before me. The crowd had grown a little bit since we'd arrived, but his house was big enough that there were little cliques of people rather than a sea of bodies.

I was eyeing each of the groups, trying to spot someone from the club soccer world, when I laid eyes on Liam speaking with a pretty woman near the back windows. The sunset illuminated him from behind and he 518/890

was breathtakingly handsome. He had on black swim trunks and a black LA Stars shirt.

His hair was a bit longer on top, tousled more than usual, and I knew he needed a haircut soon. He was wearing a confident smile and sporting a cleanly shaved look that made it impossible not to notice his strong jaw. I could practically feel him dazzling the entire room. Women would regard him with interest as they walked by, but he was focused solely on the woman in front of him.

It was clear they knew each other well.

They were laughing and talking with their hands. Before I knew it, I was bee lining straight toward them instead of heading in the opposite direction. I couldn't help it. I was moth to a flame when it came to Liam.

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As I stepped closer, his grey eyes landed on me for the first time in three days. There was a flash of something behind his gaze: surprise, lust, hatred– I couldn’t tell, but I took a deep breath and willed my legs to carry me closer. His cool expression gave nothing away and I felt my heart rate pick up, hammering inside my chest, as he watched me approach.

I stepped up behind the woman he was chatting with, who was still oblivious to my presence, and gently tapped her shoulder.

She spun around with a residual smile on her face from whatever she’d been discussing with him. It was friendly, even as she aimed it on me, and I wasn’t sure if I appreciated that or not. If she was his date, I didn’t want her friendly smile.

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“Can I help you?” she asked after I stood there like a simpleton. I hadn’t planned out a single word so I let my mouth take over. It seemed like the best option.

"Hi… um, do you mind if I cut in for a moment?" I asked, purposely keeping my gaze on her instead of Liam. I wasn't sure what his reaction would be and I was floundering enough as it was.

She tilted her head in surprise and offered me an amused grin. "Sure, thing.” She turned back toward him. “We'll talk later, Liam."

"Thanks," I murmured, but as she walked away, I called to her. "Actually, you might get him back in like five minutes… depending on how much he hates me."

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She grinned and I heard Liam chuckle behind me. It was dark and smooth like I’d imagine a glass of bourbon to be. When I spun to face him, he was regarding me with enough heat to start a fire. And not a wimpy fire… a giant, smoldering bon fire. His right brow was dropped just a tad, his grey eyes were narrowed, and he was wearing a secret smirk that said he had me exactly where he wanted – hook, line, and sinker.

"I'm all ears," he murmured, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

I took a moment to gather my wits that he’d stolen in a flash. "Were you going to hook up with her if I hadn't interrupted?" My voice held more curiosity than jealousy.

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"No," he grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. "That's my agent. She would bill me extra for services like that."

"Ha-ha. She's pretty," I stated, matter-of-factly.

"Not my type."

"What's your type?" I asked, crossing my arms protectively over my stomach, careful not to spill my drink.

"Long legs, brown hair… the kind of girl that pretends I don’t exist for three days and then has the confidence to cut in at a party when I'm talking to another girl."

I bit back my smile. "Not another girl, your agent."

He smiled and his features relaxed into pleasant repose as if he were chiseled from stone. I studied the way his cheek bones 523/890

sloped into his sharp jaw. It was hard to focus on anything else when I hadn’t been this close to him in days. It was like my body’s resistance to his sheer magnetism had faded and now I was starting again from zero.

Yes, brain. He’s still the most beautiful thing in the world.

"You didn't know she was my agent."

I looked down at the floor and shrugged.

"I spoke with Coach Davis earlier."

"How'd that go?" he asked.

"Tara got kicked off the team."

He raised his brows. "She needed to be, but I didn't think they would actually do it."

"She made it pretty easy for Coach Davis to give her up from what it sounded like," I murmured and glanced down his body. His tattoos were peeking out from beneath his 524/890

left shirt sleeve and I blushed remembering the image of him changing in his closet.

"It'll be better for the whole team with her gone," Liam said, taking a small step toward me. I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

"She also told me that this," I pointed between the two of us for fear that I was being presumptuous saying the word relationship out loud, "wasn't off-limits anymore.” He crossed his arms and skirted around my statement completely. "I wasn't sure if you'd come," he admitted, taking another minuscule step toward me. Each time I inhaled I was overwhelmed with a mix of bodywash and cologne. My breathing picked up so that I could get another intoxicating whiff as soon as the last one faded.

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"I couldn't let Becca come by herself. She took a ton of crap from Tara because of me…