12. Colton

Bye week could not have come any sooner for Colton. He loved football, truly. But no one could deny how physically taxing the game was for the body, and no amount of ice baths and massages could heal him the way rest would. Luckily, winning the prior two games and getting their record to a solid five and one meant bye week was slow. Practices were shorter, less demanding. They mostly consisted of walking through play calls, and rarely did he even have to throw a ball.

The week leading up to bye week had been hectic, though. He’d gone from early morning lifting to meetings to film to practice, and while that was pretty standard, somehow, his days had felt longer than usual, bleeding from one to the next. He’d only had thirty-minute windows here and there to meet with Lucia, where he’d normally been able to make two hours available for her.

She’d seemed fine with it. He was sure she’d had plenty of work to do, but he also wondered if she’d been avoiding him since the hotel room incident. He wasn’t proud of his lapse in judgment, but he also wasn’t sorry.

He realized that his feelings for Lucia were changing. Before, she was just the infuriating analyst helping him with his game who needed a hand with the media. But now, he wasn’t so sure.

Whatever his feelings, he knew he needed to set them aside. He needed to make sure he kept his performance up for the rest of the season so the Sabers could have another shot at the Super Bowl. There was a reason they’d set the end of their relationship for January.

If his father saw him now, could read his thoughts, he’d be alarmed. Worse than alarmed—furious. He’d probably say something about how he hadn’t given up his coaching job all those years ago, spent Colton’s entire life training him, perfecting his form, and convincing scouts to come to see him play, for it all to go down the drain on some girl. The few times the press had linked him with a woman in the past, his father had been none too pleased. Hell, the man had called Colton when the article about him and Lucia had come out to ensure she wasn’t affecting his focus, and he had been fuming when he learned that Lucia was an analyst working on his game.

He tried to quiet his thoughts as she walked into her office, seemingly startled to see him already there. That white button-down hugged everywhere he wanted to hug, and she’d chosen black pants instead of her usual skirt. Her ever-present heels clicked as she resumed walking to her desk.

“You’re early! I never thought I’d see the day.”

“I figured if Coach can be nice to us during bye week, I can try to be nice to you, too.”

“How chivalrous of you.” She unclipped her hair, and he watched, mesmerized, as she twirled the light brown strands around her hand and back up into the clip.

“What are we working on today?”

“That depends on you. If you don’t feel like doing fieldwork, we can go through film.”

An idea popped into his head. “You know what? That’s a great idea. There’s actually some film I’ve been meaning to watch. Mind if I take over for a second?” He pointed at her laptop.

She narrowed her eyes at him but scooted it in his direction. “If you pull up porn on my work computer, I will hire an attorney and bring you up on sexual harassment charges.”

“Oh, please, you think so little of me. I don’t need porn.” Nope, all he needed to get off were thoughts of her backside. Or her in a button-down. Or worse, her in his Sabers sweatshirt.

He shook his head and pulled up his network television provider. After logging in, he clicked around a few times until he reached the livestream he wanted to watch.

When he turned the laptop back to her, she blinked. “What did I do to you? Why would you choose this?”

Before them was Thursday Night Football. And who was playing on that beautiful Thursday night? The Vipers.

“No, I promise I’m doing this for you.” When she glared at him, he tried to contain his grin. “Okay, and maybe a little for me too. I want you to analyze him. Tell me everything he’s doing wrong and how he could improve. It’ll make you feel better, and it’ll serve as a teaching moment for me.”

Lucia mumbled something under her breath. Then, “I don’t know how you manage to get away with shit like this, but I can’t even provide a valid reason for why it’s a bad idea.”

His grin grew. “Exactly. I might look like a dumb jock, but sometimes, just sometimes, I figure out how to use this thing up here.” He poked his temple.

She pulled the video onto her monitor so they could watch on a bigger screen. For the hour and a half that remained of the game, she pointed out quarterback mistakes on both sides of the ball, though there was a barely muted joy in her eyes when she pointed out Clark’s mistakes.

Despite the Vipers winning, she was smiling. “Okay, pop quiz. What’d you learn?”

“That Clark is nothing without his o-line. Dude’s a worse scrambler than me.”

Lucia snorted, throwing her pen onto the desk and leaning back. “This is now the second time I’ll have to write a report that’s pure bullshit.”

“I’m surprised they’re not all pure bullshit. The idea that you have to write reports because we’re together doesn’t even make sense.”

“Well, no, I understand why I have to. What if we were actually together and I was getting paid for these sessions but we were”—she waved her hand around—“hooking up?”

“I didn’t take you for a hooker, Moretti.”

“That’s not…God, you’re infuriating. Has anybody ever told you that? Are you aware of how annoying you are?”

He tapped his chin. “Hm, let’s see. You’ve told me more than a dozen times. Coop’s told me a few times. I guarantee both of my siblings have, especially Landon.”

“So, nobody outside of your inner circle? That tells me everyone else you interact with is lying to you.”

“Did you just describe yourself as a part of my inner circle?”

Silence. “Well, at least to the media. And if I’m not a part of your inner circle, then I’m the only outside person in your life being honest with you.”

“Am I a part of your inner circle?”

She sighed. “Colton, I have, like, three friends, only one of whom I currently speak to, and she doesn’t live in the same city as me. Plus my father. So, anybody who I spend as much time with as I do you, no matter how miserable that time is, they’re bound to be a part of my inner circle.”

This was a perfect bridge for what he’d been waiting to ask her for over a week. “Well, come to our bye-week party on Saturday, then. Devin’s hosting again, and all the wives and girlfriends will be there. You’ll get to meet people and make some friends in the city.”

“I don’t know…”

“It’ll be fun, I promise.”

“That’s what you said about outreach.”

He scoffed, “Don’t pretend you didn’t have fun at outreach, I was watching you.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “You can hold my hand the whole time.”

She smacked his shoulder. “I will not be doing that.”

“Well, you probably should since you’ll be coming as my girlfriend.”

She groaned. “God, don’t remind me.”

“We’re going to need an attitude makeover before the party. This whole ‘pretending to hate me’ thing isn’t gonna look good in front of our friends.”

“Bold of you to think I’m pretending.”

“So that’s a yes to the party?”

“Fine, Colton. I’ll go. But only because I’m starved for friendship and having you as my only acquaintance here is beginning to cause me real problems.”

“You’re so good to me.”

That dress was going to be his absolute undoing. He’d kept it together for two months of button-downs and tight skirts and heels. He’d even managed to get through the night when she’d worn his sweatshirt in his hotel room. But that dress? Shimmery green, flaring around mid-thigh, a bunching of fabric right above her breasts. He was struggling to keep his eyes off of her, even as his teammates tried to engage him in conversation.

“Colt.”

“Huh?” He turned to Cooper, whose eyes traveled from him to Lucia.

“Did you hear me?” His friend adjusted the cowboy hat he often wore when he wasn’t on the field.

“No, sorry, what’d you say?”

“I was asking what you think the over-under will be next week, but now I want to know what the hell happened between six weeks ago—when you were still spewing your nonsense theory to anyone who’d listen—to now. One minute, you’re pretending you can’t stand her, and the next, you’re dating her.”

Colton clapped Cooper on the back. “I’ve got you to thank for that, actually. After you called me out for being an idiot, I tried to right the ship a bit between me and Lucia.” He hated lying to his best friend, but he’d agreed to keep the secret a secret, even from his closest friend.

“So, now what? You’re not exactly a dating kind of guy.”

Colton shrugged. He’d have taken offense if he didn’t agree. He’d just been so busy with football that dating hadn’t been a priority. “I don’t know, man. Let’s call it a crush and see where it goes.”

Cooper’s words were lost as a gaggle of women sat beside them. A couple of them moved closer to Colton, trying to trap him in a conversation about—were they talking about vegetables? Colton wasn’t paying enough attention to them to say for certain.

He watched Lucia throw her head back and laugh at something Rudy’s wife said. They’d found each other quickly in the maze of bodies that took up the first and second floor of Devin’s house and back patio, and he was glad she was making friends. It warmed his heart to see her getting along with people who meant so much to him, especially so quickly.

Her eyes met his, though they slid away quickly, landing on the two women beside him. Just as one of them placed their hand on his bicep, Lucia tracking her every move, Colton stood. He mumbled an “excuse me,” knowing Cooper would be perfectly content without him.

Lucia had already turned back to Jenna and another woman when Colton approached. In keeping up with appearances, he slid an arm around Lucia’s waist. She tensed for half a second before leaning against him.

He bent his head down to rest his lips against the shell of her ear. “Moretti,” he whispered. Her whole body shivered, and he grinned wide.

When he was satisfied with the teasing, he turned to Jenna. “Hey, Jen. How are you? And the kids?”

“Colton damn Beaumont. Come here.” She gave him a bear hug, and because his arm never left Lucia, she became a part of it. “The kids are good. Rudy’s mom’s got them tonight. I’m so glad she lives nearby. Can’t miss a party at Devin’s.”

Devin. Star wide receiver and notorious partier. He’d bought his house between two other teammates to ensure he wouldn’t get noise complaints. Not Coach Turner’s favorite man, but he certainly did his job well.

Lucia turned in his arm slightly, her nose scrunched. “What’s so great about a Devin party?”

Jenna answered before Colton could, gesturing above them. “Besides all the condoms hanging from the trees out here?”

Lucia’s eyes widened, and she turned her head to take in her surroundings. “Oh my god, I didn’t even realize.”

Jenna laughed. “That’s tame. Once Devin gets nice and drunk and convinces some of the rookies to drink too much, you’re really in for a treat.”

Lucia whispered to Colton, “I’m scared.”

Squeezing her waist, he whispered back, “It’ll be so much fun, just you wait.”

She raised an inquisitive brow. “Do you party with him a lot?”

“Nah, not really my scene. I’ll come to bye week and New Year”s. Maybe a couple others during offseason, but I’m usually—”

“Yeah, yeah, focused on winning. I know, Superstar.”

“Mm, trying new nicknames? I like that one, you should call me that more.” Her cheeks pinked, and Jenna and her friend seemed to take the hint to turn further toward each other and talk.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

They continued mingling. He introduced her to as many of the partygoers whose names he knew, and some he didn’t, his arm never leaving her waist. She was nursing her third drink by the time Devin’s antics started.

The minute all the rookies came out of the house naked (but for a tiny, incorrectly-sized loincloth) and shivering, Colton knew it was about time to go. They each had one green and one yellow pompom, shaking them awkwardly.

“Alright, now for the pyramid. Sanders, you’re on top. Don’t look at me like that, you lost at straws.”

Lucia’s hand came up to cover her mouth as she giggled. Colton joined the rest of the people at the party as they cheered and whooped for the oversized men pretending to be cheerleaders.

Only a moment after they got into formation, the pyramid began to sway, and nine NFL players fell into the Olympic-sized swimming pool, splashing everyone within thirty feet. Devin clapped gleefully and jumped in after them.

“Alright, this is about the time I typically leave. Let me check on Coop…” Cooper somehow had three women wrapped around him—one of whom had stolen his cowboy hat—and the biggest smile on his face. “Yeah, I think we’re probably good to go.”

Lucia looked in Cooper’s direction, her laugh melodic.

“Okay, let me say bye to Jenna and Leigh.”

He reluctantly let her go, making his rounds quickly before meeting her at the door. She swayed as she stepped onto the front porch, and Colton reached out a hand to steady her.

“Alright, Moretti. That’s it, we’re gonna walk this way. Remind me to tell you tomorrow morning that you plus alcohol plus your highest heels are not a good combination.”

“Hey! I’m great in heels. And, I wore them for you.”

That lump in his throat hadn’t been there a few seconds before. He tried clearing it, to no avail. “What do you mean?”

“You know, in case you annoyed me. They double as a very solid weapon in dire situations.”

He guided her toward his car, shielding her from the flashes of cameras around them. “You won’t find yourself in any dire situations when I’m around.”

“I don’t know about that,” she said breathily, falling into his passenger seat the moment he opened the door. He stopped at the insinuation, taking a step back in shock. Had he been giving off strange vibes? Was it clear how attracted to her he’d been all night? He’d tried to be on his best behavior, his hand never going lower than the small of her back.

“I would—I’d never do anything to you that you didn’t want, Lucia. Tell me you know that.”

Her head swiveled to his, her eyes wide. “I didn’t mean it like that, Superstar.”

“How did you mean it?”

She blew out a breath, crossing her arms across her chest. “You make me feel jittery. And warm. And I don’t like it. It’s very disconcerting, especially because I’m just here to do a job. My dream job.”

That wasn’t so bad. He would take jittery and warm. “I’m your dream job?”

She rolled her eyes, tucking her legs into the car. He closed the door and walked around the car, sliding inside and starting the engine.

“There’s that big head of yours again.”

“Yeah, TBI brain. Gets the head all swollen.”

He waited for a witty comeback, but when he turned to look at her, she was watching him.

“You okay?” She seemed mostly coherent, using words like disconcerting, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling sick.

“Have you had a lot of concussions?”

He hadn’t been expecting that. “Oh. Two, maybe three.” He felt her eyes remain on him as he drove. He’d already memorized the route to her house, though he’d only been there a couple of times.

She was startled when he pulled to the curb out front, as if she hadn’t realized how close they were. He helped her out of the car and up to her front door, once again trying to shield her from the person who had seemingly followed them from Devin’s house, camera flashing. He thought she’d search for her keys, but she turned to him instead.

They stared silently at each other for a moment, neither sure what the next move was. Logically, he knew she should go inside, and he should walk back to his car and go home. But she was glowing from the small porch light she’d left on, and she was breathtaking, and he couldn’t stop staring.

He watched her hand warily as it came to rest on his chest. She moved forward slowly, leaning in just enough to place a soft brush of her lips on his cheek. She didn’t pull back, and he wrapped his arms around her, tight, breathing in the smell of her shampoo. He liked it when she wore her hair down.

She rested her head on his chest, their breathing synchronizing. “Mm. This is good. Very good for the cameras. Tessa will love this,” she whispered.

“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t like it too.”

She fisted his button-down with the hand that was on his chest. “That’s not your business.” The right side of his mouth lifted slightly, involuntarily.

After a few minutes, when he thought she might be falling asleep right there on her porch, he pulled away gently. “Where are your keys?”

“Purse.”

He kept one arm around her as he pulled her keys out. “Are you going to be able to change and get ready for bed okay?”

“If you’re insinuating that I should let you in to help me undress, think again, my friend. We may be fake dating, but none of that nonsense.”

He slid the key into the doorknob and opened the door slowly. “You’re right, you’re very coherent despite all the stumbling.” She walked into her house, pulled the keys from the doorknob, and stared back at him smugly from inside.

“Goodnight.”

“Lock the door, please.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

He waited until he heard the lock click into place before he walked back to his car.