ENEMIES(62)

The same appreciation? Was he serious? Did he not realize how broken I was?

I swallowed over a knot, my hands suddenly clammy. “The fact that I’m standing upright as a functioning member of society is remarkable. Yeah. You and me, I get it’s not normal, but it’s helping me somehow. The idea of even thinking about someone else like that… I’m just standing. That’s my main focus right now.”

His eyes suddenly cleared, sobering. He stood from the counter, walking over to me. A sensual look moved into his gaze, but there was more. A predatory look, too. And I so felt like his prey, but I stayed. I waited. I watched him come, and I was trembling from head to toe until he was close enough to touch me. As it was, he didn’t, but I felt his body heat. That was affecting me in a whole different way, coursing those same shivers all over me, exploding.

“Good. I like you standing.” His eyes flashed, growing molten. “I like you in other ways, too, but I want you fighting the most. I need you to fight again.”

I swallowed. Noted. He liked me fighting.

Hearing voices coming, Stone stepped back. He was across the kitchen, eating his apple when Colby and Jake entered.

I was in the same room as two—alright, three—professional football players. Jared would piss his pants. Well, no, he wouldn’t. He’d act all cool, I’m sure, but I couldn’t wait to tell him.

OH!

I turned to Stone. “When’s Jared coming in?”

He’d been mid-bite of his apple at my question. “Oh. Uh.” He frowned. “Tomorrow sometime?” He shrugged. “Not planning on meeting up until after the game, though. Why? Georgia said you’d been talking to him. When are you going to talk to him again?”

Colby was listening, looking between Stone and me. His dark eyes sparkling. “Who’s Jared?”

“Yeah.” From Jake, a smirk on his face. “Who’s Jared?”

Stone gestured to me with his apple. “Her stepbrother. He’s flying in for the game tomorrow night. I’m getting them tickets.”

“Yeah?”

Jake leaned against the counter next to Stone, swiping his own apple on the way. “He a big Kings fan?”

Stone grinned, all cocky. “He’s a big Stone Reeves fan.”

Colby laughed.

Jake rolled his eyes. “Enjoy the spotlight now, buddy. You know Good Ol’ Bilson is gonna take it tomorrow night, right? I’ve got the tapes on Bolston and I ain’t letting him get anywhere. All those ESPN clips that rave about you and Colby, they’re going to be saying my name tomorrow night.” He nodded at me. “Your girl’s brother will be my number-one fan. Just see, man.” He winked at me.

“Yeah. Okay. You’re delusional.” Colby puffed up his chest, just as cocky. “Little dude’s gonna eat out of my palm. I’m the quarterback. I head the whole fucking boat.”

Jake snorted. “Right. ’Cause all those pretty runs Reeves takes into the end zone ain’t worth shit.”

“All those pretty runs come from my pretty hands.” Colby’s head was up and smiling. “I can do this all night long, baby.”

“Baby!” Jake hooted. “Who you calling baby? I don’t call anyone baby unless she’s under me, or straddling me, and even then—” He stopped, his eyes darting to me. “Uh. Sorry. I mean…” Then he shrugged, throwing back to Colby, “You want to get the right terms, baby. I’m sweetheart, not baby.”

“Really?!” Colby’s nostrils flared, but he had a shit-eating grin on his face.

Stone pushed off from the counter, coming to stand next to me. “Those two trash talk all the time. This is a snippet of the shit they say in the locker room.”

“All day, every day.” Jake held his arms out wide. He was bouncing on the back of his heels, as if getting warmed up for an actual game.

The oven beeped at that second, and I moved over to pull out the primavera.

“Damn.” From Jake. He leaned over me, breathing in the pasta. “That smells fucking good.”

“Looks fucking amazing.” Colby tapped Stone on the chest. “No wonder you ain’t been social lately. Got this to come home to now.”

Stone stiffened, his jaw clenching, but Colby didn’t notice.

Me, I got light-headed noticing that. I wasn’t sure why, but there it was.

He and Jake Bilson kept going back and forth, and as I finished with the food, Stone helped me. Plates were pulled out. Drinks were poured. He asked what I needed for the food, but I was done. We were ready.

After that, the guys insisted I plate first, and they followed behind.

I stood to the side, not totally sure what to do, but Stone came up next to me and motioned with his head. “Games are starting. You need me to bring your drink?”

I didn’t know if this was a ‘team’ thing, if I was ‘allowed,’ but as the guys headed to the theater room without hesitation, I knew they’d been expecting me to eat with them. Stone noticed my pause and put his plate on the counter. “What’s wrong?”

I shrugged, feeling all sorts of awkward. “Those are your teammates. You said watching the games was part of your job. I just figured…” I didn’t know what I figured.

No. I did.

I figured I didn’t belong.