Kickin' It (Red Card #2)(42)

My hands shook as I stared down at them. “My greatest fear is saying something and having everyone call me a slut just like he did.”

“They may do just that,” he said. “But you have to ask yourself if it’s worth it. Is it worth it—if you save one girl? If you save two?”

“MATT!” Slade’s voice carried across the stadium. I jumped a foot as Matt cursed under his breath and turned to the two approaching forms. I’d forgotten they were going to practice with us later today.

Jagger and Slade, two of the best male soccer athletes in the world. Both infamous playboys, although Jagger was clearly still in that category while Slade was happily married and, according to Matt, trying for baby number one.

They dropped their duffels on the sidelines and peeled off their shirts.

“Apparently they’re skins?” I offered lamely.

Matt put his hand on my shoulder. “Do you want to do this another time?”

“Nope. We’re training, so let’s train. We can talk about this later?”

He nodded.

He also looked disappointed in me, but he didn’t know what it was like to be pushed so far, to be told that everything you had to offer the world had to do with what you could offer one man.

I stood, wiped the dirt from my cheeks, and flashed the guys a smile. “Ready to lose?”

“Ah, I see she hasn’t lost her arrogance.” Slade winked and then shared a knowing look with Matt.

Something passed between them, something that seemed like it was about me, and my chest felt a bit heavy.

Did Slade know about the kiss?

Did Jagger?

As if I had summoned him, Jagger walked by and mussed my hair. “Aw, now you look like you’ve been playing hard. Alright, kiddo, let’s do this.”

“I’m not your kiddo,” I fired back. “Plus Willow, you know her, right? The one who got naked and—”

“Son of a bitch.” Jagger looked up at the sky. “Nothing happened, Matt, I swear.”

“Yet,” Slade coughed.

“I’m uninviting you for Christmas.” Jagger glared at him.

“Fine, you can’t come for Thanksgiving.” Slade grinned.

Jagger’s face fell. “But Mack makes the Hawaiian bread stuffing.”

Slade kicked him the ball. “Exactly.”

Matt was staring off in the distance, and then looked back at me. “Footwork drills, then a bit of two-on-two.”

“Losers take ice baths!” Jagger announced.

I gave him the finger.

“Ah, I love your girl, just love her.” Jagger chuckled to himself, and Matt and I both froze. Slade hid a laugh behind his hand while Jagger looked up and gave a lazy shrug. “What?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly. “We doing this, or are you ladies just gonna talk all day?”

“Oh, we’re doing this.” Slade kicked the ball to me, I stopped it with my cleat. “Now get past me with your best, girl.” He taunted me with a smirk, so I answered with a middle finger and swift fake to his left, then right, and then danced around him a bit before getting by and having to face Jagger.

I went at him hard and ate grass; one minute I was up, the next I was down. I jumped to my feet, wiped dirt on my shorts as sweat streamed down my chin. “Again.”

I could feel Matt’s smile from the sidelines as he blew his shiny new whistle at me.

We repeated drills for the next hour, and then we had to scrimmage, which wasn’t going to be all that exciting since it was two of the league’s best against Matt and me, not that we couldn’t hold our own, but still.

“Ready for this, Cheetah Girl?” Matt kicked the ball to me as I stretched my hands in the air.

“Are you?” I teased.

He licked his lips, his gaze traveling from head to toe before giving me the smolder of all smolders.

All talk of Erik forgotten with one lazy look from Matt.

The guy wasn’t human.

How did he do that to me?

I instantly felt the buzz from his look and then attacked. Fake and side kick ahead as Matt bounced it between both guys and then fired it back to me. It was like we could read each other’s minds.

We had no plan, except to score.

And every single time I needed him to be downfield he was there, every time I needed a block he was there. It was incredible.

Like working with a teammate who knew me inside and out.

Now if only I could wipe the grin from my face as I careened toward Jagger.

He naturally blocked my kick and then gave me a Nice try look.

It didn’t matter, because the journey to that kick had been invigorating. It had breathed life into my soul and made me think that maybe even with all this Erik business, things were going to be okay.





Chapter Twenty-Two MATT

“It’s like they knew we weren’t going to win,” I said as we stared at the two metal troughs filled to the brim with ice and water.

Slade wrapped a sweaty arm around me. “Should we light a candle for this special moment?”

“Chilled wine?” Jagger teased.

“Yes, please,” Parker said sarcastically, chewing her bottom lip as she stared at the water. “It’s going to feel good, it’s going to feel good.”