Scored(6)

“Mind if we stop at Cabo Grill for dinner?” I already know the answer. He’s as perpetually hungry as I am, probably more so.

“I’m buying.”

“That’s why you’re my favorite second-string quarterback for the Renegades.” I unlock my truck, and we climb inside.

“That’s mighty specific, but I’ll take it.”

As soon as I pull out of the parking lot, I crank up the radio, but Sam leans forward and turns down the volume. “Are you really going to date some unsuspecting woman to force Aiden to work with me?”

Swear to—this kid is like my conscious or something. “Yeah, but I will be completely up front about it.”

“I don’t think that will help much.”

I shrug. “The truth hurts, but it also sets you free.”

“I guess, but you really need to be careful with a woman’s heart.”

I slice my gaze to him. “Listening to John Mayer again?”

“Guilty as charged.” Sam doesn’t sound guilty at all. Dude loves him some Mayer. “Do you have someone in mind? If not, I can set you up with one of the ladies in my Bible study,” he adds in a rush.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” That’s all I need, a southern belle in the Bible Belt who’ll want me to stop cursing, drinking, and manwhoring—although, I’ll concede that the manwhoring has been over and done with for a couple of years now. Yet, Paige had an unmistakable southern drawl. My Michigan ears picked it right up and enjoyed the hell out of it. “I do actually have someone in mind. Met her earlier today, in fact.”

“Really?”

I nod, thinking of the way Paige looked at me. First with annoyance when she caught me staring at her tits, then later with warmth when she realized I wasn’t a douche. The fact she didn’t recognize me was… nice. Weird, but nice. Rarely do I meet women around here who don’t know who I am, even out of uniform, thanks to an underwear ad campaign for Ralph Lauren that went viral.

“She’s a librarian at the Franklin-Hayes House in Wake Forest. I stopped by there to check out their event facility for Night to Play.”

Night to Play is a fundraiser I put on three times a year to support the foundation I started my fifth year in the NFL to benefit kids with special needs that require therapy, surgery, and treatments.

While I publicly made a name for myself to keep the team in the news and the endorsements coming by earning the reputation as an up-for-anything type of guy, I privately supported the charities that had helped our family when my brother was suffering through chemo treatments in order to kill the leukemia that was killing him… and we had exactly shit to pay for the medical care he needed.

“Light hair or dark?” Sam asks, making me wonder where in the hell he’s going with this.

“Kinda in-between. Like the color of honey you can buy at the farmer’s market.”

“Nice smile and blue eyes?”

“Yes and yes.” Annoyed, I glance over at him again. “You know her or something?”

Chuckling, he shakes his head, but it’s clear he does know Paige. “Obviously, you don’t know who she is.”

“She had no clue who I was either, until her coworker spoiled it,” I grumble. “Cockblocked me, too… but seriously, do you know Paige?”

“Let’s put it this way… every time we see Finley Owens, we’re only separated from Paige by one degree.”

“They’re roommates?”

“No, try again. Think related.”

“Sisters?”

“Ding. Ding. Ding.”

Running a hand through my damp hair, I groan. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Guess you’ll have to find a different nice girl to date,” Sam says, a smile in his voice. “Finley won’t go for you chasing after Paige. She’s got a firm rule in place about dating anyone who works at the firm.”

“Paige doesn’t work there.”

“That you know about.”

“True. Guess I’ll have to find out myself.” I never could resist a challenge or forbidden fruit… and to date my PR manager’s sister is pretty damn forbidden. Finley will have my nuts if anyone tells her. I picture Paige as she walks away from me, hips swaying in her tight black skirt. Worth it. “I plan on asking Paige out as soon as I see her again.”

“Your funeral.”

“Is that a threat or a warning?” Could the baby-faced, aw shucks guy beside me already have his sights set on Paige?

He laughs again, irritating me and making me wish I hadn’t given him a ride home. “No. It’s a fact.”





CHAPTER 3




Paige


Layton waves to me from an outdoor table for two, situated outside our favorite bistro. It’s close enough to the library that we can walk and work off the calories from their signature dish, homemade bacon mac and cheese. Since Layton is working from nine to two, I’m working from two to six, and Layton has dinner with her fiancé’s parents this evening, this will be the only time we get to talk.

“Already ordered,” she says, giving me a sunny smile. “And I asked for extra bacon, only for you.”

I playfully narrow my eyes at her as I sit. “Brownie points achieved, but I’m still slightly aggravated with you over the handcuff incident.”