Rookie Move (Playing for Keeps #1)(50)

“Nah, just don’t like you. Never have. Keep your mouth shut.”

“Warner! What the hell are you doing?” Coach interrupted.

My eyes fell closed, and I whispered a quiet, “Fuck,” before letting go of Nance. “Nothing.”

“Are you sure? Because it looked to me like you had your hands on one of your teammates. That shit doesn’t fly here.”

But Nance could be a homophobic asshole? “Then he needs to learn to watch his mouth.”

“What did he say?” Coach asked, but I didn’t repeat it. G wouldn’t want his shit out there like that. He was way better at this than me.

Tucker sighed. “He was about to call McRae the F word.”

My gaze snagged on Garrett, who scorched my skin with the anger in his gaze. Yep, I was fucked. I didn’t think the but-I’m-the-captain line was going to help me this time.

“You’re both fined twenty thousand dollars.” Coach looked at Nance. “We’re a team, and I expect you to act like it. Keep your opinions to yourself.” Then to me. “You don’t put your hands on my players. If anyone has a problem with that, come and see me. You’re lucky we’re going into our bye week, or I would have benched both your asses, record be damned.” Coach’s gaze shot toward Garrett, then back to me and Nance.

I shoved away from him, my gut tight, my pulse banging against my skin.

Nance was the first one to barrel his way out of the locker room.

“Christ, Ramsey. He’s a fucking dickhead, but you can’t let him get to you like that.”

I gave Tucker an up-nod before looking over just as Garrett slammed his locker, jerked his bag onto his shoulder, and stormed out. “G, wait up.” I grabbed my duffel and bumped fists with Tucker. “Catcha later, man.”

Garrett was halfway down the hallway when I caught up with him. “Garrett,” I said, but he ignored me and kept going. Neither of us spoke as we went past security, one of the guards opening the door. When we stepped out into the bright sunlight, I tried again. “Garrett.”

“Fuck you, Ramsey. I already told you I don’t need you fighting my battles for me.” He jerked out of my hold, Nikes beating against the pavement of the team parking lot.

“I’m the cap—”

“We both know that’s not what that was. It’s because we’re…whatever the hell we are.”

Shit. He was right, and we both knew it. I followed him to his car. “It was like…ten percent because I’m captain,” I said, hoping to get a smile out of him.

He shook his head, tossed his bag in, said softly, “Just because we’re fucking doesn’t mean you get to do that. I don’t need a knight in shining armor. Every time you come to my defense, all it does is make me look weak in his eyes. And I get it—homophobia is bigger than me. This is your battle too. But when it’s in response to what he says to me, that just makes it seem like I need you to fix it for me.”

Fuck. I could see where he was coming from, but it was hard. I would defend anyone I cared about from shit like that, but I got what Garrett meant. “I’m sorry. I hate bullies. My dad is one.”

His gaze softened. He dropped his head back, looking up at the sky, and let out a deep breath. I stepped closer, wanting to bury my face in his neck…maybe bite it and then kiss it better, wondering what it would be like to bend him over his car and take him right here.

“It really sucks that you’re such a good guy, Rams.”

“Because you can’t stay mad at me?” I fluttered my lashes, but then sobered. “I get you, G. I do. I won’t do it again, but for the record, if the situation were reversed, I think you’d do the same for me. It has nothing to do with thinking the other person is weak and more to do with giving a shit about them.”

Garrett’s lips curled up, and he winked. “Get off my nuts.”

I laughed, stepped closer again, leaned forward, before his eyes went wide and reality shocked through me, making me jerk backward. Holy fuck, I’d almost kissed him in the parking lot of our facility.

“So, um…yeah…you forgive me?”

“No.”

“Still wanna come over tonight and have sex with me?”

Garrett laughed. “Yes. But only because I like your dick, not you.”

It had been three weeks since the first night Garrett slept in my bed, and he’d made it there numerous times since.

“What did you say that night you were drunk all those months ago? I’m the hottest guy you’ve ever seen? Oh, no, it was ridiculously hot. That’s what you said.”

“I’m pretty sure that was you dreaming.”

“Nope.” I nodded toward my SUV. “Hurry up and get your ass to my place. We’ll get cleaned up and go grab some dinner or something.” We’d never been on a date, not that I was saying that’s what this was, but after practice today, we had a whole fucking week to ourselves—no game, no practice, nothing. I hoped he’d spend a lot of it with me.

“You’re getting awfully bossy.”

“Hurry and get your ass to my place, please?”

“That’s better.”

I walked away with a smile on my face, though I always wore one when I was around Garrett McRae.