With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men, #4)(143)

This time, even Asher screamed and jumped with me, sharing my enthusiasm. We danced in a circle and roared with the rest of the ESU fans. Our team was going to play in the national championships for the second year in a row.

“Let’s go see if we can intercept your man.” Asher took my hand and we tried to weave through the crowd together, but there was no way to get out onto the field with Quinn.

So we waited just outside the gates where the team came through. More people gathered, waiting for them as well. When Ten and Quinn came through together, their helmets off, with their sweaty hair sticking to their foreheads while they grinned out their victory, a crowd erupted with cheers.

Some groupie grabbed Quinn by the face and stamped a kiss to his mouth, but he immediately pulled away and scowled at her. I couldn’t even be outraged; I didn’t blame the girl at all for her enthusiasm and wanting a piece of him. And since he instantly wiped the back of his hand over his mouth and glanced around until he spotted me—only me—well...groupies could try to get at him all they wanted. I knew he wasn’t interested in them.

This man was all mine.

His grin grew. He mouthed my name, or maybe he shouted it, and I just couldn’t hear it through all the people. As he tried to make his way to me, the crowd parted for him and suddenly, there he was, his shoulder pads making him larger than ever.

He picked me up off my feet and spun me in a circle before kissing me hard on the mouth. “We won.”

Laughing, I stroked his face and touched his dimple. “I saw.”

“Blondie!” Ten yanked me out of my boyfriend’s arms before engulfing me in a bone-crushing hug. “Did you see that shit? We’re so f*cking awesome.”

He glanced around, looking for more people to hug, maybe. But when all he saw with me was Asher, his face fell. “Where’s everyone else?”

“They all went to the hospital for Noel.”

Quinn nodded and grasped my hand. “Give us a minute to change and we’ll go over with you guys.”

I stepped back to Asher’s side, and Ten and Quinn let their team sweep them along to their locker room.

Half an hour later, the four of us entered Noel’s hospital room, where everyone else was already gathered around Noel’s bed. We lurched to a stop when we found him sobbing against Aspen’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he kept telling her. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, baby?” She smoothed his hair out his face. “You played an amazing game. I’m so proud of you.”

“I lost us the game, a shot at nationals, and no way do I have a chance at going pro now. How the hell am I going to support you guys with no future?”

“You do too have a future,” Aspen scolded. “You’re a smart, amazing, talented man. You’ll be able to do anything outside professional football that you want. And don’t you dare even worry about money. If we have each other, we can always work around that. Besides...” She shrugged. “I was scared about you going pro, anyway. You’d be out of town on so many away games, having all kind of gorgeous woman, nationwide, trying to get into your pants.”

“Are you insane?” he squawked. “I would never cheat on you.”

As he pulled her in for a hug and kissed each one of her closed eyes before kissing her mouth, I cleared my throat. “And you didn’t lose us the game today, either.”

Caroline gasped, “What? We won?” just as Noel and Aspen broke apart in surprise to gape at us.

As Quinn, Ten, Asher and I entered the room, Ten hooked his thumb over his shoulder to point at Quinn. “Mr. Second-String Quarterback here broke free of the line and ran forty-five yards for a touchdown. We’re going to nationals. Again.”

“You’re going to...holy shit,” Noel breathed. A smile broke across his face before he nodded respectfully at Quinn. “Way to go, Hamilton. I knew you could do it.”

“I’m sorry,” an authoritative voice broke in from behind us, making Quinn and me part and turn around to see the man in a suit standing in the doorway. “Is this Noel Gamble’s room?”

“Dr. Frenetti?” Aspen gasped. She moved away from Noel’s bedside to frown curiously at the older gentlemen. “What’re you doing here?”

He frowned in acute displeasure when he met her gaze. “Aspen,” he bit out, even as his gaze shifted to Noel, who was lying pale and sweaty on the bed with his arm wrapped in a cast. “I came to see if it was true. Your collarbone’s broken, then?”

Noel nodded. “Yeah.” His eyes narrowed. “But somehow, I’m not sensing your concern.”

Dr. Frenetti held his hands behind his back. “We had an understanding the last time we talked, Mr. Gamble.”

With a scowl, Noel glanced around the room at everyone gathered inside. His confused frown clearly told us he had no idea what this Dr. Frenetti guy was talking about. He returned his attention to the older man. “And I did what I was supposed to do. I stayed on the team and got us this far.”

Lips flattening in a thin, disappointed line, Dr. Frenetti shook his head. “I only agreed not to expose her,” he paused to send Aspen a significant, distasteful glance, “if you won nationals. This…” He flashed out his hand to motion to Noel’s injury, “…is no better than where we ended last year.”