Game for Tonight (15 page)

Aubrey felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment.
You’re thinking too much.
Flynn told her that all the time. “Just go with the flow,” she murmured. How she wished it were that easy.

Flynn threw the ball and—of course—Nick caught it, running into the end zone with ease. She and Willow leaped to their feet, cheering and screaming along with the rest of the crowd, Aubrey’s heart threatening to burst with happiness that Flynn had just put numbers on the board.

He was going to be so happy. So proud. And so was she.

“Amazing play!” Willow shouted as she grabbed Aubrey’s hands, the both of them hopping up and down.

“I know.” Aubrey nodded, her gaze snagged on Flynn as he jogged off the field with the rest of the team, yanked off his helmet as one of the field staff members ran toward him, offering him a drink. He took it, drained the plastic cup in one swallow, before handing it back to the kid. His hair was damp and standing on end, his expression determined, the black lines painted below his eyes smudged.

God, he looked hot. If he came striding into their hotel room looking exactly like that later tonight, she’d jump him in five seconds flat.

“You know, Nick said something about you two after dinner last night, and it shocked me. He loves to give Foley a bunch of shit—direct quote—but he really does like him. He thinks you’re good for each other.”

Having Nick and Willow’s approval only made her feel worse. Like she was the biggest liar in all of Liar Land. It also had her thinking crazy thoughts. Like maybe she and Flynn could make this work. What’s the worst that can happen? He’d leave her in the dust and never call her again when he found out she’d been faking it for a promotion while he might get traded?

Or maybe they would fall completely in love, get married, and have tons of little Foleys running around?

The thought literally had her wobbling on her feet.

“I don’t know.” Aubrey pulled out of Willow’s hold so she could turn and face her friend. “We’ll see.”

Yeah. They would definitely see.

Chapter Fourteen

“We’re cutting him loose at the end of the season,” Harvey told Aubrey, his expression grim, his gaze full of concern. And for once, it didn’t feel false. He looked like he was really worried.

For her.

“Wait a minute…
What
?” Aubrey shook her head. They were just outside the locker room. Harvey had caught her lingering around, waiting for Flynn to emerge, and Harvey had told her he wanted to talk to her. Privately. So she’d let him drag her to a quiet spot around the corner from the locker-room entrance, where they wouldn’t be noticed.

“Foley. They’re going to trade him. It’s been confirmed. After those few minutes he just played, he’s going to be a hot commodity.” Harvey rubbed a hand along his jaw. “Don’t tell him, though. They don’t want it to leak.”

Aubrey blinked, her vision going fuzzy. So what did this mean? Had she faked it for nothing? Why had Harvey just told her this? And he expected her to keep it from Flynn. Talk about putting her in a crappy position. “Why did you tell me?” She shoved at him, her hands gripping Harvey’s expensive suit jacket and giving him a solid push. God, why would he lay that bit of devastating news on her now?

Harvey stumbled backward, his eyes full of shock as he brushed at his front, smoothing out the wrinkles she just put in his jacket. “What the hell, Aubrey? This is a twelve-hundred-dollar suit!”

“I don’t give a crap about your suit,” she muttered, shaking her head. It would’ve given her even greater satisfaction if she would’ve punched him, but that might not have gone over so well. Harvey was, after all, her boss. And punching your boss was definitely frowned upon. He’d already threatened her with losing her job if she didn’t follow through with this stupid facade. Now he dumped information on her she absolutely did not want to know and expected her to keep it to herself. It sucked. “I can’t believe you told me that. I didn’t want to know.”

“But I needed you to be prepared,” he said.

“Prepared for what?” She threw her arms up in the air. To keep this momentous secret from a man she’d grown closer to? She needed to be real here. She didn’t want to be… heartbroken. She didn’t want to lose Flynn.

Faced with the reality that she would indeed lose him made her realize she didn’t want to let him go.

“For when he leaves. Look, this is the best possible thing for Foley. Quinn’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Foley’s talent is wasted, sitting on a bench. That’s all he’s done practically his entire time as a Hawk. We trade him at the end of the season, and gain an amazing player or two in the transaction.” Harvey nodded, looking awfully pleased with his explanation.

That was all well and good, but how could she sit on this news for the rest of the season? Fine, it was only a few more weeks, but still. This was momentous. Huge. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me this now, though. Is this some sort of test? Haven’t I been tested enough?”

“What are you talking about?” Harvey’s eyes widened.

“Are you trying to see how well I hold up with such…delicate information?” Aubrey lifted a brow.

“Not at all.” Harvey clamped his lips shut, looking guilty.

He was totally testing her. But why? It wasn’t enough that since she’d started with the Hawks, she’d gone along with every single thing Harvey had ever asked her to do. Including this ridiculous fake-relationship thing, where her face was plastered all over gossip sites and national magazines. She’d been on
SportsCenter
, for the love of God. All for the love of the Hawks.

Of course, she was the one who’d fooled around with Flynn in the first place and put herself in this situation…

“Oh, so you can dump this news on me, but you lie about this being a test? God!” Aubrey spun away from him, hardly able to stand looking at him any longer. She started pacing back and forth, running over in her mind how she could keep this quiet and not tell Flynn.

No matter which way Flynn’s future unfolded, it wouldn’t be easy.

Aubrey stopped pacing and hung her head, closing her eyes. Her heart physically ached at the thought of Flynn leaving the Hawks, leaving San Jose, leaving
her
.

And she’d have to sit there and pretend she had no clue it was going to happen. Because no way would she tell him first. She just…couldn’t do it. Didn’t have it in her. Holding everything back would feel like such a lie, though.

Something she should be used to, considering she was lying to him about everything.

“I hate that you told me this.” She turned on Harvey, glaring at him so hard he took a step back, as if he was afraid of her.

Which he should be. She desperately wanted to hit him. Still.

“I thought it was the right thing to do.”

“Well, it wasn’t. Now I’ll have to act like nothing’s wrong when
everything’s
wrong.” Her cell phone dinged, indicating she had a text message, and she pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket to check who it was from.

Flynn.

Where are you? We’re gonna start loading up soon and head for the airport.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, and she blinked them away as she started to type in her response.

Another message came over as she typed.

I’m dying to see you.

Oh. God. She didn’t think she could take this.

I’m talking to Harvey, she typed. Give us a few.

No prob
was Flynn’s response. Then he added a smiley face.

Kill me now
, she thought.

She shoved her phone back in her pocket. “Are we through here?”

“Yeah.” Harvey hung his head for a moment and let out a heaving sigh before he glanced back up at her. “I shouldn’t have told you.”

“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have,” she agreed.

“I thought it might help you to see what a great position he’s in. Truly. He can’t get anywhere as a Hawk. He’s always in Quinn’s shadow, and he’s wasting his time. He deserves to further his career, and being a Hawk isn’t going to do it,” Harvey explained.

What Harvey said…made sense. But it still hurt that he’d dumped this information on her.

“It’s only for a few weeks,” he continued. “We’re flying home tonight. You’ll be too tired to talk to him when you get off the plane, so go straight home. The next few weeks, you’ll be so busy at work, he won’t get a chance to see you,” Harvey suggested. “And he’s going to be just as busy. Don’t worry about it. You’ll get through this.”

Easy for him to say.

“And you know what else?”

“What?” she asked warily. “You’ve got something else up your sleeve to send me reeling?”

“The promotion is as good as yours. You’ve been a champ at handling this entire situation. The public is convinced you and Foley have a solid relationship. Hell, I think
Foley
is convinced you two have a solid relationship. So, good job.” He went to pat her on the back, but she jerked away from his touch, anger flowing through her veins and boiling her blood.

She should be happy. Thrilled. Instead she felt awful. She was getting a promotion, but she was losing Flynn. And she had “earned” the promotion by deceiving everyone, including Flynn.

Yay?

The facts needed to be faced. What started out as a lie had turned into something more. She was falling in love. With Flynn Foley. It might’ve happened kind of quick, but there was no denying her feelings.

“That’s…wonderful, Harvey,” she said, her voice weak, her thoughts scattered. She couldn’t focus on the promotion, not when Flynn was about to learn about his trade. “Thank you for letting me know.”

Harvey squinted at her. “You okay?”

Nodding, she pasted on a smile. “I’m fabulous, Harvey. Just great. Can we discuss the details regarding the promotion later? I suddenly have a headache.”

“Sure.”

You can do this
, she told herself as she left Harvey without another word and started toward the locker room. Flynn would understand when she told him she had to work. He’d be busy, too. It’s natural that the two of them wouldn’t spend much time together over the next few weeks. Heck, tonight she could beg off seeing Flynn by claiming she was tired, which she was. And he probably was, too.

Easy. Peasy.

Her stomach turned, and she swallowed hard, fighting off the wave of nausea that threatened.

Yeah. She could pretend to fall asleep on the plane. That would avoid conversation for sure. She could totally do this.

Totally.

…

“You okay?” Flynn reached out and tucked a few strands of silky hair behind Aubrey’s ear, brushing his fingers against her neck as he withdrew his hand. They were sitting next to each other in the back of the plane, and she’d been extraquiet since takeoff.

Whereas he was extra–keyed up, his blood still pumping full of adrenaline. That game had been amazing. Life altering. He felt like he could do anything, conquer any team, hold his own with Nick-fucking-Hamilton and Jared-fucking-Quinn.

Who knew a few minutes back on the playing field, during one of the most important games of the season, could change him so much? Reporters had thrust their mics in his face the moment the game had finished. Camera flashes blinding him, all of them shouting his name, wanting to ask him how he felt about the game, what was going on with Quinn’s shoulder, and would he play in next week’s matchup?

Not one question about his sex life, about Aubrey, none of that. It was awesome. He was being recognized for what he could do, not who he was doing.

He was on top of the world. With the respect of his teammates and coaches and Aubrey sitting by his side, he’d never felt so satisfied. He could even forget his earlier worry over Aubrey being a distraction. At least for tonight.

Yet something was bugging Aubrey. She’d been acting differently from the moment he’d first seen her after the game. Very…distant. She’d congratulated him, hugged him, and kissed him and said all the right things, but she’d been off. That normal light that glowed from within her hadn’t been shining in her eyes.

So what the hell was going on? Was she mad that he was getting the attention and it had nothing to do with her?

No way. She wasn’t that type of girl. He knew it deep in his heart that she was happy for him, that she wanted only the best for him.

“I’m just tired,” she finally said, offering him a soft smile. “It’s been a busy weekend.”

“I’ll say.” Leaning in, he gave her a quick kiss. Immediately his body wanted more, but he tamped down the urge. “Take a nap.” He didn’t want her to take a nap, he wanted to talk with her. Plan with her. But if she wasn’t feeling up to it, he couldn’t force her to do anything.

“I’m trying.” She shrugged. “I have a hard time sleeping on planes. I’m too uncomfortable most of the time.”

He lifted up the armrest between them and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. “Lean your head on me,” he suggested, loving how perfectly she fit next to him, her body snug against his. “Relax.”

Aubrey did as he requested, resting her head on his chest and her arm on his thigh, her hand lightly gripping his knee. He stiffened beneath her touch, told himself not to react, but it was difficult.

She looked at him, and his body reacted. She touched him, and his body most definitely reacted. He couldn’t help it. Aubrey aroused him. All the time.

“You smell good,” she murmured as she rubbed his thigh lightly. “I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

Yeah, and with her saying things like that, all he could do was sit there and plot how he might kiss and touch Aubrey without anyone noticing. His entire body went rigid at her softly spoken words, the way she touched him. She made him straight-up crazy.

Look at him, ready to jump her, not caring if anyone was paying attention or not.

A flight attendant went by, and he touched her arm to stop her. “Could you bring us a blanket, please? My girlfriend is trying to sleep.” It gave him a secret thrill to call Aubrey his girlfriend. He liked saying she was his.

He wondered if she felt the same.

The flight attendant flashed him a smile and nodded. “Right away, Mr. Foley. Let me grab a blanket for your girlfriend, and I’ll be right back.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Aubrey protested the second the flight attendant left.

“It’s no problem.” Plus he had ulterior motives. A blanket draped over them meant no one would know what they were doing. It was a different atmosphere on the plane, compared to a few days ago. Everyone was happy, but they were also tired. So that meant less conversation. Nick looked sacked out a few rows ahead of them, and Willow’s head was leaning against Nick’s shoulder in a position mirroring Aubrey’s.

No distractions. No chatting with friends. Perfect.

“Here you go.” The flight attendant returned, smiling as she handed over the dark blue blanket.

“Thanks.” Flynn took it from her and shook it out, laying it over Aubrey and himself. He studied her, watching carefully as she opened her eyes and gave him a little smile that sent a zap of electricity straight to his heart. When she looked at him like that, he felt like he could conquer anything. Including her. “Is that better?” he asked.

“Much.” She tilted her head back as he brought his down, their mouths meeting in a featherlight kiss. Her lips were damp and warm, her taste sweet and minty. He let his lips linger as hers parted, sneaking his tongue in for a quick lick against hers. “Flynn,” she said in protest after they broke apart.

“What?” He told himself to calm his racing heart as he reached out and cupped her cheek, smoothing his thumb across her soft skin. But he couldn’t calm anything. “I want you, Aub.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed, the sound soft. “Not here.”

“Why not?”

Now her eyes went wide. “Flynn Foley, are you wanting us to join the mile-high club?”

It was his turn to laugh. “I’m not about to get it on in a plane bathroom. They’re too small. We wouldn’t fit. I swear I’m too damn broad for those things.”

Her eyes smoldered. “You are awfully broad. One of my favorite things about you.”

“That’s it? That’s your favorite thing about me? My broadness?” He was teasing, and she smiled in return. Ah, she was acting like normal Aubrey right now, which relieved him. He didn’t like how tense she’d seemed earlier. Made him nervous.