Lexington and 42nd (The Off Field Series #1) (30 page)

All three brothers groaned at the visual their sister painted and Kate laughed, winking at me. “I got pretty good at dishing dirt growing up with these three.”

I laughed. “Trust me, I fully understand. I grew up with five boys.”

Mike jumped up. “Yes!” He rounded the table to place two giant hands on my shoulders. “And that’s exactly why you’re going to be our sixth.”

I looked up at him in confusion. “Your what?”

“Our sixth.”

Still nothing.

Mike rolled his eyes. “Jesus, Will, have you taught her nothing?”

Will laughed. “Trust me, I’ve been trying. She has a lot to learn.”

“Would someone please fill me in?”

Will leaned toward me, grinning. “Today’s the day you play your first game of football.”

Yeah, as if.

“Um, no. Today’s the day you all teach me about Independence Day traditions and stuff, you know, because it’s the
Fourth of July
. I’m not playing any football today. Or ever for that matter.” I narrowed my eyes, daring him to challenge me.

“Actually, a post-lunch game is our Fourth of July tradition, so I guess you’re shit outta luck.”

Mike slid my chair back, pulling me to my feet. “Come on, we need you, Em. You can blame Ben—he knocked up Kate and left the teams with odd numbers.”

Ben and all four Jensen men towered over me as they stood, and suddenly meeting them in my bikini last night didn’t seem so horrific compared to this.

I looked to Kate for help, but all I got was a sympathetic shrug. “Sometimes it’s easier to just go with it where this lot is concerned.”

Ben put an arm around my shoulder as we all walked onto the lawn. “It could be worse. How do you think I felt at my first Jensen family function? At least they know you’ll suck…I was expected to be good, like the rest of this freakishly talented family.”

I laughed, nodding in agreement. “As long as you’re aware how epically I’m going to suck at this.”

“Listen up.” Mike stopped in the middle of the lawn. “We’ll go me, Steve and Emma against you three.” He nodded to Will, Ben and his dad.

“How’d you figure that?” Will asked.

Mike shrugged. “Well you got me and Stevie leading the team over here, and Ben and Dad picking up the pieces of your shitty game.”

“You’re such a dick,” Will said, punching Mike in the shoulder.

“Suck it up brother, first to sixteen. We start.”

Mike’s arm went around my shoulder, leading us to what I assumed was our end of the field.

“Man, what the fuck? You didn’t want to try for Dad…or even Ben?” Steve glanced down at me. “No offence Em.”

“None taken, I was wondering the same thing myself.”

Mike grinned. “She might not know how to play, but she’s one hell of a diversion tactic for baby brother. He hasn’t taken his eyes off her all day. We get him off our case and the game’s won.”

Steve considered this before patting Mike on the back. “Man, that might actually be the best game plan you’ve ever had.”

Mike’s eyes zeroed in on me, his face becoming serious as he started on the first play. “Okay Em, its real simple. All you gotta do is throw the ball to me, then just chase young Will to your heart’s content.”

I gaped at him. “You mean, the one where I bend over and throw between my legs?”

“Yep, snap on three, easy as that.”

I groaned. “Haven’t I embarrassed myself enough with the whole bikini meet-and-greet last night?”

“Actually, I hadn’t even thought of that. You should put your swimsuit back on. Foolproof plan.” Mike and Steve nodded in unison, like the suggestion was even a remote possibility.

“I think I’ll pass, but thanks.” I straightened, ready to get this torture over and done with.

Will sent the ball sailing towards us as they approached from the other end, watching me with a glint of excitement in his eyes. He looked so childlike in his happiness that for a second I thought the oncoming pain and embarrassment might be worth it.

“Ohhff.” Steve pushed the ball against my stomach with a little too much force.

Nope, on second thoughts, definitely not worth it.

“You ready, kid?” Mike patted my shoulder.

“No.”

“Course you are.” He leaned in, keeping his eyes on Will. “Remember, I’ll be
right
behind you.”

Will grumbled from a few feet away. “You might be my brother, but I’ll flatten you if you say that again, dick.”

Mike smiled at me. “See? You’ve earned your spot already. Now get down low.”

I bent over, ass in the air, holding my dress to the side in one hand and resting the ball on the ground with the other, feeling every bit the idiot I knew I looked. Will was right in front of me, at eye level, his gaze alternating between my eyes and my boobs. Maybe I really could add something of value.

“You have no idea the fantasies running through my head right now, Bambi.” His eyes flared as he licked his lips.

“Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea. Pity after this torment it’s never going to happen.”

I winked, enjoying the way his face fell. Served him right.

I felt Mike right behind me and braced myself for his call.

“Hut, hut, hut!”

I flicked the ball up through my legs, relief washing over me as it left my hands, wobbling through the air before landing safely in Mike’s. Knowing Will would be ten times faster than me, I wasted no time scrambling the two steps toward him and leaping, wrapping his body with my limbs.

My head was tucked into his chest, and it took me a second to realize he’d stopped, stock still.

“
What
are you doing?” Will looked down at me like I was no bigger than a piece of lint hanging off him.

I shrugged and tried for cute. “I wanted a hug?” I slid down his body just as whooping came from the other end of the lawn.

“You letting my brothers engage you in dirty tactics?”

“Why no, Will. My tactics are always aboveboard.” I covered my mouth in mock horror at his suggestion.

He frowned, poking a finger at me. “Just like your little t-shirt trick in my kitchen.” He shook his head. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here.”

I laughed, loving how serious he’d turned now that the competition had begun.

The game went on and it became apparent that my initial winning play was pretty much all I had to offer once Will wised up to our strategy. Before long I was simply an ornamental feature of the game, used for the occasional
snap
, as they called it, but otherwise stood with wide-eyed fear as a bunch of giants barrelled their way around me.

Relief flooded through me when Gretel put a halt to the game, calling everyone back in for desert.

Kate grinned at me as we sat down again. “You survived, I’m impressed.”

I nodded. “Just…although it wasn’t pretty.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, next year I’ll be back, and you can just enjoy the spectacle from up here.”

The presumptuousness of her words hit us both at the same time. The possibility that I’d still be with Will this time next year was ludicrous. I felt Will’s head swivel in our direction and knew he’d heard it too.

I took a sip of water, trying to keep my voice light. “I’ll actually be back home this time next year, but I want to see some photos.”

“Oh really? I didn’t realize,” Kate frowned.

“Yeah, I’m on a twelve-month exchange. I’ll be heading home next April.”

Will looked over at me. “But you don’t have to go back, do you?” He shifted in his seat. “You know, if you don’t want to, that is.”

I shook my head, finding it hard to look at him. “I don’t really have a choice. I mean, if both clubs are happy with the first year trial, then I’ll go home in April and someone else will come over in May.” I swallowed, finally meeting his eyes. “And Sarah will come back so someone else from Mark’s team can go to Sydney, of course.”

“Oh.” Will looked back down at his dessert. “Of course.”

#

An hour later everyone had dispersed throughout the house to recover from their food comas. Will lazily ran a finger across the back of my neck. “You wanna go down to the beach?”

I looked over at him, squinting in the sun. “Won’t it be full of people?”

“Nah, it’s not a popular spot.” He leaned in to nuzzle my neck, and I could feel his smile on my skin. “But don’t worry. I know the drill…hands off if anyone’s around.”

We walked the short path down to the sand, relieved to find it practically deserted save for a few people farther down the stretch of beach.

“Lucky me.” Will grinned, wrapping an arm around my waist.

We stood in comfortable silence with our toes in the water for a while, neither of us in a hurry to get in.

“You and your dad get along well,” I said, watching as he threw a stone into the sea.

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know…you just never seem to run out of conversation. I’m surprised how much you know about his job.”

Will shrugged. “I find what he does interesting. Always have.”

“Yeah but you pretty much speak that whole finance language that makes no sense to most people.”

“I studied economics in college.” He launched another stone into the air before looking at me. “Plus I kind of have a bit of money to invest so…” his words trailed off with a shy smile, almost like he was embarrassed about the fact.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Know what?”

I smile in his direction. “I’m sort of aware you’re loaded, but I didn’t realize you studied economics.”

He frowned, considering his next words. “I forget you don’t know everything about me. It’s like I’m not the same person to you as I am to everyone else.”

Was that what drew him to me? The novelty of finding someone who didn’t see him as the famous athlete he was? The thought had crossed my mind before and as much as I hated to admit it, it made sense. The uneasy pit in my stomach crept up to the surface again. I might have been good at ignoring the reality of our situation but the thing with novelties was, they tend to wear off eventually.

“My dad and I always said if football didn’t work out, then I’d join his business, take over when he was ready to retire.” He knelt down to pick up more stones. “But I guess you can’t have it both ways.”

“What do you mean? You don’t think you can go into the stock market when you retire?”

“It’d be nice, but the club wants me to join the coaching staff, keep me involved in the team.”

“So?”

Will looked down at where he was digging his toes into the sand. “So I guess I feel like I owe it to them.” He looked back up and met my eyes. “They’ve done so much for me.”

My eyes bulged. “What about what you’ve done for them? You’re practically the whole club…the Warriors are
nothing
without you. Trust me, I’ve seen the merchandise numbers.”

He smiled at my words. “You trying to give me a big head or something?”

I gave him a playful punch in the arm. “I’m being serious. What makes you think you can’t have a different career after football?”

He let out a long breath and looked down at me. “Even if I did turn down the club, by the time I’m retired I’ll be in my late-thirties. I don’t want to take the easy way out and work for my Dad, but who’s going to employ someone my age with no experience?”

“Plenty of people. Don’t underestimate the life skills you’ve learned along the way. Not everyone’s had the experience of holding the weight of New York City’s expectations on their shoulders. That’s got to count for something.”

Will pulled me to him, his eyes searching my face. “You’re pretty spectacular, you know.”

His words overwhelmed me, tugged at feelings that had no place being there. He seemed to sense they were too much for me, and looked down at my chest before saying. “With your perfect boobs and all.”

I laughed, reaching up on my toes for a kiss. Will’s arms slid around my waist, lifting my feet off the ground as his mouth opened and his tongue searched for mine. In no time, the kiss went from sweet to heated and I couldn’t help the moan that escaped me.

His mouth broke away from mine as he dropped his head to my neck, breathing heavily. “Tell me it would be wrong to have sex on a public beach.”

I nodded as my teeth nibbled along his earlobe. “I can see a small child in the distance so yes, it would be very wrong to have sex right now.”

He put me down slowly dropping a final kiss on my forehead. “If that’s the case, I’m hoping the cold water will fix my wood because I can’t go back to the house like this.”

And with that, he dove into the ocean.

#

That night I relented on the
no-sex-with-his-family-in-the-house
rule. It wasn’t even an option not to, really. As soon as the bedroom door shut, the energy changed. It was like we both felt the weight of time running out. Tomorrow we would head back to the city, which meant back to reality.

Will worshipped my body for what felt like hours, and maybe it actually was. He kissed every inch of my skin, and when he was finished, he’d just start all over again.

“I love your neck. I love the way it curves when you’re lost in thought.”

He kissed a path from my earlobe to my collarbone.

“I love your boobs.” He smiled, looking up at me as he took a nipple into his mouth. “But I think you already know that.”

I could only nod, having to work hard to keep my eyes open as my body reacted to his touch.

“I love how your skin ripples when I touch your hip here.”

I gasped as he did just that.

“And I fucking love the sound you’re about to make.”

His head dipped lower to between my legs and as if I was programmed to do so, I released a groan that caught in my throat, the noise both foreign and familiar to my ears as his tongue made contact with my skin.