Once Upon A Half-Time: A Sports Romance - Sosie Frost Page 0,7

her as a fanny pack…as long as it didn’t ruin my sprint speed down the field. I didn’t know if it was her or the tape that didn’t let me breathe, but at least I’d die a happy man after earning her smile.

“Better get my good side,” I said.

“Believe me…” She raised the camera, snapping a picture of my ass. “I am.”

Naughty girl.

Jack angled his finger and thumb as if framing my misery for his own photo. “I don’t know. This looks a little sloppy to me. We might have to do it again tomorrow. Practice makes perfect.”

Fuck me.

Elle came to my rescue. “No, this is candid. If it gets too neat, it’ll look staged.”

“God forbid,” I said.

She laughed, a fairy-tale twinkle of brightness. “Oh, hush now. You’re getting off easy, rookie.”

“I’d get off real easy with you, Elle.”

The guys didn’t laugh.

Mistake.

The offensive line circled Elle, more protective of her than their damn quarterback. I twisted, watching as she leaned against Caleb and wagged a disapproving finger at me.

Orlando crossed his arms. “Na-uh, rookie. This here is our girl.”

Caleb shook his head. “You’re gonna be real respectful-like to her.”

Point taken. I caught her glance—those big, almond eyes stared with glee. Her eyebrow arched, baiting me to protest.

“There’s no one more respectful to a lady than me,” I said. “If my middle name weren’t Generous, it might have been Chivalry.”

Caleb laughed, though it ended short and punctuated with a scowl. “Don’t mess with Elle.”

“Can I mess around with her?”

Elle giggled, but this time it was Jack suiting up in the shining armor. He motioned for the rest of the Gatorade to dunk over my head.

“You behave, rookie,” he said. “Elle is a nice girl. Too good for the likes of you. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Elle snapped another picture with a wicked grin. “Oh, I don’t know. He doesn’t look so tough. I bet I could take him.”

Again and again, if a benevolent god existed.

“Just give me the chance, Red,” I said.

Jack snickered. “Say the word, Elle, and we’ll take hot-shot here to the freezer.”

She considered it, tapping her chin with a manicured fingernail tipped in the same gold as our team’s colors. “I think he’s good where he is. Hit the showers, boys. I’ll take it from here.”

Orlando patted my head. “You’re in trouble now, rookie. Elle’s the most dangerous part of the team.”

Yeah. I was starting to realize that.

Jack winked. “See ya, tomorrow. Fresh start, Charming. Don’t forget the doughnuts.”

Right. Donuts for the quarterbacks and receivers, bagels for the offensive line, and I was supposed to carry half of the team’s bags to the field before practice.

Busy fucking morning.

Cole leaned close to Elle, his voice low. “Don’t rough him up too much. Piper will get pissed.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Elle raised the camera. “I’ve got a gentle touch.”

Gentle touch, dirty mind, and a mouth that loved to tease.

I’d never had a woman like her before.

And she sure as hell hadn’t had a guy like me.

I subtly tested the tape as she circled the goal posts, surveying the team’s work. I was stuck good. She liked that. I couldn’t move, but I gave her a charming grin.

“Elle, Elle, Elle…” Alone at last. “I knew you’d find me sooner or later.”

“You were easy to track down. There’s only two goal posts to check.”

“But you did check. Did you miss me that much, Red?”

She laughed. “You think I missed you?”

“Oh yeah. After what we did at the combine?” I wagged my eyebrows. “I bet you haven’t stopped thinking about me.”

“I’ve penciled time into my schedule specifically for Lachlan Reed related swooning.”

I hummed. “No need to swoon when you could have called me. After a weekend like that, I’d have run back to your bed. And you know how fast I am.”

“Not that fast.” She slipped closer to me. “If I remember correctly, you weren’t too fast…weren’t too slow. You were just right.”

I was hating the goal post. I shifted my legs. Didn’t help. My cock was about to bore a hole straight through the post.

“You asking for an encore?” I winked.

“Tempting, but…” Elle flicked a loose piece of tape sticking my ear to my head. “You look like you’re in quite the predicament right now.”

“What? This?” I laughed so she wouldn’t see me struggling against the damn tape.

Stuck. Pinned. So fucking close to her and unable to pounce.

“I’ve been in worse,” I lied. “This is just…a way for me to get a little sun after practice.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, see, this is helping me stretch