CHAPTER THREE
September
“Yes, Mom,” Graham said with a laugh as he got out of his car at the Harriers facility for creative day. “Iknow.”
Angela Pennington cleared her throat. “It’s just that this is a very important year for both of us, Graham.”
“I know,” Graham said as patiently as he could manage, shivering a little as he crossed the parking lot through the cool, damp early morning air. “And I’m glad you called.”
He just wished she hadn’t called quite this early in the morning.
The sky was still dark and with fall creeping closer, the nights had been cooler lately. The thin T-shirt he wore wasn’t quite warm enough. Although by the time he left later today, he’d probably be sweating.
“That consultant I spoke with stressed I can’t have anything showing up in the media that could interfere with my election fordistrict attorney of Allegheny County. You know how political positions get. If there’s even a whiff of something?—”
“You say that like I’veeverdone anything in the past to jeopardize that,” he pointed out with a laugh, waving distractedly at the security guard who let him in the building.
“I know,” she said with a small chuckle. “You’ve always been very mature and responsible. It’s just …”
Graham’s face went a little warm as he remembered the kiss last spring with Thad.
Okay, so maybe making out with dudes fifteen years older than him wasn’t a great look. Not when he was dating someone else. And, unfortunate as it might be, if the press or her opponents got wind of Thad’s history, they would probably try to turn it into something sordid.
But the kiss had only happenedonce, he thought as his mom kept talking, stressing the importance of hard work and following plans leading to success. And it definitely wasn’t going to happen again.
Graham nodded andmm-hmmedas he walked the halls of HCI, half-listening but mostly nodding and waving at people he recognized.
God, it was good to be back.
The skills camps and summer scrimmages were never the same as being back with the team.
“Look, Mom, I’ve gotta let you go,” he said gently as he stepped through the door of the conference room where they were doing the photo shoot, cutting off her pep talk.
This summer, they’d talked a lot about their ambitions.
He’d been worried he hadn’t done enough to drive the team toward the playoffs last season. She’d fretted about the district attorney position she was up for.
The job was important, something she’d worked toward her whole life, and hewantedto support her, but this morning she seemed to be forgetting healsohad a job to do, and he didn’t want to be late for it. “You’ve totally got this. I love you and we can talk about everything another time but it’s creative day and we’ve got promo shots to do and videos to record and …”
His breath caught at the sight of Thad. Unfortunately, he hadn’t gotten anylessattractive over the summer.
Graham had half-hoped he would. He’d spent the off-season focusing on Madison—they were back together again, a fact he suddenly felt weirdly ambivalent about—relaxing with his buddies, and training.
In short, everything in his life that hadnothingto do with Thad.
And yet, as Graham walked into the room, he was hit by the full force of Thad’s charm. His good looks.
At the moment, Thad was talking to Tyson Short—the team’s PR director—about something and he laughed at whatever Tyson said, his eyes creasing at the corners.
He ran a hand through his thick dark hair and Graham’s gaze snagged on his toned forearms and the way the gesture made the hem of his olive-green shirt lift a little, showing off the firm curve of his ass under his jeans.
And Graham could admit, to himself at least, that it wasmorethan detached appreciation for someone’s good looks.
When Graham looked at his teammate Rafael Moon who stood nearby, he saw a man with a big, hard body, dark hair, soft brown eyes, and bright smile. Graham could see why Rafe’s boyfriend Mickey found him so attractive.
But looking at Rafe didn’t make Graham’s gut tighten and his skin heat and his body buzz.
Looking at Rafe was like looking at gorgeous art in a museum. It was objectively beautiful, but that didn’t mean Graham wanted to fuck it.
