“Maybe you don’t know,” Blair says, reading my face. “They were fun to hang out with during the workday, and we’d occasionally go out for a happy hour, but I was in a different place than most of them. There were a few older people with kids and families, but so many of my coworkers were young and single, and my life never really lined up with theirs. I didn’t have the freedom to meet up at the last minute the way they did. Staying out all night was definitely not an option. I had Reed, and they never made me feel left out or anything—they always invited me along to stuff, even if they knew I wouldn’t be able togo—but that didn’t change the fact that most of the time, I had to decline.”
She draws in a deep breath, pausing as our server returns with the bottle of wine and pours us both a glass. When he leaves again, Blair gives me a wan smile. “I guess I didn’t realize how much I was missing out on until I moved here and started making friends again. Spending time with Adrienne and the team and the WAGS has been so nice.” Her smile curves up into something more genuine. “And you. Spending time with you has been…”
“A dream come true?” I offer teasingly. “Better than anything you could have imagined? The highlight of your life?”
Her melodic laugh rolls over my body, leaving goosebumps in its wake. “You’re so arrogant.”
“Confident,” I correct.
“Sure.”
Reaching across the table, I take her hand and trace circles over her soft skin with my thumb. “I’m glad you two have people in your corner again. You deserve to be loved and supported.”
“It’s all a little surreal,” she admits. “I never expected to move here and end up befriending a bunch of giant hockey players.”
Despite what I initially thought, I now believe her. Blair had no idea who I was when we met that night in LA. It was all a bizarre coincidence. Or fate. If I believed in that kind of thing, which I don’t. But the fact of the matter is that, if we hadn’t met and slept together that night, it’s unlikely she would have ended up friends with a bunch of hockey players.
We interact occasionally with the office staff, but it’s rare. The only people we see often are the social media people. And sure, we would have seen her when she asked us to sign gear, and I probably would have flirted with her, but I never would have slept with her. I don’t sleep with any woman who works forthe Rogues organization, though plenty have tried. Including the woman who had Blair’s position before her.
At least I never did until Blair. But she’s different.
Our food arrives, and I ask Blair more questions about the nonprofit she worked for in LA. She tells me about how she got started there, what she loved about it, and why she ultimately decided it was time to move on.
“I knew Reed wouldn’t have the kinds of opportunities he deserves if we stayed, you know? LA is so expensive. I loved it, but after I paid for my school, five years of living expenses, and all the legal fees it took to get set up as Reed’s guardian, the life insurance payout dwindled pretty quickly. I really only had enough for a few years of expenses and to set up a college fund for Reed. It’s enough to pay for everything outright so he doesn’t have to take out a bunch of loans, which is important to me. And I was never going to make enough working at a nonprofit to keep our house. Not with the second mortgage my parents had taken out.”
I give her fingers a squeeze. I can’t imagine having to worry about the things she’s had to figure out all on her own with little to no help. She’s incredible.
“And I didn’t realize how expensive all of his football stuff was going to be. He really wants to do this football camp this summer, but I don’t know if I can make it work. I’ve been thinking about doing some gig work. Like delivering food or something.”
Oh, hell no.
“He said lots of the boys on his team are going to sign up, and I don’t want him to miss out because of me. There’s time to figure it out, but I don’t know. It’s just… I never really thought I’d be worrying about how to pay for football camps at this point in my life.”
She’s not going to pay for football camps. But I know better than to say that to her right now. Right now, it’s about listening and showing her I can be here for her. If I came right out and told her I’ll pay for all of it, she’d pitch a fit and tell me to fuck off.
So I’m not going to tell her.
Instead, I say, “You’ll figure it out, angel. He’s lucky to have you.”
“I’m lucky to have him. It can be hard, but he’s such a great kid.”
“He is,” I agree. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to hang out with him. I always wanted siblings, so I hope you don’t mind me occasionally stealing Reed and pretending I have a little brother of my own. In fact, I was hoping I could convince the two of you to come to my game on Saturday. You can use my tickets. They’re great seats.”
She giggles, her cheeks flushed not only from happiness, but a bit from the glass of wine she’s been sipping. “We’d love to come to your game. And I don’t mind you pretending at all. He loves spending time with you. I think he idolizes you a little.”
“I’m not worth idolizing.”
“I think maybe you are.” Blair cocks her head to the side, her curls swaying. “I think you’re a much better man than you like to let on.”
I want to be. For her. For them.
Hating the distance between us, I scoot my chair around the circular table until it’s right next to hers. Emboldened by the wine, low light, and the affection making her eyes glow, I reach up to capture Blair’s chin between my fingers as I lean forward. The little inhale she sucks in makes me strain against my dress pants.
“I’m not a good man. A good man wouldn’t be thinking about bending you over this table in front of all these people and fucking you until you screamed my name. A good man wouldn’twant to drop to his knees and crawl under this table to eat you out.” With the hand not holding her face, I inch my fingers across Blair’s leg until they brush the hem of her dress at her inner thigh. “A good man wouldn’t want to tear a hole in these tights and bury his fingers in your pussy to see if you can stay quiet and still while he makes you come in public.”
“Oh my god,” Blair whispers, her eyes rolling back in her head as I trail my fingers higher, barely grazing her core.
This is a dangerous game I’m playing. And if I wasn’t positive at least one or two people were periodically glancing our way after recognizing me, maybe I’d risk playing it. But I won’t put Blair at risk like that.
