“Do you want those balls shoved down your throat?” Nick asks.
“Obviously,” I respond, teasing a frustrated sigh out of him.
“Come on, then. The others are already out front.”
Evan turns and heads inside, as I collect up the plates and bottles from where we were sitting. I go to follow him, but Nick stops me with one arm.
“It’s not going to happen, Casey.”
“What…?” I say, halfway between confusion and amusement.
Nick steps closer to me, placing his hands on my shoulders before sliding them slowly down my arms, sending vibrations trembling through my whole body.
“Not with him, not with anyone else. Not in two years, not in a thousand years. From now on, all that it’s going to happen is you and me.”
34
Nick
“O’Connors versus outsiders,” Ryan says.
“Outsiders?” Chris flares up right away. “Did you just call me an outsider, Ryan?”
“It’s just so we can split the teams. Don’t take it personally!”
“Well, try not to take it personally that you’ll be sleeping on the sofa tonight.”
“Finally, this is getting interesting,” Martin comments.
“Who invited you?” Ryan swings round to face him. “Aren’t you scared of ruining your magical doctor’s hands?”
“Can we just get on with it?” Evan asks, losing his patience.
We’re in my parents’ local park. It isn’t really a proper rugby pitch – it’s more something that a few kids probably threw together – but for a family match, it’s more than enough.
“You ready to lose, O’Connor?” Casey challenges me, her hands balled tightly into fists by her side. Her face is reddened by the sun, her hair wild, her eyes wide and alert. I can see the adrenaline coursing through her body.
My God, I really missed this.
“You know, it would be more exciting if we were playing for something,” she continues.
Exciting? Was this not enough? My trousers are basically wrapped around my dick. But sure, Casey – we can make it interesting.
“If we win – which we will – you have to go out with me.”
She studies my expression for a while.
“Somewhere I choose, under my conditions.”
“I’m not getting under you, O’Connor,” she says, suggestively.
“Seriously? We have to play just so you two can have sex?” Ian asks, stamping all over my bravado. “Don’t you have any other ways of getting women into bed with you?”
“What, likeyouhave any, Ian?” Riley challenges him, one eyebrow raised.
“Okay, you guys are making this way less fun than it should be,” Evan gets the final say. “We’re just playing. That’s it. O’Connors versus non-O’Connors.”
“You guys’ve already lost,” Ryan says, pulling his T-shirt over his head. “We’re unbeatable.”
