He snickered and patted me on the shoulder. “Hopefully it won’t take all that.”
I jogged over to where Carson was standing with the rest of the defense and grabbed him by the arm.
“You gotta fucking keep it on, or we’re gonna get a fifteen-yard penalty. That kind of stupid shit can change the outcome of the game. So just do it.”
Carson smirked, then saluted. “Aye, aye, captain.”
The other players laughed as I ground my teeth. I was going to fucking kill him after this game or have a heart attack from the stress.
Luckily for me, he didn’t take it off again until we hit the locker room.
“Carson,” he called, but I stopped him.
Shaking my head, I put my helmet on the shelf above my stall. “We’re not talking about this here.”
Colin grabbed my arm as I tried to walk by. “I’m sorry.”
I jerked it away and turned on him. “Not. Fucking. Here.”
He followed me down the hallway and into an empty meeting room. When he stepped in and closed the door, I slammed him against it and got in his face.
“What in the fuck are you doing? You’ve made me look like a goddamn fool in front of everyone. Again!”
Anger swirled in his eyes as he shoved me back, knocking me off balance. I stumbled back, but Colin reached out to catch my arm.
We stared at one another for a hot second before he spoke. “Shit,” he breathed out, his anger dissipating. “I didn’t mean to push ya so hard. Ya were screaming at me, and I reacted.”
My anger was waning because I wasn’t innocent. I’d gotten in his face and provoked his reaction. It was another one, on a long list of actions, that turned me inside out. That and I wanted to kiss him.
“It’s not just today. Kissing me yesterday, then taking off your helmet today, is unacceptable. We can’t go through the season like this. Something has to give.”
He stared down at the floor where his leg was bouncing.
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
“You understand it’s for your safety, right? It might be uncomfortable and hot, but it's not optional. Do you have any idea how many people suffer brain damage playing this sport? It’s dangerous as fuck if you don’t follow the rules.”
Colin rubbed his fingers across his beard, making me want to touch it.
“I read all that. But like ya said, there’s something wrong with me.”
My brows pinched together. “What do you mean?”
He looked over at me with embarrassment in his eyes. “I haven’t seen ya much this week, and I’d rather ya yell at me than ignore me.”
My anger waned a bit as I took a good look at myself. I was letting my attraction to him control the intensity of my reactions on the field.
Stepping back, I sat down on the edge of the table and pinched my brow. “I’m not ignoring you, and I apologize for yelling. That wasn’t the way to handle it. But this is my career. It’s not just a game.”
I let that hang in the air between us before I continued. “If you’re trying to get my attention, you’re wasting your time. You’ve had it since you got here. And after that night, I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off you.”
Colin’s eyes snapped up. “Really?”
I rolled my eyes and stood up. “You’re not that oblivious. But we’re not talking about this now.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, I walked toward him. “We need to go. If anyone says anything, tell them you were just being stupid.”
His cheeks heated.
