Brad runs his hand through my hair. I lean my head back and smile. Thankfully, no one is focused on us. He winks at me. Damn. This man is so sweet and good. And hot and sexy. How did I ever exist without him? Not happily.
In the fourth quarter, the game gets exciting, and I can’t help but get swept up in the moment.
“Yes!” The Saints score with only three minutes to go. You’d think the game would be over soon, but I’ve been waiting for football games to end all my life. Three minutes could take hours.
After the other team gets the ball, it’s back and forth. Make five yards. Lose ten. And then the ref blows the whistle and stops the clock when the guy is clearly still in bounds.
“Get your eyes checked, Ref,” I yell at the television.
Everyone stares at me, but Brad stares the hardest, and for a heart-stopping second, I think he’s going to kiss me. Instead, he clears his throat and turns away.
It’s an upset. The New Orleans Saints win. Mom and Dad groan while Brad and Harper cheer. I jump up and hug Harper first and then Brad. The relief of having his arms around me after being unable to touch him for the last five hours is instant.I squeeze him so hard that he’s probably still struggling to breathe.
As I clean away empty plates, Brad asks to talk to me. “In the study.”
“Sure.” I throw the plates away, and when I get to the study, he closes the door, pushes me against it, and kisses me hard. I get with the program pretty quickly, and soon, we’re both breathless and hard.
“You are so getting laid tonight,” he says with a final kiss before strolling out the door.
I soak up all the feelings. And it’s probably a good thing I do because Brad’s statement proves to be wrong.
How could a night that started so well end so horribly?
14
BRAD
I’m notsure what happened. One minute, I’m returning from making out with Charlie in the study, and the next, Chuck is pulling me into the kitchen and glaring at me.
“We had a deal.”
“What are you talking about? My team won. You owe me.” But I’m thinking about Charlie and how soon I can get him home without being noticed.
“Not about the game.” He thrusts a finger toward the door. “About Charlie!”
“What?” I give him my full attention. His face is the same color as Kansas City’s coach when they missed the field goal. Chuck isn’t irritated. He’s pissed. Oh shit.
“You agreed to keep Charlie safe.” He punctuates his words with a jab to my chest.
I pull myself up, not sure where this is going. “Charlie can take care of him?—”
“That guy hurt him, Brad.” His voice shakes with emotion. “He had to go to the ER.”
I try to hide my relief at his words. This isn’t about Charlie and me. “It wasn’t a big deal. He’s fine.”
“Mike asked me if Charlie was okay. I didn’t know what he was talking about. He said they were there. Pete attacked Charlie.”
“Raja insisted he get checked out. It was routine.” I’m downplaying it a little. But I need Chuck to calm down.
Maybe I should have told Brad and Minni about the incident, but it just happened yesterday. And it should be Charlie’s decision to tell them, not mine. “He handled it, Chuck. Seriously, you should have seen the way Charlie took that guy down.”
His face crumples. “I saw the bruises on his arms. Mike said they had to do X-rays.”
“Nothing is broken. His ribs are bruised, but he’s fine.”
He glares at me, his nostrils flaring. “You were supposed to keep him safe.”
The door slams open, and Minni stares at us with her hands on her hips. “What’s going on in here? Why are you shouting?”
