Page 22 of Offsides

“Yeah,” Cowboy responded, answering the unasked question.

Those were his stats.

Chapter Eight

Theo was wiped out. There was just no other way to put it. Every inch of her ached to sink into a tub filled with the hottest water she could get from the tap and never emerge.

Late nights had never been her thing, even in college. Getting a full night’s rest—at least as much as she could depending on how late a game went—had always been a priority. Especially the night before she had to be on air. But last night she’d let herself get caught up in the atmosphere and the team, enjoying the bits and pieces of info she had gleaned off each player. Any part of her that had been worried that the members of the Rising would be just as media shy as their technical director had gone right out the window when they’d waved her over and welcomed her with open arms. The few hours she’d spent with them had been eye-opening, helping her make mental notes of who to watch and what questions she would want to ask of them later.

Being out that late had also made for an extra early morning to make up for all the show prep she hadn’t done since she was at the bar. Sports Down South went live at ten o’clock—no matter what—and she had to be ready to talk not only about the Rising, but all the other teams and sports around the country. She’d pulled it off, but now she was feeling like all the energy had been sucked from her body. A recharge was definitely required.

Theo cranked the faucet on her clawfoot tub as hot as it would allow, heaving out a sigh as it started to fill. It would take a moment, since the tub was massive, so she stripped out of her work clothes, letting them fall into a pile on the floor, and walked into the kitchen to grab a drink. Part of her wondered if she should feel silly or cover up, but there was no one else here. It wasn't like there was a rule against walking around naked in one’s own home, yet it still left her feeling naughty.

I might need to reevaluate things if this is what make me feel naughty…

Grabbing a hard lemonade from the fridge, Theo twisted off the top and turned to head back to the bath, the running water calling her name. The ping of her text alert rang out into the quiet air, stealing her attention. All the muscles in her back tensed at the noise, wondering what on earth work could want now. Everything had been taken care of before she left. She’d made sure of it. Mondays were her day off, and she’d never been able to leave the office with something left unattended. Part of her wanted to ignore the message, but another part of her—the reporter who never wanted to miss a story—couldn't bring herself to not read it. Just to know what it was about.

Cowboy: Whatcha doing?

Theo blinked, the sight of Cowboy’s name on the screen making her do a double take, her pulse leaping into action. Pushing him from her mind last night hadn’t been easy, not after all the things he’d made her feel during that game of darts. It was part of why talking with the players had been so nice—they'd helped distract her from him and the fact that she’d inadvertently let it slip that he was her favorite player.

Maybe he didn’t pick up on that. Oh, who am I kidding…of course the man knows his own stats…

Theo: Just getting home from work

Cowboy: good day?

Theo: Show went well, if that’s what you mean

Cowboy: if that’s what equals a good day in your world, then yes

Cowboy: so, time to relax? You do know how to relax, right?

Theo could hear his Texas twang come through the characters on her screen, the teasing tone they carried pulling at the corner of her mouth. The sparkle in his deep brown eyes that surely accompanied that tone flashed through her mind and almost made her want to giggle. Almost.

He was up to something. She just wished she knew what.

Theo: ha ha

Theo: If you ask me what I’m wearing next, this conversation is over

Cowboy: what are you wearing? ;)

She let out a groan, tossing her head back. She should have known that he would have responded just like that. Looking down at her body, she tried to come up with some pithy response. There was no way she was telling him she was naked.

Theo: Can I help you with something?

Cowboy: I have a point of correction

Come again? A point of correction?

Theo placed her drink and phone on the small side table next to the tub, cutting off the water. Stepping into the tub, she was careful not to let it overflow as she lowered herself down and let the hot water engulf her. She closed her eyes, breathing in deep and letting her body loosen up, the day melting out of her into the water. The heat felt good—almost as good as the heat radiating off Cowboy last night.

Her mind flashed back to last night, Cowboy’s body within inches of hers. For a moment she’d been sure that he could hear her heart beating, threatening to leap from her chest. She’d only ever dreamed of being that close to him, to inhaling his scent like that. It was like being nineteen again, all those giddy feelings rushing through her, wondering what his next move was going to be. The more he leaned into her, the more she wanted him to. That would have been wrong, but in the moment she didn’t care. The only thing that had been crossing her mind was whether or not his kiss tasted as good as he smelled.

That had been how it had slipped out of her. Statistics had always been what had grounded her—kept her in the real world. Reciting his stats was a go-to coping mechanism. She just maybe shouldn’t have done it in his presence. Or uttered them out loud.

The sound of her phone once again sliced through the tranquil air, making sure she had not forgotten about Cowboy or his “point of correction.” Like she could somehow forget the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.