Chapter 34
DANNY
Shit. Shit. Shit. What the hell am I going to do?
I stare at Sadie, seeing my panic mirrored in her eyes.
Her face is pale too. Coach Clarkson just caught me in the most compromising position with his daughter, and the only thing I can do is pretend I’m made out of stone.
My cock is still inside her, for fuck’s sake.
I just want a hole to open and swallow Sadie and me.
Not even in my wildest nightmares had I pictured this. He’s going to have my balls.
“Get dressed, you two, and meet me outside,” he says.
The door bangs shut, and only then do I dare to look over my shoulder. He’s gone.
“Bloody hell,” she blurts out, unlatching from me.
I step back, still reeling from being busted. Quickly, Sadie gets dressed, and that spurs me into action as well.
“I’m so dead,” I say.
“ You’re dead?” she shrieks. “What about me? This is so mortifying.”
She shoves her arms through her T-shirt sleeves and then pulls the fabric down with a jerky movement. Then she searches for her shoes. We finish getting dressed at the same time and then face each other.
“We’d better go before he comes back in here and drags us out by our ears.”
“Has he ever done that to you?” I ask.
“No. But I think he’s raving mad enough to do it.”
“Great. Well, then, you’d better fix your shirt. It’s inside out.”
She glances down and curses. “Hell.”
A minute later, we leave the Red Barn together, holding hands. A united front seemed like a good idea, but when Coach Clarkson’s furious gaze lands on our interlaced fingers, I realize it was an error in judgment. But Sadie squeezes my hand tighter, signaling me to stay strong.
“Well, are you going to yell at us now?” she asks.
“Damn straight I will. What were you thinking? I called you to help me find my quarterback, not fuck him in public!”
I wince. “Sir, it was my fault. I wasn’t thinking.”
“No shit, you weren’t thinking.” He puts his hands on his hips and glares at us. “Do you have any idea what would have happened to your reputation if someone else had caught you instead of me? And in the wake of that horrible list, Sadie. Really?”
“Surprise, surprise. Only my reputation would have been smeared, right? Not Danny’s.”
Coach sighs. “You know the world we live in. It took me threatening to cancel football season to get Nick Fowler and everyone else involved with that list punished accordingly. Do you think the dean would have followed through if he found out about your tryst in the woods?”
“That’s not fair,” she replies, but without the usual spunk.
“Like I said, sir, it was my fault,” I cut in. “Please don’t yell at your daughter.”
She pulls her hand from my grasp. “What the hell, Danny! I don’t need you to take the fall for me. I can speak for myself.”
I look at her, feeling way out of my depth now. Shit.
“Sadie, I didn’t mean it like that.”
Her gaze softens, but she won’t take her words back. Instead, she glances at Coach. “We’re both at fault. Blame it on hormones. We knew it was risky, and we went for it anyway. I’m sorry you had to see it, but I’m not sorry we did it. I have no regrets.”
Coach stares at Sadie, motionless, but his eyes are shining with outrage. Damn, I’ve never seen him so incensed in my life.
Finally, he shakes his head. “What’s done is done. I just wish I could bleach my eyes and unsee that.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks. Mortification doesn’t seem to cover what I’m feeling. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look Coach in the eye again.
“Great. Can we go now?” Sadie asks.
“Let’s.” He turns around and heads down the path back to the training field.
Sadie and I give him a head start before we follow him. But now our united front is broken. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest, and she’s pouting.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“For what?”
“For acting like a typical guy and forgetting you’re more than capable of defending yourself.”
“You did act a bit Neanderthalic.”
“I know.”
She gives me a side-glance. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I know you had good intentions.”
“When it comes to you, only the best.”
She quirks an eyebrow. “Even when they’re naughty?”
I glance at Coach walking ahead of us with tension in his shoulders. He’s still pissed, but hell, it can’t get any worse. I step closer to Sadie and throw my arm over her shoulders.
“Especially the naughty ones.”
When we approach the training building, Coach turns to us. “I’d like to see you in my office, Danny.”
My stomach bottoms out. I thought yelling in the woods was it. I should have known better. Not only had I skipped practice, but I was caught railing his daughter in an empty building.
Yeah, I’m screwed.
“Yes, Coach.”
I watch him disappear inside the building, then glance at Sadie. She gives me an encouraging smile.
“He won’t be too hard on you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He likes you. I think he’s just embarrassed that he saw us together.”
My face feels warm again. “He’s not more embarrassed than I am.”
She grins. “You know, that’d be a fantastic story to tell our grandkids.”
Despite my predicament, I smile in return, my chest expanding with emotion. I step closer and circle her waist with my arms.
“Grandkids, huh? I like that.”
I lean down and nuzzle her neck. She shivers under my caress, moaning softly.
“You’d better go before he comes back out,” she whispers without conviction.
“Right.” I place a soft kiss below her ear and then step back. “Wish me luck.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t think luck will help you at all. I’ll pray for a miracle.”
“Sadie!”
She laughs, skipping away. “Kidding. Call me later.”
I watch her leave, and only once she steps through the wired fence gate do I go into the building. The locker room is empty, which is strange because practice was supposed to last a few hours in the morning. Guilt makes my insides feel like jelly. I’m queasy, dreading this meeting with Coach.
He left the door to his office open, but I knock on it anyway. He keeps his gaze glued to the computer screen as he waves me in.
“Shut the door,” he says.
I swallow the huge lump in my throat and do as he told me. The click of the door shutting feels too loud and ominous. It’s like I’m heading to the gallows.
I pull up a chair and sit down, keeping my gaze glued to his desk.
“I can’t tell you how disappointed I am, Danny.”
“I know, sir. I am truly sorry you had to see… that.”
“No sorrier than I am.”
I lift my gaze to his. “I want you to know that it wasn’t a casual hookup. I’m in love with your daughter.”
His eyes widen a fraction, but he quickly schools his emotions again.
“I see. This isn’t an ideal situation. My reputation is based on me treating all my players with impartiality. You dating Sadie changes things.”
“It doesn’t have to. I’m still committed to the game, sir. I want to play in the NFL.”
Coach regards me in silence for a couple of beats. “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point out that your father being an NFL legend could open more doors for you.”
His comment catches me completely by surprise.
“You said I had a chance before you knew about my father.”
“And I wasn’t lying. But I’m a big believer on taking responsibility, and if he’s finally willing to shoulder his—”
“No! I don’t want anything to do with that man. I don’t need his handouts. If I make it to the NFL, it will be by my own merit.”
“Fair enough. I won’t mention him again. Now back to the subject of my daughter. I can’t forbid you to date her, but I won’t tolerate PDA of any form in front of me. Is that understood?”
Like I’d want to poke the beast with a short stick.
“Yes, Coach.”
“I also expect no more meltdowns from you. I need to be able to count on my quarterback.”
Shame washes over me, and the urge to avoid his gaze is immense. But I know Coach wouldn’t appreciate cowardness.
“You can, sir. There won’t be a repeat of what happened this morning.”
When he narrows his eyes, I know he’s not only thinking about me bailing after meeting my father. His mind is in the Red Barn again.
Shit.
“Good. You can leave now.”
I jump out of my chair as if I was electrocuted. This has been the most excruciating talk of my life.
When I return to the locker room, I find Andy waiting for me, sitting in front of my locker.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Making sure Coach left you intact.” His eyes drop to my crotch. “I see he didn’t rip your nut sack off.”
I immediately put a protective hand over my junk. “What?”
Andy grins like a fiend. “I can’t believe he caught you with Sadie. Classic, bro.”
“How did you know?”
He quirks an eyebrow. “How do you think?”
“She told you?”
“She didn’t mean to do it. I think she was a bit distraught. Don’t worry, Danny-boy. Your secret is safe with me.”
“It’d better be. No one can know, Andy. I’m serious.”
“I know. My lips are sealed. However, I can’t promise I won’t tease you to no end.”