Chapter 4
Nolan
“Come on, Nolan,” Tanner whines. “We already followed your schedule and worked out.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You can’t go visit your friend now anyway.”
He glares. “What friend?”
I snort. As if I don’t know he’s been chasing after the cute bartender at the Bootlegger bar. The whole town knows. Tanner does love to entertain his fans.
Brock shoulders him as he passes. “Are you afraid of getting your ass kicked?”
Tanner rushes after him. “You can’t kick my ass, Mr. Grumpy.”
I grunt. All I want to do is throw the ball around a bit. I rub my shoulder. It’s stiff and sore. I need to throw some passes to warm it up a bit.
And maybe playing around on the beach is a great excuse to find Terri. My cock immediately twitches. It wants another chance to bury itself in Terri’s heat.
But she ran faster than Gage sprinting for the end zone after we finished our tryst in the closet. And every time I’ve seen her since, she’s ignored me. One time she ducked behind the reception desk and didn’t emerge for fifteen minutes. I timed her.
“Let’s go,” Corbin says. “I don’t have all day.”
“You don’t? What are you doing? Did you get kicked out of another apartment?”
“I didn’t get kicked out of any apartment.”
“Oh, sorry. Your landlady didn’t kick you out. She merely said you’re an oversized gorilla who should be kept in a zoo for observation. She didn’t actually kick you out.”
Corbin is quiet and reserved. I’m curious to know why his landlady called him a gorilla. But he’s not telling.
We reach the beach. I stand ankle-deep in the sand and rotate my shoulder before firing a pass toward Tanner.
“That all you got?” he shouts after catching it one-handed. He’s such a show-off.
I ignore the jab and launch another spiral. My shoulder protests immediately – I feel a sharp ache beneath the joint – but I roll it once and keep throwing.
Gage cuts across the sand. “Stop flirting with Tanner and throw to someone attractive.”
Brock snorts. “That eliminates everyone here.”
Corbin catches the next pass against his chest and tosses the ball back. “You’re throwing high.”
“Sand,” I claim.
I rub my shoulder before aiming the ball Brock’s way. But he’s not paying attention, and the ball lands at his feet. Gage snatches the ball and darts off with it. Tanner chases him. They’re evenly matched. Tanner’s a tad faster, but Gage had a head start.
“Touchdown!” Gage yells when he crosses some arbitrary line in the sand.
Tanner scowls. “We’re not keeping score.”
“Because you can’t keep up.”
Tanner’s eyes narrow. “You can’t keep up to me.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Stop bickering and throw me the ball!” I yell.
They ignore me as they often do.
“First one to run to the lifeguard chair and back is the winner,” Tanner says before sprinting away.
“No fair. You didn’t count down!” Gage shouts as he chases Tanner.
Brock sighs before making his way to the ball and throwing it back to me.
“Go long,” I tell him but he isn’t paying any attention to me.
“What’s up with him?” I ask Corbin.
“Jace has surfing lessons.” He points to the water where Brock’s son is laying on a surfboard. Next to him is a petite Asian woman.
“Is he staring at his son or his son’s instructor?”
Corbin shrugs. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
While most of the team members enjoy gossiping as much as a touchdown, Corbin never participates. He listens and knows what’s happening with everyone on the team, but he doesn’t spread gossip.
Tanner and Gage race toward us. Tanner is slightly in the lead, but Gage adds speed until they’re neck and neck. No one’s shit talking now.
They pass us with Tanner slightly ahead.
“I win!” He puffs out before bending over to prop his hands on his thighs.
“Cheater,” Gage says, but he’s too out of breath to sound mad.
“Are you two done fooling around?” I ask. “I want to practice throwing some passes.”
Tanner bounces on his toes. “Put me in, coach.”
Lucky man. He recovers fast. We’ll see how fast he recovers when he’s my age. My shoulder twinges to remind me why I’m out here.
“I’ll run a route,” Gage says and takes off. Tanner chases him.
I throw the ball and watch as they push each other to catch it. Usually, Gage isn’t as much a goofball as Tanner, but he’s competitive and can’t let Tanner beat him.
They throw the ball back, and while I wait for them to return, I scan the beach for signs of Terri. It’s Saturday afternoon. Unless she’s preparing for an event, she should be off. Does she spend her time off at the resort? According to Hudson, the beach at the resort is the best on the island.
As soon as Gage and Tanner are ready, I spiral the ball into the air.
I catch a hint of chestnut hair. A woman wearing a tiny black bikini is lounging on a chaise while chatting with the woman next to her. It’s Terri. Her creamy skin, I know, feels soft as silk is on display.
I growl before marching toward her.
Thwack.
The ball hits me in the chest and I fall to the ground from the force.
“Nolan’s down!” Brock yells.
Brock, Corbin, Tanner, and Gage gather around me. I wave them away. “I’m fine.”
Gage winces. “I’ve gotten balls in my chest before. It hurts like a bitch.”
Tanner cocks an eyebrow. “You’ve had balls in your chest before?”
Gage shoves him away. “What are you? Twelve?”
I ignore them. I’m too busy watching Terri to pay attention to them. She’s standing, chewing on her lower lip as she stares at me.
I wave and she frowns before picking up her things and hurrying away. She’s running from me again.
I want to chase her. I want to ask her why she’s hiding from me. What did I do wrong?
I swear I didn’t pressure her in the closet. I made sure she said yes loud and clear before I buried myself in her wet heat.
Does she regret what we did? I need to find out.
I stand to follow her but Corbin steps in my way.
“I wouldn’t.” He nods toward Tanner and Gage, who are pretending not to watch my every step.
Crap. He’s right. Tanner hasn’t shut up about how the pretty little brunette shut me down since last week. I shouldn’t give him any more ammunition to tease me.
I don’t mind being teased by Tanner. But the wide receiver has a big mouth. He’ll broadcast my love life to the entire world without a second thought.
I don’t know what’s going on with Terri, but I do know I don’t want the world to know about her. Not yet.