Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Max
That was a fucking reckless thing to do.
No one outside my family knew about Liz cheating on me.
I looked around the table at the men who were my teammates and, more importantly, my friends.
Not one of them knew about it. I turned back to her, to that face that spoke a thousand words, and cursed myself for being a fool.
Except she’d been outraged on my behalf and I liked how that felt. Dipping my head so that my lips brushed her temple, soft and sweet, I could smell her essence even past the strong aroma of all the food.
“That’s confidential, by the way.” I whispered, wanted to brush my lips on her soft skin, but there were all kinds of eyes potentially watching, including the coach and a photographer or two. No need to stoke the rumor mill any more than they already had.
She nodded vigorously. There was nothing halfway about this woman. She’d thrown herself into sharing secrets and I couldn’t do any less. Why? Hell if I knew. I was on the verge of having a fling with her, not planning to grow old together.
“Coffee, sir?” The server appeared at my elbow and I realized the meal was at an end.
“Max, we’re going for the darts tournament,” Sean said, “You in?”
“All the way,” I said.
“You play darts?” Natalie asked me.
“I own darts. I’m a champion and I have the useless oversize trophies to prove it littering my man cave.”
“Of course. Because what self-respecting macho man wouldn’t?” She arched a brow.
I laughed because I didn’t mind that she called me on the chest-pounding act.
“We’re counting on you to be on our team and beat Quintanna and Wyatt,” Tate said. “They’ve been shooting off their mouths claiming their dominance.”
“This sounds like a tournament I have to see,” Natalie said.
The implication was that we would be together tonight, that I would be the object of her seduction scheme once again.
There would be no putting off a decision indefinitely.
It looked like tonight would be the night to go for the fling, or to go for no one at all.
Because it was too late to find another willing woman.
Not timewise, because that could happen in the space of an hour—likely shorter.
But too late because there was no way I’d hurt or humiliate Natalie that way, by turning her down and going with someone else. That would be pure mean.
It’s not something I would do to her. No one deserved that, and especially not this woman who was so beautiful inside and out.
As the chairs at the table scraped back and people stood to leave, I turned to her.
“I’m going back to my room for a bit. I need to make a couple of calls.
I’ll catch up with you later.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek.
She surprised me with the sexiest blush of pink heat I’d seen in years, if ever.
I doubted the blush was because she was shy and had every reason to think it was because she was turned on.
That gave me a titillating possibility to dwell on while I considered my options.
I excused myself and Natalie went with Kristen to find Cat, talking about doing some shopping.
When I got to my room I took off my jacket and unbuttoned my shirt.
Turning the television on, I muted it and slipped out my phone.
Heaving a sigh, I tapped in Liz’s number.
A talk with my twins would do me good, clear my head, give me a reality check.
They were what mattered to me most, football and the team second.
Everything else after that in a scattershot of things big and small spread around my life. Family, friends, charities, darts.
And Natalie.
The phone rang only once and she answered.
“Hi, Max. How’s the wedding of the century? That’s how the media is billing it in Boston, which goes to show you what a ridiculously sports-minded town it is.”
“It’s been fun so far. How are the girls? Can I talk to them?”
“Sorry, they’re out getting ice cream with my mother. Sounds quiet there.”
“I’m in my room.”
“Why are you alone in your room, Max?”
The fact that she assumed I was alone irritated me. “Don’t worry about me, Liz.”
“But I do. You need to find someone.”
“I will.” I wasn’t about to mention Natalie to my ex-wife.
“Don’t just give me lip service. I want to hear all about a wild fling when you get back.”
In a way it was tempting to tell Liz how I was seriously considering a fling with a wild sweet young woman, the va-voom redhead with the big heart. But it wasn’t my style.
I snorted into the phone. “You know I’m not a kiss-and-tell kind of guy.”
“Sure, but I’m your ex-wife. You can tell me anything. That’s the beauty of being divorced.”
I laughed. She was in a good mood. It was good to hear. I owed the guy, what’s-his-name, for making her happy.
“Not happening, Liz. My personal life is personal.”
“Fine. Just stay away from the young ones—they’re trouble.” She laughed at herself and I frowned.
Stay away from the young ones. It was probably good advice. But what was young? Natalie was young in so many ways in spite of her obvious experience and poise with men. I couldn’t help thinking it would be a mistake to start something with her I couldn’t finish.
I could tell myself all day that the issue was the age gap, the logistics, and every other roadblock there was, but there was no getting around the steel wall of reality, the one irrevocable reason it would and could go nowhere between us.
It didn’t take a brain surgeon to see that Red loved kids and that she’d want a brood of her own. Not me. No more kids for me. And that fact would make me the most ineligible man on the planet for her.
Except all I wanted was a fling, right? What the fuck did it matter about the future and kids?
Liz cleared her throat.
“Max, you okay? Have some fun. Find some lovely thirty-something woman and have that fling.”
How the hell had Liz gotten in my head?
That was easy—she’d known me since we were in braces and still learning about the birds and bees and we’d never known the difference between making love and fucking because we’d always been making love.
Grew up together and . . . she grew into a woman finally when I’d married a girl.
But then what the hell did I know, I’d been young and didn’t have much more experience myself.
But I did have football. I had a life and a plan and I knew who I was and what I’d wanted.
I’d taken her along for the ride and she came willingly.
Up to a point. The truth was, I hadn’t been surprised when it all fell apart, when she finally decided to grow up and be her own woman.
I’d been more offended than surprised that she’d found another guy.
Now she was, unbelievably, a good friend.
One of my oldest friends and still someone who cared about me.
“Good idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”
She laughed. “Don’t be a wise guy. I mean it.”
“I know. I will. I mean it.” There was a pause in the conversation and I thought she might take it all back, like she had a moment of regret, but she sucked it up and got past it.
“I’m glad. Talk to you later.” She hung up with the knot of emotion evident in her voice, but that didn’t surprise me either.
We’d had a good run and were still negotiating the new terms of our relationship.
One thing was certain underneath all the other turmoil and upheaval: we would be there for each other, always care, always be friends.
This was how I slept at night, why I didn’t worry so much about my girls.
Now all I needed to do was make good on my promise to have a fling.
I stood and watched the grin form on my face as I faced the mirror.
My phone rang and I knew it was Sean Patrick before I answered it.
“What is it, Sean? You need some hand-holding?”
“F—ck you. Where the hell did you go? You’re my partner in darts for the tournament. It’s starting soon.”
“I’ll be down in five. Set me up with a whiskey.”
“Glad you’re done with your afternoon nap, old man.”
I shut the call down and grabbed a Militia Super Bowl T-shirt from my luggage.
It was time I got into the spirit of the weekend fully.
Later, at the rehearsal after-party, I’d jump in with both feet and seduce the panties off Natalie the redheaded angel.
Tonight I would see to it that she screamed my name—multiple times.
The sheets would go up in flames and there would be no way she’d ever forget her night with me.
I’d worship her body, send her to heaven and back, give her more than she’d ever imagined possible, treat her as if tonight were the only night we’d ever have.
I’d have a fling with Red.