Chapter 3 #4
McKenna had unwittingly given him the opening he’d been hoping for. No stranger to working in chilly environments, Tank wrapped his arm around her, once more pulling her against him. “I know how to take care of that.”
She didn’t push away, which he was counting as progress.
“Put your arm around my waist, Mouse. I’ll keep you warm.”
She considered his request long enough that he thought she’d dig her heels in and insist on going home. He was relieved and pleased when she did as he asked, wrapping her arm around him under his jacket, stealing as much warmth as she could.
They headed across the cobblestone street, walking toward the Inner Harbor. The lights along the shore sparkled, the clear sky and bright full moon creating a beautiful, if chilly, evening.
“Do you miss Columbus?” Tank learned early on that McKenna had been born and raised in Ohio, but apart from that fact, he knew very little else.
He could tell from her shrug, she was about to give him yet another unsatisfying answer.
“Sometimes,” she replied. “I mean, apart from college, I lived in Columbus my whole life.”
“Your family is still there?”
She nodded.
“Do you go home very often?”
“A bit. I went home for the holidays, and my mom usually makes her way to Baltimore at least one weekend a month to visit.”
Hot damn. She actually offered up a crumb he didn’t have to beg for.
“Just your mom?”
McKenna nodded. That was it. Just a nod.
Tank sighed. “You’re quite the conversationalist, aren’t you?”
McKenna laughed quietly. “Fine, Nosy Nelly. I was raised by my mom, who’s also my best friend. She was upset when I decided to move away, but she understood this job was a great opportunity for me.”
“No dad in the picture?” he asked, slightly confused, because he recalled her mentioning that her father called her Kenny.
“I was an oopsie baby, the result of a summer romance.”
Tank grinned. “I’m suddenly hearing ‘Summer Nights’ from Grease in my head.”
McKenna giggled. “That probably would be an appropriate theme song for my parents. When summer ended, my dad had to move for his job, and he broke things off with Mom. She’s never really said, but I think she was hurt when he decided he didn’t want to keep seeing her.
At that point, neither of them realized she was pregnant.
When Mom found out, she was still pissed at my dad for ending things, so she decided she was going to do it on her own.
She blamed pregnancy hormones and sheer stubbornness for not telling him about me right away.
“I was six months old when she stopped being mad and hurt, and guilt kicked in. She called to tell my dad he had a daughter. Apparently, he flew to Columbus the next day. They talked, and my father said he’d help her financially, but that he wasn’t in a position to be part of my everyday life.
His job was one that kept him traveling a lot.
So, Mom did what she’d planned all along and raised me alone. ”
“Strong woman.”
McKenna smiled. “One of the strongest.”
“Did your dad keep his promise about the money?”
She nodded. “He did. He sent Mom child support faithfully every month, and he never missed a birthday or Christmas—always sending a ton of ‘overcompensating’ gifts.” She finger-quoted the word “overcompensating.”
“Good for him, I guess,” Tank said, glad her father hadn’t completely abandoned her and her mom, though he couldn’t help but wonder if McKenna was really as cool with her dad’s decision to basically become a bank rather than an active part of her life.
“The money he sent meant Mom didn’t have to work two jobs. It allowed us to live comfortably and gave her plenty of time to spend with me. I had an awesome childhood.”
Tank thought it sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that, as much as him.
She gave him a wicked grin. “So…how was that for conversation? Up to your standards?”
“Not too bad. A good first effort,” he replied, playing along with her joke.
McKenna lowered her arm from his waist as she tucked her coat around herself more securely. “It’s getting colder. Maybe we should consider heading back to the car.”
The temperature hadn’t dropped a bit, which proved what he’d already figured out. She wasn’t comfortable talking about herself. So, he decided to let her off the hook on sharing personal details because he wasn’t ready to call it a night.
Tank glanced around. There were more people than he might have expected braving the cool February weather, and like the patrons in the pub, a few had recognized him—not that that was a hard thing to do, considering he was a giant and he was in Stingrays apparel.
More than a few phones were pointed in their direction.
One group of three businessmen looked like they were debating whether they should approach.
McKenna suddenly noticed the attention they were attracting as well, and he felt her stiffen briefly before attempting to step away from him.
“People are taking pictures,” she murmured, when he refused to release her.
“So what? I’m not doing anything scandalous,” he said. “Just taking a walk along the waterfront with a pretty girl.”
“I’m not one of your puck bunnies, Tank. I know you’re a natural-born flirt, but this really isn’t appropriate.” McKenna tried again to step away, but he didn’t let her, tightening his grip and turning her to face him.
She had to lean her head back to look up at him, her expression serious and maybe even a little confused.
“I know you’re not a puck bunny. And this isn’t flirting, Mouse. I’m just making a factual statement. You look very pretty tonight.”
McKenna blinked several times, and he could see her trying to replay his words, as if she’d misheard him. “I look the same as I always do.”
She absolutely did, right down to the cardigan with the hole in it and the Chucks. He wrapped his hand around her ponytail, looping it over his hand. “You should wear your hair down sometimes.”
“I, um…” She reached up, tugging her hair out of his grip. “I need a haircut.”
Tank chuckled at her sudden embarrassment, then ran the back of his fingers over her soft cheek. “You blush real easy, Mouse.”
“We’ve already discussed that, as well as the fact that I hate it. Yet you seem to go out of your way to make me blush.”
He chuckled. “Because it’s cute.” Then he cupped her cheek, looking deeply into her eyes.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, when he merely held her gaze.
“Honestly?” he said. “I have no idea.”
“This isn’t part of the plan.”
Tank lifted one shoulder casually. “I’m shit at following rules, Mouse, but I’ve done everything you told me to. I haven’t strayed, haven’t done anything that would bring bad press.”
“I know that,” she whispered. “So don’t ruin it.”
He wanted to pull those glasses off and kiss her. Wanted it more than he’d wanted anything in a long time. But she was right. Kissing her in front of the cameras would be a step backward, and he wasn’t going to risk his career for an ill-advised kiss.
Protecting his contract was why he’d gone the extra mile at every single one of the promo ops, why he’d remained secluded in his condo, alone, night after night.
Why he hadn’t replied to any of the countless texts—sexts—from Lara, who was now convinced that viral video was some sort of sign they should change their status from booty calls to proper dating.
Regardless of all that, he kept thinking about how things between him and McKenna were going to return to normal.
After spending so much time with her, he hated that, with the suspension over, their time together would be limited.
He’d gotten used to having her around, and he genuinely enjoyed her company.
“I’ll behave on one condition.”
McKenna attempted to give him a stern look, but she was too flustered by their close proximity to sell it. “You remember that I’m the one calling the shots.”
He merely chuckled in response, then waited her out. Because if he’d learned anything about McKenna, her curiosity always got the better of her.
“What condition?” she asked, just as he knew she would.
“You have dinner with me before the Tampa Bay game on Friday.”
She gave him a funny look. “You always eat with your teammates when we’re on the road.”
“Yeah, well, on Friday, I want to eat with you.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I’ve gotten used to you. Going to be weird not talking to you every day.”
Mercifully, she accepted that answer. “Yeah. As much as it pains me to admit, I’ve gotten used to you, too. I should probably consider starting my therapy again.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, messing up her hair playfully. “Minx,” he teased, while she laughed and tried to bat his hand away.
Tank couldn’t recall exactly when the two of them started touching each other so much, but somewhere in the midst of the past two weeks, the personal space between them shrank as he frequently pulled her ponytail or tickled her, while she touched his hand as she talked or punched his arm whenever he made a smart-ass comment.
“I really am cold,” she said, as she finally broke free, turning away from him and heading back in the direction of her car.
Tank caught up to her in three long strides, amused by her low growl when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders again.
Now though, like before, she didn’t push him away.
They returned to the car and the ride back to his place was made in silence, though it wasn’t awkward. Instead, they listened to the radio, lost in their own thoughts.
When they got to his place, she pulled in front of the entrance and put the car in park. She didn’t turn it off, so he figured it was pointless to see if she wanted to come in for a nightcap.
“If I don’t see you before tomorrow night’s game, good luck,” she said.
He bopped her nose playfully. “Thanks. Night, Mouse.”
“Night.”
He got out of the car, turning around to watch as she pulled away from the curb. Simply because he couldn’t resist the desire to steal one more look at her.
At McKenna Bailey.
What the hell was going on?