Chapter 2
AMES
Iloved my job. Playing for the New York Nighthawks as an offensive lineman was my dream.
However, it was grueling, so when the season ended, I enjoyed the break.
The timing was great because the weather was usually warming up.
Spring was one of the best seasons to be in NYC, before the hot and humid summer hit.
New Yorkers are usually in a hurry to get anywhere they’re going.
But on nice evenings like this, there was definitely a collective deceleration.
Looking forward to the walk, I left my apartment with plenty of time to make it to the restaurant where I would be meeting my best friend and teammate, Dempsey, and his wife, Skye.
He’d called and asked me to join them for dinner because they wanted to celebrate something.
They wouldn’t say what, but I had a feeling they’d finally found out the gender of the baby.
However, I’d pretend that I had no idea that was what they planned to tell me.
Because that’s what friends did…and Dempsey would kick my ass if I disappointed Skye.
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, I saw “Mom” flashing on the screen. I sighed and tapped accept. My parents were awesome, but the older I got, the more obsessed my mother became with grandbabies. And since I was the oldest of their four kids…
I knew exactly what had prompted this phone call. My sister, Sadie, was visiting from Baltimore. She was married, but both she and her husband were doctors and finishing up their residencies. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be taking the pressure off me anytime soon.
Brant and Jessic, my younger twin brothers, were professional soccer players. Neither one was interested in settling down so early in their careers.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Oh, not much,”—yeah, right—“Sadie and Tom say hi, by the way.”
“Tell them hello and I’m sorry I couldn’t make it up to see them this time.”
My parents still lived in the same Harlem neighborhood where I’d grown up—one street over from Dempsey’s family.
It wasn’t exactly a long commute up there from Midtown, but I’d been slammed with endorsement meetings, a photo shoot, and now dinner with my best friend and his wife.
Sadie and Tom had only come into town for forty-eight hours, but I hoped to be able to see them the next time they were in town.
“They understand. All of my kids have such busy lives. No wonder none of you have settled down and started a family.” She sighed, then added, “Of course, I’m incredibly proud of all of you, even if you haven’t given me grandbabies yet.”
“Thanks,” I replied dryly.
“You mentioned you’re having dinner with Dempsey and Skye tonight? He’s such a good boy. He’s made his mother so happy. She’s so happy with her daughter-in-law and thrilled she’s getting a grandbaby soon.”
“You’ve made your point, Mom,” I muttered. “Well, I better hang up. I’m almost there.”
“Did they set you up on a double date?” she asked, hopefully.
“Dempsey knows better than that. Blind dates are always a disaster.”
“Psh,” she scoffed. “I’m sure Skye could set you up with someone wonderful. You should give her a chance.”
“Maybe,” I conceded, crossing my fingers behind my back. I felt guilty for not being one hundred percent honest, but reminding her that I had zero interest in a relationship would only make her double her efforts to change my mind.
“Wonderful! Oh, don’t forget my birthday party next month. You’re welcome to bring a date. That could be your present to me!”
For shit’s sake.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Gotta go. Love you, Mom.”
I hung up and shoved my phone back into my pocket as I arrived at the restaurant. Dempsey and Skye stood waiting for me in the line leading up to the host podium. Even with reservations, there was often a wait to get into popular restaurants in New York City.
Skye waved enthusiastically when she spotted me, and I smiled in return as I approached them.
I bent down to give her a hug, careful not to squeeze her too tight because she was so small.
Petite women always made me feeI like a lumbering giant who might break the fragile female.
I wasn’t sure how Dempsey, who was as big as me, didn’t worry about hurting his tiny wife with his strength.
Especially now that she was round with his baby.
When I released Skye, I grinned at Dempsey, who was glaring at me. He didn’t like anyone—even his best friend—touching his wife. Particularly, his unmarried best friend, although he knew I would never go there.
I clapped him on the back, and we shook hands.
“What’s with the sour look on your face?” Skye asked curiously.
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Just a well-meaning person trying to wind up my biological clock.”
Dempsey snorted a laugh. “Talked to your mom, huh?”
I glared at him. “Thank you, by the way. If you hadn’t run off and gotten married, let alone had a baby on the way. No offense, Skye.”
“None taken,” she giggled.
“My mom wouldn’t be hounding me even more. ‘Dempsey’s such a good boy. He’s made his mother so happy. Why can’t you find a nice girl and settle down like Dempsey did? Give me a grandbaby like he’s doing?’ Suddenly, you’re everyone’s favorite son, even my mom’s,” I grumbled.
My friend laughed and tucked his wife into his side. “You’re welcome.” Then he grinned. “And for the record, I was always the favorite.”
“Alright, you two,” Skye chuckled, then smiled at me. “You just haven’t met the right girl.”
I grunted noncommittally, then changed the subject. “How was your trip?”
The couple had recently returned from a trip to Florida, their last vacation before the baby was born.
I was a little envious. A relaxing vacation sounded amazing, especially if it involved beaches. However, I had no desire to be stuck on a ship where I couldn’t escape all the single women if word got around about who I was.
I wasn’t in the market for a woman. I was focused on my career and didn’t need the distraction. Besides, no one had caught my interest in years.
“It was amazing,” Skye sighed with a dreamy expression.
Dempsey slipped his arm around his wife and kissed the top of her head before looking back at me with a content smile. “We had a lot of fun. But ten days of seeing my wife in a bikini was definitely the highlight of my year.”
I laughed. “I can imagine—not your wife in a bikini,” I hurried to assure him when his expression darkened. “Just, you know…”
The line moved, so I took the opportunity to move away from my friend and take in my surroundings. That was when my eyes landed on the sexiest pair of legs I’d ever seen.
The woman in front of us wore high-heeled black sandals that made her long legs look endless.
She had on a soft blue sundress that ended a little higher on her thighs than I liked.
To my shock, a surge of jealousy hit me when I thought about all the other men ogling those incredible legs.
Her dress wasn’t tight, but it clung to her hourglass figure in all the right places.
It accentuated a fantastic ass, slim waist, and slender back.
The sleeveless dress showed off her toned arms and gorgeous waves of deep-red hair with dark browns and blacks weaved in that tumbled a little past her shoulders.
She walked up to the host stand, and I frowned at the young pipsqueak whose eyes were clearly undressing her. When he glanced in my direction and clocked my expression, he dropped his eyes to the podium.
“I’m meeting someone,” she informed him. Her voice had a slight raspy quality to it, and the sexy sound sent electric currents through me, straight down to my rapidly swelling cock.
“Name?” the kid asked.
“Dakota Sharpe,” she responded.
Damn, even her name was beautiful.
He ran a finger down the paper as he checked the list, then raised his head and gave her an apologetic smile. “I don’t see your name.”
She laughed, but it wobbled a tiny bit, giving me the impression she was nervous.
“The reservation must be under his name.” She chuckled nervously again. “Um, this is a blind date, and um…and I don’t know his name.”
“Hmm.”
She put her hands out to her sides and shrugged. “All I know is that he’s supposed to be very tall.”
The corners of my mouth lifted in smug amusement.
She had to be at least five eleven, so I could understand her desire for a tall date. Luckily for me, I was six and a half feet, so even in her heels, I was at least a head taller than her. Twisting around, I leaned in close to Dempsey and whispered, “I’m gonna need a rain check on dinner.”
Dempsey raised an eyebrow, but I didn’t wait for a response before I turned back around and stepped up next to the woman. “Am I tall enough for you?”