Game For Love: All The Right Moves (Kindle Worlds Novella) (7 page)

He grinned and then crossed the small distance between them, capturing her up in a hug. “Afterwards, I thought you and I could have a play date of our own.”

Once again, her heart did a little tumble and flip, like it had a gymnastics routine that only he inspired. “I’d like that.”

Giving her one last, slow kiss, he said, “I’ll get out of your hair now, and let you finish things up.”

“See you Friday,” she called out as he turned to walk away.

“Gunner and I will meet you there, if you don’t mind,” he said, pausing at the bathroom door.

“Nope.” Feeling a bit silly over how giddy she was, she said, “You can let yourself out.”

His dark gaze raked over her, making her feel like the towel she wore was see-through. “God, you make me want to stay longer.”

“But I’ll go,” he added, leaving the room.

She sagged against the wall.
Bluebelle came trotting inside, tail wagging. “I hope you thanked Ryan for getting you out of time-out. He worked hard to change my mind.”

Bluebelle let out a little woof of thanks.

“Exactly, girl,” Ashley said, and then padded to her closet.

***

Two days later, Ashley found herself getting the third degree over supper at her brother’s house.

Rhett’s mouth thinned. “Another football player?”

Ashley refused to be intimidated by his disapproval. Okay, so Rhett wasn’t disappointed—he was concerned for her. “He’s not like Dean.”

“I hate to break it to you, Ash, but every player is like Dean.”

She placed her fork on the side of her plate and wiped her mouth. “Unfair, Rhett. That would be like me telling you to never go out with another woman because they’re all like Jenny.”

Rhett’s blue eyes narrowed. “Thanks for bringing up bad memories, sis. Such a pleasure to have you over for dinner.”

Ashley threw her napkin at him. “Oh, be quiet.”

Her brother grinned. “I almost had you convinced, huh?”

That he was over what his long-term girlfriend had done to him, right after he came home from Afghanistan?

Yeah…
There was no way Rhett would ever convince her he was over that.

“Almost,” she said lightly.

Rhett took his plate and headed for the sink. “When do we get to meet your new boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” she snapped
and began to rub her temples.

“Oh Jesus,” her brother muttered. “You haven’t turned into one of those people, have you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “One of those people?”

“The
‘our relationship isn’t defined by labels’ people.”

Right now
, her relationship didn’t have a label. At all. “No. I haven’t been dating him long enough to have a label.” But she had been dating him long enough to take a shower with him. Her cheeks heated, and she was thankful that her very perceptive brother’s back was turned.

“You know the rule, A
sh. Three dates and it’s meet the family time,” he said.

She
groaned. “That hasn’t been instituted since college.”

“You haven’t dated anyone
since college,” he pointed out.

She made a face and picked up her plate, joining him at the sink to help with the dishes. “You
wash, and I’ll rinse.”

“Don’t break the plates, brat.”

“Don’t be so bossy, Rhett Butler.”

This
time, her brother made a face. “You would think our parents could have been a little more original with our names.”

“Could be worse.”

“Than being named after
Gone with the Wind
characters?”

She gave him a pointed look.

He grinned. “Forgot about Will.”

Ashley laughed. “He still fusses
about me getting named after the guy instead of him. Bless his heart.”

“Frankly, I don’t give a damn, Ashley.”

She jumped, dropping the plate she was rinsing, and turned to face her other brother.

“Watch it,” Rhett called out

“Why Will Scarlett, fancy seeing you here.” Ashley mimed fanning herself.

Will muttered something under his breath
and opened the fridge. “Got anything else to eat?”

“Don’t you have a home?” Rhett asked.

“
Su casa, mi casa
,” Will said with a grin. His blond head dipped out of sight, as he dug through the drawers. “Score.”

“I’m not cooking again,” Rhett
said, as Will straightened. “Did you know Ashley has a new boyfriend? He’s a football player.”

Will
bit into the hunk of a salami and grimaced. “Really?” He shook his head. “They’re all the same, Ash. Find someone else.”

Ashley smacked the sides of her legs
. “You two need to get a life. And
manners
,” she said, giving Will a pointed look as he ate with his hands.

“What?” He gnawed off another hunk, looking more like a boy of six instead of
a man of twenty-six. “I’m hungry and didn’t want Rhett to have to cook for me.”

“You wish I’d cook for you,” Rhett said.

“I’m leaving,” she said, giving both her brothers a quick hug. “I have an early appointment tomorrow.”

“With Ryan?” Rhett asked, stretching out Ryan’s name to
about fifty annoying syllables. There was no way she’d take him to meet her family until she was good and ready.

“And his dog
, too,” she snapped.

Will choked on the food in his mouth. “You’re dating
th
e Ryan Turner?”

“Gotta go.” She waved at them and made her way to the front door, which her brother had left wide open. “Were you raised in a barn, Will?”

“Damn it, Scarlett. How many times have I told you to shut the door?” Rhett shouted.

“It’s Will, you
pompous, one-legged asshole,” Will shouted right back.

“Watch it, or I’ll take my leg and shove it up your ass.”

“Didn’t know you lost your dick in the war, too, buddy.”

A dish slammed against the wall. Then the table crashed into
it, as a fight broke out between them. She had heard the sounds of them fighting often enough to know. By tonight, however, they’d be on the couch, drinking beer and watching ESPN, like nothing had happened.

“
Brothers,” she said with a huff.

Ryan waited for J.R. Macmillan, the Avengers owner, to join him in the man’s office. It was sleek, full of old-world-style furniture, and lots of new money. At one point, J.R. had a gold-plated toilet that practically wiped your ass after using it.

The Texan walked inside, trademark cowboy hat
on his balding head and cigar clamped between his lips. “Ryan, my boy. Glad you could make some time for me.”

“Yes, sir
.” Ryan shook the older man’s hand.

“What’s this I hear about
Dallas wanting my best player?” J.R. wasted no time getting to the point. Something Ryan had always admired.

“They want me to play for them.”

J.R. eyed him. “And what do you want to do?”

A year ago, he
would have jumped at their offer. Hell, two months ago, he would have said that the Cowboys were his dream team. That finally being asked to play for them was a dream come true. But that was before he met a fiery redhead in puppy-parenting class who made him weak in the knees.

“I’
m considering all of my options,” Ryan replied noncommittally.

J
.R. smiled. “I’m not like most owners, willing to hold a man by the short and curlys until he cries ‘uncle’. But, I’ll need an answer soon. There’s a player I’ve had my eye on for a while now, but I heard the two of you don’t play well together.”

Ryan sucked in a breath, feeling like he’d been sucker punched. He struggled to keep a
neutral face. “Dean Clark?”

“The rumors are true, then.”

He wasn’t about to badmouth another player, even if he’d sooner punch himself in the throat than play with Dean again. He didn’t want that asshole in the same country as Ashley, much less the same city.

“We got along fine,” he said tightly.

J.R.’s eyes gleamed. “Fine. Such a versatile word, don’t you think?”

“Yes, sir.”

“It can mean everything from ‘okay’ to ‘I’d rather have my left nut chewed off by a beaver with dull teeth than play with Dean Clark again.’”

Ryan blinked. “I didn’t say that, sir.”

“You didn’t have to, son.” JR held out his hand, and Ryan shook it. “Good talking to you, Ryan. Be sure to keep me in the loop, but I can only wait but so long. Summer training’s coming up.”

Ryan walked out of J
.R.’s office, feeling conflicted over their conversation and the next step in his career—and it had everything to do with Ashley Mitchell.

Bright and early on Friday morning, Ashley met Ryan at
Beauregard’s.

Gunner and Blueb
elle jumped and barked at each other, their little tails wagging a mile a minute. It was obvious to everyone that they were thrilled to see each other.

“I think we need to take them off their leashes,” Ashley said.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah, they can run and play to their heart’s content while we talk.”

Her stomach dropped. She did not like the sound of that. No man she knew willingly suggested conversation when they could be running around with their dog. Especially in this place.

“Okay.” She set Bluebelle free, and Ryan did the same for Gunner, before they walked to a nearby bench situated under a large, shady oak tree.

“It’s nice today,” he
said, and Ashley glanced at him. This was worse than what she’d originally thought. Weren’t they past the point of polite weather conversation? They’d seen each other’s bare butts, for goodness sake.

She adjusted her sunglasses and watched their dogs play while she worked up the nerve to ask him what was wrong.
But, before she could, a couple of people spotted them and made their way over.

Of course, they wanted autographs and pictures. To Ryan’s credit, he patiently signed whatever they held out and posed for multiple shots.

When it was over, he sat down with her again and took her hand in his. That was a good sign. Or so she hoped.

He laced their fingers together. “
I’ve enjoyed spending time with you.”

Oh, God. He was going to tell her that he didn’t want to see her again.

She nodded, staring straight ahead, even as her stomach plummeted to her toes and her heart began to ache. Her stupid, foolish heart. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, too.”

“But I’m not sure if you’ll like the attention that you’ll start getting soon,” he continued. “I don’t want it to spook you. Or make you think I’m doing what I shouldn’t be.
Sometimes, the press can be harsh.”

Huh? “You’re not breaking up with me?” she asked, turning to face him.
“I mean… you’re not my boyfriend.
Obviously
.”

Ryan looked at her for a minute
, and then gently removed her sunglasses, setting them on the bench. “Who else do you think I’m dating?”

She hated he could see the vulnerability that had to be showing on her face. “I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t Google you anymore.”

“Then I’ll answer my own question.” He gazed directly into her eyes. “The only woman I’m dating is
you
.”

“Yeah, and I’m not sure why,” she blurted, even as her body got all happy at his answer.

“Because you’re the only woman I want,” he said simply. “You make me laugh. I look forward to spending time with you and Bluebelle. You don’t want to be with me because of who I am or how much money I make. Hell, sweetness, I had to bribe you into going out with me.”

“You don’t have to do that anymore,” she said softly.

“I know.” He looked away. “I want you to promise me something.”

“What’s that?” she asked, her stomach back where it should be.

“If you hear anything about me, about what I want to do with my career, you come to me. I want you to get the unvarnished truth, not the media hype or spin.” This time, his expression was deadly serious when he glanced back at her. “I’m not your ex, and I promise to talk to you first, when I decide to leave the Avengers. If it even comes to that.”

When
he decided to leave? Did this mean he was considering it? She wasn’t sure if she wanted the unvarnished truth about that. Look at what Dean had decided
for
her, and they’d been engaged. She and Ryan were barely dating, so why would he think she’d go anywhere with him?