Game On (3 page)

“I know what you mean.” Ryan didn’t even
realize he’d said the words aloud until J.T. raised an eyebrow.

“Now this I’ve got to hear. Which sexy
little thang has finally brought you down, Ry?”

Ryan hadn’t confessed his feelings about
Brianna to anyone, not even Evan, but he’d always had a good relationship with
J.T. and he knew he could trust him. “It’s not what you’re thinkin’. We’re just
friends.”

“That’s the way the best relationships
start out, or so I’m told.”

He thought about that for a minute before
he asked, “You really think so?”

“Isn’t that the way it was for Josh and Lexi?”

Ryan winced inwardly when he thought about
what Josh would say when he found out that Ryan had set his sights on his baby
girl. He’d always had a good relationship with Brianna’s father, but Josh knew
as well as anyone in their inner circle that Ryan had earned his reputation as
a player. How could he convince him that he would never hurt Brianna? If
anything, he feared it may be the other way around. For the first time in his
life, he thought he might be ready to take that leap of faith… if it wasn’t too
late.

The burly bouncer posted at the entrance
opened the door to admit someone.

Ryan glanced at his watch. It was too early
for the guests…
Oh wow.

“Jesus,” J.T. muttered. “Would you look at
her!”

Ryan couldn’t stop himself from looking at
her. When he realized his jaw was slack, he quickly snapped his mouth shut. How
had she transformed herself from the professional lawyer he saw at the office only
a few hours ago into this…
goddess
?

He’d always thought Brianna was beautiful
in a girl next door kind of way, but she’d never played it up like most of the
women he knew. Her light dusting of make-up was usually an afterthought, and
her nails were usually clipped short with only clear polish. Her only adornment
was the designer attire she loved so much. How had he missed the sexy woman
lurking beneath those layers, and if he’d missed that, what else was he
missing?

“Well, I’ll be damned,” J.T. said,
chuckling. “Looks like I just got my answer.”

Ryan practically growled when Clint turned
Brianna toward him and slipped a finger under her chin, encouraging her to look
him in the eye. He said something that made her smile and Ryan felt a sharp
pain that seemed to reverberate through his body.
She could fall in love
with this guy.
He tried to breathe through the panic as J.T. leaned forward
and gripped his shoulder.

“If you want her, you gotta let her know.
Before it’s too late.”

“What if it’s already too late?”
Ryan
didn’t want to believe that it was, but he couldn’t delude himself either.
Brianna and her date obviously had chemistry, something she’d never had with
her last boyfriend. “He looks like he’s really into her.”

J.T. laughed. “Can you blame him? Look at
her. The woman’s gorgeous.”

Ryan glared at his brother-in-law. “You
don’t think I noticed? I didn’t need you to point it out to me.”

As though they hadn’t even noticed anyone
else was in the bar, the couple in question continued to whisper and smile at
each other, as though they were just content to enjoy each other’s company.

“Seems you weren’t smart enough to figure
it out years ago. You and Bri have known each other your whole lives. What’s
changed? Why do you want her now?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan said honestly, turning
away from the scene behind him when he couldn’t stand to watch it any longer.
“It’s like it came out of nowhere, man. She was datin’ a buddy of mine a few
years back, and I can’t describe it, but I kind of felt weird about it.” He
brought the beer bottle to his lips and took a long pull before he said, “It
wasn’t the first time she’d dated one of my buddies. Hell, we went to high
school and college together. She’s dated lots of my friends over the years and
I never thought twice about it. I mean, sure, I told them they’d better not
hurt her, but it never bothered me to think about her… you know.” He gripped
the beer bottle tighter as he thought about Brianna being intimate with another
man.

“Havin’ sex with some other dude?”

Ryan scowled at J.T. “Yeah, that.”

“So, why didn’t you tell her when you
figured out you had feelings for her?”

“I tried. I kissed her at a party and…” He
still remembered that kiss like it had happened a hundred of times instead of
just once. He could still feel her body against his, taste her lips, feel the
slide of her tongue as she gave as good as she got.

“And?”

“She kissed me back. But when I told her I
thought I may have feelings for her, she laughed it off and told me I needed to
sober up.”

J.T. glanced over at Brianna with her date.
“If I were you, I’d try talkin’ to her about it again. Soon.”

Ryan didn’t know what Brianna was doing
with Clint, and he didn’t want to know. “What the hell am I supposed to say?”
He raked his hands through his hair in frustration. “She thinks of me as a
friend. Nothing more.” It hurt to admit, but he knew it was true.

“How do you know that?”

“She’s told me a hundred times. Maybe not
in so many words, but she’s told me she doesn’t know what she’d do without me
to talk to or lean on. Hell, I don’t want to lose that, man. If I do, if I lose
her…”

“But think about how much more y’all could
have if you were willin’ to take that risk.”

“Yeah, but what if I do put myself out
there and she shoots me down?” It wasn’t his ego he was worried about this
time; so much more was at stake. “I could lose her. I mean, she might think it
would be awkward bein’ friends with me knowin’ how I feel about her. I’d rather
have her in my life as my best friend than not have her in my life at all.”

J.T. sighed. “Listen, I hear ya. I’m not
sayin’ it’s an easy call. There are no guarantees that she feels anything for
you. Maybe you’re right, maybe she just thinks of you as another big brother,
someone who looks out for her and tries to protect her.”

He wanted to be someone Bri could count on,
and he’d proven to her that he would always have her back, but he definitely
didn’t want her to think of him as a brother. He wanted to be her lover, her
best friend, her
everything
. “I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do.”

J.T. pointed over Ryan’s shoulder.
“Whatever you do, you better make it quick. I’d say your time’s just about up.”

Ryan turned just in time to see Brianna and
Clint share what he assumed was their first kiss. It was tender and sweet, and
when she finally pulled away with a look of wonder in her eyes, it broke Ryan’s
heart. Would he ever see that adoration in her eyes when she looked at him?

***

By the time the party was in full swing,
Brianna felt happier and more relaxed than she had in years. Law school had
taken its toll, and she hadn’t allowed herself to indulge in recreational fun
in what seemed like forever.

Clint was speaking to the few members of
the press Titan had invited to the party and she watched him from across the
room. He wasn’t as polished or well-rehearsed as many of the celebrities she
saw being interviewed on TV. He’d moved here from his parents’ ranch in Texas
five years ago, hoping to make it in the country music business. According to
him, he’d given himself five years to make his dream come true before he
returned home with his hat in his hand, asking his family to make room for him
on the ranch.

He’d played the bar circuit for four years
before he found a manager willing to take a chance on him. His manager
submitted his demo to Titan, he had a meeting with the Spencer brothers, and according
to him, they changed his life with a few choice words.

Brianna liked him, and when she was with
him, she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
Lust
. She
brought the champagne glass to her lips and watched him throw his head back
laughing at something one of the reporters said.
Lord have mercy, that man
is sexy.
She didn’t know how the evening would end, but she knew if he
invited her back to his place for a nightcap, she wouldn’t refuse.

“Enjoying the party?” Ryan asked, coming up
beside her.

“What was that?” Forcibly drawing her
attention away from her hot cowboy, she saw the tight expression on Ryan’s face
and blushed. If there was one thing he hated, it was being ignored. She giggled
and nudged him in the ribs, hoping to lighten the mood. “Sorry, I guess I was a
little distracted.”

“No kiddin’.” He brought a beer bottle to
his lips and his eyes tracked Clint’s every move, almost as though he hoped to
find fault with him. “You haven’t taken your eyes off him all night.”

She didn’t want people to think she had a
case of hero worship, like so many of the other women who’d thrown themselves
at her date all evening. “That’s not true.”
Or was it?
With the alcohol
lowering her inhibitions, had she said or done something to embarrass herself?

“Tell it to someone who doesn’t know you as
well as I do.”

Brianna was surprised by his sharp tone.
Ryan was the fun, easy-going brother. He was the life of the party. It was Evan
who was often accused of taking himself too seriously. “What’s your problem
tonight?”

“I don’t have a problem.”

She knew he was lying from the way he kept
clenching and unclenching his jaw as he stared at Clint. “Yes, you do. Now are
you gonna tell me what it is or do I have to guess?”

He looked down at her and said, “I can’t
believe you still haven’t got a clue.”

Trying not to be offended that he’d
basically implied she was clueless, she said, “Are you gonna give me a hint?”

“Not this time.” He shoved his hand into his
pocket and brought the beer bottle to his lips again.

Brianna looked at him a long time, and for
the first time, she felt like she was seeing Ryan Spencer, the man that made
women do a triple take when he walked down the street. At well over six feet,
most underwear models would be envious of his body. She knew how honed it was because
they’d often hit the streets to jog together when neither of them felt like
being confined to a gym for their workout. But it wasn’t his physique that drew
women in; it was those mischievous light blue eyes, such a contrast to his
black hair and olive complexion. He always looked amused, as though he knew a
joke the rest of the world didn’t. Except now. The flash of white teeth that
seemed a constant was hidden behind a rare scowl.

“Come on, Ry,” she said, leaning her
shoulder into his arm. “Don’t be like that. We’re here to have fun, right?”

He looked down at her and searched her
face. “Are you havin’ fun?” His eyes settled on her mouth. “With him?”

Confused by the intense way he was looking
at her, she felt compelled to break the eye contact, but couldn’t. “Yeah, sure.
Aren’t you having fun with… what’s her name? The party planner?”

“She’s not my date.” He still didn’t take
his eyes off her when he moved in front of her to block her sight of the man
she’d been watching. The music slowed to a familiar country ballad and he
offered his hand. “Would you like to dance?”

She tried to look around him to see if
Clint was making his way toward them, but Ryan’s shoulders effectively blocked
her view. “Sure, why not?” They’d danced together dozens of times over the
years. Her date knew Ryan was one of her best friends; surely he wouldn’t mind.

Ryan held Brianna in his arms as she laid
her head on his shoulder, and he allowed himself to get caught up in the
fantasy that she was his. He imagined she was there as his date, looking at him
the way he’d caught her looking at Clint when she thought no one was looking.
He’d been fortunate; pain and suffering hadn’t been a big part of his life,
until now.

Toby Keith’s song
When You Kiss Me Like
That
served as the soundtrack to his fantasy, mocking him, reminding him
that she had no idea how he felt about her. He stroked her hair and she settled
into his arms with a soft sigh. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he tried
to control the impulse to tip her head up for the kiss he craved. He knew it
was the wrong time and place. It would elicit speculation about their
relationship, something he knew she would resent, especially in light of her
budding relationship with the musician.

Ryan had no idea emotional torture could
produce physical pain until tonight. He had watched Clint holding Brianna,
looking at her with longing in his eyes, pulling her close for the benefit of
the cameras. But the thing that stung the most was the comment he’d overheard.
When a reporter asked about his relationship with Brianna, Clint said, “
I hope
it is the start of something that will inspire another hit song.”

The start of Clint and Brianna meant the
end of Ryan and Brianna. He knew he couldn’t go on being her best friend,
loving her and watching her fall in love with someone else. He wanted her to be
happy, but he selfishly wanted her to find that happiness with him.