Playing for Keeps (30 page)

“Exactly. If we lose, they want to be on their home turf. And if we win, they know there’ll be a blowout that starts at the airport. Our fans are wild, as you know.”

“And they want to be sure they get a chance to say good-bye to me first?” She felt a pang of guilt. Why hadn’t she thought of this? She would see Johnny again, at least one more time, even if the Lancers lost. But Sean and Bannerman? Was it possible this would be their last weekend together?

“It’s worse than that,” he told her cheerfully. “They want to abduct you. Take you to the parties and show you off. You’ll have fun. And I’ll catch up with you guys at some point.” He leaned in closer. “People will think you’re with them. But I’ll get some time with you too. I really want to see you there, Erica. Celebrate with you. It’s a big deal, and you’ll make it better.”

She bit her lip, tempted. She loved being with those guys, and at a big bash they’d be even more fun. And those stolen moments with Johnny would be amazing.

“I didn’t bring anything dressy.”

“Supposedly, Bannerman’s got it covered.”

“Oh, Lord.”

He chuckled. “That was my reaction, but Deck saw the dress and says it’s okay. If you hate it, he’ll take you to Murf’s suite to borrow one from his wife.” He exhaled sharply. “That’s your only objection? I was sure you’d turn us down.”

“Well, like you said, you can be pretty persuasive.”

His eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Can you get Monday off? If I promise to get you a reasonable flight so you don’t have too many circles under your eyes on Tuesday?”

“I’m sure I can.” She nibbled on his ear, aroused by the prospect. “After that, we won’t see each other for almost two weeks. So yes, I want to do it.”

“Good.” He looked like he wanted to say more, then just nodded. “Will your brother be pissed?”

“Seriously? Driving me to my apartment is three hours out of his way. He’ll be thrilled.”

“Then it’s settled.” He started a hot kiss, then pulled back again and muttered, “I forgot to mention, you’ve gotta have pancakes with Deck at six a.m. You’re supposed to order them here in your room. Do I need to supervise that?”

“If he’s going to attack me, he’ll do it later when I’m wearing the Bannerman dress.”

“Good point.” He gave her a warm smile. “Those parties are wild, but it’s a team thing. Having you there will make it complete.”

“As long as it doesn’t look like you and I are together.”

“Yeah, I know,” he grumbled. “I’m fine with that.”

She cleared her throat and tried for a casual tone. “Will Coach Cosner be there?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Will his wife be there?”

Johnny chuckled. “You want to see the type of girl Deck goes for?”

“Pardon?” Erica cleared her throat again. It would have been scary, but understandable, if he had mentioned Bannerman. But Decker?

“Yeah, he’s had a crush on her for months. But don’t mention it. The poor guy thinks no one noticed. And definitely don’t tell Bannerman or he’ll harass him into next week.”

“Sean has a crush on her?”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “I’m starting to think he only falls for women he can’t have. First Kerrie Cosner, now you.”

“That’s silly,” she murmured. “And
don’t
tease him about me. We’re trying to build his confidence, not ruin it.”

“He can build it with someone else’s girl. Mine’s off-limits. And so is Coz’s.”

Erica turned away, pretending to check her phone’s display. This was a bit too close to home. “Of course she’s off-limits. I just want to get a look at her.”

“She’s pretty,” he admitted cheerfully. “In a sorority-girl sort of way. But she’s also a mental case. We’re lucky she’s married.”

“You think she’s crazy?”

He flashed an apologetic smile. “That’s an overstatement. But if you see her, you’ll get it. She’s always on the verge of tears. Coz is an a-hole, so that’s part of it. But she seems unstable to me. Not that I’ve spent time with her.” He growled in pretend frustration. “Remind me why we’re talking about this?”

“No reason. And we’re done. Forget I mentioned it.” He kept staring at her, as though sensing there was more to it, so she glared. “I’m nosy. I want to see what kind of girl attracts Sean. So I can fix him up someday.”

“How did you know he’s attracted to her in the first place?”

“
You
told me. And I remember hearing rumors about her when we were at Cal. So I was curious.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Coz cheated on her or something. With twins, right?”

“Something like that.”

To her relief, room service knocked at the door, ending the dangerous conversation. And as Johnny wrapped himself in a hotel robe and headed for the door, she decided she definitely needed to get a look at Kerrie Cosner, mostly from curiosity. But if Decker and Bannerman were both attracted to her?

Maybe as a chaperone too.

Chapter 14

The next day, as the game wound down to the final seconds, the Eagles were ahead by one point. Luckily the Lancers were on their opponents’ thirty-yard line, and to Erica’s fearful delight, the field goal team was running onto the field.

“This is epic,” her brother told her eagerly. “If Decker wins this game for them, the curse is officially over. Of course, if he blows it, his career ends.”

Erica’s heart stopped for a full second. She had begged Johnny to do this. To let him kick a field goal with the game on the line. Now it was happening, and in the pit of her stomach, she questioned the decision.

You don’t know anything about football,
she reminded herself.
What were you thinking? If he’s doing this to win you back, you’re both screwed!

But it was happening. And if Decker succeeded, the championship was theirs.

And if he missed—

Ugh, don’t think about it. Just pray
.

Through her binoculars, she could see the kicker clearly. So adorable, so hunky, so confident. He could do this, or at least, there was no doubt in
his
mind. And Bannerman was on the field too, although not in position as holder. Apparently he was there for moral support, and from the grin on his face and constant, visible chatter, he was holding up his end of the deal in other ways.

The ball was hiked, Erica held her breath, then a crazy thing happened. Instead of kicking the ball, Decker somehow got his hands on it and threw a gorgeous, perfectly arced pass to Bannerman, who sprinted down the sideline and took it into the end zone. Ecstatic, Bannerman jumped for joy, then turned to where Erica was sitting and bowed slightly.

He couldn’t risk a penalty, but he could—and would—let her know exactly what he was thinking at that moment.

Jumping to her feet, she shrieked his name. Then Decker’s. And then, after hugging her brother almost to death, she screamed for the Triple Threat. The Philadelphia fans weren’t too happy, but there were enough Lancers fans to echo her jubilant cheers.

“Are you having a thing with the Bam Man now?” Connor teased her.

“Quiet!” She gave him another embrace. “I’m so glad you were here.”

“Yeah, me too. Especially now that I don’t have to drive you home. Be sure to thank Johnny for the tickets, even though”—his eyes twinkled—“I’m sure you found a way to repay him.”

Before she could complain, he kissed her cheek. “I’m gonna run, but I’ll have my phone on. So if your boyfriends ditch you, call me and I’ll come back.”

She felt numb after that, so thrilled her guys had won, and so brokenhearted that the Super Bowl was just two weeks away. She had no idea what she wanted anymore. She even hated her job, just a bit. She was an artist, not a salesperson. She loved children, yet was cast in the role of non-homemaker. She loved Johnny Spurling, but was insisting—vehemently—that he dump her.

Swiping at a tear, she stayed in her seat during the ceremony, waited long enough for the team to shower and dress, then made her way to the tunnel where Decker had promised to meet her. The last thing she needed was to run into Coach Aaron Spurling or his daughter-in-law, Beth. Or even brother Jason. Or Coach Cosner or Kerrie or the twin.

The place was a freaking minefield, but somehow Bannerman grabbed her out of nowhere and in an instant she was in a limo with him and Decker, listening in awe as they replayed every single moment of the game for her benefit. They were beyond elation, so much that she had to restrain them more than once from hugging her too amorously. Of course, they would have hugged any female that way at that moment, but there she was, and they were obnoxiously happy it was her.

She hoped they’d settle down on the plane, and Decker seemed to do so, but Bannerman was still a lunatic. He didn’t want to watch the Surgeon, but rather, kept seeking replays of the Lancers game so he could praise his friend, grab some credit for himself, and try to impress Erica again and again.

At some point, he shoved a package into her hands and she realized it was her party dress. Laughing, she unveiled it and admitted it wasn’t at all skanky. In its own way, it was actually gorgeous. A plunging neckline, but still offering coverage. And a tight skirt with a healthy slit that stayed within the bounds of propriety.

The only real problem was the color.

Fire engine red.

“It’s stunning. But a little flashy.”

“We want everyone to notice you,” the halfback insisted. “What’s the point of bringing a babe to a party if she’s dressed like a nun?”

Decker seemed crushed. “We thought you’d like it. Can’t you at least try it on?”

She nodded, then headed for the jet’s tiny bathroom. It really was a beautiful dress, and she wanted to wear it for Johnny. Maybe after the party when they got back to his house. And in the meantime, her Lancers jersey and jeans would get her through the airport party at least.

So she modeled the hot, slinky dress for her two escorts, and secretly loved it when they drooled on her. After that, she kept wearing it while they caught the second half of the AFC conference game, watching closely to see if Wyatt Bourne’s ankle really was bothering him. If so, he didn’t show it, but rather, ran up the score easily.

The Surgeon was going to the Super Bowl. And as she watched the faces of Bannerman and Decker, she knew that while they were still stoked, and loved a challenge, they had been secretly hoping to face someone—anyone—else.

• • •

Portland International Airport erupted when their plane set down, and for the next two hours, Erica partied happily with her two handsome escorts. Strangers accosted them at will, and as with the rest of the Lancers, the autographs flowed freely and generously. Erica also met many of the team members until they became a blur of hunky, muscular heroes so full of themselves they rivaled Bannerman in their zeal.

Coach Cosner showed up briefly, mostly to give interviews and get his face on the sports channels. There was no sign of Kerrie or Melody, whom Bannerman had dubbed “the doppel
bang
er.” On the other hand, there were dozens upon dozens of single females who wanted to get their hands on Decker and Bannerman, and she willingly stepped aside as much as possible, grateful she hadn’t worn the flashy red dress. It was fairly easy to blend into the crowd in her jersey and jeans, although several of the Lancer wives and girlfriends made it their business to seek her out and give her advice about her two dates. Mostly, they warned against Bannerman while praising Decker as a knight in shining armor, although a few of the girlfriends, who apparently spoke from experience, assured her Vince Bannerman, despite his wandering eye, was the best lay they had ever had.

Finally the party moved to the Ashton, and even though the attire was fancier, she turned down Decker’s offer to raid Murf’s closet for one of Emily Murphy’s dresses. There were so many photographers, and they were clearly running out of material, that the prospect of catching their attention honestly concerned her. At least she had her sexy high heels from the raincoat outfit, and she suspected she wouldn’t lack for dance partners given the number of ecstatic, half-drunk, single football players who had already introduced themselves to her. They didn’t seem bothered by the jeans, probably because the more they drank, the more they seemed obsessed with Erica’s hair and her apparent willingness to “bang” two of their teammates at a time.

“Which one are you sleeping with?” was the most popular opening line, usually followed by, “I could crush both of them with one hand behind my back. Give
me
a try.”

She was fending off a charming cornerback when Johnny finally appeared, rescuing her discreetly then guiding her to a quiet corner.

“Hey,” he murmured, his eyes shining with happiness. “I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“I was so proud of you.” She kissed him passionately. “It was the best game ever. That pass you threw to Johnson—wow. I still have goose bumps.”

“He rocked,” Johnny agreed, adding teasingly, “What about Deck’s pass?”

“I
loved
it.”

“We worked on it all week. He’s the star of the game. MVP for sure.”

She wanted to remind him that the Lancers had only needed a field goal to win. And winning by a field goal would have meant ten times more to Sean Decker. But Johnny already knew that, didn’t he? He hadn’t dared risk the game to build his friend’s confidence, but he had done the next best thing.

And it had been a thing of beauty.

“You’d better get in there. They all want to adore you,” she reminded him proudly.

“Do I need to dust you for fingerprints?”

She laughed. “There isn’t enough dust in the whole world. I’m just hoping I’m not pregnant.”

He grinned. “What was I thinking? Alone on a plane with Bannerman? What could go wrong, right? And I take it the dress was X-rated after all?”

“It’s gorgeous. Just a little flashy. I’ll wear it for you later.”

“Good deal.” He kissed her again, then backed her against a wall. “Let’s go now.”

Her body agreed, but she knew she had to share, so she shooed him back into the party, following a safe distance behind, and trying not to feel too jealous when beautiful women in Bannerman-style dresses threw themselves at him.