Scrimmage Gone South (Crimson Romance) (20 page)

They disappeared into the crowd. He’d done a good turn and it was a thorn out of his side too.

Now, if he just knew how to extract the hot poker.

Townshend wasn’t behind the punch bowl anymore. Someone else had taken over that job. She was standing alone beside the support beam that was the twin of his own.

She pushed her hair off her face. It wasn’t pulled back tonight. It was down around her face, like he liked it. She looked as lonely as he felt and, all of a sudden, he couldn’t remember why he was mad at her.

• • •

Homecoming was almost over. They’d won the game. Missy had put the crown on Jamie Fisher’s head without incident. Brantley had not worn a football uniform when he escorted Missy onto the field, but Emma and Beau had carried the crown on a velvet pillow, all decked out in their bobcat suits. The dance was going well and no one had tried to spike the punch.

Fifteen more minutes and her chaperoning shift would be over and she could go home and run around naked if she wanted to. Kirby was going to take Lauren Kirkpatrick home and then he was going camping with some of his teammates.

The yard would probably get rolled tonight, but she’d gotten used to that, days ago. The drama club was cleaning up yards for a fundraiser. It was the best fifty dollars she’d spent to date.

She was a little disappointed that their float hadn’t won first place. And robbed by freshmen, at that! Well, next year —

But there wouldn’t be any next year for her. Kirby would be gone and Nathan was already gone.

Maybe she’d go ahead and leave. She could take a detour through the restroom and make sure there were no shenanigans going on in there and she would have done her duty.

The DJ put on “Angel Eyes” by the Jeff Healy band. Lord. She’d practically worn out that CD, crying over Nathan a million years ago. She’d burned a whole collection of angel songs and had herself a first class little pity party every night for a long time. Why were teenage girls such gluttons for pain?

Why was she? Maybe she still had that CD somewhere.

Oh, well. Off to the restroom and then home.

And he stepped right in front of her. He started to say something, then stopped, listened to the music, and laughed with a little shake of his head. So he had decided to be charming.

She should walk away. She should refuse to look at him. She definitely should not speak.

But she did. “Songs about angels,” she said lightly.

“Song about angel eyes.” He settled his index fingers at the place between her eyes, then let them arch up to her temples before bringing them down her cheeks to meet on her chin. Where he left them.

“Did you draw a heart on my face?” she asked.

“Somewhere along the way, did you draw my heart out of my body and take it for your own?”

Oh, that was
not
fair. He smiled that smile that had made his mother millions of dollars. Oh, and double not fair — the sweet misty look.

“Never knew you to be so poetic, Coach.”

“I am also an English teacher. I know poetry when I see it.”

His fingertips lingered on her chin. Did he know starlight emitted from them and was now coursing through her? He barely stroked her chin with tiny circles. He knew.

“I don’t think of you as an English teacher.”

“What
do
you think of me, Townshend?” He let his hands slip down to her bare shoulders and then to the back of her neck.

How could he think they could just fight and forget it? Never work anything out, never apologize, never understand what went wrong?

He leaned in until his mouth was inches from hers. The starlight was blinding.

“I think, as the adults here, we are supposed to be on the lookout for improper displays of public affection. And you are about to cross the line.”

“Are you kidding me? No one is looking at us. Besides, I just handed them their first Homecoming victory in five years. You saved their quarterback from having to leave the state. We could go swimming naked in that punch bowl and no one would say a word.”

“That punch bowl wouldn’t hold us,” she said. She meant it to come out light and sarcastic, but her voice had turned heavy and raspy, driving her comment to a different meaning.

“Not sure this gym will hold us,” he said. “Let’s find out.” He pulled her to him. “Dance with me, Townshend.”

“Your knee — ”

“Even I can sway to an angel song with no repercussions.”

What the hell. The song was half over and then the DJ would put on something he couldn’t handle. And for a moment, it would be nice to be near him.

But half a song was enough for that moment to turn into something else.

When the song ended and he said, “Let’s go,” all she could do was nod.

She didn’t even think much about it when she saw the anger on Jamie Fisher’s face as she watched the two of them leave the dance floor hand-in-hand.

It had been hard for Nathan to rein in his desire —
hard
being the operative word — but he was determined to do that thing that Townshend loved. However, he had to act fast.

He reached for her as soon as they cleared the door. Though she had never said so, he knew how much it excited her when he rose against her. He parted her coat and brought her pelvis to his just in time.

She let out a low moan and rolled her hips against his, teasing him to his full length. “I love to feel you go hard. It makes me think it’s really all mine, all because of me.”

“It is.” His voice was rough and trembling. “It always has been. No matter who I was with, it was always you.”

Her breath caught and she buried her face in his neck. “Missed you. Hurts to miss you.”

“I know,” he admitted. “We’ll do better.”

She unfastened his belt and then his zipper. “Is this doing better?” she asked as she reached inside and stroked.

“Better all the time.” He pushed her dress up and her panties down. When he parted her folds and lightly stroked her with his fingertips, she shattered against him.

“Did you always come so easily for everyone?”

“I’ve never come for anyone except you.” Her voice was full of sweetness and passion, but her words stopped him cold.

“Never? You had never had an orgasm?” God help him, selfish as that was, he wanted to believe it. But believing Townshend was hard.

“Only under my own power and only with you on my mind.”

Her hands went still as he pulled back and looked at her. Was this true or was it just sexy talk in the midst of passion? There must have been questions in his eyes because she nodded her head.

“It’s true, Nathan, whether you will ever believe me or not. I did some things I am not proud of for a while, but it never came to anything and it was always you. I have tried to tell you that — ”

This was too close to talking about what was, and he could not do that no matter how much she wanted it. Looking back and reevaluating only helped in football, where there were concrete errors that could be corrected. Tearing apart past hurts only made it worse. And he didn’t want this to be worse. He wanted it to work out; he wanted
her
.

He covered her mouth with his and nestled her sweet moistness against him. He would make her come one more time before taking her to the bedroom.

Then they had all night.

• • •

Tolly had always known there was nothing like October sunshine, but she’d never seen it as glorious as it was this morning, shining down on Nathan’s sleeping face. He was so beautiful.

And she was in trouble. Last night, she had told herself that it was just about the sex — that they could have sex and she could send him on his way. But she had never told him to go — never wanted to.

She could still make him leave. She should wake him and do that. It would be best for both of them. It would be best for Kirby. He worshipped Nathan and, though he never said anything, she knew he’d been a little too pleased about their relationship. Correction — former, barely started, quickly derailed relationship. Of course, Kirby had not picked up on the fact that the relationship was derailed. She had been planning to tell him after the Homecoming madness had passed.

Nathan stirred but he didn’t quite wake up.

Of course, maybe she wouldn’t have to tell him to go. Maybe it was all about sex for him, in spite of his heart drawing and almost sweet words. Maybe he never intended anything except to get laid and get on with his day. That would be best.

But if she was going to be totally honest, his leaving wouldn’t help, whether it was by his own volition or if she threw him out. Spending the whole night together is what got her in trouble. It was the first time that had happened since that one and only time in his dorm so long ago.

The night she had fallen in love with him.

And here she was again. What was it about lying all night in his arms that turned her inside out? They’d woken over and over again, sometimes to make love, sometimes to cuddle and kiss. Once, she’d woken just enough to realize that he was tucking the covers around her, caring for her. Then he’d pressed a soft little kiss to her temple.

And as spectacular as the sex was — and there was no denying that — it was the cuddling and the kissing and the caring that was her undoing.

And the looking at him now. Arianna might not have been anything of a mother, but she had given him her beauty. He could have been a model too — like he’d ever let anyone dress and groom him and take his picture. The thought of that made her smile.

He stirred again and she stroked his hair until he settled again. He needed to sleep, even if it was almost ten o’clock. He was so tired — would have been tired, even without the undercover workout last night.

And what a workout it had been. She would miss it — and there was no doubt she’d have to. In a moment of weakness last night, she had told him she missed him, that it hurt to miss him. He’d said they would do better.

But how could they when he wouldn’t talk about the past, didn’t trust her, maybe didn’t even like her very much? As long as he slept, she wouldn’t have to decide what was next. Kirby wouldn’t be home until late this afternoon. Maybe Nathan could sleep until then — or even after. Kirby never went in her room. They had left Nathan’s truck at the school last night. No one would know he was here. She could shut the door and maybe Nathan would sleep around the clock. She could climb back in bed with him tonight and —

An alien ringtone ripped through the air. Crap almighty! She should have turned off his phone.

He sat bolt upright.

“Don’t answer that!” she hissed.

He gave her a look that clearly said,
Why the hell not?
and picked it up.

“Hello,” he said. “Oh, that late, huh? I’m not going to make it. Yeah. Later.”

“I told you not to answer that!” she whispered.

“Why the hell not?” he whispered back as he turned on his side, propped himself on his elbow, and rested his cheek on his fist. As he settled, a little flash of pain crossed his face. Probably his knee, but she couldn’t ask. The knee was off limits. She’d touched and kissed every inch of him last night — except the knee. When her fingers had lightly brushed against it once, he’d caught her hand and brought it to his chest. And it wasn’t as if her light touch caused him physical pain. Clearly, his injured knee wasn’t allowed to be part of the picture when they were together.

“And why are you whispering?” he stage whispered.

“I don’t know,” she said in a normal voice. But she did know. She wanted their world to remain quiet and calm, something they never seemed to manage for more than a few minutes. “Who was on the phone?”

“Harris,” he said around a yawn. “I am supposed to be playing golf with him, Brantley, and Luke. Obviously, I am not.” He ran his hand over the yawn escaping from his mouth.

“Harris? As in my cousin? I don’t want him to know you are here!”

“Yes, your cousin. The only Harris I know. And he
doesn’t
know where I am. Nor does he care. I realize if you were a no show for something, those women would descend in a swarm looking for answers and making up stories. But men aren’t like that. Harris only cares that I am not at the golf course and he doesn’t care about that much.”

She stretched and the blanket slipped. He shuddered and pulled it over her again.

“Cover yourself, woman. I can’t see your nakedness this morning.”

“Some people might be insulted by that statement.”

“Some people might, but if you don’t cover yourself, I am very much afraid that I might lose sight of the fact that we are out of condoms.”

Out of condoms
. She had never considered that. Something stirred in her womb — something primal and scary. She had never thought much about babies — never longed for them the way Missy and Lanie did. But now — looking at this man’s perfectly molded chest, tousled hair, and sleepy brown eyes, something raw and basic shot through her. What would it be like to carry a part of him inside her? To present him with another human being who carried his DNA? She could see him cradling that baby in his arms, looking at it like it was the only thing in the world, loving it.

Trouble was, she couldn’t see him feeling that way about her.

Her face went hot.

He laughed and placed two fingers under her chin. “There it is! That little blush!” He let his thumb slide down her jaw.

She had to get out of this bed. Unless she missed her guess, he had just decided to go for some fun and release that did not require a condom. And the way she was feeling right now, she might urge him on until —

Well, she couldn’t do that.

She rose and pulled her robe on.

“Aw,” he said and reached out his hand toward her.

“I’ve got to get going. I haven’t done one thing about getting my Halloween costume together,” she said.

Resigned, he sat on the side of the bed and began to flex his knee.

“Costume?” He smiled in spite of the slight grimace of pain on his face. “I like the sound of that. Any chance there’s a latex jumpsuit involved?”

What? “No!” She laughed. “There most assuredly is not. I am thinking more brown leotard.”