Erin wished the entire night was just a bad dream. She went over every second in her head searching for signs she might have missed that Will was playing her for a fool. He had looked at her as if she were the only woman in the world. Something special had happened when they kissed.
Hadn’t it?
He could have really had an emergency. One that prevented him from waking her to explain before he’d left. Not sneaked out because he was ashamed, regretful or disgusted by what happened.
She made coffee; the K-Cup she’d put in the machine the night before sat unused, and she tried not to think about the reason she never made the coffe.
Hard to not think of that when her body was still deliciously sore. She’d showered and put on pajamas, but she wasn’t in the mood to leave her apartment. She wouldn’t call him, either. Demand to know why he left. Ask pitifully when...if he would be back.
She picked up her phone and called Kelly. Will mentioned an emergency, which meant Kelly should have information.
Kelly answered after four rings. “Hey, what’s up?”
“You didn’t have to send Will to check on me,” Erin said. Hey, I spent the night being turned out by your brother didn’t seem like a good greeting.
“Sorry. I couldn’t help it. You seemed nervous,” Kelly said, not sounding the least bit apologetic.
“I wasn’t nervous. We were just hanging out.” She had been very nervous and excited about going out with Jared. Now she could barely picture his face. Damn, Will and his magic stick!
“With a guy you have been checking out for weeks,” Kelly teased. “I knew Will would help snap you out of it.”
Understatement of the century.
“So, how was it? Was he good?” Kelly asked eagerly.
For a second Erin’s face burned as she thought about how damn good Will had been. But quickly shook her head. Kelly wouldn’t be talking about that. “What?”
“Jared. Your date. Was he okay?”
Erin let out a sigh of regret. “No. He canceled.” Things would have gone so much better if he hadn’t canceled.
“Oh no! That sucks. Please tell me you didn’t spend the night eating cookies and watching Netflix.”
Definitely not that. She should have done that instead. “Actually, Will helped me out. He had tickets to Slam! and took me to see the show. Instead of a boring night in, I had...a lot of fun.” She swallowed hard as her body heated. Her nipples tightened as if Will were still there waiting to give them attention, and desire spread between her legs.
Kelly was quiet for a few moments. “Really? That’s...surprising.”
“Why?”
“He was looking forward to meeting up with some model at a party later. He couldn’t wait to hook up with her.”
Erin’s stomach clenched. “He didn’t mention a model, just a party.”
“Oh wait,” Kelly said as if she just had a terrible thought. Dread lacing her voice. “He didn’t try to hit on you?”
Erin’s stomach clenched. “Why would you say that?”
“I was giving him a hard time about not wanting to check in on you because you’re the one woman who doesn’t turn into a puddle when he smiles at you. He knows you don’t fall for his lines. Then he was all, ‘That’s only because I never really tried.’ Please tell me he didn’t try.”
Erin’s world tilted and spun; she felt sick. More than nausea. A soul-deep infection she wasn’t sure had a cure. Because he never really tried?
“He tried,” Erin said, infusing her voice with but-I-wasn’t-that-stupid tone. She rubbed her forehead.
Kelly laughed. “Oh my God. I wish I could have seen his face when you shut him down. I told him you wouldn’t fall for his mess. Was he really dumb?”
One of them had been. “Yeah...really stupid. What kind of idiot does he take me for?” She forced a chuckle. Her eyes burned.
Oh, he took her for an idiot. One he’d taken three times. Four if she counted the way his mouth had made her come.
“Girl. I’m so glad you’re smarter than that.” The relief in Kelly’s voice made Erin’s cheeks burn. “You know how Will hit on my college roommate. Homegirl swore she was all in love with him and then they were done in less than a month. Even worse, she fell for his ‘we can still be friends’ line. I don’t know what Will did to her, but she’s still sending him Christmas cards. Even though she won’t talk to me.” Resentment crept into Kelly’s voice. “That’s why I know you’re my friend, Erin. You aren’t crazy enough to jump in bed with Will and hate me because he played you. Other women may fall, but you’re my girl. Always there for me and not to get a piece of my brother, who followed in my famous father’s footsteps. I won’t lose you because Will doesn’t know how to commit.”
Erin looked up at the sky and prayed for a lightning bolt to strike her immediately. No, she needed a time-traveling device and the lightning bolt to strike her when Will kissed her at her door. She could never tell Kelly what happened, and what happened could never happen again. If Will had been up-front, not fed her all those lies about the times he’d wanted her over the years, she wouldn’t feel like a fool. But he had. He’d played her, and even though she knew he was never serious, she’d fallen for the lines. No, she’d damn near pushed herself into his arms. She could never trust him again.
“Don’t worry about that, Kelly. Losing me to your brother is something that will never happen.”
Will checked his watch and tapped his foot on the floor of the Gators’ auditorium-style conference room. He was tired from basically no sleep and catching a last-second flight back to Jacksonville to rush home. The Gators’ public relations director had sent every member of the team the message to return, which was followed up by messages from Coach Simpson to get their asses back here immediately.
For the hundredth time he wondered if he should have woken Erin up and explained before leaving. For the hundredth time he knew he hadn’t been ready to face her. Something happened last night. Something more than just amazing sex. Something easy to not think about when she was in his arms, but much harder to face the next day.
He felt like he’d run into an electric fence. Zapped to the depths of his soul. Being with Erin made him want to stay wrapped in her arms forever. Which brought to mind ideas of forever. Which then sparked a need to run a thousand miles away. He had to sort through his feelings, what he wanted next, the ramifications of having the one woman who would expect more from him than a casual affair in his bed.
He shifted irritably in his chair. A large hand slapped his shoulder. Will glanced up as his teammate and friend Jacobe Jacobs moved to the seat next to his.
“Any idea what’s happening with this?” Jacobe asked.
Will shook his head and got his mind off the mess he’d left in Chicago. “No clue. Just the same cryptic summons home that you got.”
He glanced at the rest of his team filing into the room. As always, disappointment weighed him down. They’d lost one of the key members of the team last year when Kevin Kouky retired. Will understood why Kevin had stepped away from playing, but the loss was felt every time the team was together. Kevin had been one of the oldest members of the team, which meant his experience had also set him up as a leader. A role that no one had yet to fill.
There was another teammate Will didn’t see after everyone entered the room. “Hey Isaiah, where’s Mike?”
Isaiah Reynolds had taken the other empty seat next to Will. Isaiah glanced around the room, frowned and shrugged.
“No idea. I haven’t talked to him since the game on Thursday,” Isaiah answered.
That was surprising. Isaiah and Kevin had been close friends, and Mike, who’d tried to come in and fill the space Kevin left, so much so he’d damn near campaigned to be listed a team captain, had also jockeyed to be Isaiah’s new best friend.
Isaiah shook his head. “I would have thought he’d be the first one here.”
“You’re right about that,” Jacobe said. “He’s been trying to get on the good side of all of the upper management.”
Further conversation was interrupted by Coach Simpson and the head of public relations entering the conference room. The faint hum of conversation ended, and everyone looked to Coach. His grim expression sent dread through Will’s body.
“I want to thank you all for coming so quickly today,” Coach said in a strong, booming voice. “The news is going to hit this afternoon, but we wanted to get the entire team here together before the media circus started.”
Media circus? Will looked to Jacobe and Isaiah, but they wore the same confused expression as him. A rumble went through the room. Questions about “what news?” rose to the top.
Coach Simpson held up his hand and silenced everyone. “Last night Mike Smith was at a party. An argument started, and a fight ensued. One person was killed. Mike was arrested and will be charged with murder.”
“What the f—” Will’s outburst was cut off by similar loud exclamations from the other members of the team.
Will looked around the room. His head spinning. Mike was extra, but he was levelheaded on most days. Not only that, he was a key component of the team. Murder? Had the guy really killed someone?
“Quiet down.” Coach’s sharp voice cracked like a whip through the noise. The questions lowered to a low grumbling. “I know you’ve got questions. We’ve all got questions. Questions I can’t answer. The team has controlled the story for now, but it’s going to hit in a few hours and the media are going to eat it up. That along with some of the other incidents related to the team in recent years have made management question the way this team is handled.”
Jacobe sat up straighter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Coach answered, “they don’t think you have good leadership.” He held up his hand as the rumblings began again. “Stop it. It doesn’t matter right now. We can’t hide the facts. We’ve had fights on the court, fights between teammates and incidents of indiscretion in the news. There isn’t a lot we can argue about the behavior of the players on this team.”
Jacobe and Isaiah both shifted uncomfortably in their seats. They weren’t the only guys who’d had situations come up over the past few years. There were a lot of guys going through life changes, and some of those changes were messy and complicated. Just what the media loved to eat up.
“Are they getting rid of you, Coach?” Will asked. The true question on everyone’s mind.
“That’s what I’m trying to stop. And it’s why I have Rebecca here from PR. We’ve got a plan, one you aren’t going to like, but if you want to make this team successful after all the changes we’ve had, then I suggest you shut up and listen.”
Rebecca Force stepped forward. Will should have known things were bad if she was called in. Rebecca only showed up when there was a problem that couldn’t be fixed with just a well-worded statement and a few public appearances. Will’s stomach sank. He wasn’t going to like this.
“The team is going into a soft lockdown,” Rebecca said. “Which means no parties, no clubs, no travel that isn’t sanctioned or approved by the team. There will be a series of events scheduled for the Gators that will focus on conflict resolution, building successful working relationships and communication, along with team-building exercises.”
Several teammates protested. Will wanted to join in. No travel unless sanctioned. He needed to get back to Chicago. He hadn’t figured out what would happen with him and Erin, but he owed her a face-to-face conversation. Not just a phone call.
“I’m sorry, guys, but this is where we’re at,” Rebecca continued. “Obviously, we’ve got some things we need to work out internally and externally. The Gators organization is committed to meeting the needs of our players, coaches and staff. We are a championship organization, and if we want to remain a championship organization, then we have to act like one.”
Will raised a hand. “How long will this last?”
“Effective immediately,” Rebecca said. “We will see how things go over the next few weeks before All-Star Weekend. Then we’ll review the lockdown after that. If we need to keep it in play until the playoffs, we will.”
“I know this is hard,” Coach jumped in. “But one of our guys is accused of murder. Murder. That’s serious. This isn’t something to play around with, and we don’t need any other situations to pop up this season. Not if we want another win. If you don’t like it, then you need to think about the reasons why.”
Several guys spoke up. Complained about plans they’d made, the loss of their freedom, how they shouldn’t be punished for Mike’s mistakes. Will heard and understood every protest. He also understood the position the team was in. He enjoyed his lifestyle as much as anyone else, but he also wanted another ring. The championship trophy.
“Guys, settle down,” Will called out. He stood and faced the rest of his team. “Yeah, I know this sucks, but they’re only talking about until the All-Star Weekend. After that, maybe this thing with Mike will die down.”
“Yeah, but they’re restricting our travel. I’ve got ladies waiting on my visits,” Tyler Jenkins said, brushing imaginary dirt off his shoulder.
“You think I don’t understand?” Will said, pointing to his chest. Tyler and the rest of the guys laughed. “Look, guys, we’re trying to make it to the playoffs. We’re two-time champions. I don’t know about you, but I want number three.”
He held up three fingers. A rumble of agreement went through the group. Will shrugged and looked at his teammates.
“This thing with Mike is going to be a shitstorm. We’ve got to work together, focus on winning, not get caught up in what happens when his trial starts. Let’s just see how the soft lockdown works, and then we’ll go from there after All-Star Weekend.” Will turned and looked at Coach and Rebecca. “Right?”
Rebecca smiled and nodded. “Right.”
Coach’s brows drew together, but if Will wasn’t fooling himself he swore there was also pride in his eyes. “You’re right.”
“All right,” Will agreed. He looked back at the team. “Let’s do this.”
The meeting ended soon after. Rebecca stuck around to answer more questions. Both Isaiah and Jacobe bumped fists with him.
“Good speech, man,” Jacobe said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you sounded like a coach.”
Will grinned and lightly tapped Jacobe’s shoulder with his fist. “Just trying to settle things down.”
The team slowly began to file out of the room. He had been trying to settle everyone down, but there was one thing Will couldn’t walk away from. If there was a snowball’s chance in hell that Coach would let him get back to Chicago to talk to Erin, he had to try to take it.
Will caught Coach Simpson before he left the locker room. “Coach, this team-sanctioned travel. How do I get approval for that?”
Coach’s gray brows drew together. “You put in a request first through me, and if I agree then I run it up through PR for final approval.”
Will rubbed his hands together. Thinking about the best way to request a travel excuse after just getting the rest of the team to accept the lockdown. “You see, I’ve got to get back to Chicago.”
“What for?”
“There’s this woman...” And what happened between us last night is something that changed my world and I need to know why.
Coach shook his head before Will could finish speaking. “Hell no. I’m not approving travel so you can go get laid.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like? Unless something changed in seventy-two hours you were not in a serious relationship and were looking forward to a weekend in the arms of supermodel Vanessa Collum, am I right?”
Will ran a hand across the back of his neck. “Yeah, but something did change. I ran into an old friend.”
“No. You work your player magic another time.”
“But she won’t understand.”
“Then make her. You’re the one who always has the women eating whatever you dish up.” Coach slapped his shoulder. “Look, Will, the way you got the team to calm down speaks a lot. They wouldn’t have accepted that speech from a lot of members of the team.”
“I didn’t do anything special. I’m looking out for the team.”
“And that’s what makes a great leader. Someone who looks at the big picture and can help people get to the end goal. Will, I was going to tell you this later, but the thing with Mike messed up the announcement. The votes are in and you’re the person chosen to lead the Eastern Conference team All-Star Weekend.”
Will stumbled back as if Coach had pushed him. “There has to be a mistake. I’m no leader.”
Coach raised a brow. “Are you sure? Because the way you settled the team says otherwise.” He squeezed Will’s shoulder again. “You can make up with your lady friend later. Today, lead by example. Show the team you’re not just words.”
Will watched Coach walk away with a mixture of frustration, disappointment and elation. Leader of the Eastern Conference team. That position was a voted position. He never would have thought other players, players not on his team, would think he was the best choice. Despite all the work he’d done toward the championship win last year. He’d only scored the winning shot, that was all. He wouldn’t have gotten the MVP vote if it wasn’t for that.
Still, he was honored. He would have to lead by example, and for once he didn’t mind giving up something. He only hoped Erin understood.
When you meet her, it’ll hit you like a two-ton bull and you’ll know she’s the one.
The words his dad had told him when Will asked how he’d known their mom was the woman he’d marry. His dad had played four seasons in the league before meeting and settling down. He’d been happily married and faithful for twenty-eight years. When his mom died unexpectedly, his dad had spent the first year in a depression and the past year partying like he had before his marriage.
He hadn’t believed his dad when he’d said he’d know when he met the right woman. Until last night. When he’d felt like he’d been hit by a two-ton bull.
Could Erin really be the one? After all the years of knowing her?
He left the conference room and slipped into one of the quieter meeting spaces. He pulled out his phone and called Erin.
“Hello, Will.” Erin’s voice was cold and unwelcoming.
Will frowned. He’d expected something a lot warmer in her greeting after the night they’d had. “Erin, hey, did you get my note?”
“I did.”
“Look, this team emergency is bigger than I expected. It’ll hit the media in a few so I won’t go into the details, but I’m on lockdown. I can’t make it back to Chicago.”
“Oh, you were planning to come back?” she said, as if the idea were novel.
“Yeah, I was coming back.”
“I thought you had achieved your goal and were done with me.”
“My goal? What are you talking about?”
“You know what you told Kelly. That you could seduce me if you really tried. You won. No need to return.”
Damn! He balled a fist and pressed it against the wall. He’d forgotten all about that conversation with Kelly. “Last night wasn’t about that.”
“Sure it wasn’t, Will.”
“Erin, I’m serious. Last night was special. You can’t tell me you didn’t feel that.”
“What I can tell you is that last night won’t ever happen again,” she said in an even, fury-filled voice. “You’ve gotten what you wanted. You were able to seduce me with wine and a few lies.”
The cold fury in her voice was like a knife in his gut. “Those weren’t lies.”
“Don’t try to smooth this over. I know what you’re about. I knew what I was doing. Part of life is making mistakes and having regrets.”
“Don’t regret what happened.” He didn’t regret what happened. Couldn’t possibly think of regretting it.
“Don’t call me anymore, Will,” she said at the same time.
He felt as if he were trying to grasp smoke in his hands. He could feel her slipping away with every crisply spoken word. “Come on, don’t be that way.”
“And you don’t pretend as if you want something serious with me. I was foolish enough to fall for your lines last night, but I’m not that foolish today. The only thing I ask is that you don’t tell Kelly. I don’t want anyone to know about last night. I know you’ll lose bragging rights, but maybe you can at least be decent with me on that.”
“Erin, wait—”
“Goodbye, Will. Lose my number.”
She ended the call. Will stared at his phone. He tried to shake off the loss he felt. Tried to reassure himself that he, Will Hampton, ladies’ man and perfect playboy, wasn’t feeling a sharp pain in his chest.
He shook off the feeling. He’d get her back. This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be. Not when he’d finally recognized the jewel who’d been sitting right in front of him for years.