Page 46 of The Linebacker

Sixteen

They drove separately to the practice facility. It was Diana’s suggestion. Today was a light day for Amil—post-game meeting and a workout—while she had no idea how long she’d be holed up with Jeff and Emma, reviewing pictures, discussing which ones to use and how best to use them. She could be there for forty minutes, or it could take four hours.

And maybe she needed a minute alone to attempt to find her bearings. Maybe she was feeling a little…yeah, she had no idea what she was feeling.

It wasn’t bad, though.

None of it was bad.

Last night had been fabulous. This morning had been mind-blowing. And then there was the protein-rich breakfast and full to-go cup of coffee she didn’t have to make. And let’s not forget the easy conversation, light flirting, and then, just before he was about to open the door so they could both leave, he pressed her against the wall and gave her a kiss that made her knees weak and had her reconsidering how much she truly needed to go into the office today.

So far, nothing about this second time around had been bad. She wasn’t a fool, though, so she wasn’t hearing wedding bells like she knew damn well her mother and sister and grandmother would be by this point.

Last night showed her that she didn’t need to be a one-and-done kind of girl. She could enjoy repeat performances with Amil without losing her head.

Which was quite the wonderful revelation, because she was already counting down the minutes until they could be alone together again. Naked.

They arrived at the facility at the same time, of course. Amil guided his truck into the space next to the one she’d claimed.

They walked side by side into the building. Her smile was probably wider than usual. Amil was definitely strutting.

But it wasn’t like they had scarlet letters seared to their foreheads.

And yet, when Jalen stepped out into the hallway and took one look at them, his jovial smile slid off his face and was replaced with a scowl.

Under his breath, Amil muttered, “Shit.”

Diana pretended she didn’t think anything was wrong. There shouldn’t be. Jalen and Amil had become friends. Jalen had stopped following her around like a lonely puppy.

And again, no scarlet letters in sight.

Amil paused at the entrance to the theater room where the team would review tape and discuss yesterday’s game. Diana could hear chatter coming from inside.

She kept walking without acknowledging either man, which was probably a mistake. Under normal circumstances, she’d have smiled and bid them both a good day.

She turned around so she could do so belatedly and watched Jalen slam his shoulder into Amil’s as Amil tried to walk past into the theater room. Jalen caught her eye, narrowed his, and shit, why did she feel like she’d been caught sneaking in through her bedroom window well after curfew?

Or, more accurately, she was hurtled right back to that morning after what was supposed to be her and Amil’s only night together, when that elevator door opened and Jalen was standing there.

And there was that guilt she’d been waiting for. That sensation that she should not have crossed this line with Amil. She was supposed to be a one-and-done girl.

Clearly, the family curse was manifesting in a different way, since she’d never given it the opportunity to manifest in the way it preferred.

Yes, she recognized how insane that sounded, but she could not stop her mind from spiraling. Everything had been so damn perfect, and she’d gone and fucked it up by giving in to her deepest, most desperate desires, and now the team was not going to be nearly as cohesive as they’d been at yesterday’s game.

It was her fault.

Amil, of course, would insist it was his fault. He’d shown up on her doorstep, suddenly homeless, and he’d argue that he pressured her into letting him crash on her couch in exchange for homemade breakfast each morning.

But she was the one who said yes to his offer. She could have turned him away. He would have left without a word. And he would have been fine. He and Patches both.

Damn it.

This was exactly why she had come up with that one-and-done rule in the first place. Feelings were messy; they led one to make bad decisions.

“Hey, there you are.”

Diana blinked rapidly until Emma came into focus, standing in the hall, holding two to-go cups and grinning. “Caramel cold brew, right?” she said. “That’s the way to my new boss’s heart?”