Page 71 of The Game

I gave a small smile as I fumbled my key into the ignition. "That's doing plenty. And I'll be thanking you forever. I've gotta drive now."

I pulled the car out of the drive and turned for the A roads that would take me to Kennington and the Oval. Once I’d been waved in by a security guard who gave me a badge for my car after ticking my name off a list, I found a parking space and worked my way to the main entrance. Justine Basset was waiting for me by the desk and quickly helped me get cleared by security. I already knew we were roughly the same age, we'd played against each other a few times over the years, but this was the first time we'd been on the same team. Justine was also on the Girls Academy training squad, and I knew we would get along just fine. "Lyssa, this is such a rush, we are going to have a great time."

I breathed out a sigh that had a tinge of nervousness around its edges. I hadn't even felt nervous walking into that man’s changing room the first day at the Red Cats. Why I felt nervous now was ridiculous—this was what I knew, it was in the fibre of my body right down to my soul. "I'm hoping I'm still up to it. I've been out for a year."

"Rubbish, from what I've heard you showed them all how to do it right on that T20 team." She handed me a locker key and a security pass.

"How do you know that?" I asked. The cricket community was tight, but why they'd been talking about me, someone who had only been a fitness coach for the last season was beyond me. My days of glory for England were far behind me, which meant that gossip tended to be trained on others now, thank goodness.

Justine groaned. "The men have some new members today. There's been a lot of talk. I tell you, sharing a facility with those gossiping women is painful on all levels."

My eyes narrowed. "Talk?" But even as I said the word I caught a flash of gold out of the corner of my eye and unable to hold myself I spun towards the sight.

There he was, his exquisite eyes trained on me and a smile twitching the corner of his lips as he pretended to listen to the person next to him.

I shattered into a million pieces. All the effort that I’d made fixing myself shattered into scattered pieces as I stared at that man. The man, who by hook or crook had become everything to me. The man who had walked away for the game.

The room began to buzz. "What's he doing here?"

Justine followed my glance. "Oh, Jase, it's his first day with the team today too."

"As captain?" I asked. My brain couldn't turn all this over quick enough.

"Captain? No, not at all."

He was moving towards me, his fingers catching hold of my elbow, electric tingles zapped along my skin. "Rivers."

"Willis."

And that was all I had.

He turned his brilliant gaze onto Justine. "Do you mind if I speak to Miss Rivers here for a moment?" His tone made it clear that even if she did mind it wouldn't make the blindest bit of difference, he was going to do whatever the hell he wanted.

I pulled my hand out of his grasp. "No, no, I've got to go and meet the team." I straightened myself up, so he didn't tower over me. That tick afflicted his lip again.

"Sure."

Justine pulled me away, marching me down the corridor. He called after me, "I'll catch you later, Rivers." And I knew he would. There wasn’t a question in his voice, it was a statement.

Justine's eyes were bulging out of her head. "Oh my god, is it true about you two?"

Internally I died into a little ball. This was terrible. I was going to break a contract by association. Hell, I hadn’t even read the contract, again. What was wrong with me?

I kept on walking, although my feet dragged all the way to the girls changing room.

"It's a total drag having to share with the boys," Justine was telling me. "But they can be a good laugh as well."

I wanted to snort, but I held it in. I could assure her that there was one guy on that team who was no fun to be around at all.

Was he? Was he?

The whole way through our initial team chat I could see him on the other side of the training zone, his hair burning in the September sun and a smile spread across his face. I never caught him looking at me, but I knew he was. I could feel it.

Eventually, because I didn't want to bomb out with my new team on the first day, I turned my back and focused. And then I worked harder than I had in a long time. "Thought you were injured," Justine called as I powered past her in a sprint.

"Seems to be better." A laugh ripped through my chest, and I just kept on running, pulling my Surrey cap over my eyes to shield my face from the sun.

After training, I was the last one left in the changing room, struggling my damp skin back into some shorts and a vest, when the door creaked open. "I'll be done in a moment, sorry I'm taking so long," I called.