Blindsided (7 page)

She wasn’t his girlfriend. Hell, they weren’t even friends exactly, yet he was anxious to return to their table, to get a feel for what she was thinking about their duet. He’d been mesmerized by her, transported into another world as they’d sang that song together. Even weirder, he’d felt as if they’d been connected in some inexplicable way he’d never experienced before, and damn it, he wanted to feel that connection again.

Had their song affected her as much as it had him?

He felt Emma’s eyes on his back and imagined her sipping on her Pepsi, while he worked his charm on the crowd, shaking hands, making small talk, and signing autographs. He might be a crappy NFL quarterback, but around here he was still king because of his national championship with the hometown college team and a reason why he desperately wanted to stay in Seattle. Any other town would’ve ridden him out on a rail his rookie season but Seattle still loved him. Tanner could think of nothing worse in his life than not being adored. While his brother Isaac didn’t give a shit what people thought of him, Tanner was the exact opposite. He needed the adulation, the attention, and the praise because without it, he might just disappear inside himself and become as worthless and insignificant as his father insisted he was.

Finally Tanner sank his tired ass into the chair next to her. He ordered some nachos and another beer. Leaning his chin on his hands, he studied Emma. Damn, she was gorgeous. Whenever he looked at her, he felt this instant pull of attraction. He’d been attracted to countless women before, but Emma was different. He wanted to talk, hang out with her, know more about her. For him, that was different.

“Do you think we’ll be all over the Internet?” Emma asked, as she shredded a paper coaster.

Tanner was used to being all over the internet, so he hadn’t given it much thought, other than he was behaving for once, which should make team management happy.

“Hope so. It’s been a while since I’ve gone viral, especially when I’m staying out of trouble.”

“Are you usually in trouble?” she asked him, her blue eyes full of concern, which gave him a warm feeling deep in his normally cold, barren gut.

People didn’t care about him. His family sure as hell didn’t. His girlfriends used him to garner attention, just like he used them. His team used him to win games, at which he’d been a colossal failure, winning only six games in his two-year pro career. Sure, the Steelheads had a lousy defense. Sure, he had no offensive line and spent most of his time running for his life. But ultimately, it was all on the quarterback. A good quarterback knew how to win and elevate the play of the team around him. Tanner had done the opposite.

“I am right now.” Tanner dropped his fake smile. Somehow he didn’t believe Emma bought it.

“Why?” She leaned forward, her expression earnest, as if his answer really mattered.

“The new ownership is family-oriented, and I’ve been more of an R-rated quarterback than a G-rated one.” Tanner shook his head as he recalled all of his past stunts, such as swimming naked with one of his celebrity girlfriends in a public fountain or getting into a drunken brawl in a New York bar. Just a few in a long list of infractions Carson most likely had stored on that ever-present iPad of his.

“Carson’s a little rigid, but he’s fair.”

Tanner couldn’t exactly deny that fact. After all, the team still had faith in him when he wasn’t sure he had faith in himself. “I don’t think singing karaoke with a beautiful woman will be an issue. You were fully dressed. It was a decent song. I was behaving.” Okay, except for the kiss, but even the kiss had been G-rated, not a lot of tongue, a gentle touch of the lips between friends.

Right, like he kissed his friends all the time.

Emma looked down, as if she’d read his mind.

“Emma?”

She looked up, her eyes full of worry. “I didn’t want my family to know that I came here.”

Oh, hell. He’d forgotten all about her secret. He was a selfish ass. He hadn’t thought about the repercussions this might cause for her. He’d only thought about himself and looking good to management. But would he? Would Carson be pissed because his bad-boy quarterback was messing with good-girl Emma? Emma lived on their farm and obviously the families were all tied together. Even Tanner was tied to them via his estranged brother and Emma’s sister.

Tanner rubbed a hand over his face. Would they jump to conclusions? Assume he was seducing Emma to get under Isaac’s skin? He’d made no secret of how much he disliked Isaac.

What kind of a mess had he created for Emma with his thoughtless actions and one small kiss?

Lately Tanner couldn’t do anything right, and now he’d caused trouble for the nicest, sweetest woman he knew.

She didn’t deserve that or him.

Yet, he wasn’t sure his guilt would be enough to keep him away. He’d had a taste of her, and now he wanted to feast on the entire banquet.

Resistance wasn’t in his vocabulary when it came to Emma.

Life didn’t get any better than this—or any worse. Emma knew it was only a matter of time before the sisters heard about Tanner and her. Yet, his hand in hers as he walked her to her car in a dark corner of the parking lot made it hard for her to care what her sisters thought.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she turned to him as soon as she unlocked the door, tilting her head in invitation. He gazed down into her eyes, his hands on either side of her face. She shivered, even though it was a balmy evening. He did things to her. Not that she was surprised. She’d always thought it would be like this between them.

“I didn’t mean to cause trouble for you tonight,” he said with absolute sincerity, searching her eyes for answers to questions he hadn’t asked. His hands dropped to her shoulders, and he didn’t kiss her. She looked away, attempting to hide her disappointment.

“I’m a big girl, I can handle it.” She faked a smile, pretending everything was fine, but his frown indicated he wasn’t convinced.

Emma’s phone started vibrating, and she glanced down at it.

Way to go, Little Sis!
From Bella.

Call me. NOW!
From Avery.

We need to talk.
From Izzy.

Tanner glanced down at his own phone as it dinged.

“You too?” Emma asked.

Tanner nodded, almost smiling. “I think Izzy wants to castrate me, and I’m pretty sure Ice and Coop will hold me down while she does it, and she’ll use a dull knife.”

“We didn’t do anything. Not really. I mean, not this time.” Emma ducked her head, hating that she blushed whenever she thought of that night two weeks ago.

“Emma,” he said, his voice deep and husky, “it’s not that I don’t want to do something with you because I do.” He gently pushed her against the car, hemming her in with his body as he pressed his erection against her belly.

Emma gasped when he rubbed his stubbled cheek across hers. His mouth found hers, and his intoxicating touch destroyed her restraint more than any alcohol ever had. She clutched his upper arms and kissed him back, doing her best to demonstrate how much he meant to her. He had her heart in his hands and had since she was a naïve seventeen-year-old, fresh from a catastrophic break up which had destroyed her at the time. Now she was letting a man she barely knew do the same thing to her again. Would she ever learn?

On the verge of succumbing once again to his undeniable charm and persuasive kisses, Emma dug deep for a smidgeon of sanity, grasped it, and held on. She ducked under his arm and out of his reach.

“We can’t do this again,” she said with more conviction than she felt.

Frowning, Tanner took a step or two back. His arms fell to his sides; pure puzzlement creased his brow and put a grim frown on his face. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost think her rejection bothered him. Most likely it wounded his relatively large ego. Emma might be a romantic, and she might have romantic fantasies about Tanner, but she was also practical and careful.

“I—I thought you wanted this, too?” He rubbed his hands over his face, a now familiar sign of frustration.

“I do, but I can’t. If I give in, I’ll lose all self-respect. I have a—a vow—to myself.” And she was telling him this why?

Tanner frowned and narrowed his gaze. “A vow?”

“Yes, a vow,” Emma hedged, reluctant to explain something so personal.

“Like a marriage vow?” He threw back his head and laughed.

“Exactly like that.” Emma didn’t laugh. She pursed her lips and glared at him, humiliated and irritated.

“What?” He stopped laughing and levelled a dissecting glare at her.

She turned to the car and reached for the door handle. He covered her hand with his, his body pressed against hers, his lips inches from her cheek. Emma’s breath hitched, and she fought to keep her sanity. Tanner knew what he was doing. Thinking of all those times she’d been teased unmercifully by friends and family for her old-fashioned ideals and romantic tendencies, she gathered her indignance around her, knowing Tanner was paying for everyone else’s good-natured ribbing.

“Yes, marriage. I’m saving myself for marriage.”

If Tanner had been told he’d just been traded to New England in exchange for Tom Brady, he couldn’t have looked more shocked. “Are—are you a—a—”

“Virgin?” He couldn’t seem to say the word so she finished the sentence for him.

“Are you?” Removing his hand from hers, he swallowed and backed away, as if she had a fatally contagious disease.

“No, I am not, but the man I slept with said he loved me and wanted to marry me, so why wait? I believed him. He took what he wanted—the same thing he was taking from other women I found out later—and left.”

“So now you’re not going to get involved with a guy unless you’re married to him?”

“That’s correct. So you’re wasting your time. I’m staying sober, and I’m staying celibate.” Emma opened the door. He didn’t stop her. A glance over her shoulder revealed a man in shock, his mouth hanging open while he made gurgling sounds as if he couldn’t find the right words.

Satisfaction and regret raced through her in equal doses, while doubt assailed her, even as she drove away and into the darkness.

Was one night with Tanner worth betraying herself and her staunch beliefs?

And if it was, how would one night ever be enough?

* * * *

As expected, the video of Tanner and Emma crooning “Picture” followed by Tanner’s chaste kiss went viral. The views hit the millions before Tanner got out of bed the next morning. Twitter blew up with speculation on Tanner’s relationship with the daughter of rock’s two-hit-wonders.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Tanner didn’t touch his phone on the nightstand, dreading what he might find there. He could already guess his messages would be from the usual suspects and a few new ones. His phone vibrated again. It was Beed. His agent wouldn’t stop calling so he finally answered just to find out if he’d been cut by the Steelheads.

“What?” Tanner grouched, knowing he sounded extra grumpy.

“Please don’t tell me you’re sleeping off a drunk,” said his ruthless bastard agent.

“I’m not. I had a few beers last night, that’s all.” Tanner growled into the phone.

“Saw the vid. Brilliant marketing tactic on your part, Tan. I have to hand it to you, and with a sweet thing like that all dressed up for church instead of your usual women who look like hookers.”

Tanner tapped the phone to make sure he’d heard correctly. “You think that was brilliant?”

“Oh, yeah, that little girl and you have incredible chemistry. If I didn’t know you for the consummate actor and selfish bastard you are, I’d swear you were in love with her.”

Tanner ignored his agent’s uncomfortably perceptive observations. “Have you heard from the team?”

“Oh, yeah. They’ve been trying to reach you. Carson wanted to know what your intentions were.”

“What did you tell him?”

“What do you think? That the two of you are in love and have been trying to keep a low profile.”

Tanner blanched and choked on his own tongue. “What did he say to that?”

“He said, good because a good woman like her is exactly who Tanner needs to get his head on straight and refocus his priorities. So listen to me, kid, you’d better make nice to that sweet thing until your stellar performance on the field cancels out any bullshit off the field, or you’ll be lucky to play arena football for a lingerie team. Stay away from the reality princesses, Hollywood drama queens, and the aspiring models. Pretend like you only have eyes for this girl.”

“Emma, her name is Emma, and she’s not a girl.” Weird thing was, currently Tanner only had eyes for Emma. At least until the newness of being with a woman like Emma wore off, and he needed a bad girl’s special brand of naughty.

“We really aren’t an item,” he admitted.

“I don’t give a fuck if she’s secretly a nun, you need to pretend you’re an item. Besides, the way you two sang that song together, I don’t believe it’ll be a tough task.”

It wouldn’t, but staying out of her pants would, and she’d already told him no with more conviction that any woman had ever expressed since he was a freshman in high school hitting on his English teacher.

“Look, Beed, we’re just friends, and I doubt she’ll go along with anything more than that.”

“I have faith in you, my boy.” And just like that, Beed ended the call.

Tanner dropped his phone on the nightstand and shoved his hand through his unruly hair, pushing it off his forehead. What a mess. Not that he’d mind pretending he had a thing going with Emma if it meant she’d relax her stance of no sex before marriage, and it’d get her family—and his brother—off his case for a while longer.

Only it wouldn’t. Being with her would make things worse in more ways than he could imagine.

Shit.

Time to hit the water and forget this mess for a few hours with nothing but a cooler of beer and a fishing pole. Tanner’s answer to most of life’s problems revolved around denial and fishing.

Except—

The pounding on the door accentuated the pounding in his head, and he didn’t even have a hangover. Resigned to his fate, he pulled on a pair of jeans and walked to the door. Scratching his chest and yawning, he slipped into his patented devil-may-care persona and yanked open the door, half-expecting to be confronted by reporters or nosy friends. He got neither.