Loved by the Linebacker (16 page)

Chapter 27

Evan

The
scoreboard shows we’re up by one touchdown. It’s a great feeling sticking it to
my former team, letting them know who’s boss. The worst decision they ever made
was getting rid of me and I’m showing it to them over and over today, sack
after sack. Our defense is on the field so I’m pacing the sideline, waiting for
our turn to try and score again.

Glancing
up in the stands, I notice Camila has finally arrived and is sitting in the
section reserved for the Seawolves’ family. She sits nervously, chewing her
fingernails. Across the field, Blake’s familiar number trots to the bench.
Something’s going on and it’s not something good. Blake’s never late for a
game, he doesn’t drink on game days, and Camila is always at the center of
every group, not in the shadows like today.

“Purser!
Get on the field!” the offensive coach barks at me and I stride across the
turf. As I take my position, I look up and see Blake across from me. The scent
of peppermint retreats from under his helmet and now I know why Blake was late
and Camila is so worried. Those two beers turned into a lot more after I left.
Fuck,
he’s just like our mom.

The
center snaps the ball and I keep my eyes on Blake who immediately tackles me,
not even going for the quarterback. I easily shove him away, blocking another
defender long enough for our team to get the throw off and gain ten yards.
Turning around, I hold out my hand and help Blake up.

Chest
to chest with my brother, I crush his hand in mine. “Get off the field, Blake,
before you get hurt.”

“Fuck
you, Evan. You might have got the girl but don’t think you can boss me around.”
Blake tries to jerk his hand back but I don’t let up on my grasp.

“This
has nothing to do with the girl. It has to do with someone getting hurt.” I let
go of his hand, but he takes his position, not listening to my advice.

I
shake my head as I squat down, waiting for the QB to call out the next play.
Blake jumps the line and the tackle to my left drills him from the side. My
brother falls to the ground screaming and clutching his knee. Forgetting about
the game, I drop beside him and pull off his helmet.

“Talk
to me, bro. What hurts?”

The
team trainers are already on the field whispering about a torn ACL and I cringe
at the thought. Blake’s already had that repaired twice so the chances of
bouncing back from a third surgery are slim to none. I grasp his hand, letting
him squeeze the pain onto mine.

“I
fucked up, little brother.” Tears stream down his face, he can’t stop them. “I
love Molly and every time she breaks my heart, I take it out on someone else.
That night I came to your apartment and told you about Camila and me, I was
scared. You two were happy and I was alone. I’m so scared I’m going to end up
like mom, Evan.”

I
nod, understanding his fear completely. “It’s fine, Blake. I needed to know the
truth. Molly seems like a great girl. Don’t be an idiot and you won’t be
alone.”

He
laughs. “Good point.” The medics have him on a stretcher and lift it up. “Take
your own advice, Evan,” Blake says and the stretcher carries him off the field.

I
glance at the stands and Camila’s already gone. Fuck, I’m torn without a clue
what to do. Taking a second, the answer is obvious. With a pat to the
quarterback’s ass, I jog off the field. My coach screams at me to get back out
there, but I turn around and tell him, “Family first, Coach.” Blake and Camila,
they’re the only family I have left.

Camila

I
hate hospitals. The antiseptic smell makes my stomach queasy and every alarm
makes me think of death. Pacing back and forth in the hallway outside the
waiting room helps me to take my mind off of Blake’s injury. It’s probably a
career-ending injury and I blame myself. I shouldn’t have brought him to the
stadium, just let him incur a fine, but instead, I dropped him off claiming he
wasn’t feeling well. But then Mr. Macho went and told his coach he could play.

Pivoting
as I get to one end of the hallway, I turn around and run into a wall of
muscle. Without looking up, I know exactly who it is. My hands are touching the
chest that I’d memorized from the first time I felt it. Clutching his shirt in
my hand, I lean forward and cry into Evan’s body. He doesn’t push me away or
make me feel unwanted. No, he wraps his arms around me and holds me until I get
control of myself. I take a deep breath and step back, looking up at him and
wiping my eyes.

“Any
word from the doc?”

I
point down the hallway. “ACL and meniscus tears, depends on scar tissue if
he’ll be able to fully recover.”

Evan
nods, taking my hand and walking us to a pair of chairs. We both take a seat
and Evan drops my hand. Suddenly, I feel more lonely than ever. Evan moves his
elbows to his knees, staring at the floor.

“You
knew he’d been drinking,” he states and I nod slowly. “He shouldn’t have been
playing today.”

“I
kno—”

Evan
cuts me off, holding up his hand. “No, Cami, you don’t know. I dealt with my
mom for years. It’s inevitable that Blake and I are going to end up the exact
same way if we don’t do something about it. I stopped by his place and he was
drinking by himself but I just left, didn’t do anything, just left him like I
left our mom. How can you think you can be with either of us when all you do is
cover things up? We don’t need that, we need someone who can call us out on our
shit and help us be better men.”

Tears
fall and I shake my head. “Evan, I don’t want to be with Blake, I just want
you.”

Evan
looks at me, pushing my hair out of my eyes. “Well, we’re a package deal,
Camila. You don’t get to choose.”

My
stomach flips, he’s talking nonsense. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“I
mean that you, Blake, and I are family and we’re not going to be the fucked up
family that we were with my mom. We’re going to support each other, make each
other better, and not sweep shit under the rug.”

I
sit up a little taller. “So that’s it? That’s what we are?”

Evan
runs his hand over his scalp. “Camila, I don’t know. I want you, I want us, but
I’m just still not convinced that you two are over each other.”

“But—”
I start to object and Evan puts his finger to my lips.

“Give
me time, Cami.” His hand slides down my arm and tugs at it. I stand and he
pulls me in his lap. With his arms around me, I finally feel at home. Patience
is a virtue that I’ll have to learn if I want any chance at all with Evan.

Chapter 28

Camila

“Hey,
Kip. Blake’s out of surgery. We won’t know more until he starts physical
therapy.” Three hours after the blowout on the field and Blake’s resting in his
hospital room. Evan sits in the corner of the room, keeping a watchful eye on
his brother, but he hasn’t said a word to him. Both of them are sitting
silently watching the highlights on Sportscenter so I stepped outside to give
an update to the Seawolves and also my co-worker.

“Evan
with you?” Kip asks, cutting right to the chase.

I
sigh. “Yes, he refuses to leave his brother’s side. I’ll take care of it, Kip.
Please don’t stress about it.”

“What
about you, Camila? How are you doing?” Kip asks, satisfied that I’ll pick up
the pieces and now playing the friend card.

“I’ll
be fine. We’ll all be fine.” I bite my lip, recalling Evan’s words that we’re
family.

“Alright,
well, call if you need anything and I’ll do what I can to keep the press away.”

Telling
him thanks, we end the call and I watch the Purser brothers inside the hospital
room. The men are quietly talking which brings a smile to my face, the first of
the day. Evan is right. Time, we all need time to figure things out. I would do
anything in the world for either of these two men in front of me. Dare I say
that I love them both, but in very different ways. The thought more than
frightens me, but I know there’s truth to it.

“Camila!
Camila! Is he going to be okay?”

I
spin around to see who is yelling at me. My jaw drops when Molly Feiser runs
into my arms, a blubbery mess.

“Moll,
what are you doing here?” I look up and down the hallway to see who’s around.
“How did you get past the reporters outside?”

Molly
wipes her eyes and shrugs. “I don’t care anymore. When I saw that hit on T.V. I
had to make sure he was alright.”

I
stroke her long hair and nod. “He’s going to be fine, not sure about football,
but he’ll get through it.”

She
hugs me tightly and peeks in the room. I take her hand and lead us inside,
closing the door behind us. Both men turn their attention away from
Sportscenter and Blake shakes his head.

“I
thought you were done with me,” Blake says coldly, crossing his arms. I’m at
least a head taller than Molly so from my position I narrow my eyes at Blake.
We make eye contact and without saying a word at all, I know not to mention the
state I found him in before the game while his shoulders relax and he drops the
attitude.

Molly
runs to the bed, throwing herself over Blake’s chest and sobbing hysterically.
She’s much more dramatic than anyone I know, but Blake thrives on being her
hero. He holds her close, consoling her, trying to reassure this woman that loves
him that he’s going to be alright.

With
tears in my eyes, I fold my arms, hugging myself as I watch the two of them,
feeling a bit of melancholy myself. Then a set of thick, muscular linebacker
arms are around me and Evan is pulling me to his chest. Nestling his chin on my
shoulder, he whispers in my ear. “There’s nothing romantic between you two.”

I
shake my head, tears falling down my cheeks. “He loves her, Evan, just look at
them.”

He
presses his lips beneath my ear. “I’m a fuckin’ idiot.”

I
nod and turn to face him. “But you’re my idiot.”

Evan
takes a second then slowly lets a smile take over his face. “That’s right. I’m
your idiot, Cami.” His hand moves to my hair and he runs his fingers through
it. “Forgive me?”

I
shrug. “Maybe…” I say playfully.

Evan
instantly moves his hands to either side of my face and smashes his lips to
mine. Hungrily, I open my mouth, inviting him in, wanting him more than ever.
His hands slip down my body until he firmly holds my waist and I moan.

Then
in true Blake fashion, he ruins the moment by yelling, “Hey, get a room!”

Evan
growls while I laugh and look over at the lovebirds. “Moll, you’re on duty.
We’ll see you in the morning.”

Evan
doesn’t waste a second picking me up and carrying me away from anymore
distractions.

Evan

Camila
takes her time inspecting my old room at Blake’s place. She walks her
fingertips across the wooden dresser, picking up a picture of my mother and me
when I was in high school. Her lips turn up as she inspects every inch of it
and sets it back down. Slowly, she turns to me.

Lying
naked in bed, I pat the mattress. “Get your ass over here,” I demand. I’ve
already had her twice since we got back to the house, but I’m not finished with
her yet.

She
takes her time, swaying her hips, licking her lips, and doing anything and
everything to tease me as she sashays toward the bed. When she’s within reach,
I grab her with one arm and pull her on top of me. Giggling, she collapses and
rolls to her back after a quick kiss. I move to my side, tracing her curves
with my index finger. She watches my finger work, not saying a word.

Leaning
down, I kiss her stomach. “Anymore secrets? Exes, kids, anything I should know
about?”

Camila’s
hand caresses my scalp and she shakes her head no. “Only exes I still talk to
regularly are Blake and Gregg. I’ve dated others and promise to point them out
if we ever cross paths with them. Deal?”

“Sounds
fair enough, but please don’t make me point out every one night stand I’ve ever
had.”

Camila
grins. “I’m sure I could guess—fake hair, fake boobs, and probably blonde.”

Chuckling,
I nod. “Looks like you proved my type wrong.”

She
leans up, sucking on my ear. “Good…”

Gently,
I push her back and move on top of her. Each of my legs on either side of hers,
I slowly slip my hands down her arms, pinning them above her head. Camila
wiggles under me, inhaling in anticipation. She pushes up, kissing my chest and
I grin.

“I
love that I can take my time with you. Tease you, tickle you, and explore every
inch of your body,” I say, taking a nipple in my mouth. My tongue rolls in a
circular motion and I graze it with my teeth before lifting my head.

Beneath
me, Camila moans and mumbles, “I just love you.” It’s so soft that it’s barely
audible, but the second the words are out, we both freeze. I lean back, resting
on her thighs, most of my weight on my calves and my hands resting on her
stomach.

“I—I’m
sorry, Evan, I—”

“Do
you mean it?” I keep my eyes trained on hers, taking in her every movement.

Her
head moves up and down. “I’ve known I have for a long time.” Her hands
anxiously rub my thighs and my manhood jumps. Sliding them higher, she guides
me to my back and reaches into the nightstand for a condom. Slowly,
painstakingly slow, she sheaths my ever growing erection, taking turns guiding
the rubber on with her tongue and her fingers.

“Damn,
Cami, you’re going to have me come before you even get this thing on.”
Seriously, I can already feel my cock pulsing, ready to explode. My comment
doesn’t speed her up, instead she slows even more. Grabbing her by the arms, I
easily lift her up and position her so that the head of my erection is ready to
enter. Camila flips her long, dark hair and smiles at me.

Now
it’s my turn. Gradually, I lower her onto me, her fingernails digging into my
thigh, only causing me to want her even more. Once I’m fully inside, I hold her
on me, letting her get used to my girth. She closes her eyes, moaning low and
purring like the sex kitten that she is. My hands wander across her torso,
memorizing each freckle and every detail of her perfectly natural breasts.

When
she opens her eyes, I move my hand to her cheek and a grin takes over her face,
causing me to do the same. She leans forward, twisting me inside her and I
groan. Her hips swivel side to side and without notice, she switches up
directions and I cry out in pleasure. She squeezes my manhood, milking it for
everything it has and I let loose. My hand slips between her legs, rubbing her
hot spot until she experiences the same ecstasy. Falling forward, I hold her as
close as possible, wishing she could be even closer.

My
mouth in her hair, I softly whisper, “I love you, Camila Lemos.”

I
feel her lips curve against my chest and she mumbles, “I love you more.”

Laughing,
I shake my head. She can claim that she loves me more, but this woman is my
world. She’s my brother’s past, both of our present, and she’s my future. The
only woman in my future is Camila Lemos.