For the Win (Playing for Keeps Book 1) (11 page)

His jaw tensed, his facial expression hardening. “And this is the girl you were defending to me?”

And this is the girl you were hooking up with last week?
Was what I wanted to say, but I held the words inside. But, as I thought them, I wondered if this was a mistake. I was so quick to jump in with both feet when he showed up at my house this morning. Normally I was so cautious, and maybe I needed to be that way now. By his own admission, he used girls. Was I just another girl to be used? I wasn’t sure I could handle that.

“What class do you have for zero period?” His question broke into my internal thoughts.

“Mr. Grant.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you at Mr. Grant’s classroom before first period. Wait for me.” He squeezed my thigh. “I’ll walk you to your locker.”

My heart skipped a beat, my earlier misgivings falling away. It was like Cooper was my own personal savior.

Cooper

London was standing outside of Mr. Grant’s classroom, her gaze shifting around nervously as I approached. When her eyes met mine, the relief inside them was evident. It cut to my heart. Did she think I wouldn’t show? That I would flake on her? Was her opinion of me that low? A few students whisked past, one girl throwing a disgusted look London’s way. I caught the slight frown on London’s face, the tremor of her hands, and realization slammed into me. Her doubt had nothing to do with her opinion of me. It had to do with her opinion of herself. And that hurt me even more. In the short time that I’d known London, I’d grown to respect and admire her. It sickened me that she didn’t know how amazing she was. And it sickened me further to know that up until now I had contributed to her feeling this way.

But no more. Things would change today.

“Hey,” I stood next to her, offering her my arm. “Ready?”

A look of awe passed over her features that made me want to grab her and kiss her right here. It took all my willpower not to. But I had promised her an amazing first kiss, and that wouldn’t be in the middle of a stinky high school hallway. With other girls I always felt they were drawn to my popularity, my looks, or my social status. With London I could tell she was drawn to me - just me. I think I saw it that first day at the baseball field, the way she looked at me with real interest. And that was something I wanted more of.

She smiled, looping her arm in mine. “Sure.”

Her hand felt good resting in the crook of my arm, her fingers fluttering over my skin. It caused desire to rise inside of me, and it was difficult to temper. Man, who knew London Miller could ever elicit these kinds of feelings in me. If someone had told me weeks ago that I would feel this way about her, I would’ve laughed my ass off. But now I wasn’t laughing. Not one bit.

We rounded the corner, and London pointed out her locker to me. Calista was standing in front of it chatting with Chloe, Brooke, and Lauren. My stomach twisted when Calista’s gaze landed on London and me. Her mouth gaped open, her eyes narrowing. Reaching out, she latched onto Lauren’s arm and whispered something. Pretty soon all four girls were staring at us. London’s face remained unreadable, her gaze fixed ahead. Pride swelled inside of me.

Brooke was leaning against London’s locker when we reached it. London glanced up at me as if she was unsure of what to do. It irritated me that they had made her feel like she couldn’t use her own goddamn locker. And to think these were the people I’d hung out with for the past four years. What made us think we owned the whole freaking school?

“Excuse me,” I said to Brooke, shooing her away with my hand. “Go lean against your own locker. This is London’s.”

Brooke pursed her lips and glared at me, hard. But she moved. Slowly, but still. As London punched in her code with a shaky hand, I leaned against the locker next to hers, my body shielding her from Calista and her friends. After the door rattled open, London extracted several books from her backpack and set them inside.

“What’s he doing with
her
?” Brooke’s voice sounded from over my shoulder. It was clear they were talking about London, and it was painfully obvious that they were talking loud enough for her to hear on purpose. God, could they be more transparent? Had I really thought those girls were sexy at some point? What had I been thinking?

London winced, but continued arranging the books in her locker.

“It was inevitable. He’s already gone through all of us. It makes sense that he’s moved on to the losers now,” Calista said.

London bristled, her eyes bouncing to mine. I read the question in them and wished I could deny what Calista had said. But I couldn’t. As embarrassed as I was to admit it, I had fooled around with all four of the girls who’d been tormenting London at her locker. But I wouldn’t let them use it against London. And I wouldn’t let them put a wedge between us already.

“Ignore them,” I said to London.

She nodded, slamming her locker shut. After throwing her backpack over her shoulder, a small smile played on her lips. “Wow, it’s so light.”

“That’s how it should be.” I offered her my arm again. “Where to?”

“You don’t have to walk me to class. I can get there on my own,” she said.

“I know, but I want to.”

She bit her lip, and I anxiously awaited her response, wondering if she was already changing her mind about giving me a chance. I wouldn’t blame her if she was.

Finally she said, “Okay.”  Then she snaked her arm through mine. “My next class is Mr. Carter’s.”

I had him last year, and hated his class. “Man, it’s like they gave you all the hard-ass teachers.”

She shrugged. “I can handle it.”

“I bet you can.” I smiled.

As we walked forward, I ignored the curious looks from the other students. Coming up on Mr. Carter’s classroom, I passed Nate.

“Hey, Coop.” He fist bumped me. “What’s up?” His gaze slid past me to London, and then his brows raised. My chest tightened, waiting for the look of shock or disgust. But he did neither. Instead he nodded, flashing me a grin. “All right. Looks like you got your head on straight, man.”

And that was why Nate was my best friend. He knew me like no other. “Yeah, I think I do.”

“Cool. I’ll see ya later.” He nodded toward London. “You too, newspaper chick.”

London raised her eyebrows.

“He likes giving people nicknames,” I explained, my insides coiling.
Why did he call her that to her face?
It’s not like she knew what he was like, and she hadn’t exactly had the warmest welcome from our group. I was sure she was thinking the worst right now.

“Well, not everyone,” he explained. “Just the cool people.” With a wink, he walked off. Gratitude swept over me. London stared at him wearing a stunned expression. I smiled, looking from her to Nate, feeling like I’d finally made wise choices when it came to those I’d allowed into my life. I’d spent so many years keeping people at a distance, but I didn’t want to do that anymore. I was ready to take a risk, even if it meant putting my heart on the line.

When I stepped into the house after practice, Grandma was in the dining room setting plates on the table. Our house had a great room floor plan, so the dining room was visible from the front door. I dropped my bag on the ground and walked across the room, stamping footprints over the newly vacuumed carpet. It smelled like roasted chicken, and faintly like vanilla. Following the sweet scent, a candle burned in the center of the dining table.

“You look happy,” Grandma observed. “Practice must have went well.”

“It did.” I kissed Grandma on the cheek.

She set the last plate down with a soft thud. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“I thought I heard you come in.” Grandpa stepped into the room. “How was practice today?”

Grandma retreated back into the kitchen, and the sound of dishes clanging reached my ears.

“Great.” I smiled, relieved to finally give him a good report. It had been brutal to tell him about the last couple of practices and games. “All my pitches were moving, and it felt like I was throwing it pretty hard.”

“That’s my boy.” Grandpa slapped me good-naturedly on the back. “What changed, do you think?”

I knew exactly what changed. By finally facing my feelings for London, I could concentrate. But I didn’t know how to say the words. Girls were not something I usually talked about with Grandpa.

I shrugged, an involuntary smile sweeping across my face. “Just got my head on straight, I guess.”

“Did someone help you get it on straight?” Grandpa gave me a knowing look.

I scratched the back of my neck, sweat gathering under my nails. “Um…yeah, kind of.”

“This someone wouldn’t happen to be a girl, would it?”

Was it really that obvious?
My lips tugged at the corners. “Maybe.”

“I thought so.” Grandpa glanced toward the kitchen. “You were behaving the same way I did when I met your grandma.”

As if on cue, Grandma entered the room carrying a large platter of chicken. She always cooked enough for a dinner party even though it was only the three of us. My dad had been one of four siblings, so Grandma was used to cooking for a large family. It was like she had no idea how to make less. I didn’t mind though. After a game or practice I could usually pack it away. And what I didn’t eat, I could snack on late at night or have for lunch the next day. Take it from me, no food was wasted around here.

“You never told me about this.” I leaned forward curiously

“Oh, yeah,” Grandma interjected, placing the platter in the center of the table. “It’s a good thing your grandpa finally asked me out. If he hadn’t, he might have been benched for the remainder of the season.”

“Really?” I asked.

Grandpa nodded. “Once this woman got into my mind, I couldn’t get her out.” He held out his arm and Grandma walked right into it. Even after all these years they were so in love. My parents were like that too. It was one of the reasons I’d never searched it out. I knew what it was like to suffer loss, to have someone cruelly ripped from your life. To have your heart broken in such a way that it will never be put back together again.

And I didn’t know if I’d survive a second time.

But now as I watched Grandpa kiss Grandma’s head, watch him pull her close, watch her smile in response, I found myself wanting that. Wanting someone who loved me unconditionally. Wanting to kiss someone, to hold someone, to make love to someone and know that it wasn’t a one-time thing. To know that it meant something, that it mattered.

London

Warm wind feathered over my skin as I pedaled quickly around the corner. My tires spun with ease along the trail. Trees lined both sides of the path, their branches leaning down over me as if they were arms reaching out. I was grateful for the shade since the sun was already warm this morning. Cooper rode next to me, our tires in sync.

I was pleased when he invited me on a bike ride today. Usually I spent my Saturdays curled up on the couch with a novel. For the first time in my life I had something else I’d rather do. I suppose I was realizing that living a romance was more exciting than reading about one. And no one was more surprised by this than me. Okay, well, maybe Dad.

He was literally in shock when I told him my plans for the weekend. I mean, he knew about Cooper. Ever since the night Cooper randomly showed up at our house, I’d been open with Dad about the situation. But things were progressing pretty rapidly. Our relationship felt a lot like a bike ride, like when you reached a steep hill and glided down so fast you knew you should hit the brakes, but you didn’t want to because you enjoyed the rush of it. That’s how it was with Cooper and me. It was like we both got on that hill and neither of us wanted to press on the brakes or pull over to the side.

He’d been driving me to school every day. Usually I had to ride home with Skyler, though, since Cooper had baseball. And he’d been walking me to my locker and classes. Lunchtime was the only awkward part. It was clear that I’d never fit in with his group. Nate was cool, but the rest of them stared at me as if I was one of those pictures where you pick out the thing that doesn’t belong. And Calista’s hatred of me seemed to be growing every day. A part of me felt nervous about how that would escalate. Cooper wasn’t going to be able to be with me all the time. He couldn’t protect me every second of everyday. And I’d witnessed how mean Calista could be. Therefore, I wasn’t putting anything past her.

When the trail wound to the right, the lake came into view. It shimmered in the sunlight, its surface like glass. Ducks glided along the surface, their white feathers turning brown at the edges from the water. Kayakers rowed past us in their brightly colored boats. Algae hugged the rocks that dotted the shore, water splashing against the sides.

No matter how many times I saw the lake, it always took my breath away. “So beautiful,” I breathed.

“Why don’t we stop here,” Cooper suggested. “Get a drink of water.”

We hadn’t been riding very long, and the trail we were on was easy, mostly flat surfaces. Still, I was getting winded. Much more so than usual. I told myself it was Cooper’s proximity that was causing it.

Nodding, I guided my bike toward the sand off to the right side of the trail. After stopping, I hopped off my bike and set it on its kickstand. Then I yanked off my helmet and set it down. Cooper did the same and then handed me my water bottle. I wrapped my hand around it noticing that my breathing was much more labored than Cooper’s. In fact, he didn’t appear to be fazed at all. It was probably from all that baseball playing. It made sense that he’d be in better shape than me. That’s what I got for dating a baseball player.

“You all right?” He eyed me.

God, did I really seem that out of shape? I made a mental note to work out more often.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay.” He didn’t appear entirely convinced. “You just look a little pale.”

“I do?” Reaching up, I touched my face. It was warm to the touch, and I did feel a little dizzy. Man, I really hoped I wasn’t getting sick. I sort of felt like I’d been fighting off an illness for awhile. Maybe I’d feel better if I drank something. After bringing the water bottle to my lips, I took a sip, savoring the cool liquid as it swam down my throat. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until now. Cooper took a swig from his water bottle too.

“Better?” He asked when I lowered the bottle from my lips.

“Yeah. I probably needed to hydrate.” I brought the water bottle to my mouth again, but this time I sucked in too large of a gulp and water dribbled down my chin.

Before I could wipe it away, Cooper reached out and brushed the liquid off with his finger. I inhaled sharply. His gaze collided with mine, his hand curving around my face, his fingers slipping into my hair. They massaged into my scalp, causing chills to skitter down my back. His face grew serious, his eyes darkening. In a lot of the romance novels I’d read, the author used the word ‘smolder,’ but I’d never understood that term. What did it mean when someone’s eyes smoldered? Did their irises resemble a fire, complete with red flames? I wasn’t sure. But now I knew what it looked like. And no, it wasn’t like flames. It was like desire, it was like need. He brought his other hand up to frame my face, but his eyes never left mine. I was frozen in place, a giant block of ice on the side of the bike trail. In the distance I could hear bike tires rolling along, the quacking of ducks, the splashing of water. But none of it registered. Not with Cooper’s hands on my face, with his eyes on mine. I knew where this was headed, and I didn’t want to mess it up. I wanted it to happen. Cooper had been waiting to make it amazing, but I had no doubt that any kiss would be amazing with Cooper. His face angled slightly, tilting. His top lip brushed mine. Softly. Slowly. It was so gentle I could almost mistake it for the breeze. My arms were still pinned at my sides, my right one gripping tightly to the water bottle. The condensation coated my palm, dripping from my fingers. I longed to reach out and touch Cooper, to hold him, to run my hands along his waist, but I didn’t have the courage to do it. I was so afraid to do something wrong that I stood completely still, waiting for him to guide me. He knew what he was doing. He’d kissed many girls.

At that thought my stomach soured, and I almost pulled away. I wondered what I was doing here with a guy who used girls, who I had been calling a womanizer for years. But then his lips pressed down more firmly, and my head swirled. I didn’t care who else he’d kissed, who else he’d been with. With his mouth touching my lips and his hands tangled in my hair, I didn’t care about anything else. Nothing mattered except for this moment. For once in my life I wanted to throw caution to the wind, to embrace the present, not worrying at all about the past or the future. To not weigh every pro and con, but to simply live in the now.

His lips were soft and moist as they moved deftly over mine. It was clear he was no novice. When his tongue skimmed my lips, I took his cue, carefully parting them. His tongue thrust inside, sliding over my tongue. I could no longer keep my arms down. I had to touch him. Dropping the water bottle into the sand, I lifted my arms to his waist. I slid them around his middle, clutching him tightly. His hands tunneled my hair, cupping the back of my head firmly as the kiss deepened in intensity. The kiss was languid as Cooper took his time, making every caress, every movement matter. There were moments in the past week where I’d questioned Cooper’s feelings for me. Doubts crept in, making me wonder if I was being naïve to start falling for him. But in this moment those doubts flew away. In his kiss I felt his passion, and I knew it was real.

When he drew back, I sucked in a breath, feeling dizzy. Cooper’s hands slid out of my hair and down my back. He glanced around guiltily.

“Sorry. The side of the bike trail probably wasn’t the most romantic place for our first kiss.” His gaze lowered to my lips. “I couldn’t hold back anymore.”

“It was perfect,” I said.

He smiled. “It was perfect, wasn’t it?”

I giggled, glad I didn’t mess it up too bad.

“You know, I sort of feel like I’ve been lied to,” Cooper said, causing the smile to vanish from my face.
What was he talking about?
“There’s no way that was your first kiss.”

“It was. I swear.”

“Well, then you’re a natural.”

“I wasn’t terrible at it?”

“Terrible?” One side of his mouth curled upward. “Nope. Not at all. Try mind-blowing.”

“Mind-blowing?” I shook my head. “Now you’re being crazy.”

He tugged me forward. “Are you saying that it wasn’t mind-blowing for you? Because if not, I’ll take that as a challenge. I’ll show you mind-blowing.”

“Oh, you will, huh?”

His lips neared mine, and my heart picked up speed. “Yeah, I will.” A puff of hot air met my lips. His mouth claimed mine with even more intensity than the last time, while his hands raked up my back, his fingers trailing over my spine. I fisted the bottom of his shirt in between my fingers in an attempt to steady myself as his tongue forced open my lips and darted into my mouth. This kiss was rapid and more desperate. It felt like he was breathing life into me, but at the same time taking the oxygen he needed. This time when he pulled away his forehead dropped to mine. Both of our chests heaved, our breath coming out ragged. “How about now?” He said between gulps of air. “Mind-blowing?”

“Definitely,” I said, causing him to smile.

A few minutes later we hopped back on our bikes and resumed our ride. Cooper had promised me lunch afterward, but I wasn’t that hungry. The truth was that I hadn’t been that hungry lately. I think I’d been too excited about Cooper to eat. Still, I’d join him for lunch. Anything to spend more time with him.

We rounded a corner leaving the lake behind us and entering a tunnel of trees. They swayed overhead as if they were dancing to a song only they could hear. Sweat gathered on my forehead, and my heart hammered as I struggled to keep riding. Already I was winded again. God, I hadn’t realized how out of shape I was until today. I forced myself to keep riding, too embarrassed to tell Cooper. I’d bragged about my stellar bike riding abilities before we’d left for our ride today. I didn’t want to admit that I was actually so out of shape that an easy, flat bike trail was too much for me.

Dread sank into my gut when I noticed we were approaching a hill. Fighting against the weariness, I pumped my legs harder, steeling myself for the incline. Cooper was ahead of me, and he rode up the hill with ease. I pedaled as hard as I could, but found myself struggling. My lungs felt like they were on fire, and breathing was so difficult it concerned me. When I got halfway up the hill, I couldn’t go any farther.
What the hell was wrong with me?
After slamming on the brakes, I guided my bike into the sand at the right of the trail, attempting to catch my breath. Leaning over, I clutched my knees and breathed deeply, in and out.

“London?” Cooper raced over to me. After getting off his bike, he dropped it on the ground, and it landed with a loud clatter. Then he touched my back. “You okay?”

“I must be coming down with something. I’ve been feeling off all week.” Peering up at him, I smiled wanly. “Probably should’ve told you that before you kissed me, huh?”

“There are worse ways to get sick.” He shrugged. “Besides, it was worth it.”

I smiled, but inside I was irritated. What a crappy time to get sick.

“Can you make it to my car? We’re almost there. We parked around this corner.”

Feeling like an idiot, I nodded. “I’ll walk my bike up the hill and then ride it the rest of the way.”

“Okay. I’ll stay right beside you.” He grabbed his bike off the ground, and together we walked our bikes up the hill. “Is your dad home?”

I shook my head. “I think he’s at his friend’s house watching the game.”

“Then I’ll come over and take care of you until your dad gets home.”

“You don’t have to do that.” We reached the top of the hill, and I climbed back on my bike.

“I want to.” He nudged me in the side before hopping up onto his bike seat. “Besides, you did promise to spend the day with me.”

“That’s right. I did, didn’t I?” I pedaled slowly forward.

Cooper stayed right next to me. Other bikers zipped past, their wheels whispering as they rode. A gentle breeze floated over my body. We didn’t have to ride very far before the trail ended. We turned the corner and rode across the parking lot to Cooper’s car.

After loading our bikes on top, Cooper drove us back to my house. Dad was gone like I’d suspected, so Cooper stayed with me. He made me lie down on the couch, but the truth was that I was feeling a little better. Just kind of tired, but nothing like I’d felt on the trail. Sitting next to my legs, he reached over and placed his hand on my forehead.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking your temperature.” He lifted his hand. “You don’t feel warm. I mean, maybe a little sweaty from the ride, but not feverish.”

“I’m impressed, Dr. Montgomery.” I teased.

He chuckled. “What can I say? My grandma takes good care of me when I’m sick, so I learned from the best.”

Cooper mentioned his grandparents a lot, but he never talked about his parents. I bit my lip, knowing I had to tread carefully with my next statement. “Your grandma, huh? Do your grandparents live with you or something?”

“Actually, I live with them.” His gaze lowered, his hand finding mine. He ran his fingers over my flesh. “I have ever since my parents died.”

I gasped. “I had no idea.”

“It’s not something I like to talk about.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “Then let’s talk about something else. The bike ride was fun. Well, until I couldn’t get up that hill. That was crazy, right?”

He squeezed my hand. “London, it’s all right. I don’t mind talking to you about it. I want you to know about me.”