The Best Kind of Trouble (4 page)

“So, when does football start?” I asked.

He grunted as he took his shot and missed.  His lips twisted in a wry smile when he looked at me.  “Trying to distract me, sweetheart?”

I grinned.  “No, I was just curious.”

“Practice starts next week.  Our first game is in two,” he said.  Nathan motioned for me to take my shot.

I jumped up and threw my hands in the air excitedly when the colored ball actually went into the pocket.  Grinning, I threw my arms around Nathan’s neck.  Laughing, he snaked an arm around my waist to hold me tight to his body.

When he pulled back, his gaze dropped to my lips.

I had to stop him from kissing me again.

I pulled away. “Let’s go find Katie and Drew.”

I turned away quickly and headed for the stairs. Before I got too far though, Nathan slipped his hand into mine and laced our fingers together as he followed me down the stairs and out onto the patio.

And for the rest of the night, not much changed.  I tried to pull away, to put distance between us, to talk to Katie or Drew or other friends of ours that had shown up at Zack’s. 

But Nathan didn’t seemed deterred.  Even when he was talking and laughing with other people, he’d find a way to grab my hand or sling an arm around my shoulders.  It wasn’t jealous or possessive, just easy, comfortable affection.

It made me all gooey inside.

And terrified the shit out of me.

Dangerous.
  This was dangerous.

Katie found me hiding out in the restroom.  She smirked at me.  “Hiding?”

I nodded and rolled my eyes at her.

“You must really like him if you’re getting all scared and trying like mad to put your walls back up,” she commented as she smeared lip gloss onto her lips.

“I barely know him,” I retorted, frowning at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

She shrugged. “So what?  My parents met and got married nine days later.  Sometimes it happens fast.”

I rolled my eyes again and tried to ignore her ridiculous comment, but my stomach clenched at her words. Hard.

Truth was, he seemed like the perfect guy.  He was funny and playful, ridiculously handsome, sweet, had great manners and listened to me when I talked.  We had a lot in common from what I could tell too. Same dry, sarcastic sense of humor.  We both liked football.  And—

Kissing. We had great chemistry when we were kissing.  Warmth unfurled in my gut as I thought about his soft lips tenderly exploring mine, and the barely concealed heat burning just below the surface, ready to break free.

Lurid fantasies of that heat being given the green light popped up into my mind.
God, how good would it be?

Or maybe it would just incinerate me whole.

Katie laughed, breaking me from my fantasies and my thoughts.

“Come on, girly,” she said, pulling me out of the bathroom.  “Let’s get the boys to take us home.”

I sighed.  Suddenly nervous of the possibility of Nathan being in my apartment, my skin prickled with goose bumps.  When we walked back out onto the patio, Nathan’s stormy blue eyes met mine instantly.

In my head I could hear Taylor Swift’s voice singing and a chorus of angry guitar riffs.

Trouble, trouble, ooohhh!

~000~

Drew and Katie immediately disappeared into her room, leaving me alone with a silent and brooding Nathan.  The ride home had been completely silent.  Nathan had tried to hold my hand, but I’d pulled away.

I cleared my throat.  “Do you, uh, want something to drink?”

Lame, lame, lame,
I chanted internally.

Nathan turned his piercing eyes on me.  There was a thoughtful expression on his face for a moment before he smoothed it out and a sexy smirk curved his lips.

“No,” he replied.  Nathan’s hand encircled my wrist and he pulled me forward.  I collided with his hard muscular chest and gripped his shirt to steady myself. 

Again that thoughtful expression crinkled the corner of his eyes and made his eyebrows pinch together.  Nathan leaned in, his soft lips brushed mine. Gentle, slow, and earnest, his lips moved over mine with a heart-wrenching, soul-shattering, toe-curling tenderness.

I couldn’t breathe.  I felt too vulnerable.  I started shaking and a nervous panic roared in my ears. I couldn’t do this.  I knew where this would lead.  I couldn’t jump into bed with him. 

Even though I was sure that’s what he wanted.  What he probably expected. 
Hell,
Mr. Football Star was probably used to the girls throwing themselves at him.  No dinner, no dancing, no smooth talking. Just sex.

I tried to pull away.  I couldn’t do this.  I couldn’t give him that much of myself, no matter how sexy, how much roguish charm he had.  Or how much I’d already fallen for him. 

This was too fast.  And I was sure he would hurt me, but if I gave into this tonight, he might just shatter me completely. Burn me into unrecognizable pulp.

But Nathan’s strong warm hands cupped my face, holding me in place.  His calloused thumbs smoothed over my cheeks.  A
moment later, his lips were gone and he leaned his forehead against mine.  His breathing was a little bit ragged, his words soft and husky. It was as if he had read me perfectly.

“I’ll call you later, doll.”

When I opened my eyes, he was gone.

'Cause everything that don't make sense about me makes sense when I'm with you.

~Hunter Hayes

Two weeks later, I was sitting on the grassy lawn at school, hunched over my Physics textbook.  The first week of classes had finally started, but I wasn’t studying.  Instead I was looking at the last text I’d received from Nathan.

It was only the second one since our date.  The first came two days later. 

Had a great time Face.  I have football practice all week. Two a days.  I’ll try to call you.

Then, last Wednesday, he’d texted again. 
Hey beautiful, sorry I’ve been busy.  I’ll call you this weekend.

But he didn’t call.  And I wasn’t sure what to think.  Maybe I was right all along.

That when I meet the right the girl. I'll know.

Nathan had said that to me the second time I’d ever seen him.  Every insecurity I’d ever had come roaring to life in that instant.  Did he think I wasn’t worth the effort? 

Frustrated with myself—and the entire male population—I blew out a breath and gathered up my books, shoving them angrily into my messenger bag.

“Hey, what’s wrong, beautiful?”

I froze.  My face was red, my heart thundered in my chest as Nathan’s deep voice washed over me.  When I looked up, he was right there, blue eyes and all. 

He picked up my bag and slung it over his shoulder.  Frowning at my frozen expression, he held a hand out to me.

“Can I walk you to class?” he stuttered when I didn’t move or respond.  His usually calm and confident demeanor wavered.

I stood up, swallowed hard, and frowned at him.

“I don’t know,” I replied hotly.  “You didn’t call.”

His frown faded slightly, and I swear his lip twitched with amusement.  I narrowed my eyes at him.

He started walking away, and I had no choice but to follow.  He had my bag.  I fell in stride next to him, but instead of talking, he just shortened his long strides, looked over at me and winked.

I frowned at myself, feeling even more frazzled.  I was acting like a psycho.

When we reached Lawson Hall, he stopped at turned to face me. Reaching out, he grasped my hand.  I pulled back just as quickly.  Nathan frowned and I looked away, crossing my arms over my chest.

Suddenly, I felt Nathan’s index finger lift my chin up. “I’m sorry Face, I’ve just been busy.”

And he was so sincere, he deep blue-gray eyes wide and serious and so intensely focused on me, that I couldn’t stay angry.  We’d been on two dates.  And he had football.  He’d texted me.  I blew out a breath. 

Before I could stop myself I blurted, “I thought maybe, you just knew—”

His deep chuckle cut me off.  Nathan grabbed me by the shoulders and hauled me into his chest.  His hands smoothed up my shoulders and neck and held my face, pulling me up until I was standing on my toes.  I hadn’t realized how tall he was when I wasn’t wearing heals. 

“I don’t know anything anymore, Ashley.  You have me so twisted,” he confessed.  And then his lips were on mine, burning and intense.  My mouth opened, and our lips and tongues melded together, stroking the fire that raged between us.  He pulled my bottom lip into his mouth, and I whimpered.

Nathan groaned and pulled away. Smiling, he brushed his lips over mine three more times.

“Come to my game, Saturday,” he said.  “Please?”

I hesitated.  It was just a game, but it felt like so much more.  The start of something.  I wasn’t sure if it was a good something or if it would end up being a bad something.  I bit my lip.

Nathan gripped my chin between his thumb and forefinger, and stroked his thumb across my bottom lip, releasing it from my teeth.  His gaze followed the movement before snapping back up to meet mine.  His eyelids were heavy, his voice slow and seductive, “Don’t make me beg, baby.”

And then his lips were on mine. Again.  This time when he pulled away I was nothing but a puddle of goo, my insides warm and liquefied. “Please, sweetheart?  I’m sorry I didn’t call.  I was busy, but I was also a little bit scared.”

My brows puckered.  “Scared of what?”

One side of his mouth lifted and he rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip again.  “You.”

Swallowing hard, I squeaked out, “Me?”

He nodded slowly and his half smile lifted more, making a dimple sink into his cheek.  “I’ve never felt this strongly for a girl before.”

I snorted. “Yeah right.”

Crap. I said that out loud.

Nathan didn’t laugh.  His stormy eyes were serious and his hands were on my face again, his fingers tangling in the long blonde strands of my hair. His voice dropped lower, deeper, and firmer.  We were so close, our noses brushed against each other. 

“I have never felt this strongly for a girl before,” he repeated.  “I’m scared.  I don’t know what I’m doing. But I really want you at my game on Saturday.  Please come?  I’ll leave the tickets for you at will call.”

I nodded slowly, and his smile stretched into a full, heart-stopping grin.
Trouble. Trouble. Oh.

A second later he was gone, he kissed me again, brief and quick, but it still caused my heart to race and my knees to feel like jelly. I walked to class a bundle of emotions.

~000~

“Oh my god! I’m so excited!” Katie screamed as she entered my room on Saturday ready to go to the game.

I rolled my eyes.  “Katie, I thought you hated football!”

“I do! I’m excited that you are dating Nathan Williams—future NFL star!” she squealed.  She plopped onto my bed as I rummaged through my dirty clothes looking for my favorite jeans.  “Not to mention he’s freakin’ gorgeous and totally into you!”

I frowned.  “You don’t think that was just a line?”

Katie flopped back on my bed.  She didn’t get it.  She and Drew were so happy and ready for forever it seemed.
I bet she has have a ring by Christmas.

“I don’t think so, Ash.  I know he kinda has a reputation as a ladies man, but Drew says that’s not really true,” she responded, staring at the ceiling.

I found my jeans at the bottom of the pile. 
Man, I really needed to do laundry.  Maybe I could go home next weekend and my mom could help me out. 

“What does that even mean?”  I asked as I pulled on my jeans and a snug blue State University t-shirt.

Katie shrugged. “Maybe he’s been hurt before.”

I pulled my long blonde hair into a ponytail and tied a matching blue ribbon around it, frowning.
Hadn’t he said he didn’t get serious? And that he’d never felt as strongly for a girl as he did for me?

A small faint voice in the back of my mind said that it made perfect sense despite his words. Or maybe even because of his words.

“Alright, let’s go,” Katie said. She bounced up and practically pulled me from the apartment and into the car.

We pulled up at the stadium a few minutes later.  The parking lot was loud and full of rowdy fans.  In Texas, if there’s one thing we do right, it’s football.  It doesn’t matter if it’s professional, college, or high school.

“Ashley! Katie!” We heard someone call as we made our way through the tailgaters.  We found our way to a blue tent, filled with boys and beer.  Drew and Chase and some other guys we knew from school were decked out in blue jersey and faces painted blue and white.

“This is for you,” Chase said, grinning as he shoved a blue jersey into my hands.  I frowned and then my eyes widened when I realized whose jersey it was.  Emblazoned on the back was a white number four and Williams scrawled across the shoulders.  “Nate wants you to wear it.”

I bit my lip and looked at Katie.  She rolled her eyes at me.  “You’re his girl, wear his freakin’ jersey for Christ sakes.  Stop over-thinking it.”

Properly scolded, I turned bright red as all the boys roared with laughter.  I huffed and pulled on the jersey.  A small little thrill zinged inside me.

“Holy shit!” Katie shouted as we found our seats a little bit later.  “These seats are freakin’ awesome!”

And they were.  We were on the front row, fifty yard line, just behind the home team’s sidelines.

“I guess it pays to be Nathan Williams’s girlfriend,” Katie said.

I choked on my drink, spraying against the short concrete wall in front of me.  “I’m not his girlfriend!”

Katie rolled her eyes and snorted. 

“Katie, we’ve only been on two dates!” I protested. 

She just shrugged like my sudden freak out was nothing. It was not nothing.  I liked Nathan.  Way more than I thought I should this soon. 

I had been stupid and naïve in falling for guys too quickly in the past and I had the scars to prove how many times I’d been burned.  Nathan could easily do the same. 

Maybe worse.

And I felt completely powerless to stop it.  My attraction, my desire for him felt like a freight train baring down on me.  And even as I knew the danger coming, could imagine the horrific outcome, I could do nothing but stand frozen on the tracks. 

A few minutes later, Nathan and his team mates jogged out onto the field for the coin toss. He looked sinfully handsome in his football gear, his shaggy brown hair slicked to the side as he held his helmet next to his leg.

Hell, I might as well be running down the tracks towards the train.

The game was intense.  And Nathan was amazing.  I soon forgot all my worries and was screaming and cheering with the raucous crowd.

It was the end of the fourth quarter, and our team was down by four points.  We had gotten the ball back with less than a minute to go.  Another guy, Branson, returned it to the other team’s forty yard line.

I was on my feet, leaning against the short concrete wall, my hands gripping it until my knuckles turned white, screaming at the top of my lungs.

Nathan fell back when the ball was snapped.  I sucked in a sharp breath as the defenders rushed pass the offensive lineman toward him.  He cocked his arm back and let the fall ball fly downfield just as two defensive lineman tackled him to the ground.

The stadium went quiet as everyone held a collective breath.  The ball hit the receiver right in the numbers and he broke two tackles before diving into the end zone.