“I know. We will. Besides, hanging out with you and Cam isn’t the worst way to spend the evening. Especially not when there is so much eye candy to go around.”
“Well, let’s go to the bar and get a drink. We’ll see how long it takes him to notice that we’re here.”
“Are you kidding? He has Spidey-senses where you’re concerned,” she says, just as his arms wrap around me from behind.
“It’s not my birthday, but fuck if I’m not glad to see you,” he says, kissing my neck. I can smell the beer on his breath, which makes me smile. He needed this time to bond with his teammates. I know he doesn’t usually drink during the season and hardly ever in the off-season. He’s laser focused when it comes to his body and his career.
“You can thank Willow.” I point at my best friend.
“Thank you.” The sincerity in his voice is humbling. “What do you want to drink?”
“Actually, you should go back to your friends. Willow and I are going to sit at the bar and have a drink and catch up.”
“You can catch up with us.” He points over his shoulder as more laughter fills the small pub. “We can go up to the VIP area. We only stay down here until the crowd picks up. At least that’s what the guys told me.”
“You need to bond with your new team.”
“We don’t know how much longer they’re going to be my team,” he says softly.
“Regardless. It makes for better chemistry on the field. Go. I’ll come see you in a little bit.”
“Fine.” He grins as his lips press to mine. “Love you. Thanks again, Willow,” he says before sauntering back to the table. All the guys turn and wave to us and motion us over. Cameron shakes his head and takes his seat, and they all go back to whatever it is they’re cracking up about over there.
“I need to get me one of those,” Willow says with a sigh.
“What? A baseball player?” I laugh.
“No. A Cameron. Not yours, of course, but a man who looks at me the way he looks at you.”
I look over at the table, and Cameron turns to glance over his shoulder at the same time. He smiles and turns back to his teammates. “He’s pretty great,” I agree.
We both order a beer and catch up for about twenty minutes before Henderson appears next to us. “Monroe, you’re killing the vibe,” he says, taking the stool next to me. “Your boy keeps looking over his shoulder to find you. Fucker hasn’t listened to a word we’ve been saying since you walked in.”
“I’m sorry?”
He grins. “Come on. Enough avoiding. Come join us.”
I look over at Willow, and she nods her agreement. “Okay,” I say, sliding off my stool, as does Willow. Henderson moves to stand between us and throws an arm over each of our shoulders.
“This is going to be fun,” he jests.
“Well, boys, I’m heading out,” he says as we approach the table. The conversation stops, and all eyes turn to us.
Cameron’s eyes find mine, and he smirks. He knows damn good and well he’s the only one I’m going home with.
“Nothing?” Henderson asks him. You can hear the disappointment in his tone.
“She’s mine,” Cameron says. The tone is so casual it’s as if any other option is ludicrous. Which it is.
“What about you?” Miller looks at Willow. “You wifed up like Monroe here?”
Willow smiles. “Nope.”
“You snooze you lose, Miller,” Henderson says as he drops into a chair and pulls Willow into his lap. She tries to move, but his hold on her prevents it.
“Paisley.” That’s all it takes. He just has to say my name to command my full attention. He scoots his chair back from the table and pats his lap. I waste no time going to him and taking my spot. His arms wrap around my waist, and he places a kiss on my bare shoulder.
“This place is quiet,” I say about an hour later. Two older gentlemen sit at the bar, keeping to themselves, but other than that, it’s just us.
“Yeah,” Miller chimes in. “The owner tosses groupies out on their ass. He has a VIP room in case we don’t want to be around anyone, but for the most part, people leave us alone here.”
“What, you all don’t like groupies?” Willow asks in disbelief.
“Have to be in the mood,” Miller answers.
Willow turns to look over her shoulder at Henderson since she’s still sitting on his lap. “What about you?”
“I’ve dabbled.”
“You do know that’s not who I am, right?” she asks.
“Yeah, I got that when I saw you with Monroe.”
Willow and I make eye contact. I can see in her eyes that she’s excited to have his attention, but as her best friend, I also see the worry there too. Willow, like me, isn’t a fling kind of girl. Sure, she talks shit about the guys in their pants, and she can flirt with the best of them, but at the end of the day, she needs the connection. We both do. That explains why she’s flirty tonight, but not her usual over-the-top self. She’s making sure not to give him the wrong impression.
I watch as Henderson whispers something in her ear, and her shoulders visibly relax. “Is she good with him?” I turn to ask Cameron, keeping my voice low so only he can hear me.
“I don’t know him well, but from what I do know, yeah, she’s good.”
I don’t know him well either. He’s only been with the Blaze for two years. Well, after my dad retired. I know him on the field, but not off.
“How long do we have to stay?” Cameron whispers in my ear.
I turn to face him. “You not having fun?”
“Sure.” He shrugs. “I’d be having more fun if we were at home cuddled in bed.”
“It’s not even midnight.”
“Fine. We leave at midnight.”
“Thank you.”
“You know I can’t say no to you.”
“That’s not true. You denied me for weeks.”
His eyes heat and then soften. “You know that’s different. It was well worth the wait.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Are they always like this?” I hear Miller ask when Cameron’s lips press against mine.
“Yep,” Willow replies, and the table erupts with laughter.
Chapter 20
Cameron
I just finished a workout and sped through my shower. I don’t have to be back for tonight’s game until four, which means I get the rest of the day with Paisley. Pushing my feet into my tennis shoes, I grab my bag and stand just as Coach Drummond steps in my line of sight.
“Cameron.” He nods.
“Coach.”
“Front office needs to see you.”
My stomach drops. “Coach?”
“The GM,” he clarifies.
Fuck. I nod and head upstairs. I may as well get this over with. I’m not worried about my game, but I am dating another Blaze employee publicly. Sure, he told me it was fine, but there may be fine print. I fucking hate fine print. Not to mention there is still Hastings and his injury. Originally, he was out for a few weeks at best. Those weeks multiplied, and then it turned into the entire season. Things change. Healthcare isn’t an exact science. The human body is a marvel. So I have no fucking clue what to expect as I step off the elevator and greet his secretary, whose name I can’t remember. I make a mental note to ask Paisley. That is even if I need to take the time to learn it.