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“Language,” Ward growls.
“Dad, I’m twenty-three.” I laugh, stealing a slice of zucchini off the hot plate and shoving it in my mouth.
Then regret it immediately as it burns my tongue.
“There are grandchildren around now.” Ward frowns, glancing around the empty yard.
He’s irritated about Kaylee. He was on the front lines with me when I almost sabotaged my football career after we broke up.
After she cheated.
“Babies who can’t speak yet?” I slap him on the back. “Lighten up, Ward.”
He hates it when I call him by his name instead of Dad. Which is exactly why I did it.
“Make sure the table is set.” He growls as I wander off.
“Jeez. Becoming an NFL player clearly means nothing around here.”
“That’s right!” he yells out as I step inside the house.
The girls have already set the table, as I knew they would. Both Payton and Molly are zipping around carrying plates and bowls of salad while Knox bounces his son, Daxon, in his arms.
He’s the apple of his father’s eye and the moment he was born, I swear my big brother changed.
Atlas swipes on his cell, ignoring everyone.
“Hey big mouth.” I whack the phone and it flies up into the air, forcing my brother to juggle for it.
He catches it.
“Dick!” Atlas launches at me, misses, then chases me around the large living room.
My father’s house is huge. A mansion, technically, and the home we all grew up in.
“What did he do?” Molly, his fiancé, asks.
I reluctantly bring the topic up again, but figure he’s already told everyone.
“Kaylee is working for the Hawkes. It’s no big deal, so just get it out of your systems now and let’s move on.” I sit at the table and eagerly await the food.
I’m starving.
The protein shake I had after training today wasn’t enough. In fact, I need to speak to our nutrition team as I’m finding the increased pro level training so much more intense. I’m not sure my diet is right.
That and I’m not sleeping as well as I should.
The past two nights, after jerking off to images of her, I’ve woken up in a sweat after having a nightmare that Kaylee was attacked in the parking lot instead of me finding her.
It’s illogical. There is security, and any number of other players could have helped her. But apparently my stupid unconscious mind thinks it needs to protect her.
I want to protect her.
I also want to sink my cock deep inside her and fuck her brains out.
It’s been a month since I dropped her off at her parents' and not a day goes by that I don’t see her. Except the weekends in between.
We’re friendly, and I notice every single blush on her cheeks when I smile at her. She’s still affected by me, and I like it.