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“Is it my fault I want us to go all the way this year?” We made it to the biggest game in the league last year, facing off against the New York Tigers, and we lost it in overtime.

We gave it our all. That’s just how the game goes.

Someone has to lose, and last year, it was us.

I’m hoping for a different outcome this year.

We all are, and I can admit I take my training to a more intense level, but I won’t be in this shape forever.

My time in the league, just like every player before me, is limited.

I want to do what I can to stay in shape and stay healthy and kick ass on the field while I still can.

“We all want it, man,” Foster tells me. “But this is the offseason, a chance for you to have a life because once training camp starts next month, it’s back to grind mode.”

“Come and eat!” Landry calls out.

Foster and Baker both climb to their feet. “I’m starving,” Baker says, rubbing his bare stomach. “You coming?” he asks.

“I’ll wait for the line to die down.” I nod to where everyone is gathering on the back patio to make their plates.

Baker and Vaughn leave me by the pool as they join the others, including the fifth of our group, Reid Montgomery.

Reid’s our tight end, and he knows that when Landry calls to come and eat, you better make that happen, or Landry might eat it all himself, which is why his ass was the first in line when Landry called out that it was time to eat.

“Corie Reynolds, get your fine ass over here!” I hear a female voice call out and turn to see a woman with dirty-blonde hair piled on her head, much like Corie’s, rush around the side of the house and wrap her arms around her.

I’ve only met Sloane a handful of times, but it's been years since I’ve seen her.

However, I know this has to be her. The ladies hug one another tightly, and I watch as they both step out of the embrace and wipe tears from their eyes.

Corie links arms with her friend, and they begin walking to where I’m sitting.

There are empty loungers all around me, and suddenly, I’m glad that I stayed back to let the line die down.

“Ladies,” I greet as they grow closer. My eyes are covered with my sunglasses, so there is no way that Corie can tell that I’m taking in every delectable inch of her tanned, toned body.

“Hey, Knox, you remember Sloane?” Corie asks.

“It’s been a while.” I nod at Sloane.

“Yeah.” Sloane smiles. “What are you doing sitting over here all alone?” She glances over at Corie, giving her a look I can’t decipher before her eyes return to me.

“Just letting the line die down. Although, that might be a bad idea with Landry hovering over the line.” I chuckle.

“Got ya. Well, I’m starving. You two better catch up.” Sloane unlinks her arm from Corie and skips off toward the back patio.

“She’s got a lot of energy that one.” I laugh.

“Yeah, she’s always like that. Happy and ready for the next adventure.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?” she asks, tilting her head to the side. I wish she weren’t wearing those sunglasses so I could see those pretty green eyes, even if they remind me of her brother.

There is no harm in looking.

“Are you happy? Ready for your next adventure?” I don’t know why I ask her that, but it’s too late to take the words back now. It’s as if I’ve never talked to a beautiful woman before.

Her smile is soft. “Yeah, I’m happy,” she says. “As far as my next adventure, I guess that would be finding a job, and I’m ready for that, too. I guess that means I’m a big girl now.” She chuckles.

“Yeah,” I agree. “You’re definitely all grown up.” Inwardly, I curse at the heat in my words and the double meaning. Corie shifts her stance, as if my words and tone have affected her. I have to stop this train of thought.

Needing to do something other than sit here and let my cock get hard thinking about this beautiful woman who is never going to be mine, I stand, which brings me close to her. “Let’s go grab some food.”

“Food. Right.” She nods, turns on her heel, and heads toward the back patio.

I don’t know why I do it, because her brother is here and my friends are here, but I can’t stop myself when I place my hand on the small of her back as we make our way to where the food is laid out.

She shivers at my touch, and my cock twitches. Fuck me. This girl—no, this woman, is lethal, and I can’t have her. For the first time in months, someone has my attention, not because they’re trying, and I can’t do a damn thing about it.

When we reach the patio, I have to force myself to drop my hand, pretending that the feel of her bare skin beneath my fingertips didn’t affect me.

“Corie Reynolds, you better get your ass over here and give me a hug,” Reid calls out to her.

“Little sister, Montgomery,” Landry calls back.

“What?” he asks innocently. “I just want to welcome her home.”

“You hugged her when you got here,” Landry says, glaring at our tight end.

“Hugging is my love language,” Reid fires back. He’s barely containing his laughter.

“Nope. No. Just fucking no. Not my little sister.” Landry points the tongs he’s using on the grill at Reid.

“No.” He looks over at Corie and frowns.

“She just got rid of one asshole. She doesn’t need another one.

” He winces as he says it. “You know what I mean,” he adds.

He didn’t mean to refer to us as assholes, but he’s overly protective of Corie. That’s what big brothers do.

“What about the sister’s best friend?” Sloane asks. “You know, asking for the friend.” She points to her chest, and we all crack up laughing.

“Not the sister, and not the friend,” Landry announces.

“Aw, man, come on, Landry, why you gotta do me that way?” Sloane whines.

Landry exhales loudly before looking at me. “Help me out here, Knox. No little sisters, right? You understand where I’m coming from. You have Everly and Emma.”

Well, fuck. Guilt washes over me because he’s expecting me to back him up, when all I want to do is pull Corie into my arms and see for myself if her lips are as soft as they appear. Knowing that she’s not attached is not helping me much either.

“My little sister is getting married,” I reply.

“But not to a teammate or friend,” he counters.

“Not to a teammate or friend,” I agree.

“I’m a grown woman. I don’t need you to tell me who I can and cannot date.” Corie glares at her brother.

“I just want you happy, Core,” Landry says, changing his tone to something softer he reserves just for her. “I know what that asshole Conner did to you. You deserve better.”

“I get to decide who and what that is,” she tells him. “And when I found out what Conner was doing, that he was cheating, I walked away. I ended it. I’m a big girl, Landry.”

“What she said,” Sloane speaks up, and Corie sputters with laughter.

Landry pulls his sister into a hug and kisses the top of her head before turning back to man the grill.

It takes everything I have in me not to watch her as she makes her plate and finds a place to sit at the table next to her best friend. I fill mine, as well, and then sit on the step, as I need some distance.

This… desire I have for her, this longing I suddenly feel, has to be because she’s off-limits, right? I just need to put some distance between us today, and then I’ll forget all about the beautiful Corie Reynolds.