Page 17 of Personal Foul (The San Diego Storm #3)

Carson

S omehow, we made it through training camp without killing each other.

True to his word, he played well and made no more major mistakes on the field.

But I was going to lose my mind if he didn’t keep the goddamn helmet on his head.

I’d bitched and moaned so much I felt like his mother.

And that dredged up so many questions I wanted to ask.

Colin wasted no time making friends with some of our teammates and made plans to go out when we returned to San Diego. One of the rookies, Lucas Lundgren, had become one of Colin’s fans.

Like Colin, he wasn’t from the States. With that in common, it gave them something to bond over. All we had was intense sexual chemistry and proximity. And now football. But staying away from him was like asking a cat not to scratch. It was impossible.

The way Lucas gawked at Colin grated on me.

Objectively speaking, his blond hair and blue eyes made him attractive.

He was a good kid, twenty-two, and trying to become our punter.

Since Colin’s position as a fullback also involved a lot of kicking, the two had become fast friends.

And I wanted to punch both of them after I did a little digging and found out he was bisexual.

To make matters worse, I got a front-row seat to their budding friendship. Colin had no issue hooking up, and if that’s what he wanted, there was nothing I could do.

We’d just reached our cruising altitude when Colin’s phone pinged with a text. He leaned over, pressing his shoulder into mine, to pull it out of his back pocket.

“Excuse me. Sorry about that.”

No he wasn’t.

His screen lit up with another notification as he replied.

From my periphery, I could see the smile form on his face as he interacted with someone other than me.

I drank my water as he laughed and texted away, trying to ignore what he was doing.

Finally needing a reprieve, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would come soon.

Exhausted from two weeks of intense workouts and sleepless nights watching Colin in the other bed, I needed to think about something other than him.

When the plane landed, we taxied to the terminal and waited to deplane. That was when he decided to share his plans.

“I’m going to go have a beer with Lucas. So I won’t need a ride home.”

My gut churned as I stared and imagined him and the punter. As far as I knew, Colin hadn’t hooked up with anyone in Arizona, but I couldn’t be positive. There were times when we weren’t together, and I knew he had gay dating apps on his phone. But he wasn’t mine. I’d made sure of that.

Nodding, I bit back a smartass reply. “Yeah. Okay. Have fun. I’m sure Allister will be fine for a few more hours.”

I was an asshole, and I knew it. Being passive-aggressive wasn’t like me, but I couldn’t help myself sometimes.

“I’ll go check on him for you. Have a good time.”

Colin stared at me for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, thanks, mate. I’d appreciate that. If I don’t see you tonight, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The only thing I could think of was, would he sleep with him?

He craned his neck toward the front, where Lucas sat a few rows ahead of us. I waited to exit the row, making a pretense of finding my earbuds. I had them, just didn’t want to watch him leave with someone else.

When I got the luggage out on the tarmac, Lennox was waiting for his bags.

He’d told me over dinner one night that he was dating his best friend from childhood, Lieutenant Dane Calloway.

He was an F/A-18 fighter pilot stationed in San Diego.

He’d reconnected with him when he went to volunteer at the Youth Center and met Dane’s son.

I knew he probably had plans, but it was worth a shot.

“What are you doing tonight?”

Lennox grinned at me. “I’ve got a date. What about you?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m going home, gonna get in my hot tub, and forget about football.”

Lennox raised a brow like I’d forgotten something. But I hadn’t. “And forget about him. He’s driving me crazy.”

I let him think it was about football when all I wanted to do was get him back in my bed. For two weeks, I’d studied him, watched him move like a panther, and turn into a potential NFL star, knowing I couldn’t have him. It was fucking torture.

“Well,” Lennox said, grabbing his bag, “enjoy your night of solitude without your new roommate.”

I wish it were that easy. “Have a good one, Sanders.”

“I plan to,” he grinned, before taking off toward the entrance.

Making my way through the crowd to my car, I replayed the last two weeks, weighing it all.

Climbing in, my conversation with Evan by the pool was set on replay in my head.

He’d put two and two together one night when we sat by the pool, figuring the tension between me and Colin was more than what it appeared to be.

“I’m destroyed,” I confessed. “We spent one night together, and I can’t get past it.

There’s more to him than all the media coverage suggests.

He’s a loner, and I’m a caretaker. I don’t know if it’s the forbidden thing or if it’s just who he is.

And for the record, that fucking them out of your head thing is bullshit. ”

Evan laughed. “Don’t I know it. When I met Hudson that first night, I was drawn to him. All it took was one conversation to know he was the one. But he’d never been with a man, and I had to settle for friendship for a while. No one has ever made me feel the way he does. And I love those kids.”

He smiled when he talked about them, but there was a hint of sadness in his tone, too.

“I remember that night. But isn’t the distance going to be a problem?”

“Nope. We’re not going to let it. Five hundred miles is less than ninety minutes on a plane. I’ve contracted one for the entire season, so we can be together whenever our schedules allow.”

I thought about the seventy-five hundred miles and the Pacific Ocean separating San Diego and Sydney. That was an impossible distance to manage.

“I can tell you this, my friend. If you care about him, the distance won’t matter. You’re loaded, and so is he. He’s here now, and you only live once.”

I laughed. “But we’re on the same team.”

“So? Why does that matter?”

“The league…” I started, but Evan cut me off.

“Has no formal regulation about two players being in a relationship. Staff and players, as well as cheerleaders and players, have regulations. Some teams have more restrictions than others. But they leave the decision about teammates to the franchise. Look it up. If that is what you think is forbidden, then I’m happy to tell you, you’re wrong, St. James. ”

He’d given me a lot to think about, and there was a possibility I’d waited too long. If he were interested in Lucas, then I might have lost my chance.

When I pulled into the garage forty-five minutes later, I got out of the car and went inside. My parents were on the sofa, watching a documentary on Air Force One, with Bella and Allister.

“What’s he doing in here?”

My mother ran a hand over his soft fur. “He’s been here for two weeks. The little guy didn’t need to live all alone out there. I hope you don’t mind.”

I shook my head and rubbed his back. “No, I don’t mind.”

And I didn’t. It felt like he belonged here. I just had to figure out a way to get his daddy here if it wasn’t too late.

After dinner, my parents went up for the night, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Allister was curled up on the sofa with Bella, so another run on the beach was out. The tide was probably in any way.

Needing to clear my head, I changed clothes and headed out to the pool. Even though I was sore from two weeks of intense training, a swim might help me clear my head.

I’d done exactly what Evan had suggested and spent part of the evening reading my contract.

He was right, and there was nothing there that prohibited anything.

What it would come down to was whether we could keep a relationship off the field, and if I was ready to come out.

My moral high ground wouldn’t let me do this without a conversation with the Coach, and if he advised against it, I wasn’t sure what I would do.

Did I think we had a shot? If the intense chemistry was any sign, then yes, I did. But the miles between us when he had to go home to Australia hurt to consider. We weren’t together, and I already missed him.

There was also the possibility that Colin wasn’t interested. It was supposed to be a one-night deal to get it out of our systems, but it had been so much more. Neither of us could have imagined feeling like this. I’d shut him down at every opportunity, and he had every right to do the same.

Sliding into the water, I sank down, letting it chill my heated skin. Moving to the end, I swam lap after lap until my muscles protested.

Clinging to the side of the pool, I stretched my arms along the wall and tilted my head back to face the night sky. I lost track of time as the breaking waves on the shore soothed me.

Car doors closed close by, and masculine voices caught my attention.

My brain latched onto the Australian accent and piqued my attention.

Just like I’d feared, he wasn’t alone. And why should he be?

He was gorgeous and deserved to be loved by someone who could give him what he needed.

I was afraid he’d never had that, and I wanted to be the one to give it to him.

Needing to get out of the pool, I didn’t want to see him come home with another man. Especially one that could end up being a teammate if he made the cut. But it would serve me right if he found something with Lucas.

As the voices grew closer, I got out of the pool. Just as I climbed from the water, Colin and his guest walked onto the deck from the side gate.

“Carson,” he called when he saw me.

Fuck.

I dropped my head and closed my eyes. Propping my hands on my hips, I turned toward him and Lucas.

“Yeah. Hey. I was just going inside.”

Colin’s eyes roamed over me as the water dripped down my skin. A chill set in that had nothing to do with the temperature.

“It’s your house. You don’t have to go anywhere.”

I smiled. “Yes, but I don’t want to interrupt. I should have gotten out sooner, but the water felt too good.”

Fucking hell.

“I remember,” he said quietly.

We stared at each other for a moment, not needing words. But we weren’t alone.

Glancing at Lucas, I smiled and lifted a hand before looking back at Colin.

“See you tomorrow.”

Grabbing my towel from the chair, I wrapped it around my waist and headed inside, regretting my decisions from the day he arrived.

When I walked in, I found my mother in the family room.

“I thought you went to bed?”

She smiled and peeked over my shoulder. “I did but forgot my book.”

Holding it up as proof, I nodded.

“Is that Colin coming in?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I turned back to her. “Yes. He’s with a… friend.”

I couldn’t say date or hookup. It made me sound jealous, even though I was.

“Is it someone from the team?”

I nodded. “Yeah. He’s hoping to land the punters’ position. Good kid from Sweden, I think. I could be wrong.”

She smiled, then walked over to where I was dripping on the floor.

“Honey, sit down.”

“I’m damp,” I said, but did as she asked. It was my furniture, so it didn’t really matter.

“Tell me what happened without telling me what happened.”

I smiled. “I wouldn’t tell you, anyway. Just like I never want to know about you and Dad.”

She smiled. “I promise never to share those details. But I’m not interested in anything other than your heart. Those are the details I’m looking for.”

Chuckling, I nodded. “I don’t know how this happened. All I know is he irritates the shit out of me, but I can’t stay away. Our chemistry is… intense. But he’s my teammate.”

“Would you like more than friendship with him?”

I snorted. “I’m not sure we’re even that.”

She put her hand on my face. “Maybe that’s where you should start. Sex isn’t everything in a relationship. You need a foundation to build on.”

I was not talking about that with her. “I didn’t say anything about sex.”

My mother laughed. “You didn’t have to. It was written all over both of you when he walked in. Your father even noticed.”

I covered my face and groaned.

But before she could say anything more, the door opened, and Colin rushed in.

“Thank fuck you’re still up. I can’t find Allister. You’ve got to help me find him.”

I stood and went to the sofa to pick him up. Colin visibly crumpled, then bent over with his hands on his knees.

When I stopped in front of him, Colin looked up and took him from my arms. His fingers brushed across my chest, sending goosebumps over my skin.

“He’s been here with them since we left. Right, Mom?”

I turned to her to confirm my statement, but she was no longer there. She was so obvious.

“He’s been here, in your house, for two weeks?”

I smiled, then reached out to stroke the cat. “Yes. They brought him here because they didn’t want him to be alone. She said he curled up with Bella and has been there ever since.”

Allister jumped down, then went back to where he was sleeping with my dog.

Colin smirked at his cat, then turned his attention back to me. “I can’t believe they did that.”

I shrugged. “They love animals. He can stay if you need to get back to… Lucas,” I said like it was a dirty word.

Of course, he noticed. “He just left.”

My stomach roiled. “That was fast. So it wasn’t a date?”

He shrugged. “I got what I needed.”

That’s what I was afraid of.