Page 81 of Playing for Keeps

“I don’t blame you,” I said.

“I just don’t get how a dad could do what he did.” His voice went quiet. “How you could just leave your kid without a backward glance.”

The vulnerable look on his face caused my throat to thicken.

“I don’t get it either,” I croaked out.

I hated the fact that Ethan had gone through that alone. Without thinking, I put my hand on his thigh.

Ethan looked at my hand, swallowed, then raised his gaze to mine.

Fuck.His green eyes had naked want in them.

I pulled my hand back as if I’d touched a hot flame, exhaling sharply. How was I supposed to restrain myself when he looked at me like that?

I shifted in my seat, trying to put as much distance between us as airplane seat design allowed. Which wasn’t much. I could almost feel desire crackling in the air.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Luckily, the captain chose that moment to talk to us over the speakers.

“Good morning, everyone, I’m your captain Sarah Melville and beside me is first officer Connor White. We’re taking you up to Auckland today. It should be a smooth ride for most of the trip. We might encounter a few bumps heading over Cook Strait but we should have you landing on time in Auckland at ten thirty as scheduled. And we should make mention that today we’re lucky enough to be carrying the Marauders team, heading north for the Supreme Rugby final. I’m sure everyone will join me in wishing them good luck for the big game.”

The rest of the passengers broke out in a round of applause and cheers.

“Bet that never happened in Japan,” Ethan said to me with a grin.

“Nope, never.”

I tried not to let all that expectation of the cheering passengers weigh too heavily on me.

This meant a lot to the people of Christchurch. I’d been a Marauders fan my entire life. I knew exactly what it felt like to be a supporter, desperately, fervently hoping that your team would win.

When we disembarked in Auckland, making our way out of the airport took twice as long as normal because of all the people wanting autographs and selfies. I was the last one to climb onto the team bus.

Reuban leaned across the aisle after I sat down next to Ethan. “Man, I reckon you’ve overtaken Jonesy as the fan favorite.”

“Everyone wants a piece of the Miracle Man,” Ali piped up.

After we’d checked into the hotel we went out for a light training run at a nearby sports park. It was a warm day, and even though Coach kept everything gentle, we still managed to work up a good sweat.

Afterwards I grabbed a sports drink from the cooler. “Oh god, that hits the spot.” I guzzled another few gulps of my drink. When I glanced up, Ethan was standing a few meters away staring at my throat and mouth with a hungry look in his eyes.

Oh fucking hell.

And we were sharing a room.

I tore my gaze away from him, glancing instead at the members of the public who’d gathered to watch our training run, while I tried to cool the heat flooding through me.

I only had to survive this trip. It was the last game of the Supreme Rugby season. Hopefully I’d make the New Zealand squad, and then my focus would be on representing my country. Ethan wouldn’t be with me, and I’d be able to use the time apart to try to wean myself off him. Try to regain some perspective. Dilute down my feelings for him so I could handle this better.

Try to at least find a way to survive being in the same space as the guy without combusting from absolute want.

* * *

I’d thought I’d played some big games in Japan, but nothing had prepared me for the hype of the Supreme Rugby final at Eden Park, with fifty thousand raucous spectators packed into the stadium. The crowd was predominately decked out in green, but at least twenty percent were clad in black and red, the Marauders colors.

There was a fireworks display before the game, but that turned out to be nothing compared to the fireworks that began once the game started. The Greens seemed determined that we weren’t going to turn up to their stadium and their city and ruin the party atmosphere.