Page 31 of The Surprise Play (Nolan U Football #3)

WILY

Satch is a twitchy little thing, but there’s something endearing about her uncertainty. It’s funny, when we’re in a tutoring session, she’s in her element, confident and sure of herself as she teaches me things like she was born to do it.

Right now, she’s a deer in headlights, nervously following me into the football stadium like I’m leading her to a public execution.

Seriously.

I let out a soft laugh, hitching the big bag on my shoulder while running my hand down her back. “Relax.”

“Are we allowed to be here?” she whispers, her eyes darting around the low-lit tunnel.

“Probably not.” I shrug.

She gasps and gapes up at me. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“You won’t.” I propel her forward. “I paid the heads groundskeeper and security guards to stay quiet. Bodie lent me a key, and as long as we don’t mess up the field, we’re all good.”

“What are we even doing here?” She crosses her arms like she’s cold, and I tuck her under my arm.

“It’s date night, Satch. I’m taking you to my sacred ground.”

She glances up, and I catch the edge of her smile in the dim lighting.

Grinning down at her, I give her shoulder a squeeze and turn her right. We walk down the tunnel, my insides thrumming like they always do. It doesn’t matter if it’s practice or a game, my stomach starts to buzz every time I walk this tunnel.

Popping out onto the moonlit field, I grin up at the empty stands and let out a whoop.

My shout bounces off the opposite wall and echoes back to us.

Satch leans against my side, still tense as a board of wood.

“Seriously, you need to relax.” I rub her arm. “We’re not gonna get in trouble.” Taking her hand, I pull her onto the field and walk her right into the center.

I then spread my arms wide and do a slow spin. “Welcome to my holy place.”

She laughs, watching me turn before looking around us. “It’s impressive. I didn’t realize it was so big. It must be really intimidating when the stands are full of people.”

“I love it.” I inhale a breath of cold night air. “When the crowds are roaring for your team, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

“I can imagine,” she murmurs, and I watch her lips curl into a soft smile .

It’s a full moon tonight, so she’s drenched in this ethereal glow that makes her look like the angel she is.

I brush my knuckle around the curve of her cheek and love the way she glances back at me, all shy smiles and sweet innocence.

How can anyone possibly be mean to her?

How can no guy have ever taken her out before?

That’s insane.

And it irritates me. I probably shouldn’t be annoyed. Lucky me. I got to be her first kiss, the first man to buy her flowers. Shit, I’m her first ever date.

That’s a huge privilege, and I should be celebrating that fact.

But I’m annoyed that no one’s seen her before.

How could they not notice how smart and kind she is?

How pretty her sweet face is?

How hot those plump lips are?

Damn, I want to kiss them again.

But I can’t go launching myself at her.

She deserves a decent date… a little fun. She deserves to get to know me in a new way.

“This is cool.” She smiles at me. “I love that you’re showing me this. Thank you.”

“Thanks for being willing to see it.” I slip the duffel bag off my back and crouch down, unearthing a picnic blanket and the pillows I stuffed in there.

The food I bought and prepared earlier is in a bunch of different plastic containers, and I pull them out, placing them on the blanket along with a few camping lanterns Grady let me borrow .

Carson told me I was insane to take some chick out in the middle of winter for a picnic.

“You’ll freeze your balls off, and your dick won’t work properly.”

“I’m not going there to have sex with her,” I muttered, and he stopped and stared at me like I’d just said I was a unicorn. “What?”

“Seriously? Don’t you always have sex with your dates?”

“No.” I frown at him.

“Please, you’re like the Joey Tribbiani of Football Frat.”

“I am not.” I started getting pissed off for reasons I couldn’t even understand. “Like you can talk. You used to sleep with every vagina that walked past you.”

“That is bullshit, and you know it.” He pointed at me, his face contorting with a snarl. “I’m not saying I didn’t sleep around, but you are definitely worse than me, and you can’t tell me you’re not prepping this picnic while thinking about her tits in the moonlight.”

A low, harsh growl reverberated in my throat. “Talk about her tits again. I dare you.”

He raised his eyebrows at me, letting out this surprised chuckle before shaking his head. And I just had to stand there scowling at him because dammit, he was right.

I had totally thought about what her large, luscious tits would look like in the moonlight.

But I wasn’t going to act on it.

I never acted on it unless they wanted me to. I just happened to go out with a lot of girls who were frisky and free with their lovin’ .

Satch isn’t like that, though.

She’s not about to strip naked on this field and spread her legs for me. I’ll be lucky if I get a kiss.

Please let me get at least a kiss.

I swallow, surprised by just how much I’ve been thinking about the feel of her tongue lightly brushing against mine before she freaked and bolted away from the table.

Focusing back on my setup, I switch on the camping lanterns, lining them up around the edge of the blanket. I’m trying not to check out Satch as she wanders around me, still staring up at the stands and marveling at the size of the stadium.

I don’t want a one-and-done with this girl.

I’m not even asking her out to get her into bed and… okay, dammit, Carson was right to be surprised.

This date is different.

There is zero expectation of sex because Satch is for sure a virgin, and I’m not gonna pressure her into anything.

She also doesn’t seem the type who’s desperate to lose it.

She doesn’t need the status of giving it up to a star football player like that chick I let talk me into it two years ago.

We dated for a couple of months after that, but then she ended up falling for a guy in her economics class.

He was super smart and made her laugh all the time.

I was her introduction into the physical stuff, but he was the guy who stole her heart.

I’ve never been a heart stealer.

I seem to be the guy girls like to have light, flirty fun with. I’m the guy you screw at a party and swoon about with your girlfriends .

I’m not the one you take home to meet Ma and Pa unless you’re trying to get them off your back. Yes, I’ve done that for a girl once too. It was all for pretend, just so they’d stop trying to set her up with this lawyer at her dad’s firm.

It worked, and we had some very hot, wild sex at her parents’ beach house before the rest of her family arrived and we played the role of loved-up college kids.

But once the long weekend was over, we got back to Nolan and went our separate ways, only reuniting every few weeks when she needed to prove she was still in a relationship. That ended last year when she met Mr. Right and our game of pretend came to an abrupt end.

My eyebrows dip as I pull out the thermos of hot chocolate and glance over my shoulder. Satch is staring up at the moon with this sweet smile on her face, and for reasons I once again can’t fathom, the thought of this being a one-off thing is sitting really ugly in my chest.

Which is why I will not be sleeping with her tonight.

Because I already know I want another date.

I want a chance to make her giggle again, the way I did yesterday.

I want to hear her voice as she tells me about her life.

I want to know about her life.

And I want her to get a bigger peek into mine.

Pulling out my football with a grin, I spin it in my palm before standing up and getting her attention. “Heads ups, Satch.”

I lightly flick the ball, spiraling it toward her, and she yelps and jumps away from it like I’ve just thrown a live grenade.