Page 112 of Keep Me
“I’m doing it. If anything, Thea can take the room if she wants it.”
Tanner shook his head, laughing. “If only. Unfortunately, she’s not going to be living with us for much longer. She got into that stupid sorority.”
“She did?”
“Yup. Hid it from me, so it all came as a wonderful surprise when she was packing her bags the other day.”
“Thea’s a big girl, I’m sure she can fend for herself.”
“Yeah, Thea’s not a wilting flower. I know that much. It’s just some things happened in high school that still get me a little concerned over how quickly that tough outer shell can crack.”
“What kind of things?”
Tanner looked around before meeting my eyes. He was about to speak when a different person called him from behind.
“She’ll kill me for telling you, but I need to talk to someone about it.”
“Tanner.”
Her voice. The elixir for my soul. The only voice I’d miss if I never heard it again. Thank goodness I was wearing a jock strap, otherwise I’d be rocking a hard-on in front of thirty thousand people.
Tanner eased back, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “Uh, I gotta go. I agreed to a pregame interview with your wife.” He gave me a weary look as he walked past me.
I looked over to see Britt standing next to a cameraman, holding the mic to her lips. Those perfect, pouty lips.
My eyes drifted down to her outfit, and when I saw what she was wearing, I moved over to her. There was no way I was leaving her with my teammates dressed like that.
I wouldn’t hound her. I’d just stand at the side and watch Tanner’s interview. If my arm accidentally brushed hers in the process, then so be it.
By the time I’d strolled across the astroturf to the camera and bright lights, Britt was holding a microphone toward Tanner who was answering a question.
“Well, our aim is to make it to state, and this game brings us one step closer to that.” His voice filled with hesitation toward the end as he watched me brush arms with Britt. She was too deep in concentration to notice.
She brought the microphone back to her. “What about playing a big rival like St. Michael’s? There’s a lot of pressure and expectation for you to perform.”
Tanner glanced between the two of us, and Britt still didn’t break form and look at me.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of pressure, but let’s be honest, if we win, I get all the credit for it. This guy right here…” Tanner stepped forward, hung his arm around my neck, and dragged me into the camera frame. “This guy is the one who gets the most stress without any of the glory. Ben ‘Matty’ Mathieson is the best kicker this school has ever seen, and I’m sure he’ll prove his excellence again tonight.”
When he rubbed his knuckles into my hair, I laughed, shaking him off, and glanced at Britt. Her smile ticked ever-so-slightly, but if you weren’t watching her as obsessively as I was, you’d probably not notice.
“I hope so,” she said, and it made me wonder what she was referring to. My game or the one she and I were playing. “Thank you for talking to us tonight, Tanner. Good luck out there.”
Without acknowledging me further, she turned to the camera, leaving me ample time to stare at her ass in her jeans. Peachy and perfect, but I didn’t expect anything less.
When the cameraman brought the camera down to take a break, Britt adjusted her Covey Wildcats jersey. The one that said fucking “Brennon” on the back and even though I expectedher to turn around and speak to me, she didn’t. She just walked across the turf, holding her microphone with her hips swinging.
Laughing, I watched her go.
What a tease.
Did she think she could get away from me that easily?
“Where you going, wifey?” She stopped immediately, turned on her heel and swallowed the distance between us. I leaned in, thinking she was coming for a kiss. My brows rose in surprise when I felt her palm instead of her lips.
She looked at the crowd. “Matty! My mom and brother are here. They might hear you.”
I smiled against her palm and licked the skin there. She squealed and backed away, wiping her hand on the jersey.
