“Shouldn’t you get that?”

With a sigh, he removed his hand from around her back and took a step back. “It’s probably Jamal.”

He answered the call and she took a minute to breathe and recover her senses. If that call hadn’t come in, she might have told Nathan she wanted to have sex.

Which she did, of course. But not with Nathan.

She really needed to get over this desire for him.

Nathan hung up and slid his phone in his pocket. “Jamal and Wendy checked in, but Wendy’s wiped out so they’re going to meet us for breakfast in the morning.”

Mia nodded. “Sounds good. I’m a little tired myself.”

He gave her a look that told her he knew she’d had an abrupt change of mind from their conversation before the phone call. “Sure. Let’s head upstairs.”

She appreciated that he didn’t push her about it, and on the ride up in the elevator he was quiet. But he didn’t seem upset. They got off on their floor and headed to their rooms. Nathan waited until she slid her key card in and opened her door. Then he smiled at her.

“See you in the morning, Mia.”

“Good night, Nathan.”

She closed and locked her door, wishing she could be brave enough to take what she wanted without worrying about the repercussions. But that was just too big a risk to take.

EIGHT

NATHAN MET JAMAL IN THE GYM EARLY THE NEXT morning. They did a solid workout for a good hour and a half, and by the time they finished, the buffet was open, so Nathan was ready for a tall glass of juice and a large coffee.

“That was a hell of a tough session,” Jamal said as they settled down at a table.

Nathan took several swallows of orange juice before he answered. “Yeah, it was. But not as brutal as training camp’s gonna be when that starts up.”

“Gettin’ anxious?” Jamal asked.

“More like excited. I’m ready for this season to start.”

“You and me both. I can’t wait to get out on that field and catch some balls. And with you as QB? We’re gonna kill it this season.”

Just talking about it made Nathan’s stomach knot up. This was his shot, the one he’d dreamed about his whole life. He was ready and he knew it, but this team? This was his dad’s team. This hadn’t been the way he wanted to do it.

His ultimate dream had been to someday play against his dad. Him on one team, his dad on the Sabers.

But that wasn’t how it happened. So he was just going to have to live with it going down like it had.

Jamal nudged him. “What’s going on over there? Workout kick your ass?”

He jerked his head toward Jamal. “Huh?”

Jamal laughed. “You asleep? I’m talking to myself over here, man.”

“Sorry. Just thinking about the season, ya know? For sure we’re gonna kill it.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

Nathan noticed Mia and Wendy rounding the corner from the elevator banks at the same time.

“Our ladies have arrived.”

Jamal stood and turned around. “Good morning. I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

Mia stopped and looked at Wendy, surprise evident on her face. “We don’t, actually. But we rode down in the elevator together. We said good morning.”

Wendy laughed. “And then both of us buried our noses in our phones.” Wendy extended her hand. “I’m Wendy.”

“And I’m Mia. Nice to officially meet you.”

“Since the guys started without us, let’s have some coffee. And I need an omelet.”

Mia nodded. “I’m all over that.”

Jamal got up. “I’m hungry, too.”

Nathan got up and followed the group over to the buffet. After a hard workout he was more than ready to fuel up and the buffet had plenty to offer. He loaded up on eggs, sausages and pancakes, along with a separate plate of fruit.

Mia raised a brow as she eyed his plates. “I’m surprised you could carry those without some help.”

“Somehow I managed it.”

Mia dug into her omelet. “I’m taking bets on whether he goes in for seconds.”

“If he’s anything like Jamal, I say yes,” Wendy said.

“Oh, you think you know me so well?”

Wendy batted her lashes, then leaned over and rubbed Jamal’s arm. “You know you’re having two plates so don’t even try to deny it.”

Nathan laughed. “And so will I. Who knows when we’ll eat again.”

“Yes,” Mia said. “Because it’s such a wasteland out here. You poor starving athletes.”

Nathan shot her a look. “Hey, we get hungry. We burn a lot of calories. Quit giving us shit.”

Mia laughed. “You invited me this weekend. Get used to me giving you shit.”

“You two aren’t a couple, right?” Wendy asked.

“No, we’re like best friends,” Mia said. “Just think of me as one of the guys. Only I have a vagina, so that makes me smarter.”

Wendy laughed. “Oh, we’re going to get along great, Mia. In fact, we should plan the wine tour day today. God knows Jamal is only interested in what we drink, not where we go.”

Jamal was lifting his fork to his mouth, but stopped and nodded. “True that.”

“We should plan a beer tour day,” Nathan said.

“We should. Invite the guys.”

Wendy turned. “Oh, because women don’t like beer?”

Jamal started to say something, closed his mouth, then said, “I should shut up now.”

“You should,” Nathan said.

Jamal shot him a look. “Hey, aren’t you on my side?”

“I’m on the side of keeping you alive. Which is why you should shut up.”

Wendy laughed. “Your best friend keeps you on your toes, Jamal.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Mia was enjoying this group. And she really liked Wendy. As Nathan and Jamal ate and talked about their team, she and Wendy outlined their day.

“I booked us a limo service for the day,” Wendy said. “They’ll take us to several wineries, plus we’ll have lunch. Everyone can enjoy the day without worrying about who’s going to drive.”

“That sounds amazing. I can’t wait.”

“They’ll pick us up here at ten and have us back here by six.”

Mia grinned. “Perfect time for cocktail hour and then dinner.”

Wendy laughed. “Yes, it’s going to be that kind of day. Which I need after the hellish week I’ve had.”

“I’ll definitely drink to that.”

After they finished breakfast, they headed up to their rooms. Mia took a shower and dried her hair. She did her makeup, then put on a pair of capris and a sleeveless top and slid into her sandals.

She took another look at social media as she’d done when she’d gone to bed last night, and again when she’d awakened this morning, convinced she was going to see a photo of Nathan and her that the photographer had taken last night.

But she’d found nothing. She’d even typed in Nathan’s name in several search engines. Relieved, she grabbed a cardigan and her purse just as Nathan knocked on her door.

As always, Nathan looked hot. He wore dark jeans and a white T-shirt. How could such a simple outfit make a man look so sexy? His sunglasses rested on top of his head and she wanted to take them off so she could run her fingers through the thick mass of his hair.

Whoa. Rein it in, Mia.

Instead, she smiled. “I’m so ready for this. How about you?”

He devastated her with the curve of his lips. “Yeah. Should be fun today.”

They met Wendy and Jamal downstairs. Wendy wore a red and yellow polka dot sundress and silver sandals, along with an antique-looking silver necklace that complemented the beauty of her tawny skin perfectly.

“I absolutely love your necklace.”

Wendy fingered the dangling chain. “Oh, thank you. Actually, I made it.”

Mia’s brows rose. “You did? That’s amazing.”

“Thanks. It relaxes me. My job is high stress, and this is something fun and chill.”