After All These Years (One Pass Away #2) (7 page)

“Biker Gang Gaige has a nice ring to it. I’m sticking with
it.”

“Fine. Just don’t let him hear you.”

Gaige went off the rails once or twice a year—that Sean knew
of. The incidents lasted one night. The rule was, no one spoke of it. Ever.

“Hey, baby.” Simone slithered onto Sean’s lap. She was a
sweet woman with the unfortunate tendency to wear too much perfume and call him
baby. He put up with it because she gave killer head. “Want to go back to my
place?”

Sean didn’t have to think twice.

“Not tonight.”

THE BUILDING IN downtown Seattle was a mix of old and new.
Brick exteriors from the turn of the century that had been renovated into roomy
lofts with spectacular views. Owners had every amenity at their fingertips.
Laundry pick-up and delivery, concierge service that with one call could
provide residents with anything from late night take-out to tickets to the
symphony. It was city living at its finest.

Sean walked out of the elevator and into his penthouse loft.
Alone. Simone had not been happy when he dropped her off with no sex and no
promise of it in the future. He knew in his heart of hearts that the days of
fun and uncomplicated sex were quickly becoming a thing of the past.

It was a week before the start of training camp. This was
the time to kick up his heels. When he had left the club, Gaige and Pete were
doing exactly that. All over the city, his current, future, and wannabe
teammates engaged in activities that would soon be frowned upon. Drinking. Late
nights. Sex until dawn—and beyond.

What was he doing? Sean grabbed a bottle of water from the
fridge. He was spending the night alone. Happily and without a single twinge of
regret.

From his vantage point, the city stretched out in front of
him—full of possibilities. Tonight he chose his couch and a good book. He
blamed Riley Preston.

No. That wasn’t fair. He couldn’t blame Riley. This was on
him. She was never around. Since her return to Seattle, Sean had seen her
exactly three times. From a distance. She didn’t hang out with the team or hide
in the stands. This was a new Riley.

All of a sudden, he couldn’t get her out of his head.

Sean flopped down onto his couch—the softer than soft one
that he bought for this exact purpose. It stood alone in front of the floor to
ceiling windows that dominated the west side of the room. It was his favorite
place in the loft. Perfect for taking naps or simply relaxing after a long, tiring
day.

At first, Sean had thought Riley was avoiding him. When he
mentioned it, Gaige assured him that wasn’t the case. She was busy doing
everything a person had to do when they were uprooting their life from one
coast to the other.

Sean understood. Still, after five years, didn’t he deserve
a hello? He thought back to that last series of events before Riley left
Seattle. God, he had been an arrogant shit. So certain a smile and a wink could
solve any problem.

Sean wasn’t ready to admit that he had broken her heart.
However, he had bruised it. Carelessly. He hadn’t wanted her crushing on
him—especially when the whole team knew about it. It was embarrassing to have a
kid hanging around with stars in her eyes.

Except she hadn’t been a kid. Not really. She had been a
young woman. Inexperienced, yes. Also insecure and completely earnest.

Sean could see that now. Back then, all he saw was an
inconvenience that needed to be dealt with as swiftly as possible. He hadn’t
considered his words or paid attention to her reaction. Before the conversation
had finished, Sean was already planning his evening—one filled with a few
drinks, a few laughs, and some great sex.

Their last meeting had been brief. Sean remembered a feeling
of awkwardness. It passed quickly. Riley seemed a little subdued but friendly.
Sean was convinced she was over her infatuation. He dismissed her with his
usual self-centered conceit. A vague wave in her direction and he was hitting
on another woman—easily conquered and quickly forgotten.

Sean had no regrets when it came to the many, many women in
his past. They knew the score and he tried to make the experience as good for
them as it was for him. Many of them looked for bragging rights. They wanted to
join the
I slept with Sean McBride club
. And Sean was happy to oblige.

It took him a while to realize Riley was gone. A couple of
weeks. Sean cringed at the memory.

“Hey, I haven’t seen Riley around lately.”

The team was in the locker room getting dressed. Miami and
the last game of the regular season. It didn’t count for anything. The Knights
were headed to the playoffs as the third seed. Their only concern was to come
out as healthy as they went in. The starters would play a series or two, before
being pulled. No need to take any chances by playing them the entire game.

Gaige adjusted his shoulder pads, then pulled on his jersey
before answering Sean’s off-handed question.

“Riley isn’t around because she’s in Boston.”

“Seems like a strange time to take a trip. She never misses
a game.”

“She’s not coming back, Sean.”

“For today’s game.” Sean nodded, lacing his shoe. When Gaige
didn’t respond, he frowned. “She
is
coming back. Right?”

“No.”

“What about the team? And school?”

Gaige simply shrugged. He grabbed his helmet. Most of the
team were already gathered at the far end of the room for Coach Coleman’s
pre-game talk.

“Gaige,” Sean stopped him before he could leave. He lowered
his voice even though there was no one around them to hear. “Tell me she didn’t
leave because of me.”

“One day, Sean, you’re going to wake up and realize the
world does not revolve around you. Riley left because it was time to move on
with her life. Away from her parents. Away from the Preston name.”

Sean felt a wave of relief. With a grin, he slapped Gaige on
the back.

“Good for her. I’m sure a year away will do her good.”

Except it hadn’t been a year. Or two. It had been five. And
now she was back.

Sean hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about her. Every
now and then—for no reason—he would wonder how she was doing. He knew that
Gaige was in regular contact, even visiting from time to time.

Occasionally, someone like Sol or Pete would ask how Riley
was doing. Gaige didn’t supply very much information. The basics, nothing more.
She loved Harvard. She graduated near the top of her class. No, she wasn’t
coming back to Seattle.

Sean lived his life. Riley lived hers. Separate and happy.
At least, Sean was happy. He had to assume she was the same. Again, he didn’t
give it much thought.

When had that changed
? Sean wondered. He was still
happy enough. However, there was a mildly unsettled feeling. A discontent with
the status quo. He felt as if he were waiting for something big to happen. It
was only a matter of what and when.

Wondering about Riley on a regular basis had snuck up on
him. That first mention of her return, almost six months ago, had started the
ball rolling.

“Did you see Riley Preston?” The comment had come from Bryce
Anders. The weak side safety joined the team six years ago. Just before Riley
had moved to Boston.

“Preston? As in the owner?” Tony Long shoved a t-shirt into
his bag. He had only been playing defensive tackle for the Knights for two
years. “Is she a relative?”

“Daughter. The last time I saw her, she was this skinny
thing. Her hair was always pulled back into a ponytail and she wore no makeup.”

“And now?”

“Crazy good! Skinny no more. Great curves and an ass to be
proud of.”

“Wonder how she feels about sexy football players with
tattoos?” Tony flexed his ink-covered bicep.

“I saw her first,” Bryce said, giving his buddy a friendly
shove.

“Maybe we can tag-team her. That redhead from Hooters loved
every minute.”

“Let it go.” Gaige grabbed Sean’s arm when he would have
followed the other men as they left the locker room.”

“They shouldn’t talk about Riley that way. Hell, they
shouldn’t talk about her at all.”

“It doesn’t mean anything. How many times have you made
comments about a random woman?”

Sean opened his mouth to protest but nothing came out. He
could argue that Riley was different. But was she? The women he spoke of were
someone’s sister or friend or daughter. He hadn’t thought of that when he
bragged up his many exploits. It wasn’t fair to expect his teammates to be any
different. However, a little voice that he had never heard before made it
clear.

This was not a random woman. This was Riley.

“You didn’t tell me she was back.”

“Why would I?” Gaige grabbed his bag. “You didn’t show any
interest while she was away. It didn’t occur to me that you would care what she
was up to one way or the other.”

“We talk about all kinds of shit.”

“Not Riley.”

“I know.” Sean walked out the door behind Gaige. “Why? I
liked the kid. The only time you mention her is when one of the guys
specifically asks.”

“One of the guys. Not you. Nothing was stopping you, Sean.
Unless it was guilt.”

“Hey, you told me she didn’t leave town because of me.” Sean
gave Gaige a sharp look. “Was that a lie?”

“She left for the reasons I stated. This isn’t about her
feelings. It’s about yours. Just because there is no reason to feel guilty,
doesn’t mean the feeling isn’t there.”

“It isn’t,” Sean stated firmly. And he meant it—mostly. “My
conscience is clear.”

“Fair enough.” Gaige disengaged the locks on his car. “Let’s
stop at
The Ridge
. All I’ve been able to think about for the last hour
is one of their thick, juicy steaks.”

Sean slid into the passenger side. His car was in the
shop—as usual. It was time to give up on the vintage Jag and go with something
new and shiny.

“I’ve been trying to cut back on red meat.” Sean tried to
eat healthily. Sometimes he succeeded. Sometimes he didn’t. “Hell, who am I
kidding. Steak it is.”

“There’s my man.”

“About Riley.”

“No.” Gaige smoothly pulled into traffic.

“I—”

“Don’t bother her, Sean. If Riley wants to see you, she
will. You haven’t given her a second thought in five years. Now is not the time
to change that.”

As it turned out, that was easier said than done. The
proverbial Genie was out of the bottle and there wasn’t any putting it back.

Sean closed his eyes. He felt dead tired but his brain
wouldn’t shut down. Rolling off the couch, he walked to where his phone was
plugged. The illuminated dial read one thirty-five. Not too late to call up
Simone. With a little charm and a properly worded apology, she might be willing
to let him make a booty call.

He waited for his body to respond. Nope. His dick lay as
dormant as a bear in winter. Not even a twitch of interest. Sean pulled up a
picture. His current favorite. One look and his dick sprang to attention.

Riley.

He had downloaded the shot from a gossip site. The article
had hinted—in very broad strokes—that she was smiling at a certain
cyber-billionaire who had made his money in his twenties and, in his thirties,
retired to the good life. Sean recognized the name. Was that Riley’s type?
Brains over brawn?

Unconsciously, Sean rolled his head, the muscles in his back
flexing. With one more look at Riley’s sparkling blue eyes and dark hair. Had
it aways been shot with streaks of red?

Sean entered his bathroom. Before he moved into the loft, he
had the entire place gutted and redecorated to his specifications. That
included a shower big enough to fit four adults. In his hedonistic imagination,
he pictured himself and one, two, or three lovely ladies playing water games of
the best kind. Lather, fuck, repeat.

The reality had been more PG than triple-X. He had been
living here for almost a year and the only action his shower had seen was Sean
giving himself a helping hand.

It didn’t take him long to weigh his options. Toss and turn
all night or take care of his most immediate problem. Sean needed help. When he
had to debate himself on the merits of masturbation, he knew he was in trouble.

Leaning a hand against the marble tile, he hit the soap
dispenser with the other. The lemon scent hit him as he closed his eyes and
spread his legs. He groaned with relief, his strokes long and slow. He could
picture another hand. Smaller. Softer. It made his breath quicken when he
imagined another body close to his. The fantasy didn’t last. It never did. Just
long enough for him to reach his peak and call out her name.

Riley
.

“HOW DO THEY look, Coach?”

“You know me, Riley. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Harry Coleman smiled at her, his face lined from years of
experience and exposure to the elements. The life of a head coach wasn’t easy
on the skin—or the digestion—but it was his life. And he loved every second.

“Which is exactly what you said at your press conference
this morning. Tell me what you didn’t tell them.”

“If Logan Price’s knee holds up, we’ll field the best team I’ve
had with the Knights.”

“Gaige’s pet project is working out?”

When Logan Price hurt his knee during his rookie year, it
was a long shot he would ever play again. Watching him out on the field,
running with ease—the joy of a little boy shining on his face—was a sight to
see. She was happy for him. And thrilled for the team.

“Don’t play coy,” Harry scoffed. “I don’t know what you said
to put that in motion, but thank you. This could be our year.”

That was what Riley wanted to hear. She knew they looked
good. The talent was there—so was the dedication. They were hungry for a
championship. As were the other thirty-one NFL teams. Between now and February,
there would be plenty of ups and downs. Injuries. Arguments. A few flat out
tantrums. It was Harry’s job to deal with the problems once the season started.

Riley hoped that management had given him the tools to get
them to the top of the mountain. They were champions.
On paper
. However,
no one handed you a trophy in September. To be the last team standing, they had
to pull it all together when it mattered most.

Pulling a few strings from the other side of the country
hadn’t been easy. Riley had encouraged the team to draft Mikhail Branch. He was
a tough center with nerves of steel and could snap the ball with pinpoint
accuracy. He protected Gaige like a favorite son. The two had made the Pro Bowl
three years straight.

“Denver looks tough this year.” The Knights kicked the
season off against the Broncos.

“Every team is tough.” Harry shot her a look and laughed. “It’s
the NFL.”

“Any given Sunday,” Riley grinned. It was a cliché for a
reason. No matter the record or the personnel, you had to play the game. Upsets
happened all the time.

“Any given Sunday,” Harry chimed back.

It was Tuesday. Riley felt as though she was a little girl
waiting for Christmas. It seemed like game day would never get here.

Five years. It was a long time to go without something you
loved so much. Riley could have gone to games on the East Coast, but it would
have felt like cheating. She had watched the Knights on TV, determined that the
next time she watched them live, it would be in Seattle.

Now that the day drew close, she felt a stirring of nerves.
If this kept up, come Sunday, she would be a mess.

“I’ll see you tonight?”

“I haven’t missed a kick-off party in twenty years,” Harry
stated. “My wife buys a new dress every year.”

“And what do you buy, Harry?”

Harry Coleman was notorious for owning two suits. One for
weddings, one for funerals. As far as he was concerned, if you were going to
wear a tie, the moment better be a big one.

“New underwear,” he quipped.

“Okay.” Smiling, Riley shook her head. Lord, she had missed
this man. “I’m sorry I asked. Some things should remain a mystery.”

“Never look behind the curtain, little girl. The wizard is
never what he seems.”

With those prophetic words, Harry Coleman blew his whistle,
officially calling an end to the practice.

“Riley.”

Gaige jogged over. His face was flushed and his blond hair
matted with sweat. He was sexy as hell. Some would say she was an idiot for not
falling for him. Riley would say she had nothing to do with it. She was happy
to say that her heart, or whatever determined such things, was immune to the
potent charms of Mr. Gaige Benson.

Riley loved him unreservedly—as a friend. Gaige was a layer
of bedrock she knew she could always count on for support. Romantic love fogged
the brain and screwed things up. She knew that from bitter experience.

“You look fresh as a daisy.”

“And you look like you’ve been run ragged. Those new
recruits too much for you?”

“The day I can’t outmaneuver a few rookies is the day I hang
up my cleats.” He winked, his green eyes twinkling with humor. “One more
season.”

“Don’t remind me.” Unconcerned about putting her clean
blouse against his dirty jersey, Riley hugged him tight. “I want you to change
your mind.”

“Time passes, Riley.” Gaige gently kissed her brow. “The
first time I threw a spiral, you couldn’t pronounce the word football.”

“Don’t give me that
I’m an old man
routine. You made
those twenty-somethings eat your dust today.”

“Experience only trumps enthusiasm for so long. By the end
of the season, those rookies will be mowing down rival QBs.”

“Then we’ll be glad they’re on our side.”

“Every side has them.”

Gaige had been dodging them for years with varying degrees
of success. The chances of one of those eager puppies causing him major damage
increased every year. He planned on getting out while his body, and his mind,
were still in decent working order.

This year was it. Win or lose. The affable glint left his
eyes, replaced by steel and determination. Losing wasn’t an option. Gaige
Benson was going out a winner if it meant kicking every ass between him and the
Super Bowl.

“You’ve done your part to get me to the top of the mountain,”
he said, squeezing her affectionately. “The rest is up to those fifty-two
lunkheads and me to do the rest. And here comes lunkhead number one.”

When she tried to pull away, Gaige tightened his hold. “Stay
put,” he whispered. “It won’t hurt Sean to think you’re interested.”

“In you?” Riley almost giggled—and she never giggled. After
six months of playing peek-a-boo with Sean, she thought she was ready to meet
him up close and personal. So why did she want to hide?
Not today
, she
thought.
Tomorrow. Next week. Next year. Anytime but now.

“Watch the smartass comments or I’ll disappear. You want to
be alone with Sean?”

Riley zipped her lip. She needed a buffer. Gaige’s big,
solidly built body would do nicely.

“I was hoping to finally get a chance to say welcome back.
Or should I say, welcome home, Riley.”

Sean’s voice sent a shiver up her spine. She wasn’t looking
at him and her reaction was everything she hoped it wouldn’t be. Breathing
deeply, Riley shifted, leaving Gaige’s arm around her shoulders.

One look was all it took to realize it was easier to lie to
herself at a distance. She could tell herself that a man was out of her blood.
However, when that blood heated at the sound of her name on his lips, it was
time for some hardball honesty.

Three thousand miles and five years hadn’t changed her feelings.
Her ability to hide it was another matter. Relaxing her grip on Gaige’s waist,
Riley greeted Sean with a friendly smile. Warm. Impersonal.

And fake as a three-dollar bill.

“Thank you, Sean.”

Riley’s smile widened.
Careful. Too wide looks forced. Tone
it down a bit.

“I would have said something sooner but we always seem to
miss each other.”

“Busy lives. Neither of us has very much free time.” Riley
shrugged.

“Ships that pass in the night,” Gaige said with seeming
innocence.

Surreptitiously, Riley pinched his leg. Now who was being
the smartass?

“Can you hang around until I grab a shower?” Sean knew
something was going on. Riley was twitchy and Gaige looked like he wanted to
burst out laughing. “I’ll buy you a cup of coffee and we can catch up.”

“That sounds great, Sean. Really.”

“Really?”

This time, Gaige’s comment earned him a harder pinch. On the
ass.

“Okay.” Gaige’s voice rose an octave. He dropped his arm,
moving out of Riley’s range. “If we’re going to hit that party, we need to get
a move on.”

“The party?”

It had slipped Sean’s mind. When Riley arrived toward the
end of practice, he became entirely focused on her. He missed the last pass
Gaige sent his way, the ball sailing through his fingers. It had earned him a
dirty look from his QB and a few catcalls from the guys.

One would have thought, with so long to think about it, Sean
would have known what he wanted to say. As he approached Riley, he couldn’t
think of a single thing. She looked fresh and sweet. A sharp contrast to the
man she had her arms around.

Gaige was sweaty, dirty, and the way Riley plastered herself
to him, it didn’t bother her one bit. Were they more than friends? Sean had
never thought so before now.

As he jogged over, he tried to look at them objectively. A
man. A woman. Hugging. Innocent. Then Gaige kissed Riley’s forehead and Sean
couldn’t help himself.

What other parts of Riley’s body had his old friend
kissed?

“I don’t want to hold you up.” Riley smiled at him. She
reached over and briefly clasped his arm. “We’ll catch up later.”

“At the party?” Sean almost grabbed her hand, forcing her to
maintain contact. “I can dazzle you with my dance moves.”

“Sure. Why not.”

“Don’t forget.”

Sean felt awkward. Like a teenager with his first crush. He
had never felt this way—not even when he
was
a teenager.

“Jesus,” Gaige muttered under his breath.

Sean noticed Gaige’s
you have to be shitting me
look.
If he were prone to blushing, now would have been the time.

Sean cleared his throat. “See you later, Riley.”

“Did you know?” Riley asked Gaige when Sean was out of
earshot.

“What?”

Gaige sighed. Now he was supposed to be a mind reader. All
he wanted was a shower, some downtime with his teammates and a glass or two of
top shelf whiskey. Was that too much to ask?

“That I’m still in love with Sean.”

“I suspected. It was up to you to decide. Nothing I said
would have mattered.”

“You could have mentioned it.”

“Would you have wanted to hear it?”

“No.”

“Then…”

“I’ve been living in a dream world.” Riley knocked the heel
of her hand against her forehead. “So much for older and wiser. Maybe it’s just
sex.”

“Maybe.” Gaige almost laughed at the comically hopeful
expression on her face.

“Should I sleep with him? Get it out of my system?”

“If you do? Don’t tell me about it.”

Gaige didn’t want to know about Riley’s sex life—especially
when he knew so much about Sean’s. He had known, when she decided to leave
Boston for Seattle, there was a strong possibility Sean’s perspective regarding
Riley would change. Time and distance had a way of doing that.

Riley had always been beautiful. Gangly legs, messy hair,
and all. Now she was stunning. A blind man would have noticed. And Sean was not
blind to women. Especially when they looked like Riley.

“He is interested. Right?” Riley shot Gaige an embarrassed
look. “Don’t say it. I’m acting like a girl.”

“Yes,” Gaige nodded. Then to temper his annoyance, he
winked. “You’re allowed some hormonal backtracking, Riley. Don’t beat yourself
up over it.”

“You’re a good friend, Gaige. To both Sean and me.”

“Which means I am officially benching myself. I will now be
a casual observer firmly entrenched on the sidelines. You and Sean are on your
own.”

“Which means we’re bound to make a mess of it.” Riley’s
smile conveyed a touch of humor. Inside, she was a bundle of uncertainty.

“What can I say? I have faith you’ll work it out. One way or
another.” Gaige walked with her across the field, stopping at the exit.

“One way or another? You make it sound so simple.”

“Life isn’t simple, Riley. As for love? Beats me. I’ve never
fallen.”

“Why not? Why hasn’t Gaige Benson lost his heart to some
lucky lady?”

Gaige was the most together person Riley knew. His personal
life was a mystery because he chose to keep it that way. The pictures of him
and his woman of the moment filled page after page on any internet search.

However, he didn’t carry the same reputation as Sean. They
called Gaige the
Gentleman Lover
—a moniker he hated—because he managed
the seemingly impossible task of leaving his women happy. No fits of jealousy,
no broken hearts. Riley imagined there had to be the exception, but no one who
had dated Gaige spoke ill of him to the press. In this day and age, that was
impressive.

Gaige had lovers and playmates and friends. What he didn’t
have was love. Unless…

“Are you pining for an unrequited love?” Riley reached for
his hand, ready to give comfort. After years of leaning on him, she wanted to
return the favor.

“Pining? Unrequited?” Gaige shook his head, his green eyes
filled with laughter. “No and no, Riley. My heart is untouched and unbroken.”

“Never a twinge?”

“No.”

Riley had a million questions. And she kept them all to
herself. She knew Gaige. The look on his face said that this subject was
closed. She wouldn’t push because she respected his privacy. If the day came
that he wanted to open up, she was always here. She wasn’t going anywhere.

“See you at the party?” Riley returned Gaige’s grateful
smile, letting him know she understood that the change of subject was
appreciated.

“I’ll be there.”

“Are you bringing a date?”

Gaige laughed, his easy good humor restored. “Don’t I
always?” With that simple yet telling response, he turned and walked toward the
locker room.

“Aren’t you afraid the well of new women will run dry?”
Riley called out after him.

“That’s just it,” he called over his shoulder. “How can I
settle for one when there is a never-ending supply?”