Stitches and Scars (23 page)

“There she is. Hey, Elle, over here!” Sophie’s musical voice rang through Trent’s ears, pulling him from his thoughts.

Closing his eyes briefly, he prepared himself and slowly turned around. He scanned the area, looking for anyone who might resemble Logan, but didn’t get far before he was distracted. He caught a glimpse of the most perfect set of legs in red heels walking toward him. Fearing that if he allowed himself to continue to the rest of her body, he’d be a goner, he kept his eyes focused on the legs.

Eventually his eyes won out and he gave in, slowly lifting his head. Elle’s hips swayed side to side like a metronome keeping the rhythm of her strut, and the red dress she wore clung tightly to the curves of her body. He felt a lump forming in his throat, and he hadn’t even looked at her face yet. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, willing her to be gone when they opened. There was no way she could be as good as his imagination could make her up to be.

After a few calming breaths, he felt his body begin to relax. Then he heard her voice. A voice that he was fairly certain he’d recognize anywhere. The same rich, commanding voice that he assumed he’d never hear again.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Rumble himself,” Elle purred, crossing her arms.

Trent rocked on his heels and opened his eyes, finally focusing on the face that he now knew belonged to that amazing body. “Hey, tire chick. What are you doing here? You come to hang in the parking lot on the off chance someone might get a flat?”

She smiled back cunningly. “Well, you know, I sat around all day wondering where I’d find clueless people. Then it hit me. Dumb jocks will be at the football game. And since most of them don’t know their dick from a wrench, I figured my expertise could be useful.”

Trent was so mesmerized by her lips that he barely caught everything she said. But his ears perked up what she started talking dirty. “If you want to keep talking dirty, I’m sure we could find a better place to carry on with this conversation.”

She pursed her lips together, annoyed, but her eyes held a glint. “As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll pass. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date that’s waiting.” Elle turned away tossing her dark hair over her shoulder and took a step toward her best friends who were watching her with wide eyes. “What?” she questioned.

Behind her back, Trent looked at Ethan and pointed, silently mouthing the word ‘Squish.’ Ethan nodded and grinned ear to ear. In the two seconds it took Trent to realize that the tire chick was in fact Elle, his blind date, his confidence doubled. He walked over to her casually and froze directly behind her.

“Where is this Trent guy anyway? I thought you guys said he’d be here,” Elle ranted.

Leaning forward slowly, Trent placed his lips against her ear. “I’m right here, darling,” he whispered.

Elle’s back stiffened and her breath caught. She was still for only a moment before whipping around to face him. Miscalculating the distance between them, she ended up a lot closer to him than intended. “Sorry,” she mumbled as her brown eyes flickered up to his green.

In that brief second, Trent saw the vulnerability that lay within her. The strong, gorgeous, confident, sexy woman had weaknesses and he knew he wouldn’t stop until he found all of them.

Ethan took advantage of the odd moment of silence and stepped forward, holding out his hand in introduction. “Elle, this is my best friend, Trent Williams.”

As soon as she heard his full name, a light went off. “Trent Williams? As in Trent Asher Williams?” She eyed him suspiciously, but couldn’t hide the shock on her face. She knew that he looked familiar when she first saw him, but had never put it together.

“In the flesh.” He smiled, realizing that she finally recognized him. She slowly looked him up and down, and although Trent felt like a piece of meat, he couldn’t deny that he liked it.

Elle let out a quiet sigh, and Trent knew he had her, hook, line, and sinker. “Can’t say I’m too impressed, you look bigger on TV,” she said with a shrug. And just like that Trent’s upper hand was nonexistent.

Sophie, sensing the tension building between them, stepped in. “Well, why don’t we get this show started,” she said, rubbing her hands together.

“Sounds like a great idea,” Logan agreed, wrapping his arm around her waist, smiling.

At that exact moment, one of the men who’d been standing with the larger group stepped forward and stood directly in front of Elle and Trent. He had a few magazines in his hand. “We want to get a few copies of these signed for a raffle drawing, if that’s all right.”

Trent, knowing that this was a perfect moment to show off for Elle, straightened his back and puffed out his chest confidently. “Sure, I’d love to, anything for the fans.” He reached forward and was just about to take the magazines when they were pulled away. Puzzled, he looked at the man who was staring directly at Elle.

“I’m talking to Miss McLean.” He directed his attention to Elle. “We’ve got a table set up if you’d like a place to sit, and I’ve been informed that they’ll be ready for you on the field as soon as you finish.”

“What the—?” Trent’s mouth hung open and he turned to Elle.

“Sounds great.” She smiled.

Trent was taken aback.
What about being on the field?
he thought. Trying to understand what he’d just heard, he quickly looked to Ethan.

With a simple nod, Ethan looked down at the stack of magazines Elle held in her hands. Following the direction of his friend’s eyes, Trent froze when he saw the cover that he’d been waiting months to see. The model was beautiful. Her legs, her hair, her smooth skin, her flat stomach, the voluptuous curve of her hips, her dark eyes, and full lips were almost too much for him to take in. She was perfect, the epitome of an exotic beauty surrounded by white sand and green palms, and she was standing less than five feet from him.

Within the five seconds it took him to absorb every detail of the picture, he’d had at least fifteen different fantasies, all of them revolving around the woman that stood in front of him. The same woman who, not too long ago, had cut him off at the knees and in one fell swoop, swept him off of his feet.

Elle looked up from signing the magazines and glanced at Trent, desperate to see his reaction to the cover. Try as she might, she couldn’t help but be attracted to him. Yes, he was the jock she met on the side of the road that she swore she’d never go after, but there was just something about him that drew her in.

Then to find out that he was
the
Trent Asher Williams—the same T.A.W. who had over fifteen touchdown receptions as a tight end last season—was almost too much to take in. She silently scolded herself for not recognizing him earlier and allowed her eyes to dash over to him again briefly. As it turned out, a brief glance was all it took and Elle’s imagination ran wild.

She took a calming breath and told herself to get some control and focus on the simple task of writing her name. “There you go,” she said, handing the magazines over.

“Great,” the man said. “Now if you’ll just follow me.”

Elle faced Trent. “I’ll catch your act after the game,” she said coolly before turning around.

She didn’t get far before she felt a large warm hand wrap around her waist. “Actually, I think I’ll catch
your
act down on the field,” he said, raising his eyebrows.

“Excuse me?”

“One of the many perks of being a player, a football player, that is. I get to sit on the field for the game. Mind if I join you?” He smiled widely, and Elle was left momentarily stunned.

“You can do whatever you want.” She shrugged. “I’m not going to stop you.”

“Really?” He moved his eyes up and down her body. “
Whatever
I want?”

“Oh, shut it.” Elle shook her head, feigning disgust.

“Whatever you say, babe.” He laughed boisterously.

“Don’t call me babe,” she snapped one last time, before turning away and following after the stadium representatives.

As they made their way down the hall and through the tunnel, Elle couldn’t help but strain her ears in an attempt to hear Trent’s voice. Every once in a while, she would hear him chuckle or laugh about something that one of the security guards said in passing. Her every focus was on him, and she was completely oblivious to where they were going. She simply followed the man in front of her, who hadn’t stopped asking her questions.

As they got closer, she could hear the sound of the crowd getting louder. It had a constant hum like a giant bees’ nest, and she was going to walk right into the center of it. The butterflies that had once been lying dormant were now fluttering around frantically inside her stomach.

“Sounds pretty amazing, huh?” Trent’s deep voice rang from behind her.

“Amazing,” she agreed.

“If you can behave yourself, ‘Miss. Sassy,’ I might just—”

“Miss Sassy? Look, you—”

Trent lifted his finger and placed it to her lips. “Let me stop you from saying something you’ll regret.” Her jaw closed shut with an audible snap, but she continued to glare. “As I was saying, if you behave yourself, I may be able to give you a behind the scenes tour.”

Her eyes lit up and she knew there was no hiding the blatant excitement on her face. “Do you think you could introduce me to Andy Reid?”

“Maybe …” He trailed off, looking at her with confused eyes. “Why?”

“Because since he was hired back in ’99, you guys have won five division titles and have captured five trips to the NFC Championship Game. And starting in 2001, you guys won the NFC Eastern Division four consecutive years in a row. Did you know that’s the longest streak in franchise history? Plus, he’s currently one of only two coaches in the league who effectively has the power of general manager. The only other is Bill Belichick.”

Trent stood slack jawed and staring. “How did you … I mean what … do you … ?” He fumbled with his words, and before he had a chance to gain some composure, the announcer’s voice was piped over the loud speakers.

“Tonight, we have someone special doing our coin toss. This year’s
Sports Illustrated
swimsuit issue cover model, Miss Elle McLean.”

The stadium erupted with noise, and Elle’s stomach dropped. She turned to look at Trent who was finally starting to look collected.

“You’ll do great,” he assured her. “I’ll be waiting.” His smile returned, and Elle felt her heart skip.

Smiling back, she gave him a quick wink before quickly strutting out onto the field. The thunderous applause mixed with the hoots and hollers seemed to literally vibrate off her skin. It rang in her ears and sent a feeling of exhilaration through her veins.

The walk to centerfield took longer than she’d imagined, and she found herself lost in thought. And she wasn’t lost in the thrill of the moment, or in the excitement of actually being on a pro football field, or even in the anticipation of tossing the coin. She was lost in thoughts of Trent. The guy who she’d met on the side of the road almost a month ago, but who had been in her thoughts every day since. The same guy who was standing on the side of the field, waiting for her and who she’d have the rest of the evening to get to know—if she wanted to. That decision was all up to her.

Before she was aware of it, she was in the center of the field and the coin was placed in her hand. She looked down at its shiny surface and carefully turned it over, focusing on the two sides.
Why not let fate decide?
she thought. If it landed on heads, she would give in and get to know Trent. She’d give him the benefit of the doubt. If it landed on tails, she’d push him away like all the others.

Elle took a deep breath and closed her eyes before flipping the polished coin in the air. Her heart felt like it stopped beating for that short second, and she held her breath with anticipation. All the noise, the loud clapping, the yelling was blocked out, and all she could hear was the air pulling in and out of her lungs. The coin landed on the ground with a thump, and she slowly opened her eyes. Leaning forward slightly, she focused down on the silver reflective surface that gleamed up at her. A smile tugged at her lips.

Chapter 19

Heads Up

E
lle continued to smile as she focused on the face of the coin. For a split second, she doubted her choice, wondering who in their right mind left a decision like that up to fate. Either way, she
had
left it up to fate, and fate decided heads.

A hard pounding on her back woke her from her reverie. “Good job, sweetheart. Now, let’s get you off the field.”

She lifted her eyes to the ref and had a split second where she’d forgotten where she was. But then the words the ref just spoke rang in her ears.

“My name is Elle,” she corrected with a hit of annoyance. One of the bulky players on her right chuckled, but she didn’t look away.

“No disrespect intended,” the ref said, holding up his hands.

Just as she opened her mouth to comment, two men were at her side to escort her off the field. The crowd around her erupted, and she felt a wave of sound hit her. The blissful sound of a Jimi Hendrix song was piped around the stadium, and Elle matched its rhythmic beat to her strut. As soon as she was close enough to spot Trent, her eyes met his and she smirked. He was leaning back against the wall, legs crossed at the ankles and his arms folded over his chest. His blond hair hung over his forehead, barely reaching his eyes and his shirt pulled snug across his shoulders, accentuating the muscles that lay beneath. She unconsciously licked her lips as she continued to watch him.

Trent’s eyes were trained on Elle. He couldn’t look away from her even if he wanted too. There was something about her that drew him in like a moth to a flame. When she reached him, she stopped and matched his crossed arm position.

“Damn, I’d like to play ball with you. I wouldn’t mind that tackle,” he said with raised eyebrows.

“Really, Trent, is everything sexual for you? Is that the only thing your brain can process?”

“Not entirely,” he said, giving her his wide smile that was quickly becoming the kryptonite to her hard-ass exterior.

“You’re such a pig,” she said quickly, before turning around and hiding the smirk that was threatening to give her away. Starting to walk, Elle turned around and peered over her shoulder. “Are you coming or what?” she asked. “You’ll never get anywhere if you stay there, but suit yourself.” Her heels clicked on the hard floor as she walked away, and his footfalls soon started after her. “Besides, I’m sure I’ve got some hot executives upstairs that I need to take photos with,” she added casually.

Trent paused briefly, shaking his head. He’d never met a girl who gave more mixed signals in his entire life. “Crazy chick,” he mumbled to himself.

Elle slowed to a stop and turned around. “Did you say something?” she asked.

“Nope,” he said with a popping sound.

He paused in front of her, looking down with intense eyes. Opening his mouth, he debated telling her exactly what he thought. Deciding against it, he snapped his jaw shut and instead took a deep breath and exhaled.

Elle could feel the warmth of his breath sweep across her face, making her body hot. She swallowed slowly and continued to hold his gaze. Then, all too soon, he turned away and barreled down the hall.
He was walking so fast that she had a hard time keeping up with him. Silently cursing her choice of four-inch heels, Elle looked around and realized she had no idea where she was. Nothing looked familiar to her. Just as she was about to ask Trent where they were, he came to a stop in front of white metal doors. He grabbed the handle and flung it open, disappearing behind it, into the unknown room.

Where the heck does he think he’s going?
Elle thought in confusion. She briefly contemplated turning around and attempting to find her way back when the door opened again and Trent poked his head out.

He slowly looked her up and down before settling on her face. “Are
you
coming?”

“Do I even have a choice?” she asked, rolling her eyes.

“I just thought you’d like to see the room where all the
magic
happens,” he said with a smile.

“Fine,” she huffed before the door swung closed again. Elle was reeling with excitement at getting anything behind the scenes that was related to the Eagles. And she wasn’t going to deny her desire to get a sneak peak at one Eagle in particular. She smiled at the thought and took one calming breath before pulling open the door.

As soon as she stepped in, she was greeted with the large Eagle emblem on the wall. Turning to the right, she scanned the room for a minute before she realized where they were. Wood lockers lined the walls and extended almost the entire length of the room on both sides. And above each locker was a plaque announcing each player’s name.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Trent’s rough voice broke the silence.

He was near the center of the room, sitting on a bench in front of what Elle assumed was his locker. Her heartbeat quickened as her eyes trailed over his body, taking in all of his features. His wide muscular frame, his hands which lay casually on his lap, his strong jaw line that led to his full lips, and his bottle green eyes that peeked out from behind his dark lashes. He was sexy and rugged and it was all topped off by a head of sandy blond hair.

A shudder racked through Elle’s body as she looked him over. Tearing her eyes away, she rolled her shoulders and forced herself to focus on something else. The way her body was reacting to him—the way
she
was reacting to him—was not normal. And to pounce on him right now was not an option. Slowly taking a step forward, she continued until she stood directly in front of him and looked down. “So this is where the
magic
happens?” she asked in her most seductive voice.

His eyes met hers and she saw his chest expand as he held his breath. “If by ‘magic,’ you mean me getting naked? Then, yes.” He stood slowly, brushing against her as he surpassed her by a few inches.

Elle almost moaned and had to bite down on her lips in an attempt to keep quiet. Just when she thought she was under control, she felt the tips of his rough fingers trail up the length of her arm, stopping when he reached her shoulder.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, his voice husky. It was clear that she was turned on by him, and Trent was just glad he wasn’t the only one.

“Not at all,” she lied quickly before stepping back. Desperate to change the subject, she circled around him and walked over to his locker. “So, you’re the ever-infamous T.A.W., in the flesh.” She ran her fingers across his nameplate on the locker.

“That’s me, but you know you can call me Trent.” He laughed loudly and the sound sent a chill down Elle’s spine.

“Okay then, Trent.” She swallowed and turned her back on him nervously. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?” She tried to keep her voice steady, but there was no hiding its slight waver.

Trent didn’t say a word. Instead he silently walked towards the nervous girl who was finally showing the break in her tough exterior. He placed a hand on either side of her, trapping her against the locker. “What do you want to know?” he whispered in her ear.

His hot breath blew across her neck, making every little hair stand on end. Dropping his head lower, he placed his lips on her shoulder and slowly turned his head to the side, until they came in contact with the bare skin of her neck. Elle’s breath caught and her knees went weak. She could feel the heat radiating from his body and could smell the clean cotton of his shirt. Her mouth started to salivate and before she could stop herself, she spun around and pressed herself against him.

“Anything,” she panted.

Trent dropped his hands from the sides of the locker and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her off the ground and closer to him. He didn’t ask permission; he knew he didn’t have to. Without a moment’s hesitation, he pressed his lips to hers. She tasted like peppermint and everything good and he wanted more. Sliding one of his hands up from her waist to her back, he gently massaged the muscles of her back and continued until he reached her shoulder. Her dark hair tangled around his wrists. Placing his fingers at the base of her neck, he held her to him.

Fire licked up Elle’s spine, and she felt the heat of it pulse through her entire body. Something in the back of her mind told her that she could spend the rest of her life kissing the man wrapped in her arms and she’d be perfectly content. Because she wasn’t sure if he felt the same way, she knew she couldn’t give in easily. She wanted him to work for it, so she continued to kiss him hungrily and let her hands roam free—down his back, over his butt, and to the fronts of his thighs. His legs stiffened slightly under her touch, but she didn’t stop until she reached a few inches above his knee. Elle had no idea if he was ticklish or not, but she was willing to take her chances. Sliding her thumb and forefinger apart, she slowly wrapped them around the front of his leg and squeezed hard. It only took a second and he dropped to the floor with a thud.

“Damn it! What was that for, Elle?”

Attempting to hold in her laugh, she looked down at him. “Just making sure you’re not as indestructible as you are on the field.” She smirked. Taking a step around him, she walked across the locker room and stopped when she reached the door. “Well, are you coming? You’ve got to walk me back before going to sit with the team,” she said with a wink.

Still sitting on the floor, Trent dropped his head back and laughed. He hopped up and followed her out into the hallway. As soon as he caught up with her, he swung his hand in the air and slapped her butt—hard. “Come on, sweetheart, I don’t have all day. I already missed kickoff,” he said with a chuckle.

Elle’s eyes instinctively narrowed at hearing that word. Normally, she would have spat back with a sassy comment, but this time something else happened. She smiled.

***

Ethan watched Elle walk off the field, keeping her eyes locked on Trent, and laughed to himself. He was pretty positive his best friend was in for the ride of his life.

“I think she likes him.” Kate’s soft voice spoke beside him.

He turned to face her and reached down for her hand. “Yeah, I think he likes her too,” he said, giving it a squeeze.

Just then, Sophie poked her head between the two of them. “Of course they like each other. I was fairly certain she did when she told us about meeting him on the side of the road. And when you told us about Trent’s response to her, well, then I was definitely sure. They’re meant to be together. I just had to figure out a way to get them both here,” she said simply.

“I’m guessing that a casual dinner would have had the same effect.” Kate laughed.

“That wouldn’t have worked.” Sophie shook her head. “They both needed to be in their element.”

“How did you arrange this, anyway?” Ethan asked.

“All it took was a few phone calls and—”

“You told them what to do,” Kate finished.

Sophie looked to her friend with innocent eyes. “Like I was saying, I made a few phone calls and just found out exactly where Elle would be and when. Graham was able to help with that. And Ethan, if it weren’t for you, it wouldn’t have worked. Good job keeping the magazine away from Trent.” She winked.

Ethan smiled. “I don’t think I had a choice. Something tells me that once you set your mind to something you don’t give up.”

“Because she doesn’t.” Logan walked up beside her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “The first time I met her, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. I was almost intimidated by her.”

Sophie laughed at Logan’s ridiculous statement, but Ethan understood exactly how Logan could feel that way. She was tenacious and some people didn’t know how to handle that.

“I’ve never heard the story of how you both met,” Ethan said as he sat, pulling Kate down on his lap.

“They have a fun story,” she whispered in his ear before placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

“So, who’s going to tell it?” Ethan looked from Sophie to Logan.

“I’ll start!” Sophie sat in the seat beside them and curled her feet under her. “It was the summer before ninth grade and I was out for a jog—which is something I never do, mind you; I’m more of a Pilates girl. But, for some reason when I woke up that morning I decided to go for a run.” She paused for a moment, recalling the memory like it was yesterday.

Logan took advantage of her brief pause and jumped in. “I was playing soccer for a summer league and we were having a game that day. I remember being nervous because I was new to the team and barely had any time to practice.”

“You shouldn’t have been nervous,” Sophie added. “You were the best player out there. And the cutest.”

“Thanks, sweetheart, but I don’t think my looks would have kept me on the team.” He laughed. “So anyway, I was running down the field, waiting for an open shot when I saw her.” This time he paused.

“I knew as soon as I saw him.” Sophie’s blue eyes were intense. “He was so cute and I just felt something different. It was like a spark went off.”

“I could barely keep focused,” Logan said, laughing again. “She stood on the sidelines and watched the entire game, screaming at the top of her lungs every time I got the ball or scored a point. I remember thinking ‘Who is that girl? Do I know her?’ When the game was over, I searched the field, but didn’t find her. For a second, I thought that maybe I was going crazy and imagined the whole thing, especially after weeks with no sign of her.