Strong and Steady

I spread out a blanket as Simon put down the small cooler I'd packed, then we settled in to watch. He handed me a soda as I sat cross-legged.

“Which one is he?” He popped the lid on his drink.

One team wore black-and-white striped T-shirts like a bunch of convicts, the other wore dark green ones with a yellow collar. As I scanned the men, I realized Faith would have enjoyed this. Watching sweaty, fit men run around and tackle each other, showing off their caveman qualities would spike any woman’s libido. It certainly worked on mine. But when I finally glimpsed Gray on the field, my heart stuttered. The other night wasn’t a fluke. He did something to me, not just the snap shirt. This guy, why this guy? Was I insane? There was one way to find out.

“There.” I pointed.

“The blond?”

I shook my head, took a sip of soda to cool myself down. Gray looked… God, amazing. Manly. He was wearing one of the ridiculous convict shirts, the neckline stretched out by someone’s rough grab. It didn’t have any snaps, but it looked damned good on him. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he had a streak of dirt on his forearm that blended in with the tattoo. With his arm exposed, I could see it was large enough to creep up his forearm and over his biceps. Although he was tan, the tattoo stood out in stark contrast. I hadn’t been wild about tattoos in general before, but on Gray… it totally melted my butter. I had to wonder if he had any others, and if so, where?

“No, the tall one with the dark close-cropped hair.”

Simon looked where I pointed, his brows going up. “Holy shit, Em. That’s the guy?”

I nodded.

“I can see why he made you nervous. He’s fucking hot and nothing like a guy you’d normally be interested in.”

There was that word again. Normal.

“I know,” I admitted, taking another sip of my soda. “I don’t know what it is about him.” I turned to Simon, hoping he’d truly understand because I sure didn’t. “I mean, he’s got tattoos! And he’s a cowboy, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him now, but his snap shirt the other night made me want to toss him my panties.” I didn’t dare look at Simon after admitting that. “And when I first saw him Friday night, my heart stopped, and my brain went to mush. I swear I had a hot flash.”

He looked at me over the top of his sunglasses, serious. “Maybe he’s the kind of guy you need and just never knew.”

We sat in silence, watching the game. Had I been interested in all the wrong guys? It wasn't like I’d had much chance to find out. Being pregnant at nineteen, married and with a baby at twenty didn’t offer much opportunity to play the field. Of course, Jack had decided he’d wanted more and ditched me for a newer model. Maybe a guy like Gray was exactly what I needed. He wasn't normal. He sure as hell would push my boundaries.

I watched his body as he played the game, and I tried not to drool. Muscles tightened and flexed in ways that had me taking another big swig of my soda just to cool off. What would it be like to kiss him, to run my hands over that body, to have his weight pin me up against a wall? Those thoughts made butterflies return to my stomach and scared the crap out of me at the same time.

I hadn’t even realized there was a ref until he blew the whistle. I obviously wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to the game, only Gray, and he'd only had the football a few times. The men worked their way to the sidelines, exhausted and sweating, slapping each other on the back. I couldn’t tell by the looks on their faces who’d won or lost. The camaraderie was surprising, considering they’d just been tackling the crap out of each other.

Gray was drinking from a water bottle when he saw me. His eyes narrowed, and I felt once again frozen in place as if he had a freeze ray stare. He swallowed, wiped his chin with the back of his hand and smiled. With a little bob of his head as hello, he held up one finger. He didn’t look away until I nodded back.

“Jesus, Em,” Simon whispered. Yeah, he didn’t have to say anything more for me to know what he meant.

While Gray talked with other players, Simon leaned in and said, “You can bring me to watch anytime.” I glanced up, and he waggled his eyebrows. I grinned. Not having a boyfriend at the moment, Simon was no doubt checking out the possibilities, but I was only interested in Gray.

A minute later, Gray walked over to us, a teammate with him. Although he'd looked pretty darn fine the other night, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, sweaty and dirty, he looked downright sexy. Rugged and manly. This was his element. His chest and shoulders were clearly delineated, his biceps thick and bulging, his thighs and calves well defined. Everything about him was powerful, and the way he watched me now was seriously intense. I licked my lips and saw his eyes drop to follow the action.

Simon and I stood as they got closer.

“Hi,” he said, stopping directly before me. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“I just so happened to be in the park.” I swiped my hand through the air. “Big coincidence.”

He gave a quick laugh, reminded by what he’d said on Friday night. It felt good, really good, to make him laugh. For once, I said something right. He angled his head. “This is my friend Rob.”

“Everyone calls me Thor,” the other man added, his voice deep. He held up his hands. “I’d shake your hand, but you probably would rather not.” Streaks of mud and sweat covered his palms.

I could see why he got the nickname. He had two inches on Gray, making him a giant. Football linebacker big. Hot dog eating contest winner huge. Dark hair, dark eyes, square jaw, goatee.

“I like your team spirit,” he added. “Looks better on her than us, don’t you think, Gray?”

I frowned, confused. He pointed to my tank top. Glancing down, I realized my shirt was also black-and-white stripe.

“Of course. Wouldn’t want to be accused of rooting for the other team,” I countered with a smile then shrugged as if it were no big deal. “This is my neighbor, Simon.”

Simon shook Gray’s hand and nodded at Thor.