"Tate. Where you been, man? We've been sucking like hell without you." He extended his hand and gave me a warm smile. Things had changed a lot in the last week – both for the better and the worse.
"Sorry, man. There was some work shit I had to deal with. Coach kick me off the team yet?" I smirked.
"Not even close. Just come grovel at his feet and I'm sure everything will be okay."
"Grovel? No." I touched the back of my mother's shoulder, but kept my attention on Martin. "Hey, man. This is my mother Sarah and my best friend Sam."
They gave their introductions, but I couldn't help but turn my attention to the floor as they started calling out names for the UMN women's basketball team. Val was the last out, and was the captain of the team, which was something I hadn’t known.
She looked damn good in her tight shirt and basketball shorts. She was far more feminine than the other girls on the team, but I'd make sure to tell her that later when I had her pressed beneath me.
"Hey, Tate." Katelyn smiled at me from beside Martin. "Have you met Amy and Lucinda?"
"Briefly, I think." I extended my hand and shook their hands before introducing Sam and my mom to Val's friends. Sam grunted beside me, and I turned to watch him smile like a tomcat.
"What're you doing? You're supposed to play it cool. Jeez. Have I taught you nothing about women?" I laughed and popped him in the chest before turning back toward the court.
Valentine was amazing, and I found myself cheering for her and being shocked by her skill multiple times during the hour and a half game. Her shots were perfect, her dribbling off the chain, and her moves were hot.
"That's it, Val. Get it, girl. Lay it up. Show them what you're make of." A tall blond guy a few rows in front of me hadn't stopped yelling for her the whole time we were there. To say it was getting on my nerves was an understatement. I couldn't help but wonder who the hell he was. Was the guy trying to hit on Val?
"Martin..." I leaned over and tapped his shoulder. "That guy looks familiar. Is he on the team with us?"
"No. He's quarterback here, man. He's a senior. Kade Jones." He moved back away from me as my stomach tightened.
Kade Jones. Who hadn't heard of him? He was headed to the NFL, and from what I could tell, he was interested in my girl.
I forced myself to focus on the game, trying like hell not to let his cheering and encouragements bother me, but they were too intimate. He knew her. I wanted to know how.
The game ended with Val sinking a damn-near impossible three-pointer and the crowd going wild, myself included. I was so proud of her. She had no idea how fucking talented she was. Her business degree could come later. She needed to do something with her skills on the court while she was young enough to do something about it.
"Wow. She was incredible." My mother glanced over at me as her eyes widened. "My heart is racing in my chest."
"Mine, too." Sam stood up and turned toward Martin and the girls. "You guys going out or what?"
"Not sure, but you can come with us if you want." Lucinda moved around Martin and Katelyn to get closer to us.
"I'll be back." I squeezed through the crowd and stepped down on the floor of the court as my eyes met Val's.
She was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and wisps of hair had pulled from her ponytail and were stuck to her neck. She looked like heaven, and I wanted to touch every part of her, to worship her until she got in her head that she was every bit the woman I wanted, even if I acted like a wayward teenage boy most days.
Kade made it to her before I did, and she turned her attention to him. I was a little surprised to see him wrap her in a hug and pick her up off her feet. He spun her around before letting her go and touching the side of her face like I did.
Anger burned through me, and I moved up to stand beside him.
Val turned her attention to me with nothing but innocence on her pretty face. "We did it! Did you like it?"
"I loved it." I reached for her and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Who's your friend here?"
"Oh. Kade, this is my boyfriend, Tate. Tate, Kade Jones." She moved back, and I turned and gave the guy an unspoken, “back the fuck up” look.
"Nice to meet you, man." I shook his hand firmly.
"You, as well." He gave me a curt nod and released my hand, turning back to Val. "Great job. I'm crazy impressed. See you tomorrow."
"Okay. Thanks for coming tonight. It means a lot to me." She reached out and touched his arm before turning back to me. "Wow. That was a rush. Just knowing that you were in the stands made me want to play that much harder."
She was breathtaking, and though I wanted to drag her to me and kiss her a hundred times to ensure that she was in fact mine, and only mine, I forced myself to stay put.