Imaginary Lines (New York Leopards 3)

Abe placed his hand over his heart. “Thank God. I was worried.”

“No, I’m serious. Because otherwise I probably would have started dating the guy with argyle socks, and we wouldn’t have had anything to talk about.”

He scoffed. “I already have you. You can’t make me jealous.”

“Oh, is that how it works? I hadn’t realized.”

“Mm-hm.” He kissed me, his hands sliding around my waist. They slipped under my shirt, hot on my skin. His entire body was warm, like a furnace that I eagerly craned toward. I kissed him back, a matching fire fueling in my belly.

“Why don’t you come back to my place tonight?”

I shook my head. “It’s a Tuesday night. I should already be asleep.”

“We could sleep.” He pressed his mouth to the sensitive spot below my ear.

I let out a gasp and then a laugh. “Of course we could.”

His mouth traced a path down to the base of my neck, and then to my lips. “Or not.”

I moaned and gave myself over to the kiss, until a moment later I banged my elbow as I fell back on the rock schist. Laughing, I pushed myself upright. “Okay. I really should head home. It’s too cold to do this outside.”

Abe walked me to my subway stop. He looked down at me. The street lamp behind me picked out the warm honey-colored strands of his hair. He looked haloed in the light. “I’ll see you Friday then.”

I kissed him. “See you then.”

* * *

The Leopards’ bye week fell in Week 11 of the regular season. Most of the team was sticking around the city for Malcolm and Briana’s wedding, so the team also threw an extra party on Friday as a “thank you” to the media. The team bought out the VIP section of Cirque d’Etoiles new act. All fifty-three players, several dozen staff, plus ones and selected supported media attended. We weren’t supposed to report on anything, Carlos assured me—we were just being wooed.

“To do what?” I’d asked as I’d intently researched what kind of food the caterer usually offered.

“To make them glow.”

I came in wearing my favorite red dress, the one that flared at the hip and swooped under my collarbone. The guys whistled and called me fancy. I rolled my eyes and pretended I wasn’t embarrassed by the attention.

“Got a date tonight?” Tendakai asked.

“She can’t have a date,” Jin drawled. “We’re going to Cirque d’Etoiles.”

I shrugged in what I hoped seemed halfway mysterious.

Carlos leaned toward Jin. “But you know who will be there?”

They stared at each and then swiveled toward me. Mduduzi looked betrayed. “I thought nothing was going on!”

“Um.” I tucked a curl behind my ear. “Well. Nothing is going on between any reporters and players.”

Jin cocked his head. “You’re prevaricating.”

I cleared my throat. “But it is possible, possibly, that something’s going on between two old friends. Okay, great, let’s talk about something else. Wow! November in New York! Pretty cold, huh?”

They all stared at me.

I coughed slightly. “Good talk, guys. I gotta go...wash my hands.”

“Hey.” Carlos stepped into my path as I tried to leave. “Give us something else to go on. Is this good?”

Oh boy, now I knew what cornered animals felt like. “Good?”