Part 21 (1/2)

”You're over the line here, Erik.”

”So you trust her?”

”Unequivocally.” Brody didn't bother to keep the displeasure for this line of discussion from his voice. ”Shannon is completely vested in helping me manage my condition.”

”Until she isn't.”

Brody froze on his way to the exit where the bus that would take them back to the practice facility waited. Erik's ominous words burned in his gut.

”Face it, Brody. When you break her heart, and you will, you know, she'll sell you out in a heartbeat. They all do.”

He faced down the trainer, checking the nod he nearly gave acknowledging the partial truth of Erik's statement. But that had been in the past.

”This is different.” Defiantly turning on his heel, he headed for the bus determined that, indeed, this time would be different.

Twenty-two.

”Ah, man, I love Milk Duds.” Brody shook the tiny box and the b.a.l.l.s of chocolate-covered caramel bounced around inside.

”You can have 'em,” Maddox said around the wad of bubble gum in his mouth.

”No, Maddox, he may not. And that's enough candy for you, too.” Shay shoved the mountain of Halloween candy back into the plastic bag.

”Dang, Brody,” Maddox said. ”How come she never lets you have any candy?”

Maddox and Brody were sprawled on a sofa in the Blaze entrance area. Kids of all ages-children of players and staff, as well as some from local organizations the Blaze sponsored-roamed about dressed in Halloween costumes and trading candy. Maddox's plastic X-Men mask was pushed back upon his head, his feet dangling over the side of the sofa.

”Because she's a mean ol' sheriff, Maddox, and she likes to punish me.” Brody's fingers brushed the back of her thigh just below her skirt and Shay blushed at both his double entendre and the burn his touch brought to her skin. She'd dressed as a cowgirl, wearing her boots, her Stetson, a chamois s.h.i.+rt, and khaki skirt. A sheriff's star and holster she'd bought at the dollar store rounded out her costume. There'd been a few snickers about handcuffs from some of the players, but Brody's glare had taken care of them instantly.

As expected, Brody had no trouble getting into the spirit of Halloween, dressing as Iron Man. A big kid himself, he led a parade of children trick-or-treating throughout the facility. The return of his game meant the return of the happy-go-lucky Brody everyone knew. Shay took some of the credit in the improvement of his on-field performance, but only in so far as she was no longer a distraction to him. He'd move on soon enough-his kind always did-but in the meantime, she was determined to get the most out of their relations.h.i.+p. There wasn't another man like Brody in her future.

”Come on, Maddox. Grab your stuff. Tomorrow is a school day and we need to get you home,” Shay said, gathering up the posters and mini footb.a.l.l.s the boy had managed to collect throughout the evening.

”I gotta say good-bye to Troy first.” Before she could stop him, Maddox was jogging across the room to find the other ball boys.

Brody's long fingers manacled her wrist and he pulled her down practically in his lap. ”Tonight, I want you to wear that hat. The holster, too,” he murmured. ”And nothing else.”

Shay could feel her face burning as stroked the skin on her calf beneath her boot. ”Brody!” she whispered, looking around to see if anyone was paying attention to them.

”Okay, maybe these s.e.xy boots, too, but that's all,” he said, seemingly not caring a lick who heard him.

He stared at the boots as if fixated on them, a slow smile spreading over his face, never doubting that she wouldn't refuse him. And she wouldn't. Try as she might, she couldn't. She dug her fingers into his bicep to capture his attention.

”I thought you didn't need toys,” she challenged.

His nostrils flared and his grin turned wicked as he stood them both up, palming her bottom on the way to his feet.

”Giddy up, sheriff. Let's drop off the X-Man and then”-he breathed into her ear-”I'm going to take you for a ride you won't forget.”

It was a good thing he had hold of her arm, because the heat of the words on the bare skin of her neck nearly brought her to her knees.

Two hours later, she lay spent on top of Brody's broad chest, his heart still pounding beneath her cheek. His hand was tracing figures on her hip again, almost as if he were diagramming plays. Her fingers stroked his jaw, the stubble of his five o'clock shadow rough beneath her caress. Brody turned his head slightly to kiss the tender skin on her fingers.

”You were right, you know,” she said.

”Mmmm. I told you it would be the ride of your life.”

”Not that.” She halfheartedly swiped at his chest and he quirked an eyebrow at her. ”Although it was amazing,” she said, the blush stinging her face. ”But I was talking about the blogger. She's totally left you alone after those pictures were posted of us in Little Italy.”

”Correction. She's left us alone.” He snuggled her more closely against his body. ”And while I may not be as smart as the great Dr. Shannon Everett, I do know how to manage the paparazzi.”

”I'm not a doctor yet. I still have six more weeks.”

His hand stilled on her hip. ”Six more weeks? That's all?”

”After four years, six weeks doesn't sound like a lot, but I can't wait for it to be over.”

Brody was so quiet for the next few moments that Shay thought he'd gone to sleep. She rolled over on top of his chest to peek at his face. His eyes were wide open as he contemplated the ceiling. ”Brody?”

”And then you'll be working in a prison.” That invisible spot on the ceiling still held him transfixed. ”You actually sound excited.”

Shay sighed, resting her chin on her hand over Brody's heart. ”I wouldn't call it excited as much as relieved. It's a really good-paying job and it will save Mama. For once in my adult life, I'll be working normal hours and only one job. So, yeah, for those reasons I'm excited.”

”But it's in a d.a.m.n prison!”

”At a prison, Brody. I'll have an office on the grounds, but I won't be walking the cell blocks.”

”You're awfully cavalier about this, Shannon.” Brody's body had become tense beneath hers. ”You could do so much more. Be so much more.”

”I know I can and I will. But right now I have to do this to help Mama. I realized a long time ago that my life wasn't going to be a fairy tale, Brody, and I'm good with it. Not everyone gets to have your life.”

She realized the unfairness of her words as soon as she said them. Brody's jaw firmed and it seemed as if his whole body bristled. Shay knew he wrestled with his celebrity and the ease with which he achieved it. But she also knew he'd never had to make the tough choices, so it was difficult for him to comprehend her path in life-one that had been chosen for her as a child much as his had been.

Trying to lighten up the mood, she leaned down and flicked her tongue over his nipple. ”But this has definitely been a great way to finish out four years of studious drudgery.”

With a growl, Brody flipped them over so he was on top, his nose touching hers and his hips pinning hers in place. ”But you don't start until January, right.” He made the question into a statement of fact. ”So it's really eight weeks.”

She didn't bother arguing with his logic she was too busy enjoying what his finger was doing between her legs. ”Yes,” she sighed.

”Good,” he said, before his mouth found her nipple.