Free Game For Love: Devil of the Gridiron (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Melissa Blue

contractual. So no more sex scandals? No revolving door of women?”
    Huh. Anyone could take one look at Charlotte and know she wasn't his usual fare of woman. He could probably get his attorney to go over the wording again to find loopholes. And then there would be no reason he couldn't date her. What excuse would he have then?
    You don't belong with her.
    But he wanted to. He wiped the corners of his mouth. It had gone dry. “We'll see.”
    Kent tilted his head. “I know we haven't seen each other in years…”
    Not a day went by that Adam didn't think about the choices he'd made and how that had changed his life. “You can say whatever. It's fine.”
    “And you won't believe me. You always had this hero complex. If you weren't the one jumping on the grenade…” Kent laughed. It sounded sour. “Did you ever think, for one moment, how much harder you worked than everyone else?
    He leaned back in his chair as though he could distance himself from the words. “I worked just as hard—”
    “No, you didn't. Whenever I went to practice, you were there before me. Whenever I left for training, you were still there. You partied hard, and you went through women only because you worked twice as hard. Where the hell would you have had the time to do anything else? And you're still doing it. What more do you have to prove, Adam?”
    The words dug their way into his gut. He slouched in the chair to force himself to relax under the discomfort. “I'm starting to think you really didn't want money but instead you wanted to give me advice.”
    Kent smiled. “Two birds, one stone.”
    “What are you getting out of it?” His voice was harsh, but he couldn't help it.
    Kent shook his head. “My wife is tired of me whining about how I feel guilty about my friend feeling guilty about the stupid shit we did back in college.”
    Adam laughed, because that sounded like a verbatim quote and definitely something Charlotte would tell him if he'd had the balls to spill out the full story.
    Charlotte . She'd love this restaurant. She'd smile at him over the menu and probably talk her way to the back to meet the chef. She shouldn't have to hide, and he didn't want her to. Hell, he was going to have to call his attorney.
    Adam glared at his friend. “So you got married and turned soft? Got it.”
    “Yeah. You haven't changed that much. I still want to throttle you every now and again.”
    Adam glanced down at his hands. “I'm going to need a lot of updates. That was a big check I wrote.”
    The words were lies, but if it meant he got to talk to Kent more often, he'd tell it. His friend could probably see that truth. Given the warm smile his friend wore, he did.
    “Update you every time I spend a single penny? Duly noted.”
    “Good,” he said and returned the big grin.
    *****
    Sunday morning, Adam rolled into Charlotte with a loaded weapon pressed against her butt. She fought the smile. “Didn't you get enough of me last night?”
    He rubbed his stubble against her bare shoulder. “New day, new opportunities to get you naked before the weekend is over.”
    Considering only a sheet covered her at the moment, he didn't have to work too hard. “You're making breakfast then.”
    “There's leftover steak,” he said and laughed.
    She snorted. “Add an omelet, and I won't mention fine cuisine.”
    He nipped her ear lobe. “Deal.”
    His hand rode up from her hip to cup her breast right as his phone vibrated on the nightstand. Cool air swept in when he rolled to answer. “Yeah.” Pause. “Hey, man.”
    Adam put his morning wood back where he wanted it as he chatted for the next five minutes. Charlotte only minded that the conversation got in the way.
    “No, I'd love to, but I have company. Let me ask.” He put his chin back on her shoulder. “Some of my old teammates are in town. They want to play a pick up game and catch up.”
    Disappointment sank in her stomach like a stone. “If you haven't seen them in a while, it's fine. I