Free After All These Years (One Pass Away #2) by Mary J. Williams

years,” Sean said
    with a self-deprecating smile. “Gaige has paced himself. He could go for
    another ten years—my motor could blow at any minute.”
    Pete blinked, looked at his beer, then blinked again. “Just
    to be clear, we are talking about sex, right?”
    “Right,” Sean clinked his bottle against Pete’s.
    “Good. This country boy can’t always keep up with your big
    city metaphors.”
    This time, it was Sean whose beer spewed across the table.
    Pete loved to play up his Georgia roots. And play down his master’s degree in
    English literature. One moment he was all slow-talk and cornpone, the next he
    was spouting Shakespearean soliloquies.
    Was there another creature as contradictory as a football
    player ? Sean wondered. Even Gaige. Off the field, he was the most stable
    man you could meet—ninety-nine percent of the time. Then, seemingly without
    warning, a mood would hit him. Tonight was one of those times.
    Sean had no idea what drove Gaige on nights like this. They
    had been friends and teammates for almost eight years. The QB lent a
    sympathetic ear to anyone who needed it. Yet Sean couldn’t recall him
    unburdening himself. Not about anything serious.
    With Sean, what you saw was what you got. Gaige appeared to
    be the same way. However, his closest friends knew the truth. There were hidden
    depths behind those affable green eyes. Dark. Dangerous. One saw it on the
    field. During a game, Gaige was one scary motherfucker.
    “I like Casanova Gaige.” Pete chuckled when the women
    decided to link arms, circling Gaige with their writhing bodies. “It beats
    Biker Gang Gaige any day.”
    “One time,” Sean said. “And he wasn’t part of the gang.
    Called one of them blubber butt.”
    Who knew leather-clad men with scary tattoos were so
    sensitive? The fight hadn’t lasted long. The gang were Knights’ fans. They didn’t
    want Gaige busting up his hand. Each man was allowed one punch. To his
    satisfaction, Gaige did a lot more damage than blubber butt.
    “Biker Gang Gaige has a nice ring to it. I’m sticking with
    it.”
    “Fine. Just don’t let him hear you.”
    Gaige went off the rails once or twice a year—that Sean knew
    of. The incidents lasted one night. The rule was, no one spoke of it. Ever.
    “Hey, baby.” Simone slithered onto Sean’s lap. She was a
    sweet woman with the unfortunate tendency to wear too much perfume and call him
    baby. He put up with it because she gave killer head. “Want to go back to my
    place?”
    Sean didn’t have to think twice.
    “Not tonight.”

 

CHAPTER SIX
     
     
    THE BUILDING IN downtown Seattle was a mix of old and new.
    Brick exteriors from the turn of the century that had been renovated into roomy
    lofts with spectacular views. Owners had every amenity at their fingertips.
    Laundry pick-up and delivery, concierge service that with one call could
    provide residents with anything from late night take-out to tickets to the
    symphony. It was city living at its finest.
    Sean walked out of the elevator and into his penthouse loft.
    Alone. Simone had not been happy when he dropped her off with no sex and no
    promise of it in the future. He knew in his heart of hearts that the days of
    fun and uncomplicated sex were quickly becoming a thing of the past.
    It was a week before the start of training camp. This was
    the time to kick up his heels. When he had left the club, Gaige and Pete were
    doing exactly that. All over the city, his current, future, and wannabe
    teammates engaged in activities that would soon be frowned upon. Drinking. Late
    nights. Sex until dawn—and beyond.
    What was he doing? Sean grabbed a bottle of water from the
    fridge. He was spending the night alone. Happily and without a single twinge of
    regret.
    From his vantage point, the city stretched out in front of
    him—full of possibilities. Tonight he chose his couch and a good book. He
    blamed Riley Preston.
    No. That wasn’t fair. He couldn’t blame Riley. This was