Dating: For the Assist Read online

  “If by love, you mean hate, then yes,” I replied, pushing him away.

  “Okay, enough messing around,” Mateo called out. He was always more serious than the rest of us. He was really talented, too, but didn’t pursue basketball beyond high school. After graduation, he went on to become a missionary for his church and then came home and married a really sweet girl named, Shara, that he’d met on his mission. He was still in school, studying business and working part-time. Shara worked, too, as a substitute teacher at Eastridge Heights where Grayson and Mia were both in their second year of teaching. Mia taught elementary school and Grayson taught high school PE and worked as assistant basketball coach under Coach Tillman, his father-in-law and former coach.

  “Captains! Let’s do this thing,” Will called out, clapping his hands. Will lived in our hometown still, too, working with his dad as a plumber. He still wasn’t married, big surprise, but he did have a flavor of the week who’d be around for the wedding, but wasn’t coming until tomorrow.

  AJ was still a bachelor. He worked in Indianapolis doing something with computers. He was a young professional who seemed to enjoy the swanky night life downtown with all the professional athletes and high rollers. How he got involved in all that I would never understand, but there he was living the life.

  “Piper! You pick first,” Luke reminded me.

  “Jared!”

  21

  Drew

  It was like stepping back in time. Piper picked Jared and old feelings of jealousy threatened to make me punch him in the nose. The teams split just like the usually did. Piper, Jared, Noah, Zeke, and Will. Luke, me, Mateo, Grayson, and AJ.

  Then there was the trash talking.

  I thought professional basketball was bad. Nobody had anything on these guys. They were just so personal about it.

  “We gotta call you ‘Doc’ now, Mr. Perfect?” Jared passed Noah the ball at one end of the court.

  Piper, per usual since we were reverting all the way to the beginning, guarded anyone but me.

  “The Ball Doctor maybe,” Noah teased back, narrowly escaping losing the ball to Grayson.

  Jared stopped dead. “The Ball Doctor? We are talking still basketball, right? You aren’t specializing in testicles are you, Noah?”

  “You are such a freaking moron, Jared.” Luke smacked Jared on the back of the head as he jogged by.

  “What? That’s a legitimate question.”

  “I am not specializing in balls, Jed.” Noah dribbled around Gray and drove for the basket. Since no one was around to call foul, Gray stuck out his foot and tried to trip him up. Of course, this wasn’t Noah’s first rodeo. He wasn’t even fazed. His shot banked off the backboard and dropped through the rim touching nothing but net.

  “Take that, jerk face!” Noah yelled in Grayson’s face before running passed me holding his hand out for a high-five.

  Running my hand over my face, I had to remind myself this was just for fun. I used to only play for fun and now it was like basketball had taken over every aspect of my life. I needed to let loose, enjoy the moment. Piper was playing with us, so that shouldn’t be too difficult. I loved watching that girl play. I rarely missed her games and always made sure her team was listed as a favorite on my television so they’d record when I wasn’t around to watch them live.

  Mateo had the ball, he dribbled at the top of the key. These guys knew each other as well, if not better, than any team I’d ever been on. AJ feigned left, but Zeke wasn’t fooled. Mateo dribbled between his legs switching his angle for me. I easily dodged around Will, who’d developed a bit of a beer gut the last couple of years and waited in the wings for Mateo’s pass.

  Catching the pass, I squared up for a corner shot. A blur of long brown hair alerted me to get the shot off fast. Her long fingers tipped the ball off it’s trajectory.

  Damn. That was still hot.

  “Oh, ho! I forgot we had ourselves two pro’s playing tonight!” Jared laughed, giving Piper a high five.

  Running down to the other basket, I gave up all pretense of guarding anyone but Piper. Just like the first time, it was as though we were dancing. My body was just as attuned to hers as it had been five years ago. Give and take. Ebbs and flows. She moved with grace and precision. Years of being coached by professionals and practice had honed her skills. Piper was as good a player as anyone I’d played against. When she turned her back to me, I had to fight a raging desire to put my hands on her hips and pull her close.

  I missed her. I missed this.

  Basketball was as big a part of our relationship as anything. It was how we flirted. How we communicated. And unless I was the world’s biggest idiot, Piper was telling me things I was dying to hear on that court.

  That she missed me, too.

  Just like that my decision was made. The past was the past. I couldn’t get back the years away from Piper. And like it or not, I’d never be able to erase the hurt, either. But that didn’t mean I had to spend the rest of my life miserable because she wasn’t in it.

  “Gray!” Mia shouted from the edge of the court, her tone such that every male ear heard it and reacted.

  “What?” Gray rushed to her side. “Is it the baby? Are you okay?”

  “Whoa. Calm down,” she told him, her gaze sweeping over all of us as we waited for her to call us to action. The woman was hugely pregnant. I didn’t think there was anything on this earth a man feared more than a woman about to have a baby, and we were no exception. “All of you. I’m fine. I’m just tired and I want to go inside.”

  To a man, we all exhaled as one, relieved it wasn’t something more.

  “Right,” Grayson said, taking charge and Mia’s elbow. “See everyone in the morning!” he called over his shoulder effectively breaking up the game.

  Tierney and Noah weren’t far behind, walking with their heads close together as they whispered to each other. At one point, Noah smiled so sweetly at his wife before placing a kiss to her forehead, my eyes pricked with emotion seeing them. The two couples walked a few feet apart and I couldn’t help but notice the similarities in the gentle way Noah and Grayson both practically cradled their wives.

  Huh.

  Was it just natural for them to be so tender? Or were Noah and Tierney holding onto a secret similar to the one that wasn’t so secret between Mia and Grayson?

  “Anyone up for drinks at the bar?” AJ called out.

  “We’re all sweaty,” Luke reminded him.

  “Twenty minutes, meet in the bar for whoever wants to join me.”

  Luke glanced at Dannika who shook her head ever so slightly. “We’re out.”

  “My wife isn’t here, so I’m in,” Zeke said, making everyone snicker.

  “Sure, but I’m ordering soda,” Mateo chimed in. AJ rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything.

  “How about you, Drew?” Jared asked.

  “Uh-” How to break it to these guys without sounding pretentious?

  “Can you even go in a bar anymore without getting mauled?” Leave it to Will to ask a question like that?

  I frowned. “Yes, it’s just-”

  “I bet you get all kinds of wom-” Jared’s gaze shot to Piper. “I mean, attention these days.”

  He wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t some super celebrity, but I did get recognized. I didn’t mind that much when it was little kids and actual fans. But a lot of times it wasn’t about basketball at all. Apparently, for some reason women loved me. I was certain I gave off a ‘get lost’ vibe, but that didn’t seem to discourage anyone. In fact, I thought it only made things worse, if that were possible. Either way, going to a bar, even the small one next to the lobby of this hotel, was a bad idea. I definitely wasn’t in the mood for all that. Especially not after seeing Piper.

  “I’m beat, anyway. I’ll just go up to my room.” The guys groaned, each of them trying to talk me into coming with them.

  I snuck a glance at Piper, trying to gauge her reaction to this whole thing. She appeared to be deep in co
nversation with Dannika. But then her eyes darted my way and I thought maybe she was just pretending not to notice what was going on around her. Then, she kind of rolled her eyes as she turned back to Dannika and I knew it was getting under her skin.

  Well, well, well.

  “Actually, I could go for one drink,” I heard myself say before I could think better of it.

  “Yes!” Jared grinned, giving Will a high-five. “Bring on the babes!”

  “Don’t you two have girlfriends?” Mateo asked, clearly disgusted.

  Both guys frowned at him. “Mind your own business, preacher,” Will said and Jared nodded his agreement.

  It looked like an argument was brewing, but Piper pushed her way to Jared’s side. “Oh, knock it off. It wouldn’t kill you guys to develop a moral compass at some point in your lives.”

  Jared put his arm around Piper’s shoulders, making me want to punch him again. “My moral compass works just fine, thank you very much.”

  Piper jabbed him in the gut with her elbow. “Yeah, right. You’re forgetting I know you too well to believe that load of bull.”

  Jared pressed a hand over his heart. “You wound me,” he joked. “You coming down for drinks, string-bean?” he asked. My heart rate kicked up a notch waiting to hear her response. Her eyes darted my direction again.

  “No. I think I’ve had enough for one night. I’ll let you guys have your fun.” I frowned again as she put her arm around Jared’s waist and let her head fall to his shoulder. I knew in my heart they were just friends. Heck, for all his talk about picking up women in the bar, the guy hadn’t stopped talking about his girlfriend all night. Kara this and Kara that. Still, I hated seeing Piper that close to another man. Especially now, since I’d decided I was somehow going to get her back.

  It was a relief when Luke punched Jared in the arm and told him to get his filthy hands off his sister. Jared laughed, but he did move away.

  Back inside the hotel, we all piled into an elevator. AJ pressed one button for the fifth floor and Piper pushed the one for the tenth. When the door opened on the fifth floor everyone got out except for me and Piper.

  “I’ll be up later, Pipe,” Dannika called out as she and Luke exited the elevator arm in arm.

  Piper and I were the only ones on the tenth floor? Well, her and Dannika. But everyone else was five floors below us? What the hell? Was this some kind of setup or something?

  Running my hands through my hair, I acknowledged it probably was. I wouldn’t put anything past Dannika and Luke. Those two had been hounding me for years to try and talk to Piper. But I’d made a promise to her and to myself that I’d let her find herself, whatever that meant. I was going to let her come to me. But she never had.

  And now we were alone in an elevator.

  The ride up to our floor was too short and Piper was out of the door before I could even take a breath to say something to her. Her long legs that I’d been having a hard time keeping my eyes off of, carried her to her door. She already had her key card out and she was in her room while I was several feet behind.

  I stopped in front of my room. Sucking in a deep breath, I told myself not to think about the fact that the girl, no, the woman I loved was right behind a two inch thick door. One little knock, that was all it would take to talk to her. Assuming she would answer it, of course.

  With a sigh, I turned my back to her room and held the key card to the sensor and opened my door. I wasn’t in the mood for that kind of rejection. Hopefully, there would be another opportunity. No, not hopefully. I’d make sure of it. But first, I would go down and have a couple of drinks with the guys. It had been a long time.

  22

  Piper

  It was no use. I couldn’t sleep. Dannika had slipped into the room about an hour ago, but apparently hadn’t had the same trouble falling asleep as me because she was snoring within moments of her head hitting her pillow.

  Rising from the bed, I reached for the tank top I’d tossed aside earlier and slipped it over the sports bra I usually slept in. Walking softly, I picked up my key card and phone from the table under the television and a pair of tennis shoes by the door. Last, I grabbed my basketball. There was only one thing to do at a time like this. I was just glad there was a court at the hotel and that it was secure with a fence only accessible with a hotel key.

  Feeling like a teenager sneaking out of my mother’s house to play ball at the neighborhood court, I quietly closed the door behind me and headed toward the stairs. The whole idea was to help myself sleep, no sense being lazy and taking the elevator.

  The lobby was quiet, the only sounds came from the bar off to one side. Music from a piano accompanied the soft sounds of voices talking and laughing. I recognized the music as one of Luke’s compositions and it suddenly made sense why Dannika had returned to our room so quickly. It was too tempting to walk passed and not peek in.

  They were all there, even Grayson and Noah. Mia and Tierney were noticeably absent, but that wasn’t unexpected given Mia’s current situation. I was certain Tierney was curled up with a good book. I probably should have tried that.

  There were a couple of women with them, but I could see everyone was being casual, laughing and talking, not flirting or threatening their relationships. Even Will and Jared were behaving themselves. I should have realized they’d grow up eventually.

  Drew, my eyes couldn’t seem to avoid drifting toward him, sat a little away from the others watching with a small smile on his lips. Goodness, he was beautiful. Suddenly, as if he could feel my eyes on him, his head turned. Whirling away from the entrance, I hurried out the exit.

  Heart racing, I ran to the court and flashed my key card across the sensor. Once the light turned green, I rushed inside the gate and slammed it closed behind me.

  Placing my hand over my heart, I berated myself for being such a ninny.

  Dribbling the ball from pure muscle memory, I worked to relax my breathing. Without thought, I began my warm-up routine, the familiar motions centering me. I’d been on the court for about fifteen minutes when the gate screeched open.

  He didn’t say anything.

  He didn’t have to, I could tell it was him from the way the hairs on my arms stood at attention and then strained toward him.

  But I didn’t stop. I just kept dribbling and shooting.

  He stepped up quickly, catching the ball as it bounced off the asphalt after falling through the net.

  “Nice shot.”

  Those words hit me along with a overwhelming wave of nostalgia. That was what I’d said to him that first night I ran into him on the neighborhood court.

  The first night he kissed me.

  I didn’t say anything. Couldn’t. So, I watched.

  Drew dribbled once, then twice. His body moved with graceful familiarity. Even after five years, his basketball moves were similar to what they always had been. Of course, it might just seem that way since I hadn’t missed a single one of his games in all this time. Thank goodness for DVR.

  Drew lifted the ball to shoot. Pausing, he turned just his head toward me. He wore jeans and a pair of black boots. And a white t-shirt instead of black. I guess that had changed.

  Before I knew it, a question I’d been holding onto for a long time slipped out. “What happened to your lip ring?”

  His lips curled into a knowing grin and I could have smacked myself. Drew knew all too well how much I loved his lip ring.

  He didn’t answer. Turning back to the basket, he dipped his shooting hand back, then released.

  My gaze followed the arc of the ball. Swish! It bounced toward me. Reflexes demanded I reach for it.

  “PIG?” he asked, moving a step back from where he’d shot.

  The invitation sent a thrill of anticipation throughout my body. Tingles rushed from my chest to all my extremities making my head feel light.

  PIG was never just PIG with Drew. Even that first time, it had ended with a kiss so explosive to this day I woke up from dreams about it
drenched in sweat and my heart pounding.

  It was a dangerous game we played. But I wouldn’t back down.

  I couldn’t.

  Stepping into the exact spot he’d vacated, I lifted the basketball in front of me. Drew didn’t move a muscle, but he was so close I could feel the heat of his body in waves. I could ask him to move, but he wouldn’t. That wasn’t how things worked between us. Even after all this time, I knew that hadn’t changed.

  His breath tickled my neck and my arms trembled. He hadn’t stepped closer, which meant he’d leaned into me. Goosebumps erupted on my shoulders and arms.

  Taking a deep breath, I focused on the basket, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d rattled me by missing the shot. Relying on the muscle memory, I let the ball go, holding my breath until it fell through the net. Relieved, I dropped my arms to my side and moved, letting him pick the next shot.

  Drew’s body moved with smooth fluidity until he stopped outside the three point arc. It was my turn to rattle him, but it probably would have affected me more, so I stayed back.

  He lifted the ball. “Chicken.” Then he shot, not even waiting to see if he made it before turning his blue eyes, full of challenge, on me.

  What could I say? He was right.

  I was disappointed when he stepped several paces away from his shot, allowing me to take his place. Reaching down, I picked up the ball, turning just in time to catch him watching me. Hmm.

  Feeling a bit more confident, I strode toward him, never breaking eye contact. His eyes were the first to flicker away. It was more than a little gratifying to see them dart toward my legs.

  And to think I used to lament those babies. Not anymore. If there was one thing I’d learned to appreciate about my body from my relationship with Drew, it was my long legs. Instead of feeling like a giraffe, his eyes told me I should feel feminine. Powerfully feminine.

  And I did.

  When his gaze found mine again, I had to fight to keep my breath. Fire burned in them, a fire I recognized. I may have hurt him, but I knew, on some level, Drew still wanted me.