“Yep, I’ll call you when I’ve got something. And congrats, brother. Happy for you.”
“Thanks.” I grinned, ending the call and turning my attention back to my set. Official training hadn’t started, but I spent hours in the gym making sure I stayed in shape. And I’d never been good with idle time.
I’d always intended to travel during the off season, but it had never appealed to do it alone. Even getting up to my mountain house was something I only did rarely. Taking Ellie there, spending the weekend together, had been better than I’d imagined. I’d worried it was too soon to take her away for the weekend, but as I’d done since I’d met her, I’d trusted my instincts. As I’d hoped, it had been as natural as breathing—when I could get a breath in around her, that was. The woman did it for me, plain and simple. I’d had plenty of women throw themselves at me. But they’d never interested me. None had come close to Ellie and the way she made me feel.
“Damn, Jackson’s in beast mode.” Ryan chortled as he walked in alongside our wide receiver, Marcus. Ryan and I were tight; he was the closest friend I had on the team and in Colorado. Marcus, on the other hand, was an asshole.
“Save some for the field.” Marcus grinned as the two of them grabbed weights off the rack.
“Was just about to head out,” I grunted, using my discarded shirt to wipe my brow.
“You weren’t around this weekend,” Ryan commented. He’d texted me a few times, but I hadn’t responded; I’d been totally wrapped up in Ellie.
“No,” I replied. “Ellie and I went up to Dillon.”
Ryan’s brows rose incredulously. “You took her away for the weekend?”
“I did,” I confirmed, my tone daring him to challenge me. I knew people in my life might question how fast we were moving, but I didn’t give a single fuck. I’d never been more sure about anything in my life.
“Took who away?” Marcus asked just before his brows lifted with realization. “You mean that hot little number I saw in the gossip rags? Damn, Jackson, well done.”
“Dude, I wouldn’t go there,” Ryan muttered under this breath.
I gritted my teeth, glaring at Marcus. “You’d be smart to take his advice.”
Marcus held up his hands in surrender, and I delivered a curt chin lift to Ryan. “I gotta jet. I’ll catch you later.”
I needed to get away from Marcus before he said something else that made me put my fist through his face. I didn’t need to get benched before the season even started. The guy irritated me already; hearing him talk about Ellie was likely to put me over the edge.
“Jackson.” Ryan caught up with me as I was throwing my duffle in the trunk of my car. “I’m happy for you, man. I’m just used to you being pretty aloof when it comes to women. Ellie seems like a good girl. You just haven’t known her long, and I don’t want you to get burned. I’m just looking out for you.” His jaw clenched, and I knew exactly the direction of his thoughts. “You remember what happened to me.”
He’d fallen hard and fast for a woman the previous year. Turned out she’d wanted a baller on her arm and not the man underneath. It had torn him up for the better part of a year.
I took a deep breath. “Ellie’s not Kelsey, Ry.” I looked at him meaningfully. “And neither is Lily.”
“We’ll see,” he replied gruffly. “I’ll catch you later.”
“Later.” I nodded, watching him walk back toward the training center. I knew my friend was still nursing a bruised heart and a wounded ego. It would take the right woman to earn his trust again.
Chapter 8
ELLIE
“After an entire weekend together he still spent the night last night?” Lily demanded, her mouth theatrically agape as we talked over drinks at one of our favorite bars after work.
I took a sip of my wine, smiling around the rim.
“Damn, El, he’s got it bad,” she marveled.
“It’s a mutual affliction,” I admitted. “How was your weekend?” I asked, changing the subject.
After another weird day at work, I was ready for some time with my best friend. She was one of the few people that treated me exactly the same. I was slowly learning the best way to deal with the attention, and that was to hold my head high and be myself as much as possible.
That didn’t mean I was comfortable with it.
Coworkers who’d never talked to me before suddenly wanted to be my best friend, thinking they could get to Mason through me, or worse yet, thinking I was suddenly more interesting because he wanted me.
It was bizarre, and despite my strong feelings for Mason, part of me remained unsure if I was cut out for all the attention that came along with dating one of the most well-known players in the NFL.
