“He’s definitely sexy, but you meet sexy guys every day. Is there more than that with him? Do you guys have chemistry?”

  “Sure, we have chemistry, but is there more than that?” She shrugged. “It’s too soon to say.”

  “You don’t seem too enthusiastic.”

  “I’m just tired of getting my hopes up only to be disappointed, you know what I mean?” Kiara sighed as she stirred her smoothie before taking a sip. “I swore I was done with athletes.”

  “Blaise is a former athlete.” Sabrina knew full well that distinction wouldn’t matter to her friend. “He’s doing something different now. Did he tell you his plans for the gym?”

  “Yeah, he said he’d like to franchise too. He has big plans. They sound like a lot of work, but I’m sure it’ll be a good challenge for him. At least he found something productive to do with his life after he retired from boxing.”

  “True.”

  “We both know too many athletes don’t make any provisions for the future. Then they’re broke in a few years, usually with substance abuse problems and broken families.”

  “I like Blaise,” Sabrina said, trying to gauge Kiara’s reaction. “I think he’s a good guy. He hasn’t had an easy life, but I think that just made him stronger. I respect that.”

  “Yeah, he told me a bit about his family.” Kiara wrinkled her nose. “Sad story about his brother, huh?”

  “Yeah.” Sabrina covered Kiara’s hand with her own. “I think you should give this guy a chance. He really likes you, and I think he could be good for you.”

  “I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”

  “Hey, Dylan and I are going to my brother’s game tomorrow. Blaise mentioned he was a fan. We should all go together. It’d be fun.”

  “Maybe,” Kiara said, looking thoughtful.

  “We can grab a drink or a bite at High Rollers after the game. I’ll ask Dalton to bring someone too.”

  Kiara laughed. “Ew! You know Dalton’ll just bring some empty-headed pin-up who hangs on his every word all night and makes the rest of us want to throw up.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Sabrina said, thinking about her conversation with her brother the night he’d been at her house. “He mentioned he’s seeing someone new. I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of curious. Think he might bring her?”

  Kiara shook her head. “Wait a minute, you’re not saying Dalton-man-whore-Mitchell has a girlfriend, are you?”

  Sabrina couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s description of her brother. It was offensive, but accurate. “I don’t know that he’d call her that, but he seems pretty into her. I’m dying to see what she’s like. Aren’t you?”

  “Oh, hell yeah. Count me in!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hanging out with Sabrina, Blaise, and Kiara at the game was fun for Dylan since they all knew the game and loved his old team almost as much as he did, but being back at the stadium was always bittersweet for him. As much as he still loved the game, it hurt that he couldn’t play anymore. The fans were always great, crowding around him and asking for pictures and autographs, but it wasn’t like his playing days when they’d talk football with him. He missed that.

  “You okay?” Sabrina asked, linking her arm through his as they made their way to the locker rooms to wait for Dalton.

  He shook hands with a few of his old teammates and a few of the rookies who stopped to tell him how much they’d enjoyed watching him play.

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” he said once they were alone again.

  “Is it weird for you being back here?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, trying to shake off his melancholy mood. “We’ve been to plenty of games together, and you’ve never asked me that before.”

  “I’ve never gotten the sense that you’d rather be on the field before.” Kiara and Blaise were walking ahead of them, holding hands and talking, so Sabrina took the opportunity to grab Dylan’s arm and halt him. “It’s okay to admit you’re sad that your playing career ended before you were ready, honey. Anyone would feel the same way in your position.”

  “No, I don’t have anything to complain about—I got to live my dream. How many people can say that? Besides, life since I retired has been pretty amazing too,” he said, feeling like an ingrate.

  “Yeah, but football was your first love. You told me you’ve been playing since you were five. It’s a part of you. You can’t just expect that love to go away because you can’t play anymore.” She held his face. “You were one of the greats, D. Fans are never going to forget that. They’re never going to forget you or what you brought to the game.”

  He felt like a fool for letting nostalgia bring him down. Most days it didn’t bother him, but being back in that environment reminded him that the first phase of his life was over. He was ready to move on the next phase. He wanted a son to toss the football with. He wanted to go to his kids’ games and coach their teams. He wanted to share his love of the game with his own son, the way his father had done with him.

  “What’s wrong?” Sabrina asked. “And don’t say ‘nothing’. I know you too well.”

  He couldn’t tell her the truth. That would put too much pressure on her and their relationship. He turned into her hand and kissed her palm. “Nothin’, baby, it’s all good. Let’s go see if your brother is ready.”

  “Are you going into the locker room?” she asked, gesturing toward the pass he’d been given.

  “Uh, no, I think I’ll hang back today, just wait for Mitch to come out.”

  They lingered in the hall where the press usually gathered to catch the players before they left the building.

  “You think if you have a son, he’ll love football as much as you?” Sabrina asked. She sounded as if her mood was now as dismal as his.

  She said “your son,” not “our son,” which made Dylan even more despondent. “Who knows? I can only hope.”

  “You must think about it a lot, what it would be like to have a son who loved football.”

  “It was a big part of my life for a long time. I’m still involved with the local youth program, so yeah, it’s tough not to think about what it would be like.” He hadn’t intended to get into a heavy conversation about their future today, but that was where she seemed determined to go, so he followed her lead. “You ever think about the future? What you’ll be doing in five or ten years?”

  She flattened her back against the wall next to him before sticking her hands into the pockets of her leather bomber jacket. “If you’d asked me that question a year ago, I’d probably have said I wanted to be doing exactly what I’m doing now: building the business, spending time with friends, traveling…”

  “But…?” He prayed there was a but, because the future she described didn’t seem to have a place for him.

  “I don’t know, I guess my perspective has changed some lately.” She lowered her voice even more. “Did Dalton tell you about his plans for the future?”

  Since Dylan was sure Mitch wanted to keep it from his teammates until the time came for him to officially announce his retirement, Dylan murmured, “Yeah, he mentioned something about it. How do you feel about that?”

  “I’d love to work with him. Plus it would give me time to have a life.” She laughed. “Imagine that, a life outside of work.”

  “I am imagining it.” He kissed her, hoping to feel some of the tension between them dissipate. “I like the sound of that.”

  “It would mean more time for us,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  He grinned, kissing her forehead. “I like the sound of that even more.”

  “Me too, D.” She looked at him, her smile matching his. “Thanks for waiting for me to come to my senses.”

  “Are you kidding?” He kissed her again simply because he couldn’t help himself. “I’d have waited forever for you, girl. You know that.”

  ***

  Sabrina was stunned when Brett’s sister, Sophie, claimed the chair next to Dalton. He’d said someone might be meeting them at High Rollers later, but she’d never expected Sophie.

  “Close your mouth, sis,” Dalton said, grinning.

  “Sorry.” Sabrina blushed as she shot Sophie an apologetic look. “We just weren’t expecting you, Soph. It’s great to see you.”

  Sophie was the antithesis of the girls Dalton usually went for. For starters, she was smart, and her ambitions didn’t include bagging a celebrity husband. She was making a name for herself in the fashion world with her high-end, handmade designer handbags that were quickly becoming the next biggest thing among Hollywood’s A-list. Not to mention she was dark, petite, and all natural. Dalton usually liked them tall and blond with silicone and Botox.

  Sophie smiled at everyone around the table. “It’s good to see you all too.” She turned back to Sabrina and gestured between herself and Dalton. “Don’t worry, it’s not what it looks like. Your brother and I aren’t a couple or anything. We’re just friends.”

  Sabrina noticed the tic in her brother’s jaw when he leaned back in his seat, letting his hand fall from the back of Sophie’s seat. Apparently he wouldn’t have described their relationship the same way. Uh oh. Sabrina didn’t want to see Dalton get hurt. Twenty-four hours ago, she wouldn’t have even guessed that were possible, but the way he was looking at Sophie made Sabrina wonder whether his feelings for her ran a little deeper than her feelings for him.

  “Um, Sophie,” Dylan said, obviously trying to break the awkward silence, “have you met our friend Blaise? He owns the gym on—”

  “Oh my God,” Sophie said, covering her mouth. “You’re Blaise Thomas, the boxer, aren’t you?”

  He grinned. “Sure am. I was beginning to feel invisible hanging out with these two,” he said, gesturing toward Dylan and Dalton. “Nice to finally be recognized.” He offered Sophie his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sophie.”

  “Nice to meet you too.” She smiled warmly as she shook his hand. “I had a thousand bucks on your fight with Rodriguez. It’s a damn shame you got that third concussion and had to pull out.”

  “You’ve had three concussions?” Kiara asked, flattening her hand against her chest. “Good Lord, it’s no wonder you retired. I hate to think what might have happened if you’d suffered another concussion.”

  That was what Sabrina loved about her best friend—she was a nurturer, a caretaker. Had Kiara met Blaise when he was still boxing, he probably wouldn’t have stood a chance with her. Kiara wouldn’t have been able to stand by and watch him get pounded on for a paycheck.

  Blaise gave her a cocky half-smile before settling his arm on the back of her chair. He rapped the knuckles of his free hand against his temple. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a hard head. No harm done.”

  “If you say so.” Kiara shuddered as she reached for her water glass.

  “Blaise, Sophie designs and creates high-end, one-of-a-kind handbags,” Kiara said, touching Blaise’s forearm. “So, how’s business, Sophie?”

  Sophie expelled a breath. “Incredible, actually. My social media followers have been great about spreading the word about my new designs, and getting them into the hands of some big-name celebrities for photo ops hasn’t hurt either.”

  “Have you been doing a lot of shows?” Sabrina asked, watching the dynamic between her brother and Sophie. Their body language suggested they were more than friends, especially the way his eyes wandered over her as she spoke. She’d never seen Dalton look at anyone like that. Ever.

  “I have,” Sophie said, smiling. “It’s fun but exhausting. I just hired a couple more reps, one in Los Angeles and the other in New York, but I’ll still have to take meetings with the major retail chains there. I’m hoping they’ll be able to get me into more of the high-end boutiques.”

  “It sounds exciting,” Kiara said.

  “It is, definitely.” Sophie grinned. “But not as exciting as helping my best friend plan her wedding to my brother. How crazy is that, right?”

  Sabrina glanced at Dylan, wondering if he would react to the reminder that Carly was marrying Brett, but he didn’t even flinch.

  He said, “We all knew your bonehead brother would come to his senses eventually.”

  Sophie laughed. “I have to admit, I never thought he’d settle down, but you should see them together. They’re so in love.”

  “Almost makes you believe in the possibility of domestic bliss, huh, Soph?” Dalton asked, curling his large hand around her shoulder.

  She laughed while patting his thigh. “For other people. Not for us. We’re not the type to settle down. That’s why we get along so well. No strings to tie us down.”

  “Right.” Dalton cleared his throat before sitting up straighter. “Good thing we’re on the same page about that.”

  Sabrina caught her brother’s eye and got the uneasy feeling he was making a mistake that could lead to indescribable heartache. “Um, Dalton, I love this song. Come dance with me.”

  Dalton frowned. “Ask your boyfriend to dance. I don’t want to.”

  Sabrina stood as she tossed her napkin on her chair. “Come on, I want to talk to you about something.”

  Dalton groaned. “Come on, sis. You know I hate dancing with you.”

  She slapped him upside the head as she walked past. “I’m giving you ten seconds to move your ass.”

  Dalton grumbled the entire time, but he followed her to the dance floor.

  When she stepped into his arms, she whispered, “Sophie? Really? You couldn’t have told me you were talking about Brett’s sister?”

  “I didn’t want you to lecture me about hurting her. I still don’t.”

  “It’s not her I’m worried about. It’s you.”

  He reared back as though he was trying to gauge whether she was serious. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m not gonna get hurt. We’re just havin’ a little fun.”

  “Are you sure about that?” When he didn’t respond, Sabrina softened her tone. “I think you need to tell her how you feel about her.”

  “No.”

  At least he wasn’t denying he had feelings for her. “Why not?”

  “Because she’s just looking for something casual. If I tell her I’m looking for more, it could scare her away.”

  “Dalton…” Sabrina didn’t know how to ask, but she had to. “Is she seeing other guys?”

  He clenched his teeth, the muscle in his jaw jumping. “Yeah.”

  “Oh my God,” she said, slapping his shoulder. “Are you crazy? You’re going to lose her if you don’t tell her how you feel.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do. You’re the last person who should give me relationship advice. Just focus on Dylan and where your relationship is going.”

  Sabrina knew she had enough problems of her own, but Dalton was her brother. She loved him and couldn’t stand the thought of him getting hurt. Sophie wouldn’t hurt him intentionally, but if she had no idea how he felt about her, she could easily fall for someone else and cast Dalton aside.

  “You said it was all about the sex. That’s not true, is it?” Sabrina asked.

  “For her it is.” He sighed. “How the hell did I get myself into this mess? I’m the one who’s usually trying to distance myself from clingy girls. I never thought the shoe would be on the other foot.”

  “You know what they say—what goes around, comes around,” Sabrina teased. “Could be you’re finally getting yours, big brother.”

  He tilted his head before shaking it. “Thanks a lot.”

  “Tell her how you feel about her before someone else beats you to it.”

  His gaze darted across the room.

  Sabrina spotted Sophie talking to the man who’d taken Dalton’s place at their table. “Is that one of the guys she’s dating?”

  “How the hell should I know?”

  She felt the tension in his massive body as his hand tightened around hers. “She hasn’t told you about the other guys she’s dating?”

  “No.”

  “Is she sleeping with anyone else?”

  “Goddammit, Sabrina, you think I really want to know if she is?” He sounded exasperated.

  “Are you?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business”—his eyes narrowed when the guy next to Sophie kissed her cheek—“but no, I’m not.”

  “Does she know she’s the only one?”

  “No.”

  “Why don’t you tell her?”

  He blew out a breath as he forced himself to tear his attention away from the two. “Because that would make it seem like I think we’re in a relationship, and Sophie’s made it clear she wants to keep things casual.”

  “But—”

  “No more.” Dalton shot Sabrina a warning glare. “As long as you’re sticking your nose into my business, I get to do the same. How are things between you and Dylan?”

  “Getting serious.” She smiled at Dalton’s look of surprise. “He’s still staying with me.”

  “I warned him he’d better put a ring on your finger if he intended to keep that up.”

  Sabrina gasped, feeling her cheeks burn. “You did not say that, did you?”

  Dalton tipped his head to one side, regarding her. “Yeah, and you know what he said?” He didn’t wait for Sabrina to guess. “He said he’d marry you tomorrow if you’d have him. I’ve known Dylan a long time. He was my teammate for years, and I’ve seen him mess with a lot of women.”

  “I don’t want to hear it,” Sabrina warned. “He’s not like that anymore. I trust him completely. He’d never cheat on me.”

  “You didn’t let me finish. I was about to tell you those days are behind him. He’s ready to settle down. With you. Question is, are you any closer to being ready?”

  “I’m getting there,” she said, surprised to hear herself admit it. “Having you join the agency is a really big deal for me. I’ll be able to make more time for Dylan. I won’t have to travel so much.”