“But that’s what granddaddies do,” Mark said, his hands moving from her back to her arms. He’d started massaging her again without realizing it.

  “I know. But it’s more than that. It’s like he thinks his starting fresh with Angus cancels out the past with me.” She swallowed hard, and she shifted on his lap again. “No amount of attention can change the past.”

  “I’m just glad he’s coming around some,” Mark said, squeezing her arms. “Because now Angus’ll have his Granddaddy Black, and soon enough, Grandmama and Granddaddy Coleridge.”

  She grinned up at him. “Any date set for them yet?”

  “It’s hard with my schedule. Because obviously they want the entire family there, and I’ve only got the worst day of the week as my off day. Tuesday.”

  “They work you to death in the NFL,” she teased.

  “Gotta earn that paycheck, I guess,” he mumbled.

  She curled up against him, but this time, his cock took notice. Maybe it was in the way she’d started nuzzling his neck or maybe because he’d caught a whiff of her floral shampoo. Either way, something shifted between them, and he couldn’t ignore it.

  “You might have to go back to your own chair soon, miss,” he said.

  “Oh, yeah?” She moved against him again, and this time, he caught the mischievous look of intent in her gaze. “Why’s that?”

  “A Slinky never tells.”

  “But I’m feeling something made of pure steel in your pants,” she purred, a laughing edge in her voice.

  Laughter burst out of him. “That’s precisely the problem.”

  “Doesn’t seem like a problem to me,” she whispered, dragging her lips over his jawline. He inhaled sharply, squeezing the tops of her exposed thighs.

  “You better be careful,” he warned. “We’re in public, and I have no shame.”

  She chuckled throatily, and then planted a kiss on his lips. He grunted, pinning her against him at her hips. If she wanted to take it there, then by all means, he’d follow. They kissed hungrily, passionately, over and over again. Their teeth knocked a couple times in their haste, and as they kissed, Mark’s hands slowly rose from her hips to beneath her shirt, finding the warm, silken line of her waist. He had the fabric bunched up at her natural waist before the kisses broke.

  “Holy hell,” she whispered, resting her forehead against his.

  “Turn around, babe,” he said, tugging at her hips. She had her legs kicked off the side of the deck chair, but he wanted her straddling him again, like on the couch. But the armrests wouldn’t allow it.

  “I can’t in this chair,” she whispered, pressing small kisses along his jawline. “But I want to.”

  He grunted, contemplating just moving to the blanket on the ground. It was where he’d planned to start with the wine and the charcuterie board, but apparently their only shared goal tonight was to head for the deep and sexy stuff. But he couldn’t fathom disconnecting from her for even a split second, so he’d make do in the chair.

  “Can I go higher?” he whispered hotly, gripping the top of her waist. She nodded, and he pushed his hands up, all the way to…no bra.

  He groaned as he caressed her soft breasts. Barely a handful and absolutely perfect. “You didn’t wear a fucking bra.”

  “Just for you,” she whispered sweetly.

  “You had no intention of keeping things friendly,” he growled, rubbing his palms back and forth over her hardened nipples. “That’s not fair.”

  “Oh, I had plenty of intentions,” she said, her voice coming out breathy. “I just never planned on following through.”

  He massaged her breasts, feeling himself go from hard to rock-solid beneath her. He bit gently at the side of her neck, which elicited a shiver from her. She pressed her back against his chest, allowing him free rein with the front of her body. He ran his hands down to her belly, back up to her breasts, while she writhed against him and he nibbled at her earlobe.

  “Okay. Maybe this was a bad idea,” she admitted once he was toying with the button on her jean shorts.

  “Oh, yeah. Terrible idea. Because you are gonna be so loud when I make you come.”

  Her breath hitched as he finished opening her jeans. His hands disappeared into her panties, and she moved against him, moaning.

  “Ohhh, Mark.” Her voice sounded breathy, on the precipice of vanishing altogether. But he had her pinned in her place, one hand tweaking her nipple while the other hand ventured into the sweet heat between her legs.

  He felt the soft hair on her mound, followed by the slickness between her legs. Her panties were saturated, and when his fingers finally made contact with her swollen clit, she gasped.

  “Mm-hmm.” He tugged on her earlobe, which sent her jerking in his arms as he started slow, intentional swirls around her clit. “Now you’re mine.”

  She clutched at his hand beneath her shirt, as though looking for something to anchor herself. “I…I…oh my god.” Another string of words escaped her, none of which he understood. Because he’d snuck a finger into her pussy, that tight and exceptionally juicy wonderland, and everything else in the world ceased to exist.

  She bucked against his hand, and he grit his teeth against the urge to throw her to the ground and fuck away the next few hours. That didn’t seem right—not just because he was a public figure now, but because this was, after all, a family campground. Hell if he could stop what they were doing now, though.

  “You are so fucking tight, Tessa,” he whispered into her ear. “It is killing me right now not to throw you on the pier and have my way with you.”

  She whimpered as his finger slipped and slid back and forth between her pussy and her clit. Her chest was heaving, and he couldn’t get enough of this: his Tessa, coming undone in his arms. Just like the old days.

  “Do you know how fast I’m gonna come once I push inside of you?” he asked, his voice gritty. “I don’t even know if I’ll last five minutes with how wet you are, how tight you are.”

  She whimpered again, bucking hard against him before she stilled. A high-pitched wail started, but she clamped her mouth shut. He felt her pussy clamping around his fingers, and he held her tighter as she came, her face buried in his biceps to muffle the sound.

  He kept his fingers swirling and dancing around her throbbing clit as she came down. She clung to his arms like he was a life raft, her body trembling against his.

  “Mark,” she whispered after a long while and the sun had long since disappeared beneath the horizon. The stars were coming out now, and crickets were the only other soundtrack beside their heavy breathing and the warbling old record player. “That was so intense.”

  “I know, babe.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead. “But you needed it. Mama’s night out.”

  She laughed weakly, swatting at his arm. “Thanks, Daddy.”

  “Just doing my duty.” He nuzzled the side of her face. “So this was moving slow, huh?”

  She shifted, swinging her legs over the side of the chair again, so she could look up at him. “As slow as we can manage,” she teased.

  And then he dipped down for a sweet but hungry kiss. Because as long as Tessa was in his life again, he’d be hungry for her.

  9

  Tessa flitted into the PE department supply closet at her school later that week. She’d been floating on air since her date night with Mark. The kids seemed to notice the extra pep in her step, too. Work had been extra fun; she had extra energy; and today, she was using recess as a chance to get a head start on that afternoon’s science lesson.

  She hummed as she rummaged through the dimly lit supply closet, tucked into the side of the gymnasium. An idea had occurred to her the night before—a lesson plan pivot that involved golf balls and water as an experiment in density. She’d shown up with the plastic cups, but she figured—hoped—the supply closet would have the golf balls. If not, she’d go with her original plan—show how oil and water would separate.

  “Ohhh, my god. I know.” The distant, feminine voice of a coworker drifted through the mostly shut supply closet door. “He’s a freaking NFL player. Way too hot for her.”

  Tessa’s entire body went hot as she realized that she was her. They were talking about her. She stilled in her search for the golf balls, paralyzed by her indecision about what to do next.

  “He was checking me out when he was here for lunch with his kid anyway,” said another coworker. Tessa knew who it was based on the rasp of her voice. The pretty redhead who taught sixth grade math, who Tessa had never been able to click with, no matter how hard she tried. “You can tell he’s not too excited about Mom, though.”

  Tessa’s heart sank, mortification rolling throughout her body. How could they be saying these things about her? About Mark?

  “I don’t even understand how they’re together. Or if they’re together, since she’s never mentioned a husband or boyfriend or even an ex before,” the first teacher said with a snide laugh. “Makes you wonder if he’s really the kid’s dad. Maybe she’s got him trapped somehow. My cousin has a friend who was ‘kid-fished’ by his ex-girlfriend. She showed up with a kid a few years after they broke up and convinced him it was his. Got away with it for a year…until the real dad showed up, of course.”

  The two burst into laughter. Tessa clutched the edge of the shelf in front of her until her knuckles hurt.

  “I don’t know. I just wish she wouldn’t try so hard,” said the second teacher. Their voices were growing closer now, and Tessa feared they were only steps away from discovering her. “She doesn’t need to parade around an NFL player in order to get attention. This isn’t high school. Nobody’s going to vote her prom queen. Besides, bringing him around here like that is just going to get Pastor Mitchell and the parents upset.”

  The door flew open then, and Tessa turned away, trying to hide her stunned face. She didn’t want them to see her humiliation and fumbling as she tried to figure out her next step. She blinked a few times, seeing nothing as one of them stepped inside.

  “Just grabbing hockey sticks—oh, hi, Tessa!” said the same redhead who’d accused her of parading Mark around.

  Tessa swallowed a huge knot and busied herself with scooping up the golf balls she needed. She couldn’t even respond, her throat was so tight. She mustered what she hoped was a smile and hurried past her and the other teacher, speed walking through the gymnasium.

  She didn’t stop until she reached the safety of her classroom. Inside, she leaned against the closed door for a few moments, her heart racing. Had she actually overheard all of that? Maybe this was just a bad dream. A sort of waking nightmare.

  But once she unloaded her golf-ball haul and sat at her desk in a daze, she knew the truth. This was reality. And the reality of her situation was that she was working in a school where people were nice to her face, but brutal behind her back.

  Tessa felt shaky the rest of the day, just one odd look away from a meltdown. She wanted to disappear as much as she wanted to rage, but she had to hold it all in until 3 p.m. rolled around and the kids went home. She managed to keep up a good enough front, and luckily, the golf ball demonstration was distracting enough to actually be fun for her. But once the kids were dismissed and headed for the main doors, Tessa worked double time to finish out her tasks for the day. She craved the safety of home, where she wouldn’t feel like everyone around her secretly believed what those two teachers had said.

  Angus bounded into the classroom a moment later, beaming. “Hi, Mommy! Are you ready to go home yet?”

  “Almost, sweetie.” She offered a brief smile as she packed her bags and grabbed her lunchbox. On their way down the hallway, while Angus chattered about his day, the school nurse approached.

  “Hey, you two.” She pointed at Tessa as they passed each other. “Any chance you could work some magic and get Mark back on his game? He’s been all over the place lately. Rookie blues, maybe?” She ended it with a lighthearted laugh, and Tessa wasn’t sure how to respond.

  “Yeah, I’ll…I’ll tell him,” she called over her shoulder, entirely unsure if that was playful ribbing or something much more sinister. Had the nurse heard the gossip too? Did she wonder if Mark was Angus’s true birth father?

  Humiliation washed over her again as she herded Angus out the main doors. She didn’t want to see anyone at the school again for a long time, but she only had until the next morning to recuperate. Once they were settled into Tessa’s hot car, Angus buckled happily in the backseat, and she tried to switch gears. She and Mark were planning on a homemade dinner tonight—at his place. She needed to focus on that.

  They drove with the windows down through downtown Savannah as Tessa blasted the radio, trying to drown out her thoughts. Angus loved it, bopping along to the music as they made their way home. But all Tessa could think about were all the different humiliations that had shifted her new job from a haven to a battlefield. They really think I parade Mark around?

  As soon as they got home and Angus was shrieking his way through the front door, jabbering about his day and the fun evening yet to come, Tessa knew she needed to call Mark. The sooner they could get to his house, the better. She needed a distraction, and maybe even a warm shoulder to cry on.

  She called him before she’d even dropped her bag inside the front door. It rang so many times she thought it would go to voicemail, but he picked up at last.

  “H’lo?” He sounded winded.

  “Hey. It’s me.” Butterflies invaded her belly. “Is this a bad time?”

  “You called at the perfect time,” he said, groaning slightly. “I’m just about to go into the meetings. But we’re running late today.”

  She knew by now that meant his offensive meetings, which he ended every workday with. “Oh. Well, that’s fine, I just wanted to call and see what time we should be over tonight…”

  He sighed, and she could just imagine him rubbing at his face. “Babe, I don’t know what time we’re gonna wrap up today.”

  She could sense the exhaustion in his voice, not to mention the added layer of unreadability, something extra that she wanted to ask about, though it wasn’t the time. “That’s fine. Listen, why don’t you just come over here? I’ll whip something up. That’ll be way easier for you. I’m not half the cook you are, but I’m sure you won’t complain if I make spaghetti for the second time in a week.”

  He laughed softly. “That sounds great. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.”

  Later that evening, Angus was settling down with a post-dinner movie while Tessa and Mark relaxed on the couch.

  “All right,” Tessa said, tucking her legs underneath her. Angus lay on his belly watching TV just feet away, so it wasn’t like this couch session could end up like the first couch session…or their night at the pier. “So what’s eating you? Spill it.” All they’d managed to cover during dinner was Angus gushing about his school day while Mark inhaled his food.

  Mark managed a weak laugh, his gaze fixed on the TV where Ice Age played. “It’s nothing.”

  “You look exhausted and stressed, even though you just filled your belly. Come on.” She nudged him with her toe.

  Mark ran his palm over his forehead. “Practices have been a nightmare the past few days. Coach is all over me, and I feel like I’m being blamed for the Sharks’ losing streak.”

  A cold fear jolted through her as she thought back on the nurse’s offhanded comment earlier that day, but she squashed it.

  “That can’t be right,” she said. “I’ve been watching your games.” Tessa pointed out some of the more notable plays he’d made over the past two weeks, including the one that made Play of the Day on ESPN. “Maybe your coach is just pushing you because he wants you to be the best,” she concluded. “I bet he’s always extra hard on rookies.”

  “Yeah…yeah, you’re right,” Mark finally conceded, scratching at the back of his neck. But from the way his gaze drifted again, Tessa could tell he wasn’t completely placated by that.

  “But…” she prompted, when his unspoken sentiments became too large to ignore.

  He let out another sigh. “Coach is only half the problem. I can’t tell if I’m meshing with my teammates, you know?” He pinched an eye shut as he looked over at her. “I’ve got two great friends so far, don’t get me wrong, but there are some guys that just…” Mark trailed off, shaking his head. “I try to be helpful, I try to be there for them, but I just feel like I’m in the way.”

  Issues with work colleagues—Tessa could certainly relate. Except now wasn’t the time to add even more to Mark’s plate. “Well, how are you trying to be there for them?”

  “Kind of like what I did when I was team captain in college,” Mark said. “Giving advice. Suggesting extra training. Stuff like that.”

  “Hmm. Well, maybe instead of giving advice, you should be asking for it. Right? People love that.”

  Mark perked up a little, the most since he’d set foot in her house. “Yeah. That’s a good idea.”

  “Show them you’re a team player. But beyond that, I’m sure these are just normal growing pains. You’re getting used to a new team. You have a new status, and you’re learning new rules.” When Mark looked relieved by that, she checked that Angus was watching the movie before leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “You’re doing great.”

  A dimple flashed in Mark’s cheek as he slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. She snuggled up into his side, relishing the warmth and sturdiness of him beside her. But her heart still raced, thinking about what had happened at the school. Except now just wasn’t the time to share it with him. How could she? The last thing he needed was to hear about how his job was also causing issues in her life.

  They watched the movie together, cuddled up like old times. When Angus finally glanced behind him, his face lit up when he spotted them.