Best Of Both Worlds (Colorado Black Diamonds #4)

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

NOAH

“ W hat’s it going to take for you to see your old man?” Dad asks.

“You know better than anyone what a professional athlete’s schedule looks like,” I tell him, shouldering open the front door after practice. Graham is right behind me and brushes by me.

My entire body reacts at the mere closeness of him. It shouldn’t. It’s too early for this. I’m not the kind to have these reactions. I keep things casual. It’s better with my crazy life. Then why am I reacting to Graham?

It can’t just be because the sex is so good.

Not good. Fucking great. Better than anything else I’ve had, and it’s all with a guy who is still trying to figure things out.

“Are you listening to me?” Dad asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Sorry, what?”

“We’ll be in town Sunday for the football game. Want us to get you tickets to come with us?”

“Sure.”

“Bring Graham too. I know Knox will want to see him.”

I laugh. “You act like we never call or see you. I saw you like two months ago.”

Dad sighs over the phone as Graham comes back into the kitchen after dropping off his bags. He’s lost his sweatshirt and is only in a pair of low-slung sweats.

Fuck. Me.

“We’ll see you Sunday, okay?”

“See you then. Bye.”

“Bye—”

I hang up the phone before I can say anything that might give away what I’m feeling.

“Are you trying to drive me crazy?” I growl at Graham, who has now bent over and is grabbing something from inside the fridge.

“Wasn’t trying to, no.”

When he turns around and leans against the counter, the cocky smile on his face tells me his words are a lie.

That is exactly what he wanted to do. The man standing in front of me is infuriating. Because he knows he can drive me wild with need.

Fuck. I need to shut down this line of thinking.

“Who was on the phone?”

Graham does it for me. Leaning against the opposite counter, I cross my legs, mirroring Graham’s position. “My dad.”

“How are your parents?”

I nod my head. “Good. Our dads will be in town this week.”

Graham smiles at me. “My mom texted me earlier this week that they would be.”

“Didn’t care to share that nugget of information?”

I watch as Graham sips his water, swallowing it down, mesmerized by his throat. Again, he knows it too by the look on his face.

“I only assumed they told you.”

I scoff. “Well, I just found out. And we were invited to go to the game with them.”

“We were?”

I nod. “It seems more like a demand, really.”

“Are you demanding that I go with you?” Graham asks.

“Not demanding. I was hoping you’d want to come with me of your own free will.”

Graham closes the distance between us and drops his hands on either side of my hips. I’m completely enveloped in his space.

“What, like a date?” Graham asks.

“Well, a non-date date.”

“I have half a mind to say no because if this is you asking, no wonder you haven’t had a serious relationship.”

“Ouch.” I laugh. “Below the belt.”

“If the shoe fits…”

“Hey!” I smack his muscular chest. He doesn’t flinch. “It’s not like you’re looking for a relationship.”

Something flashes across his face, but it’s gone before I can pin it down. Whatever he’s feeling, he keeps to himself.

“It doesn’t mean we can’t go to the game together.”

“You want to?”

“As a non-date date?” Graham asks, slowly nodding his head. “I wouldn’t mind that.”

“Good.” I sink down to my knees. “Now I would like to do something that I don’t think you’ll mind either.”

“I can’t tell you the last time I’ve been to a football game,” I tell Graham as we take the elevator up to the suites.

“Really? I know it’s all hockey all the time, but really?”

“Really.”

The elevator doors open, and we’re met with masses of people, even on the suite level. With the game close to starting, we fight our way to the suite where our families are.

“I don’t have as much invested in the game,” I say.

“I guess I wouldn’t have either if my mom hadn’t coached the team.”

“Hopefully they’ll win today.”

Graham leans over, moving out of the way of approaching fans. “Don’t let anyone hear you say that too loudly.”

I bump his elbow with mine. “Even if we play for the Knights, I’m not adopting their football team.”

Nashville’s football team isn’t the best, but they’ve been doing better in recent years. With some solid coaching, they could be a top contender.

Hopefully the same thing can be said for the Knights.

A few people recognize us as we head down the hall toward the suite our family is in. Pictures of the team and Nashville line the walls. The crowd in the stands can be heard even from here.

Finding the right suite, I push the door open and we’re met with a wall of sound, laughter and joking from the guys within.

It’s a familiar sight. All of them standing around, talking and giving each other a hard time. Until now, I didn’t realize how much I missed it.

Back in Denver, I saw them a lot more than I realized. I didn’t make it to a lot of football games, but these guys have always been in my life.

“My own son, as I live and breathe.” Dad sets his drink down and walks over to me to pull me in for a hug. “I’m glad to see you’re still alive, even if you can’t call your own parents.”

“Dad,” I groan, returning the hug. “You know how busy I’ve been.”

“Too busy to call your old man?” He ruffles my hair.

“Jackson, leave him alone,” Uncle Alex tells him. “He’s been busy adapting to a new team.”

“See? At least someone gets it,” I agree.

“You’ve been looking good as a team,” Uncle Colin tells us. “Maybe it’s all down to Noah’s work ethic.”

“Hey!” Graham cuts in. “I resent that.”

“I’m kidding.” Colin laughs.

“I’ve told you,” Knox interjects, “to never listen to what Colin says.”

“Rude!” Colin acts affronted, but knowing him, he isn’t. He’s been like this for as long as I’ve known him.

It’s the familiarity of being with everyone that I love that makes me happy Graham and I came on this “non-date date.”

Crowd noise explodes around us as boos echo in the space with Denver running onto the field. I fight the smile because no matter where I live, Denver will always be my football team.

“Think Denver will win?” Graham asks as he sidles up next to me.

“They better. It’s the only game I’m going to, and I don’t want to be bad luck for them.”

Graham laughs. “You know you shouldn’t believe in that.”

“I don’t. At least, not for us.”

“Ah. How big of you. You can be bad luck for Denver but not for the Knights.”

I eye Graham. “Well, if we go by that logic, I think we’re going to need to start getting off before games.”

He chokes over his beer. “I’m sorry, what?”

“The other day.” I turn to face the field as the captains head out to the field for the coin toss. “I’m pretty sure I gave you a blow job before the game and we won.”

“Is this really the conversation we should be having right now?” Graham hisses from the corner of his mouth.

I shrug a shoulder as I spin from my spot and head toward the rows of seats that overlook the field.

“No. But I like seeing you blush,” I whisper so only he can hear me.

Damn. He really makes it easy to make him blush. Hell, so far, everything about being with Graham is easy.

Everyone settles into their seats as the game starts. Graham moves into the front row next to his dad, doing a pointed job of ignoring me.

I’ll get him back for that later tonight.

The game goes by in a blink with Denver taking a fast lead and not letting up. Heading back into the suite to get more food, my eyes keep glancing over to where Graham is watching the game with his dad. It’s weird. We’re here together, but not together.

That seems to be what our relationship boils down to. If you can call what we’re doing a relationship.

I’ve never really had one before. Why am I wanting to start one with Graham? Everything he’s feeling is new. He’s not even out. I shouldn’t be considering doing this thing with the man in question.

The man who is now peering over his shoulder and smiling at me.

It’s messing with my head.

“You know.” Dad comes up and stands next to me. We’re facing the field as the teams are lining up for the start of the fourth quarter. “You seem happier here.”

“Really?” I turn to face him now.

He nods. When he looks at me, it’s like I’m staring into a mirror of what I’ll look like when I’m his age.

“I don’t think it’s just hockey. You had hockey in Denver. It’s something else.”

“This feels like a good place to be.”

It’s all I can give. I can’t tell him that Graham and I are…roommates with benefits?

I wish I could have a clear head to figure this out. Because when Graham walks by me, and I catch the smallest whiff of his cologne, it casts a lusty fog over me.

Damn it.

I know what I signed up for, but I want more with Graham. If only there was a way to get it.