Most Irresistible Guy

Cooper pats his belly. “I’m watching my figure.”

I pat his stomach, too. Flat as a board. Tight as a drum. Delicious as candy. I mean, I bet it’s as delicious as candy and as lickable, too. “You’re right. If you have even one bite, you’ll puff up, and you’ll be sacked in the first game.”

He rolls his eyes playfully. “Violet, don’t be silly. I have to play to get sacked.”

“You’ll play. Sooner than you think.” We sit down at the head table. My brother and his wife are circulating and chatting with other guests, so it’s only the two of us right now. “Jeff Grant can’t play forever.”

Cooper scrubs a hand over his square jaw. “Some days, it feels that way. But I just have to keep waiting.”

“You do, and it’ll be worth it.”

Jeff Grant is the starting quarterback for the local NFL team, the San Francisco Renegades. He’s also one of the game’s GOATs, as in greatest of all time. The veteran quarterback has three rings, impeccable statistics, an eye-goggling winning percentage, and a sterling reputation for coming back in crucial moments, including bringing the team from the brink and pulling out an astonishing fourth-quarter win in last year’s Super Bowl after a fourteen-point deficit with ten minutes to play.

He is great. There is no debating it. As football fans, we’re truly spoiled to have him helming the team.

But even so, I still want this guy next to me to be the one in the pocket, calling the shots, scanning the field, and marching the team down it, leading the Renegades to victory because I know that’s what he can do.

“It seems hard to believe now, but Father Time will eventually catch up with Jeff. Just keep being patient,” I reassure him.

Cooper shrugs. “Who knows when that’ll happen.” He flashes a smile, letting me know he can’t let his bench-warming status bother him. He’s learned to be cool about his backup status. Drafted two years ago in the first round, he’s hardly seen any playing time because Jeff Grant is not only amazing, he’s also durable. It’s been frustrating for Cooper to watch Jeff take all the snaps, but he’s learned to be patient, too.

“Soon,” I say, as I take a bite of cake. “Your time will come sooner than you think.”

“For now, I’m learning everything I can from the best.” His eyes turn fiery, blazing with the kind of intensity I know he shows on the field. “And when I’m called up, I’ll be more than ready.”

“You will. Now, tell me what you’re learning,” I say, diving into the dessert for another forkful.

“You want to know what I’m learning from watching Jeff?” Cooper’s lopsided grin is deliciously sexy and quirks up at the corner of his lips, almost as if he doesn’t really believe that I want to know.

I tap his forearm. “Yes. I do. You know I love game talk.”

“That’s true. You have an endless appetite for football conversations. You could have been a sports talk host.”

I shudder at the thought. “I detest sports talk shows.”

He laughs. “Me, too.”

I stare at him pointedly, drumming my fingers on the table. “Well? Are you going to tell me stuff? Or is it top secret?”

Laughing, he leans closer to me. Closer than I’d expect him to be. Anticipation weaves through me. “I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell a soul,” he whispers, his breath ghosting over my skin, goosebumps rising in its wake.

Damn body.

I want to tell my libido to calm down. But when Cooper inches near me and turns up the flirting dial, I don’t know how I can rein in the hot, tingly tremble that’s threatening to run through my entire body, just from being near him.

I can smell his clean, woodsy scent. His aftershave. His minty breath. I want it all, but I can’t have it so I practice my best I’m-cool-with-this skills, the ones I’ve needed my whole life. “Oh, is this your secret playbook?”

“I’m learning strategy, confidence, but also some amazing new plays.” His eyes blaze as he talks, and the golden flecks in his brown eyes seem to shimmer with excitement.

This is his playground, and he loves it.

I do, too. I can’t help myself. A rabid football fan, my love of the game is a part of me, and I can feel it in my bones. My passion comes from the strategy, the angles, the myriad ways the game can be played. I love trying to figure out what type of play a team will execute, how the defense will respond, and what risks the players are willing to take. Cooper and I talk about that as I nibble on the cake. As he dives into some of the plays, his eyes sparkle more, his expressions become more animated. I savor moments like this, to enjoy these conversations with my good friend.