Finley groaned. "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

"I can promise you that we're staying in tonight."

"Better than nothing," Finley grumbled. "Please text me if something goes wrong."

"Will do." He ended their call, then turned his attention to Jackson and Kellogg-two of the Avengers' starting defensive linemen. "Fellas and company, make yourself at home."

"Your idea to ride solo?" Kellogg asked before a sly smile spread across his mouth. "Or did B's video scare off all the honeys?"

Jackson slung his arm around a tall brunette. "Instagram says otherwise. Where's your girl?"

"She's busy." Or so he presumed. Didn't teachers have to prepare for the next day the night before? "Besides, you meatheads would scare her off."

Kellogg flipped him off. "We're not that bad."

They weren't, but he knew how intimidating a group of football players could be to someone not familiar with the game. Harper was anything but familiar.

And he was anything but a standup guy for not inviting her.

"Not to worry. You'll meet her... eventually." That seemed to pacify Kellogg, who had turned his attention to his dates.

Jackson turned up the music and Austin began pouring drinks, something he enjoyed doing at parties. In college, he'd bartended in order to save money because it was a real fear that he'd get hurt at any time and blow his chances for an NFL career. And if he was too hurt in college for the NFL to notice him, then he was too hurt to play, which meant he would no longer have a scholarship. His family couldn't afford out-of-state tuition. He couldn't afford to come home a loser.

As the party went on, more guys showed up with guests. Pretty soon, the women outnumbered the men, but Austin didn't stop keeping an eye on their drinks. Well, as much as he could keep track of them.

The last thing he wanted was a woman getting a.s.saulted, and that had nothing to with his or his team's reputation... except for the fact that he didn't know some of the newer guys all that well and until he did, then he couldn't be too careful.

In his mind, it was man's job to protect a woman from danger, especially when danger came in the form of a guy two-to-three times her size.

A curvy woman with blonde and pink hair approached him. Wearing a white, spandex dress that barely reached mid-thigh, she was a head turner. Austin didn't think it made him an a.s.shole just to notice.

"Hi, I'm Serena, and you're hot as f.u.c.k," she said, loud enough for him to hear her above the music and hum of conversation. "Bianca's stupid for letting you go."

He eyed her, keeping his gaze on her face. "Not a fan, I see."

She shrugged. "You could say that."

He had said that. Gesturing to the bar, he asked, "What can I get you?"

"I was hoping for some alone time."

"There's three guests rooms upstairs. All have locks. Have at 'em."

Serena made a face. "I meant I wanted alone time with you."

"I'm really flattered, but-"

"And I really can't believe you're turning this," she swept her hand up and down her body, "down."

Austin crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, I don't want to come across as a d.i.c.k-"

"Too late"

"But I'm... involved with someone."

"Involved? What the h.e.l.l is that supposed to mean?" Serena asked.

Jackson joined them at the bar, and Austin breathed out a sigh of relief. "It means that my man is taken... but I'm clearly available."

Serena ran her gaze up and down Jackson, obviously liking what she saw. "Now that I think about it, I really like my men... bigger, if you know what I mean."

Although her comment was meant to be an insult, Austin was more than happy to let her rake him over the coals. Besides, he was firmly confident in his size and what he could do with it. Not even his ex could claim that he sucked in bed. She never had either.

"That's right, girl." Jackson flashed one of his trademark smiles. "In fact, I say we leave this place."

"Yeah, any place is better than this." Serena shot Austin a triumphant look.

He supposed he should attempt to be upset, but he didn't have it in him. Instead, he gave her a little wave. Her eyes narrowed before she flounced away on Jackson's arm. Since Austin knew Jackson hadn't had a drop of alcohol to drink, he didn't try to stop them.

However, he did shoot off a text to Finley. While he didn't normally rat out his teammates, Jackson might need some help. The guy was one of the good ones, even if his taste in women sucked. Besides, he would hate for him to get in trouble with Serena. And she seemed like trouble with a capital T.

Austin: Houston, we might have a problem.

Finley: What did you do?

Austin: Not me. Jackson. Left with a Serena. No last name.

Finley: Please tell me she's not the same Serena who went crazytown on her ex-boyfriend's house by setting it on fire for kissing another woman in a movie.

He blinked, and then re-read Finley's text. Serena had set her ex's house on fire? Maybe he'd gotten off easy with Bianca.

Austin: I don't know. Sorry.

Finley: Thanks for the head's up. I'll text Jackson.

Austin shoved his phone into his pocket and surveyed the two-story room. All around him, his teammates were living it up and having a good time. Some were starting to pair off and head upstairs. As long as they stayed out of his bedroom, he didn't give a d.a.m.n where they ended up.

Picking up his gla.s.s of Gentleman Jack, he joined the guys at the pool table. While he'd been the one to invite his teammates and their dates over, he did have to keep his nose clean. Avoiding women like Serena was high on his priority list, but not being caught up in drama was just as high.

"You're up, Lawson." Davidson handed him a pool stick.

Austin set his gla.s.s down, that familiar feeling of winning at all costs surging through him as he surveyed the guys standing around the billiard table. "Who wants to lose first?"

Harper walked Libby back down Poplar Street, her favorite Pandora station playing on her headphones as they headed home. She'd had a long day at school and needed more time than usual to clear her head.

Instead of relaxing with a good book, she had decided to get some fresh air. However, she wasn't sure the long walk had done her much good. For one, she couldn't get Austin out of her head. And two, she'd felt off at work.

There had been lots of whispering going on when she arrived that morning. But whenever Harper tried to get in on the conversations, they'd abruptly stopped. If she didn't know any better, she'd think those conversations were about her, but she wasn't gossip material.

Except, she had gone out on two dates with Austin, not to mention that he'd kissed her in broad daylight. Plus, he'd played fetch with Libby for a long time. Maybe they were whispering about that, wondering why a guy like Austin would go for Plain-Jane McCoy when he could have his pick of beauties.

"Stop it," she muttered. No good would come of her turning over-anxious and a.s.suming the worst. None of her colleagues had treated her any differently at work. She still met with Penny for their weekly planning time. She still ate lunch with Lucy while they pulled double lunch duty. And hadn't she gotten an invitation to Janice's bridal shower in her school mailbox today?

Glancing up in time to see a familiar red truck slowing down beside, she turned down the volume of the music.

The window rolled down, and her heart sped up.

"Going my way?" Austin asked. He looked s.e.xy and handsome as usual in yet another thermal t-shirt.

"I'm fine. Just walking Libby back home."

One of his dark brows rose. "Your lips are turning blue."

Automatically, she touched her mouth. "It's not that cold."

"Tell that to those sweet lips of yours."

A flush began to work its way up her neck. "Austin, I don't think-"

"That wasn't a compliment."

She frowned, taken aback by his statement. "It wasn't?"

"Nope. It's a fact," he finished with a wink. "Your lips do taste sweet."

"That's because I was wearing lip gloss when you-when we kissed."

"Trade you another kiss for a ride home in this nice, warm truck," he offered, patting the seat. "Room enough for Libby, too."

"Most guys around here would put her in the back," she said even as she took a couple of steps closer to him.

"Ladies always ride in the front, even the four-legged kind," he said, reaching over to open the door. "Get in."

Libby didn't have to be asked twice. She practically dragged Harper into the truck and sat her happy tail in Austin's lap. He gave Libby lots of attention while Harper managed to untangle herself from Libby's leash and put her seatbelt on.

"You'll have to drive slow so she doesn't get hurt," Harper said as Libby began to lick Austin's face.

He grinned at her and gently set Libby away from him, which meant that all forty pounds of her ended up in Harper's lap.

"How was work today?" he asked, carefully easing into traffic again.

"Long."

"Hopefully, I'll help it go by a lot faster tomorrow," he said as he made a left onto Freesia Drive.

Oh, dear Lord. He was coming in tomorrow. She'd almost forgotten about that. "I'm sure you will," she replied, and then glanced at him. There were faint dark circles under his eyes. "Did you stay up late last night?"

"You could say that." His expression grew a little tight before it relaxed. "Had some friends over-teammates of mine-and their dates. I didn't get to bed until four this morning."

Her stupid heart began to ache.

Why hadn't he invited her? Why would he invite her? They weren't a couple. If he wanted to have the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders over, he could, and she'd have no right to say anything. Except, the thought of him with all of those women, or any woman at all, made her heart pinch.

"You can't do that tonight with an early morning obligation," she said, and then winced. She sounded like his mother. Way to remind him of their age difference-not that she was remotely near his mother's age. She was still young.

Gah.

It was a good thing he wasn't in her head right now.

"Yes, ma'am." He made a U-turn and headed back to her house. "I thought about inviting you last night, but I didn't think you'd enjoy yourself."

"Don't you think that would be up to me to find out?"

Libby stuck her nose into Harper's hand and licked the palm, as if she could sense her unease.

He glanced at her, his blue eyes startling in color. Remorse was front and center in their depths. "Well, now that you've put it that way..."

"Did you have a nice time?" she asked, attempting to make light of her hurt feelings.

"I did, but I wasn't with other women," he said quickly. "Just hung out with the guys."

She hadn't asked him that. "If you were with other women, it wouldn't be my business."

"Not too sure about that."

Her heart started to pound in her ears. "What are you sure about?"

"d.a.m.n if I know." He shook his head. "I-we're here."

He pulled the truck into her driveway and put it in park before cutting the engine. Awkward silence hung like a curtain between them.

Harper knew what she had to do. She had to end things before they went any further. It was madness not to do so. An apropos expression since he drove her crazy.

"Thanks for the ride. Since Libby gave you more than one kiss, we're even. See you Tuesday." She scrambled out of his truck and up the front porch steps before he could say anything. Opening her door, she let Libby in first and glanced over her shoulder. Austin's truck was still in her driveway.

Worse, Austin stood beside it. Staring at her. Why couldn't he take the hint and leave? Or just leave in a huff like most men would have done?

"I'm not quite sure what just happened, but I'm not leaving until I figure it out," he said, making his way to her.

She turned around, fisting her hands on her hips. "Nothing happened."

"Harper." He placed a hand on her doorway, leaning in so close that she could smell his cologne and minty breath. "I might be slow on the uptake, but I wasn't born last night."

Sliding her gaze away from him, she looked at the large magnolia tree in her front yard. "I guess I felt left out." Shut up, Harper. Just shut up. Sharing how she felt only made her sound like a whiny stalker. Austin didn't owe her anything. Hadn't she only ten minutes ago been schooling herself on reality versus fantasy? Wasn't she the one who brought up the age difference between them that made her feel old?

Never in her life had she known what it felt like to be a hot mess-not until now.