Across the Middle: An Interracial Sports Romance (LA Wolves Book 2)

  Copyright © 2021 by Cadence Keys

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblances to actual people, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales are entirely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference.

  Editors: Happily Editing Anns

  Cover Design: Kate Farlow, Y’all. That Graphic

  Created with Vellum

  For every woman who’s ever felt like she wasn’t enough. You are enough. Always.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Down by Contact Preview

  Also by Cadence Keys

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  One

  I grab the neck of my beer bottle and bring it up to my lips, tipping it back and tasting the bitter hops that define this specific IPA. My eyes scan the room taking in the scene before me. There are waiters walking around with snacks and a bartender set up in the corner. Several players from our team are present to celebrate.

  Jack and Paige have transformed their mansion into an elegant soiree to celebrate their engagement and New Year’s Eve. I watch as Jack wraps his arm around Paige, a smile encompassing both their faces. I’ve never seen him look so happy. She’s been one hell of a game changer for him.

  I continue my perusal of the room until my gaze catches on a figure I recognize well—one I’ve been desperately trying to forget. Gina Rodrigo stands at the entrance of the room, and my heart pounds at the sight of her. I don’t know what it is about this woman that sets my blood on fire, but every time we’re in the same room, it’s like no one exists but her. She’s absolutely magnetic, and I’m getting really tired of fighting my body’s response to her.

  I’ll never forget the first time I saw her. She walked out the doors of Paige’s apartment building, smiled up at me, and twisted my entire existence on its axis. It was the first time in over a year I’d felt anything, and frankly, it was the first time in my life I’d had such a visceral reaction to a woman.

  My gaze slides down her body. Her deep blue dress hugs every curve on her voluptuous frame. Everything about her calls to me, but I’ve been successful in fighting my attraction to her so far. I just need to continue to avoid her, which is easier said than done. Every time we’ve found ourselves thrown together this past year, I’ve been drawn to her. I always try to pull back, but something about her keeps me from pulling away completely, even when I know I should.

  I take a deep breath, trying to find some composure. She’s just a woman. Ah, if only that were true. The reality is Gina is so much more. She’s vibrant and full of life. I won’t be the one to drag her down.

  My gaze slides back up her body, mesmerized by the café au lait color of her smooth, perfect skin. God, what I would give to trace every inch of her body with my tongue. But I’m not the guy that gets the woman of my dreams. Candace made sure of that.

  The second her name slithers into my mind, guilt overwhelms me. How can I look at another woman after what happened with Candace? I’ve done so well being alone, with only the occasional meaningless fuck. I look down at the floor, wishing it would swallow me whole and all my guilt with me. I’m sick of the weight of it, but I can’t let it go. Or it won’t let me go—I’m not sure which anymore.

  My skin prickles with awareness and I look up, my gaze crashing into Gina’s, her light brown eyes holding mine hostage from across the room. My whole body aches to go to her, but I fight it with everything I have. I don’t know how much longer I can battle this attraction to her. I’ve never felt this way before, but I know better than anyone that I don’t deserve happiness, and I sure as hell don’t deserve it with someone as effervescent as Gina.

  She makes her way toward me, and I watch with both a desperation to escape and a yearning to make her mine in every way a woman can belong to a man. A year of repressed feelings is finally starting to overwhelm me. I need to get a fucking grip on this situation.

  I take another pull from my beer, hoping it’ll give me the strength to get through this night. I can’t believe Jack talked me into coming to this New Year’s Eve party. I haven’t been to one since Candace died, and if it wasn’t also his engagement party, I probably would’ve bailed and spent the night in my house watching the ball drop on my big-screen TV.

  Gina comes to a stop two feet in front of me. I put my free hand in my pocket, so I won’t be tempted to touch her. I use the other hand to bring my beer to my lips and take another swig.

  “Will.”

  “Gina.”

  I watch her eyes scan my body and feel my blood rush south. It’s been too long since I’ve been with a woman. I should be stronger than this.

  “I didn’t know you’d be here,” she says as her eyes make their way back to mine, her cheeks slightly flushed.

  My heart pumps harder in my chest at the hooded look in her eyes. Fuck, why couldn’t she just hate me and make this easier?

  I clear my throat and break eye contact, my eyes looking around the room. “I didn’t expect you to be here, either. You didn’t have any fun New Year’s plans up in San Fran?”

  “Paige was planning a big New Year’s Eve thing before they got engaged, so I was already going to be here.”

  I look around the room. “That explains how they were able to pull this together so quickly.”

  Gina nods and looks at me closely, hesitating before she speaks. “It’s good to see you. It’s been awhile.”

  “A few months at least, right?” I act like I don’t know, but I do. It’s been four months. Jack and Paige invited everyone out for a big beach day before the weather changed. The image of Gina in her pink bikini has kept my right hand busy, not that she’ll ever know.

  “Yeah, September, when I came down for the beach weekend.” She tucks a lock of her silky dark brown hair behind her ear, and my eyes catch on the diamond studs sitting elegantly on her lobes. She seems nervous, which throws me off. She’s never been nervous around me before, at least not that I’ve noticed. She always comes across as strong and confident.

  The only other time I’ve seen her less than confident was after a club event when she overheard me tell Max, Jack’s best friend and assistant, I wasn’t interested in her. It was a blatant lie, one she was never meant to hear.

  The truth is I’ve been interested in Gina since the very first moment I saw her. But just because I’m interested doesn’t mean I can ever have her. I can’t. I don’t deserve to be happy or fall in love, not after Candace.

  I can’t stand here much longer making pointless small talk. I’m already at the end of my rope just trying to keep myself from touching her.

  “It’s good to see you. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to Matt.”

  I ignore the brief moment of hurt on her face and make my way to my teammate Matt Fischer across the room. He’s surrounded by a handful of women, and I’m hoping desperately one of them will be able to distract me from the only woman in this entire house who could ever truly capture my attention.

  Two

  I stare at the space in front of me where Will was just standing. What the hell was that? I’m annoyed I can never get a read on him. One minute he’s staring at me like he’s starving and only I can sate his hunger, and the next he’s looking at me like I have the power to absolutely destroy him and he’s terrified I’ll use it.

  For over a year now, I’ve tried to figure him out, but the emotional whiplash is getting exhausting. I’ve tried to fight my attraction to Will Edmonson since it seemed pointless to give in to a man who lives six hours away from me. I’ve never wanted a long-distance relationship, and I sure as hell have no intention of wanting one now.

  And yet, every time we’re in the same room together, I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame, just asking to get burned. Paige insinuated once that his last relationship ended badly, but she never clarified what that meant. I’ve been trying to get it out of her, but she won’t spill, which m
eans Jack swore her to secrecy, and after everything they went through when they first got together, I know she’d never betray his trust or break a promise to him.

  I turn around just as Will reaches his teammate, who is surrounded by a bevy of gorgeous women. Jealousy burns in my gut when one skinny blonde tosses her head back with a laugh while placing her hand on Will’s muscular arm.

  I shake my head and look away, frustrated with myself for caring. Clearly, whatever attraction I thought was between us was one-sided. I grab a glass of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray and make my way out to the patio. Walking over to the edge of the yard, I take in the view of Los Angeles.

  I miss living in Southern California. I grew up in Long Beach with my three brothers and one sister. My mom has been begging me to find a journalist job in Los Angeles, but they aren’t as easy to come by as she thinks. I work at an established paper—which is becoming less common due to the growing competition of the digital market—and I’ve worked hard to solidify my place with the Gazette. That being said, I miss working with Paige and hanging out with her all the time. It’s definitely not been the same since she left.

  “Great view, isn’t it?”

  The familiar voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I turn around with a smile on my face. “Max, always lovely to see you.” I lean into him and give him a friendly peck on the cheek.

  “How’ve you been?”

  “Oh, you know me,” he says, adding a flirtatious wink to his already charming smile. I can only imagine what that means. Max is an unrepentant flirt if ever there was one. But I don’t know if that translates to actually being a player. I’ve never actually seen Max take a woman home, so who knows. Either way, it’s never been like that between us. It’s only ever been friendly flirting. Probably because my attention always goes to Will whenever we’re all together. Max is perceptive and no doubt has picked up on my constant distraction.

  “Party too much for ya?”

  I look back out at the view. “No, it was fine. I just wanted some air.”

  “Uh-huh.” I see him look back toward the house before looking back at me. “You wouldn’t happen to be avoiding a certain wide receiver, would you?”

  Like I said, perceptive.

  “I’m not avoiding anyone. I said hello to Will earlier. He’s the one who walked away to go hang out with another player.” I think I do a decent job of hiding my hurt that Will abruptly ended our conversation.

  “Idiot,” Max mumbles, but I catch his word. I don’t comment because I don’t know what to say.

  I’ve never wanted to be able to read people’s minds before, but I’d pay all the money in the world to know what Will is thinking whenever we talk. Am I the only one who feels the chemistry between us? I can’t be. I refuse to believe he doesn’t feel it too. That his body doesn’t feel like it’s on fire with need whenever we’re in the same room together.

  A tingle at the base of my neck causes a small shiver to race down my spine, and the feeling someone’s watching me causes me to turn around. My eyes find Will’s almost instantly. Despite the fact he’s still in the house against the wall farthest from me, our gazes are locked on each other. Heat spreads through me as I let my gaze slide down his form. Will is impossibly sexy, but not arrogant about it like most professional athletes are. My eyes peruse his fit, six-foot, three-inch frame. The man clearly never skips a gym day. He has inky-black hair my fingers ache to grip. His physique is every woman’s fantasy, but it isn’t what grabs my attention; it’s his piercing green eyes that always call to me.

  When our eyes lock on each other, I feel drawn to him. I pat Max on the arm and offer a quick goodbye before I make my way through the crowd to Will. He works his way toward me like we’re two magnets drawn together, and we end up meeting right outside the patio doors. Shouts and cheers from inside the house catch my attention as people start counting down to midnight.

  How is it midnight already? I let my gaze glide back to Will as his fingers slide across my cheek. My breath catches in my chest at the gentle gesture. I search for some explanation for this sudden change in behavior, but all I see in his jade-green eyes is need. A need that matches my own.

  He does feel this connection between us. The relief at not being alone in this is immense. I let my eyes flutter closed, anticipating a midnight kiss, waiting to hear everyone finish the New Year’s Eve countdown. I’m desperate to feel Will’s lips on mine. Maybe he’ll finally be able to sate this desire that has grown in me since we first met.

  Three, two, one!

  The cheers are muffled as people kiss and then wish each other a happy New Year. When I still don’t feel Will’s lips, I open my eyes only to see the most pained and haunted look on his face. Any desire that had been there is long gone. Hell, if I hadn’t seen it up close, I would’ve thought I imagined any affection for me at all.

  My heart plummets to my stomach. His hand pulls away from my face, leaving me feeling colder than a Chicago winter.

  He shakes his head, despair filling his eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  With those whispered words, he turns and flees. I stand there, bereft of the joy and anticipation I had felt only moments before. What changed in three seconds?

  I take a deep, cleansing breath, and work to refortify my walls that Will always manages to break down with just a look. I can’t let that happen again. In all the times we’ve done this dance in the last year, he’s never left me feeling so dejected.

  I compose myself and feel my shields rise. I need to stop whatever this is with him. I’ve been played with enough by the previous men I’ve dated. I don’t need it from him too.

  After tonight, I’m more certain than ever. Will Edmonson and I will never work.

  Three

  The laughter around me faded as she smiled at me, her eyes sparking with a mischief that made me feel like I was in on a secret with her. I couldn’t help but match her smile with one of my own. Her hand reached out and grazed my arm seductively, making her intentions clear. Celebrating a victory with my buddies usually meant going out for drinks and heading home alone, but for the first time in a long time, I wanted what she was offering. I wanted to get lost in between her legs and hear what sounds I could make come out of that lush mouth of hers.

  With a nod toward the door, I said, “So, Candace, you wanna get out of here?”

  With a smile full of promise of the good things to come, she replied, “I thought you’d never ask.”

  The barking around me tells me to keep my options open, but I can’t move away from the dog in front of me.

  “That’s Rex. He’s a pit bull, which as you can see, we have a lot of. There’s a really negative stereotype that sticks with them, but I’ve found them to be some of the most loving dogs I’ve ever worked with.”

  I nod to acknowledge I heard Anita, the shelter worker, but I still can’t break away from Rex. His eyes connect with mine, and instantly it’s like I’ve found a kindred spirit. He looks as lost and broken as I feel.

  Anita speaks again. “Rex has been here for months. He was an owner surrender. A man brought him in after he lost his job. Said they couldn’t afford to have a pet anymore, and he had to sneak Rex out while his kids were asleep so they wouldn’t yell at him about it. Damn near broke my heart watching Rex whine when the man left. He’s been despondent the whole time he’s been here, but pits are so hard to rehome.”

  I stare at Rex and absorb the information she’s just laid on me. Rex and I are two of a kind. We’ve both been hurt by people we thought we could trust. People we thought loved us.