As Hot as It Gets
Page 18

“How so?”
“He was at Notre Dame, guaranteed to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft when he busted his shoulder. Took him a year to get back to playing shape, and by then the draft had passed and a whole new group of young QBs were anglin’ for the pros. So he enlisted.”
“I don’t want that to happen to Danny. Not the enlisting part—I wouldn’t be mad if he did that,” she said quickly. “But he has his heart set on playing college ball and then making it to the pros. I want him to achieve his dreams.”
“What about your dreams? What do you want out of life?”
“I’m doing what I want. Working outdoors, gardening, landscaping. I love what I do.”
“That’s good to hear, darlin’. Not many people are able to do what they love.”
They reached the main gate, where three bored-looking teens sat behind a long table collecting entrance fees.
“Dang, shit’s changed since I was in high school,” Jackson remarked. “When did folks start payin’ to watch the games?”
“Nothing comes free anymore,” Mia said with a sigh.
Despite their murmured complaints, the tickets only cost five bucks apiece, and Jackson dutifully handed one of the kids a ten-dollar bill.
“Want somethin’ to drink?” he asked as they walked through the gate.
“Sure.”
A quick stop at the concessions stand got them two plastic cups of Pepsi, and then they wandered over to the row of bleachers that were closest to the home team’s bench. The players weren’t on the field yet, but the cheerleaders were, and Mia immediately spotted Angie among a large group of girls and guys clad in the black and silver Warriors colors.
She pointed the pretty blonde out to Jackson. “That’s Danny’s girlfriend. She’s a total sweetheart.”
Angie spotted them as they climbed the first step, and her ponytail bounced as she dashed over. “Mia!” she called. “Hey! I’m so glad you—oh. Wow. I mean…oh.” The girl’s cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink as she stared at Mia’s date.
Smothering a laugh, Mia quickly made the introductions. “Ang, this is Jackson. Jackson, Angie. As you can see, Angie’s on the cheerleading squad.”
“Nice to meet you, darlin’,” he said easily, extending one large hand.
Angie kept staring.
And staring.
Until Mia finally had to clear her throat to snap the girl out of whatever trance she’d fallen into.
“Oh. Right. Hi. It’s nice to meet you, too,” Angie blurted out, leaning over the chain link fence to shake Jackson’s hand.
A flurry of whispers sounded from the vicinity of the squad. Mia looked past Angie’s shoulders and hid a smile when she noticed that all the female cheerleaders were huddled together and sneaking not-so-discreet peeks in Jackson’s direction.
“Um, well, I’ve gotta go warm up.” Angie’s blue eyes remained glued on the tall Texan. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“You’re a hit with the teenage-girl demographic,” Mia informed him once Angie was gone. “Don’t you get tired of being so good-looking?”
He snickered. “Nope. Who am I to complain about my God-given gorgeousness?”
“Is gorgeousness even a word?” she asked as they sat down in a pair of empty seats.
“Sure. The dictionary people created it when they saw me.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “I can’t figure you out. Who are you exactly? The cocky ladies’ man, or the super-polite gentleman?”
“Can’t I be both?” he challenged.
“I guess. But that makes it damn difficult to peg you.”
Jackson laughed so abruptly he spit out the drink he’d just taken a sip of.
Mia frowned. “What? What did I say?”
He let out another wheezy laugh and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Nothin’. It’s just…you want to peg me, eh? You’re into pegging?”
Her confusion deepened, which only made him laugh harder.
“What am I missing here?” she demanded.
Grinning with mischief, he leaned in so that his lips brushed her ear. “In the sex world, pegging is when a woman f**ks a man’s ass with a strap-on.”
Mia’s jaw fell open. “Seriously?”
“Mmm-hmmm.”
She felt her cheeks turning bright red, but at the same time, her pu**y squeezed almost painfully as she envisioned the wicked scenario he’d just painted.
“Are you into that?” She lowered her voice and searched his amused expression.
Jackson shrugged. “Never had it done to me before, but I’m a big believer in trying anything once. Who knows, maybe I’d love it.”
Oh boy. She wasn’t used to being around men who were so sexually frank. The fact that he was open to being “pegged” told her that this man had no qualms about sex. Try anything once. Jeez. Obviously they were polar opposites when it came to intimate acts, and yet she couldn’t deny she found his open-mindedness incredibly attractive.
The PA system crackled, putting an end to the bizarre discussion—and Mia’s dirty thoughts. A moment later, the announcer’s voice reverberated in the outdoor stadium as he introduced the Warriors to the crowd. Each player burst out of the small tunnel and ran through the enormous banner on the field, then waved to the crowd before jogging over to the bench. It was a lot of fanfare for a high school game, but Mia had been to last season’s opener and it had been equally extravagant. Madison High took its football very seriously.